The Los Angeles Rams picked a perfect year to let Lamarcus Joyner hit free agency. This might be the strongest class of free-agent safeties ever, at the very least of the past decade. There are starters all over the list of players set to hit the market, from future Hall of Famer Earl Thomas to the always tenacious Tyrann Mathieu.

On Tuesday, another stud got added to the group. The Ravens cut veteran Eric Weddle, who’s been one of the best safeties in the league for the past decade or so, making six Pro Bowls and earning two first-team All-Pro selections.

The Rams, having a hole at safety with Joyner all but gone, should pick up the phone and call Weddle’s agent to gauge his interest. Yes, he’s past his prime at the age of 34. Yes, he’s coming off a season in which he had a career-low zero interceptions and three passes defensed.

However, his veteran leadership isn’t the only thing he brings to the table. He’s missed seven games in his 12-year career, and despite those disappointing numbers against the pass last season, Weddle was still Pro Football Focus’ 10th-best safety and made the Pro Bowl.

And if you don’t believe teams still have to account for him, you’d be mistaken.

Last season with the Ravens, he played both safety spots, but many of his best plays came close to the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t have the range or speed he once had, but as that “robber” in the middle of the field, he can still have a huge impact.

His football IQ and ability to diagnose plays make him dangerous no matter where he lines up. He can read crossing routes and make a break on the ball to either intercept it or wrap up the ball carrier almost immediately.

The Rams have someone who’s already excellent at doing the same in John Johnson III, but who wouldn’t want two smart safeties patrolling the backend? Pairing Weddle with Johnson would give the Rams a terrific tandem at safety.

What makes this potential pairing even more enticing is the timing of it all. Last season, Weddle made the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and just the second time since 2009. The Ravens were one-and-done, losing to his former team, the Chargers, in the first round.

At this point in his career, he’s looking to capture that elusive Super Bowl ring. He originally said in January that he was going to retire if the Ravens released him, but his tune has definitely changed since then.

Weddle isn’t going to command a massive contract. His base salary in 2019 was set to be $6.5 million with a cap hit of $9.25 million. He’ll likely try to reach those numbers on the open market, but considering his age and the deep safety market, it might be difficult for him to get north of that money.

The Rams don’t have an abundance of cap space, but it’s enough to land a player like Weddle at the tail end of his career. He’d be affordable, productive and an excellent locker room addition on a team that could lose players like Michael Brockers, Rodger Saffold and Ndamukong Suh in addition to John Sullivan and Mark Barron.

Weddle would provide position flexibility between himself and Johnson, as well, making it difficult for teams to diagnose the Rams defense because both players can play either safety spot. This is a signing that’s certainly worth exploring for both parties, especially since it won’t affect the Rams’ compensatory pick formula, which they always take into account.