Current 2026 NFL Offensive Line projected starters: pic.twitter.com/oGq7k4anGY

— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) May 12, 2026

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from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/05/12/rams-offensive-line-rankings-best-nfl-espn/90043751007/?taid=6a0348e72096e10001ccdb63&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

…the Rams’ O-line looks like one of the best in football entering 2026 – at least on paper. ESPN’s Mike Clay graded every projected starting offensive line in the league and he ranked the Rams’ group fifth overall. There are no major weaknesses, either.

Here’s the rating for every player up front in L.A.

LT Alaric Jackson: 7.9
LG Steve Avila: 5.5
C Coleman Shelton: 6.8
RG Kevin Dotson: 7.4
RT Warren McClendon Jr.: 5.7

Based on Clay’s analysis, Jackson is the best lineman for the Rams, with Dotson close behind. Avila and McClendon are considered the weakest, but even their grades are above-average.

The O-lines ranked ahead of the Rams in order from 1-4 are the Broncos, Eagles, Bears and Bills. All four teams in the NFC West have offensive lines ranked 15th or better, with the 49ers coming in at No. 7, the Seahawks at No. 10 and the Cardinals 15th overall.

Health is the most important thing with this group. The Rams have decent depth on the offensive line but they’re lacking a reliable swing tackle, so it’s crucial that Jackson and McClendon stay available.

Beaux Limmer and Justin Dedich are solid options on the interior, and Keagen Trost can play any guard or tackle spot. The potential is there for Los Angeles to finish with one of the best lines in football again this season.

Rams’ 2026 home opponents

Seahawks
49ers
Cardinals
Cowboys
Giants
Packers
Chiefs
Chargers
Bills

Rams’ 2026 road opponents

Seahawks
49ers
Cardinals
Eagles
Commanders
Buccaneers
Raiders
Broncos

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Ranking the 7 toughest opponents on the Rams’ 2026 schedule
The Rams’ schedule is by no means easy in 2026, facing several division champions and a gauntlet in the AFC West

Brock Vierra

https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/05/11/rams-schedule-opponents-toughest-2026-rankings/90031866007/?taid=6a025f7676997b0001c3cdcb&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

The Los Angeles Rams are waiting to find out the dates of their 2026 schedule but have long known which teams they will play this season. As usual, the NFC West remains a gauntlet, while the conference re-arms for what should be a wide-open race for the NFC title.

The Rams also have the disadvantage of playing the AFC West next season, a division loaded with talent on paper.

While we await the full schedule release, here are the Rams’ seven toughest opponents in 2026.

Seattle Seahawks

The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks did experience several losses this past offseason in free agency, including Kenneth Walker and Riq Woolen. However, the team was able to keep its core intact, especially on defense, while retaining speedster and special teams ace Rashid Shaheed.

Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
Mike Macdonald is redefining defensive football as Sean McVay once did on offense many years before. The good news for Rams fans is that Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker was Seattle’s biggest loss of the offseason.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles look ready to roll. While there is a belief they will say goodbye to A.J. Brown and are recovering from the departure of offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, the team also added Biletnikoff Award winner Makai Lemon in Round 1, as well as former Rams quarterback Sean Mannion as their offensive coordinator. The Eagles have retained threats like Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and Devonta Smith, despite their massive moves on defense.

The team extended Jordan Davis, added Pro Bowlers Jonathan Grennard and Riq Woolen, while keeping Vic Fangio as the defensive coordinator. The Eagles look to be the first team this century to win three straight NFC East titles.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are lucking out financially for once, as their deal with Brandon Aiyuk won’t cost as much as first expected. Meanwhile, the failure of the Jauan Jennings negotiations gave San Francisco the resources to add Mike Evans, Christian Kirk, and Dre Greenlaw.

The 49ers had an underrated offseason, and their roster is stacked with talent. Kyle Shanahan, who’s had a mixed history with defensive coordinators, made a phenomenal hire by adding Raheem Morris to replace Robert Saleh. The 49ers have a lot going for them, and this could be a special season in the Bay.

Green Bay Packers

While Jeff Hafley left the defensive coordinator job for the Miami Dolphins, the Packers will still benefit from the pieces he left in place. Micah Parsons, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, Evan Williams, Keisean Nixon, and others are set to star next season. The Packers also made the decision to go all-in with receiver Matthew Golden, saying goodbye to prior contributors like Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks.

The biggest question is Jordan Love. The Packers just extended Matt LaFleur, so they believe in his system and his methods. Will Love be able to rise to the occasion, or will 2026 be another early exit?

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs may have had one bad season but if there is one thing they know how to do, it is rebuild. As with their Tyreek Hill trade years ago, the value from the Trent McDuffie trade paid off. The Chiefs already had one promising corner in Nohl Williams before adding the top corner in the draft by selecting Mansoor Delane.

With the first-rounder from the Rams, the Chiefs added Peter Woods, who could and should be a successor to Chris Jones. The Chiefs also gave Patrick Mahomes his first game-changing running back since Mahomes’ first year as a starter, adding Kenneth Walker III to the backfield.

Los Angeles Chargers/Denver Broncos

These two teams are essentially two sides of the same coin. Star-studded quarterbacks from Oregon who are giving their teams the playoff consistency that their fanbases have been longing for. Incredible offensive systems with speed littering the field. Hard-hitting defenses. Tested head coaches. The works.

The Broncos had more regular-season success in 2025, only by an inch. Had the Chargers won their Week 17 matchup against the Houston Texans, the Chargers and Broncos’ regular-season finale matchup would’ve been for the division title and possibly the No. 1 seed. The Chargers did win their Week 3 matchup with Denver, displaying the closeness between the two.

The big difference for both is that Jesse Minter isn’t calling the Chargers’ defense, and Sean Payton isn’t calling the Broncos’ offense this season. Both teams filled those positions with coaches they’ve groomed, adding a layer of intrigue.

From Matt Bowen, 2026 NFL draft: Best rookie team fits, perfect landing spots — https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2026/story/_/id/48702246/2026-nfl-draft-best-team-fits-landing-spots-top-rookies

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Which top prospects landed in an ideal spot? How will some new playcallers utilize the versatility of their draftees? My list goes 15 players deep, starting with nine first-rounders and ending with one Day 3 pick.

…

Simpson, QB, Los Angeles Rams
Drafted: Round 1, No. 13

Why he fits: The Rams’ QB room — and Sean McVay’s system — are both positives for Simpson. With Matthew Stafford returning as the No. 1, Simpson will have time to develop in an offense that fits his throwing style and mobility.

Simpson is a mechanically sound passer who can make the NFL-level throws. Plus, he can work the edges on boot and play-action. McVay will ask him to showcase that latter, as Stafford led the NFL with 75 attempts on designed rollouts in 2025.

Once Simpson gets his chance to start, look for McVay to give him more defined reads and movement concepts. He’ll be put in a position to see the entire field and deliver the ball on time.

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/05/11/rams-ty-simpson-matthew-stafford-welcome-message-nfl/90026111007/?taid=6a01c60de5e843000126cc84&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

…Stafford did, in fact, reach out to Simpson and welcome him to the Rams after the draft, as did his wife. Stafford’s message to the rookie quarterback was a “funny” one, too.

Stafford, a former Georgia Bulldog, ribbed Simpson for playing at Alabama.

“It was funny because, of course, he was like, ‘Welcome, man. I’m super pumped,’” Simpson said Saturday, via Gary Klein of the L.A. Times. “He was like, ‘Loved watching you play, but you played for the wrong jersey,’ because he’s pumping up Georgia.”

SEC rivalries are no joke, and now Simpson is outnumbered by two former Bulldogs in Stafford and Stetson Bennett.

Ari Meirov@MySportsUpdate
As part of the new deal with referees, the NFL is creating a bench/developmental pool of officials that can potentially be called up if active referees are underperforming.

from NFC West Report Card: Rams, 49ers Follow Seahawks’ Blueprint: https://www.si.com/nfl/nfc-west-report-card-rams-49ers-follow-seahawks-blueprint#inline-text-9

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Los Angeles Rams
Offseason grade: A-

Key additions: TE Max Klare, CB Trent McDuffie, QB Ty Simpson, CB Jaylen Watson

Key subtractions: WR Tutu Atwell, CB Cobie Durant, QB Jimmy Garoppolo, OT Rob Havenstein, CB Roger McCreary, CB Ahkello Witherspoon

The splash moves that the Rams made in free agency were quickly forgotten after their shocking decision to use the No. 13 pick on Simpson. Maybe it was a reach to take the Alabama product that high, and quarterback certainly wasn’t a need with Matthew Stafford coming off an MVP season, but L.A. could afford to look to the future after addressing its biggest weakness with the additions of McDuffie and Watson.

Those two moves alone put the Rams in an ideal position to win the Super Bowl this season, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that coach Sean McVay has the best roster in football. But if injuries hit this team at the worst time, many will be pointing at the fact that GM Les Snead didn’t use his first-round pick on a player who could make an immediate impact and provide depth at a position. Still, it’s understandable as to why Snead got risky in the draft, especially because of how much better this defense could be with a cornerback as versatile as McDuffie, a potential chess piece for defensive coordinator Chris Shula.

It was also a gamble for the Rams to cough up a first-round pick to the Chiefs and immediately sign McDuffie to a market-setting, four-year, $124 million contract extension. If McDuffie delivers and the Rams make a run at the Super Bowl, the Simpson pick will likely be forgotten until it’s his time to take over for Stafford.

Moving this here.

Mina/Barnwell on the Rams new secondary

The NFL keeps raiding the LA Rams front office…

Brad Holmes ➡️ Lions GM
James Gladstone ➡️ Jaguars GM
John McKay? 👀

That’s a front office tree. pic.twitter.com/a33u7ZJHZX

— LAFB Network (@LAFBNetwork) May 8, 2026

from The Athletic, NFL projection model ranks all 32 rosters following 2026 draft: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7252937/2026/05/08/nfl-draft-2026-roster-rankings-projections/?source=targetedemail&source=athletic_targeted_email&campaign=17601715&userId=603890

1. Los Angeles Rams

Although I didn’t love their draft (and they couldn’t overtake the Seahawks last year), I think the Rams have the best roster in football. It starts with the quarterback, of course, and Matthew Stafford is still playing at an elite level despite nearing retirement. The Rams also have the NFL’s best receivers room, led by Puka Nacua, plus a top-five interior offensive line, defensive line and cornerbacks room.

That’s quality up and down the roster, both young players and veterans. There are some concerns at offensive tackle, but the rest of the roster is top-notch.

Ari Meirov@MySportsUpdate
The NFL has yet to officially announce when the 2026 schedule will be released, and part of the holdup has been extra game inventory that still needed to be sold.

One of those games is now finalized, with the Week 1 #Rams vs. #49ers game in Australia headed to Netflix.

from https://theramswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/rams/2026/05/04/rams-emmanuel-forbes-option-takeaways-roster/89925240007/?taid=69f8894e563ff900012b0ae0&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

Before the deadline hit on May 1, the Los Angeles Rams made the decision to decline Emmanuel Forbes Jr.’s fifth-year option for 2027, setting the cornerback up to be a free agent next offseason. After the Rams added both Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason, Forbes finds himself in a peculiar place.

…While Forbes is out of contract after this season, his stock as a player has never been higher. A redemptive season in 2025, Forbes went toe to toe with the best, displaying a specialty against smaller route runners, rebounding from early narratives of his career. His performances against Jaxon Smith-Njigba speak for themselves.

Even if Forbes is entering the final year of his contract, he could be in a position to still make an impact as he’ll likely be in rotation with McDuffie and Watson. Forbes might be offered a prove-it extension after the season, similar to the deal Kam Curl signed when he first came to the Rams. However, he could make a pretty penny on the free-agent market if he has another strong year.

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1st & Tuna@1standtuna
Rams decline Emmanuel Forbes’ fifth-year option. Some guys perform their best when they are in those “prove it” years.

Very excited too see what Forbes puts on field this year.

short version:

“Simpson can make plays with his legs…it's NOT as if he's going back to what Goff was.”

“We've kind of LOST the ability to celebrate quarterbacks that actually drop back, throw the ball to the RIGHT receiver at the RIGHT time with the right kind of throw and do that… pic.twitter.com/cE0YRZapjf

— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) May 7, 2026

long version (which starts at 9:33 in):