WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – With how the 2023 season unfolded with the Bills, Poona Ford was intent on making sure his 2024 season with the Chargers put him in a position to the land a contract like the Rams gave him this offseason.

39 total tackles, three sacks and nine QB hits later as a starter in all 17 games, the defensive lineman positioned himself to earn a three-year deal from the Rams in 2025 free agency.

"It was just, like, a lot on my mind really, especially everything that happened in Buffalo, I was determined to establish myself down the road," Ford said.

During that time in Buffalo, Ford fell out of the defensive line rotation during a 2023 season in which he was a healthy scratch for nine of 17 regular season games.

In his first year in Los Angeles, he became what Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter in November called "the anchor" in the middle of their defense. His ability to stop the run allowed them to do different things with their coverages because they didn't need to commit as many bodies to that phase. Ford's run defense grade of 80.3 from Pro Football Focus marked his best since his rookie year, and he finished the season as PFF's fifth-highest graded interior defensive lineman overall for the 2024 season (85.3).

"Physicality," Ford said, when asked what he can bring to the Rams' defense. "Just stopping the run."

Ford also said Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula "wants me in the middle to help stop the run."

In terms of the Rams' defensive line, Ford said he sees a hungry group, one he's looking forward to getting to know better and build chemistry with.