The Los Angeles Rams franchise is in a bit of disarray and things appear pretty bleak for the first time under Sean McVay. After winning at SoFi against the Cincinnati Bengals to end their 2021 Super Bowl season, the Rams have gone from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows.
Since then, events haven’t transpired as the Rams had anticipated. Los Angeles finished 5-12 in 2022 after suffering numerous injuries, and they almost gave away their entire future in exchange for Christian McCaffrey and Brian Burns. Leonard Floyd and Jalen Ramsey, two mainstays of the Super Bowl squad, were let go as the team made the decision to start fresh for this season.
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Not to mention, there has been no effort to bring back free agents like Nick Scott and Greg Gaines.
There was a lot of discussion about the return of Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford, and Sean McVay before the 2023 season. They agreed that the next season would be a “re-tool” year when they did, though. After the Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, hopes were raised and even though their record was 3-3, it was believed that they could contend for a wild card spot.
But the Rams have now dropped three in a row and are 3-6 going into their bye week. I think it’s a good idea to step back at this point in the season and look
This is a team that has occasionally been competitive, but especially in close, winnable games, their youth and lack of skill have shown. To truly understand who they are and where they are going, the Rams need to do some introspection.
What is the plan as it is now?
The Rams were adamant about one thing during the offseason: they had no intention of trying to win in 2023. That doesn’t imply that they were tanking, but it also meant that they had no intention of making trade deadline asset moves or adding players to make up for losses during free agency. The season of 2023 marked a blatant reset.
The 2024 and 2025 seasons are what this team is aiming for. Their three mainstays are thirty-year-old Cooper Kupp, thirty-year-old Aaron Donald, and thirty-five-year-old Matthew Stafford. One thing has been made very clear: this is not a rebuild. That aforementioned trio would not have consented to a rebuild. By concentrating on 2024 and 2025, they will have one more opportunity to succeed with that trio who have merited it.
The 2025 season holds significant importance as it is the year when all player contracts coincide. Donald’s contract expires in 2024, with two void years. In 2025, though, he might be able to negotiate for one more year.
After the 2025 season, Stafford’s contract will expire, and the Rams would only be responsible for $18.5 million in dead cap if they decided to release him. Although Kupp’s contract is signed through 2026, it expires in 2024. Additionally, players like Tyler Higbee and Rob Havenstein are signed through that 2025 season. The window of opportunity to win with the current core of players is 2025.
It is obvious that there is a great deal of risk involved; otherwise, this would not be a Les Snead and Sean McVay move. To win a Super Bowl, these two exchanged an unprecedented number of draft picks. With no draft capital, most teams would have probably blown it up and started over.
From now until the end of 2025, almost every decision must be made carefully. Although the Rams won’t have time on their side, they will still have assets. The Rams may wind up with a top-10 pick in the spring and the chance to select blue-chip players. With their top-10 pick, they most definitely cannot wind up with another Greg Robinson or Tavon Austin.
How to deal with the issues of today
The left tackle position has been one of the main problems on the current Rams roster. Until now, it has been abundantly evident that Alaric Jackson is not the long-term answer. Plans A and B have both failed since Andrew Whitworth retired. Joe Noteboom was not the left tackle of the future.
A Rams player starting at left tackle has given up 78 pressures in the last two years. Over the course of the previous four seasons, Whitworth allowed 84 pressures. Whitworth’s stability and consistency have been missed by the Rams.
In actuality, Jackson has shown that he is a backup player, which is acceptable given that he was an undrafted free agent, even though he has been strong at times.
A player with the potential to be the franchise’s face for the next ten years needs to be selected with the current projected top-10 pick. The Rams will be looking to either add a left tackle, edge rusher, or quarterback if they are in position to start Drake Maye or Caleb Williams.
It’s also reasonable to say that the tackle group that the free agent left behind is far from ideal. The draft will probably address that position.
In terms of cap space, the Rams could have as much as $90M available, depending on base salary restructures and the decision to cut certain underwhelming players.
While this does not imply that money should be spent carelessly, it is more than enough to add more talent to the roster. The Rams are 25th in terms of offensive cash spending this season and last in terms of defensive cash spending. That will not be the case when 2024 arrives.
Josh Allen, Josh Uche, and edge rusher Brian Burns are important defensive free agents. Unlike Danielle Hunter, who will soon enter his 30th season, all of those players are under 27 and fit into the current team structure. It wouldn’t be shocking if the Rams made a strong push to sign a top edge rusher who could replace Aaron Donald as the team’s star player.
It’s reasonable to say that the players who truly hit the open market will not resemble the list of free agents that exists today. For instance, it’s doubtful that Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson will be permitted to depart; instead, an extension will likely be reached or the franchise tag will be applied to him.
Having said that, there’s a good chance that at least one of the aforementioned edge rushers will become available.
putting faith in the vision of those in authority
Les Snead and Sean McVay hadn’t had a losing season together before the past two years. It has been a very different story in the past few seasons. Whether or not they can be trusted to lead this next phase is the key question. Concerns have been raised about McVay’s dedication and Snead’s ability to select the best players and award contracts to them.
Having said that, there might not be a better combination to help the Rams achieve their goal of mounting a strong challenge in 2024 and 2025. It will demand audacious decision-making and be audacious. Snead has demonstrated that he isn’t scared to take that risk in the hopes of winning a Super Bowl.
Snead took over a roster bereft of talent in 2012 and made them competitive right away. A large portion of this was brought about by the RGIII trade, which gave Snead access to elite draft picks. But he repeated it in 2017. During that same time, McVay demonstrated his ability to guide a team out of a hole.
There will be doubts about whether the two can still pull it off as a team, but they’ve shown that they might be just right.
Future building materials
Finally, we’ll look to the future. Things would be a lot worse for the Rams right now if they hadn’t had such a strong rookie class. This year is all about finding pieces that can be used to move the project forward, especially as we approach 2025.
To begin, Steve Avila has been a rock at left guard. Once the Rams establish a consistent presence at left tackle, the offensive line will only improve. According to PFF, Avila is the eighth-best rookie offensive lineman this season.
Following Avila, we must mention Kobie Turner and Byron Young, who were absolute steals in the third round. Turner has more run stops than any other rookie defensive lineman and ranks fourth in pressures behind Calijah Kancey, Brian Bresee, and Jalen Carter. Meanwhile, Young leads all rookies in pressures and sacks with 31.
And, of course, we save the best for last, as Puka Nacua appears to be breaking rookie records every week and will be vying for Offensive Rookie of the Year. While CJ Stroud may ultimately win, the Rams found a good one in Nacua.
Snead had to have a good draft, and he pulled one out of the hat just when he needed it. The rookies have performed admirably, but Snead’s story does not end there. Prior to the season, the Rams general manager traded Kevin Dotson for the 2024 and 2025 day three picks. Dotson has been the highest-graded guard according to PFF since becoming a full-time starter and is playing at an all-pro level.
Even in what some may consider a lost season, the building blocks for a quick turnaround are present. In a lost season, the Rams made the most of it and laid out their plans.
Finishing Up
The 2023 season has gone exactly as many predicted before the season began. It’s not where the Rams want to be, given that they were in the Super Bowl two years ago and are still looking to win another.
Instead of getting caught in the middle and struggling to compete with limited resources, the Rams took a reset year so that they can put all of their chips back in the middle if that’s the path they want to take. Resetting everything in terms of draft capital and salary cap, at the very least, opens up options.
Los Angeles is looking ahead to 2024 and 2025. Things may not appear to be going well right now, but given the resources, the Rams will look very different at this time next year in terms of roster construction and on-field product.
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