The Los Angeles Rams’ biggest departure this offseason might be Ndamukong Suh, who left in free agency to sign with the Buccaneers. The Rams draft Greg Gaines out of Washington in April, who they think will be ready to slide in and start right away in Suh’s old spot.
But if Les Snead is still looking for defensive tackle help, there’s one veteran available who would be more than willing. Domata Peko told TMZ Sports Tuesday that he “would love to play in LA,” when asked about where he might sign for 2019.
Peko said that he grew up in Whittier, and would love to make a homecoming. He’s 34 now, but said he has no plans to retire and thinks he has a couple of years left in him. “I would like to be with Aaron Donald, man,” he said. “Hell yeah! That would be dope.”
When TMZ’s cameraman asked if he had a message for Sean McVay, Peko immediately jumped into his pitch. “Coach McVay! Your boy, Domata Peko, here, ready to go. I would love to come out here, represent L.A. and try to pursue that championship,” he said.
Peko said he had a visit with the Lions last week, but is taking things slowly and in no rush to sign. Peko spent the first 11 years of his career with the Bengals, and was one of the league’s better run-stuffers for a while. He spent the past two seasons with the Broncos, starting all 30 games that he appeared in.
There’s pretty slim pickings on the free agent market right now, so if the Rams were looking to add a defensive tackle, Peko wouldn’t be a bad option. He can still clog up running lanes, and he received above average grades from Pro Football Focus last year, grading out as their 39th-best defensive lineman. He can also probably be had for a pretty cheap price at this stage in the process.
It doesn’t sound like Peko is going anywhere, so there’s not a huge rush. Perhaps if the Rams get into training camp and the coaching staff doesn’t think Gaines is ready for a huge role, they’ll decide to give Peko a call.