Thread of photographers who patiently waited to capture the shot of a lifetime

https://x.com/JamesLucasIT/status/1799856071609049548

Top Takeaways from GM Les Snead’s NFL Combine Week press conference: Latest on Coleman Shelton and Kevin Dotson, backup QB spot and more

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/top-takeaways-gm-les-snead-nfl-combine-week-press-conference-kevin-dotson-coleman-shelton-backup-quarterback

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rams general manager Les Snead held a video conference with reporters Wednesday afternoon to provide an update on the team’s plans for free agency and the 2024 NFL Draft.

Here are some of the key takeaways from that conversation:

Les Snead talks latest on Kevin Dotson and Coleman Shelton, team’s plans for 2024 free agency and NFL Draft

The Rams have been in “constant communication” with offensive lineman Kevin Dotson and Coleman Shelton’s respective camps, but both are expected to hit the free market.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing – Snead mentioned doing so would help both sides find a number that makes sense.

Snead said that Shelton decided to void his last year, which means he’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.

“I would say most players get to this point where, ‘Okay, the season’s over,’ they’re in the last year of their contract, there is a side of the process where, to help figure it out the market, is somewhat go to the marketplace,” Snead said. “And sometimes you gotta be patient in this process, which I do think is very healthy and productive for both sides. Because if you try to do something beforehand, it’s really just probably the Rams side. But when you go to the market, then it’s 31 other teams involved, and then you can use it to come up with a win-win.”

With Dotson, Snead said it’s “probably going to go into the window, at a minimum” – referring to the period of March 11 at 9 a.m. pacific time to March 13 at 12:59:59 p.m. pacific time, when teams are allowed to contact, and enter into contract negotiations with, the certified agents of players who will become unrestricted free agents at the start of the new league year (1 p.m. PT on March 13).

Rams have had discussions with Noteboom and his reps about “win-win” financial situation to return

Snead said the Rams have had discussions with offensive lineman Joe Noteboom and his reps to “try to figure out a win-win” financial situation to come back.

“Just because he’s been a valuable piece for us in terms of whether he’s been a starter, but let’s call it a really good sixth man,” Snead said, pointing out that Noteboom played both tackle spots and guard at different times last season.

Viable backup quarterback remains a need

After head coach Sean McVay last week said the team doesn’t have a backup quarterback on the roster, Snead on Wednesday said they want to make sure they have a quarterback who can win them a game if they ever have to play one without starter Matthew Stafford.

Snead indicated the flexibility provided by the Rams’ cap space this year will give them the opportunity to sign one, unlike last year. He said not having one “did come back to hurt us definitely one game last year,” alluding to their game against the Packers before the bye week.

“I think this year, different than last year based on salary cap, could allow us to maybe do a veteran QB,” Snead said. “Doesn’t mean you don’t go with a younger QB as a third, or does he earn the (number) two (spot), but that flexibility with the cap does allow us to do that.”

Higbee had knee surgery

Snead confirmed Higbee has had surgery to repair the knee injury he sustained in the Rams’ wild-card playoff game against the Lions, but said the timeline for his return is still undetermined.

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2024/1/25/24051313/rams-raheem-morris-aaron-donald-instagram-wants-eric-henderson-defensive-coordinator

☰
Aaron Donald has his ‘fingers crossed’ this coach gets the defensive coordinator job
It looks as though the Rams veteran defensive tackle wants a familiar face to replace Raheem Morris as DC

By JasonDalessandro on January 25, 2024 11:42 pm

Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Rams will need to find a new defensive coordinator after Raheem Morris was hired as the new head coach for the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday. While there are plenty of options, whether in-house or on the open market, one of the Rams most important players has seemed to make it clear who he hopes gets the position.

LA’s veteran superstar Aaron Donald posted to his instagram stories – first with a picture of Morris and champagne glasses cheering – followed by a picture of his previous defensive line coach Eric Henderson with “fingers crossed” emoji, implying that he would like to see his former position coach back as Morris’ successor.

Henderson left the Rams coaching staff a little over a week ago when he was promoted to USC co-defensive coordinator, however that was before the Rams defensive coordinator job became available. The former Rams coach joined Sean McVay’s staff in 2019, and in addition to shaping the defensive line, he also took over as the run game coordinator in 2021.

It remains to be seen if Henderson would have even been considered for the position if he hadn’t left, or for that matter, if he would now even consider coming back so soon after committing to USC.

From the Rams perspective though, when the best player on the team has an endorsement for someone, it may be beneficial to listen up. This could be even more important when taking into account that Donald is heading into a contract year, and may be looking for a reason to sign another extension with Los Angeles over retirement. While Super Bowl trophies are always the main goal, making Donald happy with the new defensive coordinator choice could go a long way in contract negotiations as well.

To Henderson’s credit, he is still a relatively young coach at only 41, and was a very successful coach in his time with LA. If he were to be considered for the position of DC, it would be completely warranted, even without Donald pushing for it.

Henderson leaving for USC felt like a big loss on the coaching staff, and Morris will most-likely be take a few more coaches with him to Atlanta too, so bringing Henderson back as the defensive coordinator could be just the right move to help keep some resemblance of continuity for the Rams staff, while still ushering in a new era.

More From Turf Show Times
Rams interviewing former Jeff Fisher assistant coach for defensive coordinator
If Jared Goff beats 49ers, does it prove Rams should have been more patient?
Championship Weekend Picks: Who advances to Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas?
Are Rams set up to contend for Super Bowl in 2024?
Jared Goff can silence his critics by beating 49ers on Sunday
Random Ramsdom: Is Kevin Dotson the most important LA free agent?

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I don’t know if this belongs here, either. Is this devoted to news, or is analysis welcome? If this belongs in a different thread, then by all means, move it.

The marvelous Jourdan Rodrigue on off-season priorities.

Five Rams’ offseason priorities — OL investment, tough conversations — and one big question

By Jourdan Rodrigue
Jan 23, 2024

The Rams are currently in the after-action review of a 2023 season during which they overachieved relative to the experience level of their roster, and outside expectations.

Ten wins, a narrow wild-card loss, an offense that got back into the top 10 in the NFL and the emergence of a strong rookie class — not bad, right?

They did it by going back to some of their fundamentals as coaches and executives. General manager Les Snead preached discipline from last offseason into the trade deadline, where the Rams had previously spent big capital (money and draft picks), and his scouting and personnel departments were patient and intentional about the players they selected in the draft and veteran free agency.

The 2024 season, it seems, is set up to reward them for that discipline. They will have around $40 million in workable cap space (estimations vary up until the new league year) and will wipe most of their dead money off the books. They’ll have their first-round pick and a full slate underneath it. Some of their top players are heading into only the second or third years on their initial contracts. But success is not a given. How can the Rams avoid regression in 2024?

“From this point forward, a lot of messaging will be, ‘OK, you got to this point and you’ll just move forward next year,’” Snead said. “What we do know is, we can reason that next year is gonna be different. We’ll be a different team. We’re not gonna be able to just show up and hop back on the train and be in rhythm. That took a lot of work. And I think the thing that we can do — what you can apply from this year — is, last year we really said ‘let’s come in every day and try to do something every day so that the collective can play quality football.’ We never talked about having more points than the other team, just quality football.

“The lesson would be not to come in and think, ‘OK, now this is what we do, and now we’ll have 11 wins over 10 (wins).’”

Setting the table in the offseason is all-important. Here are five priorities:

1. Continued investment in the offensive line 

The moves the Rams made along their offensive line in the draft and via trade — plus a scheme change in their run game — paid dividends. Rookie Steve Avila will start for them at left guard for a long time. Left tackle Alaric Jackson, an undrafted free agent, got better as the season progressed. Coleman Shelton was consistently solid at center. Right guard Kevin Dotson, whom the Rams traded for in August, was one of the top guards in the NFL in 2023 and paired very well with Avila. Right tackle Rob Havenstein is still the veteran and captain of the group. They also invested in a four-person coaching staff, from position coach Ryan Wendell to assistants Zak Kromer and Nick Jones, and consultant Mike Munchak.

Jackson is a restricted free agent, so subject to a tender. Shelton is an unrestricted free agent, as is Dotson. Snead indicated that at least trying to re-sign Dotson is a goal of the Rams this spring, but he will have a competitive market.

“I would bet that he’ll definitely have a marketplace, for sure, people are gonna want him to come play football for them — we’re one of those teams,” said Snead, adding that the process could take some time. “… But I can say, too, agents will call (and) we’ll start engineering and designing kind of a blueprint, more of a timeline of communication so that each step of the way they know where we stand.”

The Rams may need a right guard, or a center, or both. Even if they are able to keep Dotson, continuing to add for the future along the offensive line is important and should be a priority for a team that learned the hard way in 2022 what could happen if multiple linemen got hurt at once.

It’s important to remember that just because the Rams have resources again, it doesn’t mean they will burn through them all or over-extend their long-term financial plans in the case of a competitive contract discussion. Both Snead and coach Sean McVay have reiterated this point through the start of the offseason. Don’t be surprised if the Rams aren’t splashy in the early days and weeks of free agency.

2. Re-invest resources into 2 premier positions and 1 ‘abnormal’ position

The Rams historically have viewed a couple of positions as “premier,” meaning they are comfortable putting a lot of financial resources and/or draft capital there whether the player was developed in-house or acquired in a trade: outside linebacker/pass rush, quarterback, cornerback and, in very rare cases, receiver (Cooper Kupp, who was also a homegrown player).

In 2023, they stayed young and/or financially disciplined at those spots, particularly pass rusher and cornerback. Rookie Byron Young emerged as a starting outside linebacker with a bright future. Elsewhere, there are clear holes to fill. The Rams badly need another pass rusher on the outside and this year could afford to go the “veteran at the end of first contract/free agent” route for the right player. It could be argued that they need two cornerbacks, too. They have had success with a “pay one, draft and develop the other” strategy with their outside corners.

One position outside their typical team-building model that could merit a rare contract extension is inside linebacker. Ernest Jones has emerged as a team captain and core leader of the defense. Jones is entering the final year of his contract.

“Obviously he’s someone who is a very important part of that defense for many reasons, definitely the leader of the defense,” Snead said of the 2021 third-round draft pick. “In the past, obviously we’ve been invested in some other positions. But I think as we evolve, and as teams evolve, there are times where you may be less invested at a certain position than you were in the past and one of your better players is an inside linebacker. So, he’s definitely someone we’ll discuss and definitely someone we’d like to have around.”

3. Have the hard conversation about future at offensive skill positions 

The Rams got great production from their three offensive skill spots in 2023 from a combination of veterans and young players (even if one, tight end, was more blocking-centric in a re-invented run scheme). Still, significant injuries at running back, receiver and tight end should give reason to deeply evaluate all of those positions, and continue to invest in them.

At running back, second-team All Pro Kyren Williams missed four games to an ankle injury. Williams was a legitimate star for the Rams in 2023, should be again in 2024 and his presence on the field made a huge difference in their overall production:

NFL playoff predictions: 9 coaches, executives predict divisional-round winners

Jeff Howe

https://theathletic.com/5211688/2024/01/19/nfl-playoff-predictions-divisional-round-chiefs-bills-49ers/?source=weeklyemail&campaign=602288

Anyone hoping the wild-card weekend might offer more than a single competitive game throughout the three-day slate was disappointed. Not only had five of the six games been decided by multiple possessions, but all the blowouts were also practically decided at some point in the third quarter.
Here’s hoping for a little more drama in the divisional round.

For the second week in a row, we’ve assembled a crew of nine team executives and coaches from around the NFL to weigh in on the playoff games. Last week, they combined to correctly call four of the six outcomes, missing the Green Bay Packers’ upset of the Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans’ latest impressive performance against the Cleveland Browns.

Some fascinating storylines are taking shape this week. At quarterback, Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud and Jordan Love are trying to win their second career playoff games, and No. 1 picks Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield are continuing to try to fortify their standing with their new-ish teams. Then, in the weekend finale, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are gearing up for their third playoff installment, with Allen trying to get the Buffalo Bills on the board in the budding rivalry.

There’s a contrast in settings, too. The Saturday slate features a couple of home atmospheres, Baltimore and San Francisco, that are a bit more accustomed to postseason success, whereas the energy Sunday in Detroit and Buffalo will continue to play a prominent role in the weekend’s theatrics.

No. 1 Baltimore Ravens (13-4) vs. No. 4 Houston Texans (10-7, 1-0)
Kickoff: 4:30 p.m. ET, Saturday

Expert picks: Ravens 9, Texans 0

Fear not, Texans fans. No one from the panel picked them to beat the Browns, either.

Of course, the Ravens are a more daunting opponent. The AFC’s top seed has won six consecutive games started by Jackson, the favorite to win the MVP Award next month. But for Jackson to improve upon his 1-3 playoff record, he will likely have to be more efficient as a passer. Jackson has completed less than 60 percent of his passes in all three postseason defeats, and the Ravens have averaged 10.7 points in those outings.
And though the Ravens allowed the fewest points in the league this season, they also had top-three defenses during the three prior seasons when they reached the playoffs with Jackson.

It’s simply a matter of translating that success to the playoffs, where the Ravens have one win in nine years.

“They can dominate all three phases and proved it throughout the regular season with a tough schedule,” an executive said.

The Ravens went 6-3 this season against teams that made the playoffs (two losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers), including a 3-0 mark against teams still standing. They beat the Texans 25-9 in Week 1.

“That’s who I see winning the AFC,” the executive added on the Ravens.

The Stroud effect is real, though. The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite has been outstanding in back-to-back win-or-go-home games, completing 36 of 47 passes for 538 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions.

Plus, edge rushers Jonathan Greenard (12 1/2 sacks) and Will Anderson (eight sacks, including one in the playoffs) have been a formidable duo. It’s a different challenge containing Jackson, but defensive-minded head coach DeMeco Ryans will surely have something creative up his sleeve for the veteran QB.

It just might not be enough.

“The Ravens are the overall better team,” a coach said. “But I think it will be a good game.”

The outcome might be determined by the best player on the field.

“Lamar is playing too well, and the defense will get to the rookie QB,” an executive said.

No. 1 San Francisco 49ers (12-5) vs. No. 7 Green Bay Packers (10-8, 1-0)
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET, Saturday

Expert picks: 49ers 9, Packers 0

Sticking with the Saturday theme, can a first-year starting QB keep up the magic against a No. 1 seed? And just like last week, the Packers didn’t get a single panelist to pick them to win.
That’ll be the test for Love, but his best friend of late has been running back Aaron Jones, who has 476 rushing yards during the team’s four-game winning streak. The Packers’ disciplined, run-heavy game plan exposed the Cowboys, and head coach Matt LaFleur was patient enough to stick with it. Love consistently operated on schedule and made several elite throws to keep the Cowboys off-balance.

They’ll need a similar approach against the 49ers, who have allowed 4.1 yards per carry, just a tick better than the Cowboys.

“No QB should be as confident as Jordan Love is going into the weekend,” an executive said. “He’s playing lights out right now, and that offense is rolling. Green Bay should be excited about the future with how much young talent is on that roster. I expect a good battle this weekend but ultimately see the Niners’ run game and front seven taking over to win. Green Bay is still suspect on defense, and I have my doubts they will be able to control the game at any point.”‘

The 49ers figure to be a more challenging test than the Cowboys for two reasons. They’re far more dedicated to their running game with Christian McCaffrey, and the 49ers are viewed as a more disciplined team. They might not be as likely to succumb to the mistakes the Cowboys made to cater to the upset.

“(The game) will be closer than people think,” an executive said. “The 49ers’ run game and playmakers will be the difference.”

Added another coach: “The (Niners) defense will eliminate big plays and make (the Packers) drive on them.”

The 49ers have won two games in each of the last two postseasons, so they’re experienced. They were also potentially a Brock Purdy injury away from a Super Bowl rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs a year ago.

Though the Packers’ youth is impressive, that’s come out of necessity. They had $67 million in dead cap space this season, the fourth most in the league, so they needed big production out of players on rookie contracts.

That might just be too much to ask against a potential juggernaut in San Francisco.

No. 3 Detroit Lions (12-5, 1-0) vs. No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8, 1-0)
Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET, Sunday

Expert picks: Lions 8, Buccaneers 1

If you’re of a certain age and watched a lot of football before the turn of the century, the idea of a Lions-Bucs game to determine an NFC Championship Game participant might have rattled your week.

But here we are.

“I went back and forth (with my pick),” an executive said. “I ultimately picked Detroit because they’re the more complete team and have home-field advantage. I am curious to see how Goff plays this weekend because I do think Tampa can get pressure on him. And historically, when you can get hits on Goff, you can get him out of rhythm.”

The Lions have been preparing for this stage all season, and the Bucs have exceeded expectations. The visitors have won six of seven, and they’ve been victorious in their past three road games.

“The Bucs are hot, but the Lions have a good, balanced offense that should help keep Tampa’s defense honest.”

The Lions have gone 7-2 at Ford Field this season, including the playoff opener against the Los Angeles Rams last weekend.

“Home field will matter,” an executive said. “And Goff will outperform Baker.”

No. 2 Buffalo Bills (11-6, 1-0) vs. No. 3 Kansas City Chiefs (11-6, 1-0)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. ET, Sunday

Expert picks: Bills 8, Chiefs 1

Allen has been viewed as one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks for the past four years, but he needs to get over the Mahomes hump in the playoffs. The Chiefs beat the Bills in the 2020 and 2021 postseasons, but the Bills are finally getting a crack at them in Buffalo.
What’s more, the Bills are the league’s hottest team with six consecutive victories. This is a far cry from a year ago when they were heading in the wrong direction as the playoffs started.

“(The Bills) are a little beat up from the Pittsburgh game, but I think Allen seals the deal this weekend,” an executive said. “He’s balling right now.”

Based on recent performance, it’s hard to argue against the Bills’ chances, but their injuries across the board are a concern. So, too, is Mahomes in the playoffs, and he might be increasingly motivated after the Chiefs have been written off more than usual due to the rash of mistakes from the skill players.

“(The Bills are) rolling at the right time, playing better football than Kansas City down the stretch, (and that) will continue,” a coach said.

The lone voter who took the Chiefs essentially called it a coin toss. Both teams have high ceilings, but it’s been tough to predict how they’ll perform any given week. The lopsided nature of the picks is surely indicative of the Chiefs’ struggles this season.

The Chiefs defense might not be getting enough attention in the clash between two high-profile quarterbacks. Kansas City has allowed 20 or fewer points in six consecutive games, and it has surrendered more than 21 points just twice all season.

The Bills beat the Chiefs 20-17 in Week 14 at Arrowhead.

“The Bills finally get it done (in the playoffs) versus Kansas City,” an executive said.

wv wrote:

Wentz: “…”And so I just didn’t feel like God had closed that door, so I’ve been kind of just patiently waiting and staying ready…” I was always told, when God closes one door….you should listen to your handlers, and market yourself as a new-improved, team-player. w v

Good one, WV.

I think sometimes it’s legit, though. Of course, we’re on the outside looking in, so we don’t really know.

Ramsey, for instance, was considered a bit of a coach-killer and poor locker-room guy before the Rams traded for him. From publicly available reports, he became a great locker-room presence, a real team-leader, and as important off the field as on it.

OBJ was kinda in that range too.

Wentz: “…”And so I just didn’t feel like God had closed that door, so I’ve been kind of just patiently waiting and staying ready…”

I was always told, when God closes one door….you should listen to your handlers, and market yourself as a new-improved, team-player.

w

v

zn wrote:

Billy_T wrote:

. Two Seconds and two Thirds. Gone. It’s really difficult to team-build when that keeps happening.

Interestingly, the only player still on the Eagles roster from their 2020 draft is Hurts.

ZN, I responded to this earlier, but it was lost in the filter. Probably due to a link.

Will see if this gets through without it.

I don’t follow the Iggles, but when I checked, it looked like three players from the 2020 draft are on the active roster, and one is on injured reserve. So four made it through, total.

To me, though, the point is that the Rams, at least recently, seem to give up on their draft picks early on, even before their first contract expires. And, typically, they either cut them outright or get very little in trade.

In short, I think they need to do a bit better on team-building, drafting, maximizing trade value, etc. I like their coaching, and think it’s an area of strength overall. But I also think McVay can get impatient, and make impetuous decisions about this or that player. Jourdan has mentioned that they reflect at times on this and admit some errors . . . which is a good sign.

Hoping for the best, as always.

The Rams inexplicably went away from the offensive formula that worked so well against Seattle and SF.  In those games they stuck with their new power running game, even though it wasn’t always working. They were patient.

Against the Bengals they were impatient They pressed.  Even though going into the game Cincy had not been good against the run, they wouldn’t stick with it – especially in the RZ.

Then lineman started getting hurt and it was game over.

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2023/08/08/rams-roster-sean-mcvay-patience-young-players/

McVay is trying to be as patient as he can, enjoying each day of practice and work he gets with his players.

“I think the patience is an important thing. I’m not a very patient guy, but hopefully I’ll continue to be a little bit more patient,” McVay told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. “But we’re going to compete. We’re going to continue to strain and I think it’s going to be a really fun group to watch the way that these guys compete and hopefully continue to get better every single day, every single week when you guys are seeing us playing these games that count. Man, I’m just enjoying it and it is a blessing.”

We all knew the Rams had a bill that was coming due. Their approach was fun but you cant ignore picks and the cap forever. It's just shocking how fast it all came apart. Now the climb back starts. https://t.co/957zV22uVx

— Frank Schwab (@YahooSchwab) June 26, 2023

2023 NFL Preview: ‘Boring’ Rams take foot off the gas after awful Super Bowl defense

Frank Schwab
NFL/betting writer
Mon, Jun 26, 2023, 5:21 AM PDT·11 min read

If the Los Angeles Rams didn’t win a Super Bowl two seasons ago, everything would look calamitous about now.

The Rams finished a horrendous 5-12 last season. The Rams had to deal with another retirement tease from coach Sean McVay, though McVay stayed again. They traded star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins and got very little back. The Rams signed two outside veteran free agents: backup quarterback Brett Rypien on a one-year, $1.08 million deal, and then in June they added receiver Demarcus Robinson for one year and $1.165 million. Los Angeles didn’t have the draft picks to replenish the roster, unless a lot of third-day picks hit. Time seems to be ticking on how long Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald will be around, too.

The offseason was so bad, COO Kevin Demoff had to send an open letter to season ticket holders in late March, reassuring them they expected to still compete for a playoff spot but explaining that the team knew it would have to “pull back on our typical approach to help continue our sustained run of success.” That meant instead of their usual splashy trades and lavish signings, they would hold onto draft picks and get the salary cap in order. That’s why the Rams have an astonishing $72.2 million in dead cap space this year.

Going into the offseason general manager Les Snead called what the Rams had to go through a “remodel” and not a rebuild. He acknowledged, via the Los Angeles Daily News, the Rams would have to “not press the gas as much, pay a little bit of the debt that we’ve accumulated.”

“We’re the ‘boring’ Rams this year,” Snead said, via The Athletic.

What was MLB looking to get from London Series?Scroll back up to restore default view.
It doesn’t have to take long for NFL teams to rebuild. If you hear that a team has set itself back a decade, you can ignore it. That’s two, maybe three, lifetimes in the NFL these days. Demoff’s letter to season ticket holders pointed out that the Super Bowl-winning team had 19 starters that didn’t start in the Rams’ Super Bowl loss three years prior. Things can change, good or bad, in a hurry. The Rams know that well.

That doesn’t mean a “remodel” will be easy, or that 2023 will show many signs of progress. The Rams didn’t totally tear it down when they traded Ramsey, but it seems like they’re holding onto the past by not moving Stafford, Donald or Cooper Kupp. They have a full load of draft picks in 2024 including their first-rounder after a patient offseason. Maybe they should have dove in and traded anything of value, perhaps entering the Caleb Williams/Drake Maye sweepstakes. There was probably too much pride for that.

A rough couple years are coming but you can’t erase Feb. 12, 2022, when the Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals for the Lombardi Trophy. The many experts who want to dunk on their all-in approach seem to forget that. That will be remembered a lot longer than the Rams’ record these few seasons as they regroup. However, whenever the list of bad seasons for defending Super Bowl champions is brought up, the 2022 Rams will be the first one mentioned.

The Rams were dreadful. It didn’t look that bad before the bye, when they were 3-3 with losses to the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. Those were three of the best teams in the NFL. After that it was painful. They lost six straight after the bye. They did have a ridiculous comeback win against the Las Vegas Raiders with Baker Mayfield playing quarterback a couple days after he was signed, and a blowout of a Denver Broncos team that was having an even more awful season than the Rams. But those were rare highlights.

They lost Stafford, Kupp and Donald to season-ending injuries. The Rams built a top-heavy roster and those injuries made their lineup look like it was the preseason. Their 12 losses was the most for a defending Super Bowl champion, beating the record of the 1999 Broncos who went 6-10 after John Elway retired. McVay, who contemplated retirement after the Super Bowl too, looked miserable most of the season and it sounded like he was going to step away. Then he suddenly said he’d be back.

That’s the first step back for the Rams. McVay and Snead are excellent at their jobs. Maybe Stafford, with growing health concerns, won’t be around much longer. Donald, on a short list of candidates for greatest defensive player ever, has considered retirement too. But there should be faith in the Rams’ brass to fix things quickly.

McVay and Snead are practically starting over. We’ve seen their approach in chasing a championship, and that hyper-aggressive strategy might not work with a total rebuild. We’ll see if the Rams can drive in the slow lane for a while.

Offseason grade
What does life in the NFL look like if you keep kicking your cap issues down the road? The Rams’ free-agent class this offseason is backup quarterback Brett Rypien and receiver Demarcus Robinson. That’s it. Meanwhile, these are among the players they lost in free agency, cuts or trades: cornerback Jalen Ramsey, edge rusher Leonard Floyd, receiver Allen Robinson II, punter Riley Dixon, kicker Matt Gay, safeties Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott, linebacker Bobby Wagner, defensive linemen A’Shawn Robinson and Greg Gaines, and quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and John Wolford. The Rams did get back tight end Hunter Long (one career reception for eight yards) from the Dolphins in the Ramsey trade along with a third-round pick. That’s not getting anyone excited. The draft was all about quantity. The Rams didn’t have a first-round pick. Guard Steve Avila, at No. 36 overall, was their first pick. Edge rusher Byron Young and defensive tackle Kobie Turner were third-round picks. Quarterback Stetson Bennett was a curious pick in the fourth. The Rams had 14 picks but 10 came in the fifth round or later. Some of those players will contribute out of necessity, but it’s hard to rely on late-round picks to become difference makers. The Rams signed 26 undrafted free agents, a stunning number that is another indication of how thin the roster is. It was a dreadful offseason.

Grade: F

Quarterback report
Matthew Stafford ended last season on injured reserve with a spinal cord contusion. Before that he had a concussion. Stafford missed eight games and wasn’t great in the nine games he played, with 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Not all of it was his fault. He took 29 sacks behind a beaten-up offensive line — Stafford was sacked 30 times in 17 games during the 2021 season — and it probably won’t get a lot better in 2023. Stafford has a Super Bowl ring, has made a lot of money and thrown for more than 52,000 passing yards. He also has taken 444 sacks in his career. Nobody would have blamed him if he retired. He wasn’t ready to walk away at age 35.

“I felt really confident I was coming back. I feel like more people were less confident that than I was,” Stafford said in April. “But no, I was ready to go, ready to play as soon as I was cleared. And I feel great. I feel healthy. And, you know, I’m not 25. But I definitely feel good.”

Assuming Stafford is healthy, he still has the talent to be a top-10 quarterback. The bigger question is if he can play at that level with the holes in the lineup around him.

BetMGM odds breakdown
The Rams’ win total at BetMGM is 6.5. While it’s hard to completely bury any team with Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald, the under seems like the right side. The Rams probably should have been lower in these preview rankings, but there’s still some blind faith in that key group of four individuals, who could all have Hall of Fame arguments when they’re done. But the Rams could be really bad. At least they have their 2024 first-round pick.

Yahoo’s fantasy take
From Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski: “Cam Akers finally asserted himself as LA’s featured back in the final third of last year, and good numbers went on the board. Over his final six starts, he produced 512 rushing yards (4.9 per carry) and scored six touchdowns, checking in as the RB3 over that cumulative period. The Rams look like a non-contender on paper and the offensive line has concerns, but Akers has little backfield competition and likely marked his territory with that late-season run. Currently priced as the RB18 in Yahoo ADP, Akers probably isn’t a home-run pick — his national ADP is cheaper — but I can at least see profit potential.”

Stat to remember
One of the good stories from the 2022 Rams was Akers. After a slow start to the season, Akers was inactive for two games before the trade deadline due to “personal reasons” and there were reports that he and coach Sean McVay disagreed about his role. The Rams didn’t get a trade done and brought Akers back to the lineup. By the end of the season he was back to a workhorse role, gaining 345 yards with a 5.5-yard average in the final three games. He had three 100-yard games for a miserable offense with an offensive line in shambles. Akers, who suffered an Achilles injury in 2021 and rushed back for the team’s playoff run, went from practically being off the roster to looking like the arrow is pointing back up. It was a really strange season for Akers, but it worked out pretty well for everyone involved.

Burning question
Who are the Rams’ building blocks?
Here’s a telling exercise: Figure out who is the fourth-best player on the Rams. The first three are obviously Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford. And No. 4 is … running back Cam Akers? Tight end Tyler Higbee? Offensive tackle Rob Havenstein? Whatever the answer, it’s not good.

The strategy of trading picks means that you have to hit the mid- and late-round picks you do have, and the Rams haven’t done well in that regard. The best picks the Rams have made since 2017 (when they stole Kupp in the second round) among those still on the roster, are offensive tackle Joseph Noteboom (third round, 2018), Akers (second round, 2020), receiver Van Jefferson Jr. (third round, 2020), safety Jordan Fuller (sixth round, 2020), linebacker Ernest Jones (third round, 2021) and receiver Ben Skowronek (seventh round, 2021). There’s not one top-tier starter on that list. And no 2022 rookies made a notable impact last season, even with the team looking for answers.

Had the Rams hit more picks the past few years, a rebuild would be easier. But they haven’t, and that makes the hole a lot deeper.

Best-case scenario
It’s hard to be optimistic about the Rams, but it’s also hard to look past some of the key figures from the Super Bowl team. Sean McVay is an excellent coach. Aaron Donald might still be the best player in the NFL when healthy. Cooper Kupp had one of the greatest seasons any player has ever had in 2021 and he was having another monster season in 2022 before his injury. Matthew Stafford is a capable quarterback. And maybe with better injury luck, the pieces around them contribute a lot more. It can’t be that outlandish to believe the Rams can be in playoff contention, right? The only concern is if they’re in the race before the deadline and start trading off picks again.

Nightmare scenario
It’s possible, for different reasons, we’ve already seen the best of Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald and they’re all further down the back nine than we realize. We could actually be a year from a real Rams rebuild, which is scary considering they just had one miserable offseason. It’s not out of the question that the Rams could have the worst record in football if a few things go wrong, and that actually wouldn’t be the worst thing. What would be worse is if they’re really bad but also get enough wins to knock them out of position to start over with one of the top quarterback prospects in next year’s draft.

The crystal ball says
The Rams will win some games. They have no depth and will be starting some players who are not ready for that role, but there will be a few games in which their stars take over. It will still be a long season for a team that isn’t far removed from a championship, but that won’t be a surprise. The Rams had to make a decision this offseason. It couldn’t have been enjoyable to admit that they needed to slow things down and retool the roster, but it was the right move.[/quote]

Billy_T wrote:

But that’s what we get with McSnead. We get brilliance at times, mixed with proverbial head-scratchers and emotionalism.

I don’t think that’s what we get. What we get is unpredictable actions that defy the norm. The Rams have solved “cap hell” before, with much more strategic cuts and contract restructurings. In fact they consciously and deliberately made the 2023 cap situation worse by just going ahead and taking the big hit on dead money. The idea was, rather than just fix things and going back out with the roster we had, let’s just make it a young team in 2023 while creating cap space in 2024. That’s not desperation moves, that’s a plan. It’s just an unconventional plan.

I think what they did this time is just the exact opposite of trading for Ramsey during the season while off-loading Peters at the same time–but even though it’s the opposite on paper, it is still the same thing in this sense: a re-thinking of the ordinary process. This time, they went for a re-load and not the big “put us over the top” trade. It defies conventional wisdom but then so did trading for Ramsey and Stafford at the same time while taking rentals on Von Miller and Beckham.

I don’t see the reload as wrong in any way shape or form. I don’t see it as a crisis in any way shape or form. I see it as them doing what they do–which is not going to be conventional wisdom.

And they have remarkable success for a team that presumably has a lot of “head scratchers.” Only 1 losing season in 5 years and that was due to an absolutely unprecedented string of injuries, the likes of which we’ve never seen with the Rams.

In the middle of that I do see a couple of issues. So I am not playing the homer card. I criticize the Rams regularly. To me McV was impatient with Goff and hurt his confidence, but then it’s hard to argue against trading for Stafford. I didn’t like the Atwell pick in round 2, but then this draft they didn’t make that kind of mistake and it’s clear they drafted a top shelf OL who will be there for 10 years.

They didn’t have to reload in 2023 but IMO deciding to do so was very smart.

Though…it had better work… 😎

zn wrote:

Billy_T wrote:

Another way to go (pre-trade) might have been: Keep Goff, get him more weapons, protect him better, coach him up, and rebuild his confidence. Far less costly and better long term, IMO.

I think that’s all true but McV was not the patient coach who was going to coach Goff up. McV seems to be better with vets.

Agreed. McVay lacks patience. Brilliant coach, but impulsive and mercurial, at times. One might even say “fickle” in his football affections. But, I’m still very glad he’s the coach. Just hope he finds a way to smooth the rough edges.

He might be an excellent candidate for a Zen master to coach him up. Zazen can do wonders.

zn wrote:

I think that’s all true but McV was not the patient coach who was going to coach Goff up. McV seems to be better with vets.

George Allen.

Billy_T wrote:

Another way to go (pre-trade) might have been: Keep Goff, get him more weapons, protect him better, coach him up, and rebuild his confidence. Far less costly and better long term, IMO.

I think that’s all true but McV was not the patient coach who was going to coach Goff up. McV seems to be better with vets.

zn wrote:

But then Stafford was a better fit for McV. Stafford walked into the room demanding respect with his veteran smarts and longevity, so it was more of a case of coach and veteran qb collaborating than an impatient coach handling a young qb.

partially true.  i’m not saying i disagree with that.  but i think other things also played a part.

mcvay i think had committed to a 3 wr approach at that point with gurley declining.  i don’t think it’s a coincidence that goff’s resurgence has coincided with a resurgence in the lions’ running game.

i do think that mcvay could eventually be that patient head coach.  well.  at least a more patient version compared to his 30 year old self.  i think his perspective changes dramatically when he is say 50 years old compared to a couple years ago.  or at least it’ll have to or i don’t think he lasts.

it’s kind of useless to argue because mcvay back then was obviously incapable of having the kind of  relationship with goff where goff could keep growing as a qb.  it could have just been personality.  it could have been the age difference or mcvay’s immaturity.   or maybe mcvay just needing to realize that deficiency in himself and having a qb coach.  maybe mcvay needs his right hand man.  like tony larussa had his dave duncan.  but that’s also part of growing as a leader.  cuz you hope mcvay wouldn’t make the same mistake at 50 years old that he did when he was 34.