The first big domino with the Los Angeles Rams’ upcoming free agents has fallen.Soon, it will be time to move on to the others.The Rams have signed reigning MVP Matthew Stafford to a one-year extension, a team source told The Athletic. That means Stafford will be under contract for this year and next year, removing doubt about whether he’ll be back in 2027 so long as he decides he wants to play a 19th NFL season.Stafford was No. 1 in The Athletic’s ranking of 2027’s top 30 free agents. His extension was always considered a formality, and now it’s finally arrived.But the Rams also have six other upcoming free agents in the top 30. No other team has more than two. This comes after they already extended one pending free agent in new All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie, who signed a four-year, $124 million deal upon his trade from the Kansas City Chiefs to become the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.Signing Stafford gives the Rams some clarity for what they can work with to iron out new deals. The numbers of his new deal aren’t official, and the structure — which will determine how the deal hits the cap — is not yet known. Los Angeles was projected to have more than $94 million in 2027 cap space before Stafford’s new deal, and it’s fair to expect that number to drop by half or so now.Here’s a look at the Rams’ other six top-30 free agents, plus a few others, entering their contract year. Their ages as of the Sept. 10 season opener are listed in parentheses.WR Puka Nacua (24)This will be the most fascinating of the Rams’ contract decisions and, as such, the one that could take some time. Nacua was The Athletic’s No. 5 free agent behind only Stafford, Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor, Miami Dolphins running back De’Von Achane and Colts guard Quenton Nelson. Stafford and Achane have since signed extensions.Nacua is fresh off a second All-Pro season in three years and just led the NFL with 129 catches and 107.2 yards per game. Everything about his track record suggests he should be in line for something near the four-year, $168.6 million deal the Seattle Seahawks just signed with Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who spent last year battling Nacua for the league receiving title and the Offensive Player of the Year award.But this one is a little trickier. Nacua spent time this offseason in a holistic care facility after a string of off-field matters that have raised the Rams’ concerns. The list spans from trying to sneak live streamers into a Rams practice against coach Sean McVay’s wishes, to practicing a touchdown dance with antisemitic tropes (Nacua later apologized), to tweeting about officials and incurring a $25,000 fine, to a lawsuit alleging he bit a woman while intoxicated and yelled antisemitic slurs on New Year’s Eve.The Rams believe strongly in Nacua as a person and in his desire to conduct himself as a better representative of the franchise off the field, but they need to see a pattern of strong behavior before they’re willing to buy in at the level at which Smith-Njigba just signed. Smith-Njigba’s deal, at $42.2 million per season, offers a roadmap to a contract if Nacua can display that over the next year.If it takes longer, the Rams could consider placing the franchise tag on Nacua next spring. He’s immensely important to their offense with Stafford at 38 years old and Davante Adams turning 34 in December, and with first-round rookie quarterback Ty Simpson needing to develop when he does see the field. But because Nacua will become the face of the Rams if he signs a major extension, more goes into the evaluation than just the performance on the field.OLB Byron Young (28)Young just turned in a breakout season and is putting together the kind of year-to-year production to start a career that generally gets pass rushers paid. He checks in at No. 15 on The Athletic’s list, behind only two other defenders. That speaks to his 27.5 career sacks, including 12 in 2025 as he reached his first Pro Bowl.Young is already 28, having entered the NFL at 25 after a unique path that included a stint as a Dollar General manager and a walk-on tryout at Georgia Military Academy. His age increases the need for him to cash in on this deal, as it falls squarely in his athletic prime.The Rams have plenty to weigh here. Another of their upcoming free agents, Kobie Turner, also plays on the defensive line. They’re likely to eventually extend Jared Verse, who has three more seasons under contract, including his fifth-year option. They drafted Josaiah Stewart in the third round last season, and he showed potential in flashes as a rookie but is far from proven.Los Angeles dramatically increased its spending in the secondary over the past calendar year, with three-year deals for McDuffie, fellow cornerback Jaylen Watson and safeties Quentin Lake and Kamren Curl, with all four making at least $12 million per season. Paying multiple defensive linemen, too, will be challenging as long as Stafford is playing and on a high-end quarterback deal.Spotrac estimates Young’s market value at $30 million per season on a four-year deal. That would match Jaelan Phillips, who joined the Carolina Panthers as a free agent in March, for ninth among edge rushers.Young is another candidate for the franchise tag if the Rams get in a squeezed spot on future deals but want to maximize his prime for another Super Bowl push in 2027, when he will be 29.WR Davante Adams (33)Adams is still a premium player and checks in at No. 17 as the fifth wide receiver in the top 30. He led the league with 14 receiving touchdowns last season despite missing three games. He’s arguably still the best red zone cheat code in the game and was a huge reason why Stafford led the league with 46 touchdown passes and the Rams led the NFL in scoring offense.But it’s easy to see the age, some wear and tear and a decline in volume and wonder about the future. Adams turns 34 in December, and he spent last season constantly managing hamstring and knee injuries. His 56.4 receiving yards per game, though still strong, was his lowest mark since 2015, his second NFL season.The Rams are banking on him this season, turning down an opportunity to flip him for a younger star wide receiver in A.J. Brown. They did not draft a wide receiver before the sixth round this spring, so they don’t have a succession plan quite yet.If Adams can replicate enough of his 2025 production this season and offer the same red zone effect, he could re-sign on a one-year deal for one more push next year. That would also depend on how much longer he wants to keep playing and how much he can make. Because of his age, he’s the least likely member of this list to sign another deal, but there is a path for it.RG Kevin Dotson (29)The Rams have two high-end guards entering contract years, which could make it a competition between them to earn a deal. It’s rare for a team, particularly one built primarily through the passing game, to pay two guards.Dotson is more than just a plug-and-play option, though, which is why he’s ranked No. 22. A defensive line coach who faced the Rams last season told The Athletic that Dotson is the engine of the Rams’ run game. And that played out when he was on and off the field amid a late-season ankle injury. At 6 feet 4 and 330 pounds, he is a mountain who works off of double teams and buries second-level defenders into the turf. He brings the “physical” edge McVay said his team needs more of.Unlike most of this list, Dotson is not looking for his first veteran contract. He signed with the Rams as a four-year veteran in 2023, and he’ll turn 30 in September. Guards age among the best of any position, especially those built on power. Spotrac lists his market value at $19.4 million per season on a three-year deal. It’d be a hefty investment in a guard, but it makes a lot of sense on a shorter-term deal as Los Angeles looks to further build out a run game with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in addition to Jarquez Hunter.DL Kobie Turner (27)Turner is a unique player on this list, where he checks in at No. 27, because he’s more than the sum of his parts. He’s productive, with at least seven sacks in each of his three seasons, including a career-best nine as a rookie in 2023. He’s durable, having never missed a game. He’s versatile, as he can play a hulking edge role on base downs and slide inside to rush the passer on passing downs, creating stunts and games with Verse and Young. He’s also a team captain and one of the emotional heartbeats of the team.Turner will have a market, thanks to pass-rushing chops on the edge and the interior and the fact that he’s just 27. Spotrac estimates his market value at $29.4 million per season on a four-year deal. But he might have more value to the Rams than others, given the structure of their defensive line and his leadership and imprint on their culture.Of the remaining free agents, Turner feels like the most likely to land a new contract, as he’ll help maximize Verse and can also set the standard for what the Rams want their players to be to earn extensions, much like with Lake. It’s also clear he wants to be here, though the same can be said for many of them.LG Steve Avila (26)The Rams bet on athleticism in a giant body when they drafted Avila in the second round in 2023, and it has mostly paid off, as he ranks No. 28 on The Athletic’s list. Avila has become a nice fit next to Alaric Jackson on the left side, and his blown-block rate of 1.5 percent last season was among the best in the league, per Sports Info Solutions, a clear jump from 4.1 percent in 2024. Durability has come into question a little for the 6-3, 338-pounder, but he still started 16 games last season between the regular season and postseason.Like others on this list, there is no question where Avila wants to sign when his time comes.“I feel like everybody that’s up for extension is hoping to get one,” Avila said. “That’s definitely something I wish could happen. I try my best to stay the same every single year. I know for me, I’ve always improved every single year I’ve played football. I feel like I owe it all to the team to be the best version of myself.”Avila fell into an odd space early last season, when he missed time with an ankle injury, then played only special teams for two games before rejoining the starting lineup. The Rams are looking for some all-around growth from him, but the potential is obvious, and the motivation for him is real in a contract year. Spotrac estimates his market value at $17.6 million on a four-year deal, which could offer a slight discount and a longer runway than Dotson, but perhaps without the same established floor.Other free agentsThe Rams have several other players worth considering on a new deal beyond those in The Athletic’s top 30:RT Warren McClendon Jr. (25)McClendon enjoyed a breakout season last year, rising from a fifth-round backup to an every-week starter after Rob Havenstein went to injured reserve. He was at his best in pass protection, giving up just two sacks on 383 pass-blocking snaps, according to Sports Info Solutions. The Rams helped him in the run game with Dotson and two- and three-tight end sets.If he can repeat that performance on a larger sample than 13 starts, he’ll set himself up for a major payday somewhere in a league where 21 different tackles are making at least $20 million per season.C Coleman Shelton (31)The Rams missed Shelton after he departed in free agency in 2024, so they brought him back to lead a surging offensive line last year. According to Sports Info Solutions, Shelton gave up just three sacks on 627 pass-blocking snaps and was also key to the zone scheme they often ran in.Los Angeles drafted Missouri’s Keagen Trost in the third round last month. It’s possible Trost could get a look at center in 2027, though he’ll need to prove it in games, which would require a Shelton injury. The Rams are in a tricky spot with four offensive line starters in contract years. The fifth, left tackle Alaric Jackson, will be up after 2027.TE Colby Parkinson (27)Parkinson has been a strong value signing for the Rams, as he posted a career-best eight touchdown catches and finished third on the team behind Nacua and Adams with 408 receiving yards in 2025. Drops were an issue at times, too. The Rams have stocked this room well with second-round picks in back-to-back drafts in Terrance Ferguson and Max Klare. If Tyler Higbee retires in a year, Parkinson could become the veteran of the room on a new deal.TE Davis Allen, (25)The Rams had four tight ends score at least three touchdowns last season, and Allen was one of them. He was primarily a red zone target, turning 24 catches into 208 yards. He’s a bit caught between the veteran statuses of Higbee and Parkinson and the traits and upside of Ferguson and Klare, but he’ll provide strong playable depth this season.CB Emmanuel Forbes Jr. (25)Los Angeles tried a reclamation project when Forbes, a 2023 first-round pick by Washington, went to waivers late in the 2024 season. It showed some dividends, as Forbes started 14 games and intercepted three passes in 2025.His limitations against physical wide receivers and in stopping the run were a factor in the Rams adding McDuffie and Watson, and they declined Forbes’ fifth-year option. With those two new cornerbacks signed for the next three seasons, Forbes will be the third corner this year and is likely playing for an opportunity elsewhere.