The Rams are set to add a veteran presence to their secondary. Los Angeles is signing Ahkello Witherspoon, as first reported by Jordan Schultz of the Score (Twitter link). The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue adds (via Twitter) that it is a one-year deal. 
The 28-year-old began his career in San Francisco, starting 33 of 47 contests there. His performance with the 49ers eventually led him to Pittsburgh in 2021, where he was a key member of the team’s secondary. Expectations were high heading into the following campaign, but things did not go according to plan.
Witherspoon was limited to just four games played in 2022 due to hamstring injuries. Despite having recently signed a two-year extension in Pittsburgh, he was released last month. That left the former third-rounder in search of a new home, and the Rams could represent an intriguing opportunity for him to rebuild his value.
In an offseason filled with cost-shedding moves, Los Angeles has seen a number of corners depart in one form or another. The Jalen Ramsey trade created a signficant vacancy on the backend, and David Long signed with the Raiders as part of the latter team’s efforts to re-tool their secondary. 2022 Rams contributors Troy Hill and Grant Haley remain unsigned, while special teamer Shaun Jolly was re-upped.
Witherspoon started all four of his Steelers appearances last season, recording one interception and a pair of pass deflections. His coverage statistics in terms of completion percentage and passer rating allowed were the worst of his career, however, which helped inform Pittsburgh’s decision to move on and contributed to the Colorado alum’s wait on the open market. In Los Angeles, he should compete for signficant playing time.
The Rams lack experience at the CB spot heading into 2023, a season in which plenty of expectations will be placed on recent draftees Robert Rochell and Cobie Durant. The team’s only investment at the position in this year’s sizeable draft class was sixth-rounder Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. At 6-2, Witherspoon will provide not only a veteran presence but also length among the Rams’ cornerbacks contingent.
L.A. ranked top-10 in interceptions last season, but the team struggled as a whole against the pass in their underwhelming Super Bowl defense. Witherspoon will aim to assist their new-look secondary in taking a needed step forward, while remaining healthy and boosting his free agent stock along with way.
I hope he does well there. When he first joined the Steelers he really got thrown headfirst into the deep end. He did improve as 2021 went on but then he struggled and got hurt last year.