Our 2023 NFL Preview remains in the City of Angels as we dive headfirst into the Rams, who are looking to bounce back after their worst finish in seven years. My oh my, how quickly things can change in the National Football League, for after securing the franchise’s second-ever Lombardi Trophy, Los Angeles came crashing back down to Earth, finishing with a miserable 5-12 record thanks to a plethora of injuries to key contributors. After years of mortgaging the future to chase stars, how will (Head Coach) Sean McVay and (General Manager) Les Snead change their approach as their team heads toward what appears to be a sizable rebuild? How will the healthy returns of (Quarterback) Matthew Stafford and (Wide Receiver) Cooper Kupp factor into that timetable? Let’s take a stroll through SoCal for a look into what awaits these Rams, shall we?
Remember Us?
Given that the NFL is such a “what have you done lately” league, we’ll forgive you if you have happened to forget about one of its most prolific QB/WR combinations: Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. In their first season together in Los Angeles, the duo made beautiful music, with Stafford completing 67.2% of his passes for franchise records in both passing yards (4,886) and touchdowns (41), and Kupp taking home the triple-crown for a pass-catcher, leading the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and scores (16). Of course, this connection played a prominent role in the Rams run to Super Bowl LVI, where they connected eight times for ninety-two yards and a pair of touchdowns en route to a 23-20 victory over the Bengals, marking the club’s first Lombardi Trophy since 1999. Unfortunately, their title defense was never meant to be, as both Stafford and Kupp (pictured together above) succumbed to season-ending injuries; the former started slowly after undergoing offseason surgery on his right elbow, before missing the final eight games of the campaign due to a spinal contusion, while the latter was placed on injured reserve in mid-November to have surgery on a high ankle sprain. As Los Angeles looks to be barreling head long into a rebuild, the status of these two bears keeping an eye on. At 35-years old, Stafford’s best days are likely well behind him, though given the investment that McVay and Snead have made in him as part of the Jared Goff blockbuster trade to acquire him back in 2021 (which also sent a pair of first-round picks to Detroit), and the fact that cutting him in either of the following two seasons would cost them at the very least $42 million in dead cap, means that he will in all likelihood remain in the City of Angels throughout the process. As for Kupp, the All-Pro inked a three-year, $80 million contract extension following his Super Bowl MVP performance, which would cost the club a similar amount of money if he were to be released prior to the 2024 campaign. As the supporting cast around them is overhauled, these teammates will need to be as productive as ever if the Rams are to be competitive in the treacherous NFC West, where the 49ers and Seahawks remain considerable obstacles in their path to return to the postseason.
The Ballad of Sean McVay: Act Two
Now, we would also forgive you all for forgetting just how young Sean McVay really is, given that the Head Coach has been the Rams leading man for the past six years. When the franchise hired him back in 2017, they made the then-30-year-old the youngest Head Coach in the NFL’s modern era, which proved to be a watershed hire for not just the organization, but the league as a whole. Simply put, McVay (pictured right) was the rare wiz kid who would indeed live up to the hype as an offensive mastermind well beyond his years, reinforced by a full-throttle work ethic that has propelled his troops to a 60-38 record (.612) under his watch, including four playoff appearances, a pair of NFC West titles, and that aforementioned Lombardi Trophy two years ago in which he became the youngest Head Coach to win a Super Bowl. His ability to get the most out of his Quarterbacks, while crafting creative and forward-thinking game plans has led the rest of the NFL to search for the next McVay, setting the standard for the young offensive genius that these teams all desire. As a result, his coaching staff has consistently been raided by opposing teams, with four of his assistants being hired as Head Coaches within the last four years, including Matt LaFleur, Zac Taylor, Brandon Staley, and Kevin O’Connell, who have all achieved varying levels of success. However, there were growing rumors that the 37-year-old could take a sabbatical following his team’s triumph in Super Bowl LVI, what with television networks willing to throw a proverbial bag at him for his services. After all, given his age, he could easily step away from the sidelines in favor of television for a few years only to return to the gridiron at a later date as teams would undoubtedly be vying for his signature on an annual basis. With that being said, he signed a lucrative extension to remain with the club until 2026, though after the Rams imploded last season, nobody would have held it against him had he decided to venture down a different path. Fortunately for Los Angeles, McVay has continued to reaffirm his commitment to the franchise, which makes for a fascinating future, for after having the luxury of some of the most talented players in the league at his disposal, he must instead develop this current roster, in many ways from the ground up. Sure, keeping Stafford and Kupp in house will make it easier to do so, but make no mistake that this team will be relying upon his coaching acumen now more than ever…
F@#$ Them Picks?
The other half of the Rams unique approach to roster building is Les Snead, who has served as the club’s General Manager prior to McVay’s arrival, dating back to 2012. Since teaming up with the Head Coach six years ago, the franchise has continuously swung for the fences in an attempt to acquire as many star players as possible in their quest to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. From 2017 to 2022, Snead (pictured right) has added the likes of Brandin Cooks, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters, Aquib Talib, Clay Matthews, Jalen Ramsey, Von Miller, Odell Beckham Jr, Allen Robinson, Bobby Wagner, and the aforementioned Stafford to the roster via trade and free agency, with those players representing a litany of Pro-Bowl and All-Pro selections. However, acquiring studs of that caliber oftentimes carries a steep price, and Snead has been more than willing to pay it, parting ways with a plethora of draft picks over that period of time. Draft picks are a precious commodity for most General Managers, particularly first-rounders, though the franchise’s lead executive hasn’t enjoyed a selection in the first round of the NFL Draft since 2016 due to all the wheeling and dealing he has done, which in the eyes of many has left the roster overly top-heavy without much quality depth to reinforce it. Granted, winning a Super Bowl via this approach validates his methods, even if it means that a sizeable rebuild was always going to be coming. Well, after last season’s disappointing performance, that future is now here, with Snead and McVay clearing the slate to a degree in an effort to build the roster back up into a contender. Can he do it? Well, aside from all of those stars that he acquired on the market, the longtime scout has proven in the past to be very good at identifying talent. After all, this is the same man who selected (three-time Defensive Player of the Year) Aaron Donald thirteenth overall in the 2014 NFL Draft, while picking the aforementioned Kupp sixty-ninth overall in 2017. Indeed, it may feel like a case of Back to the Future for the Rams, but you have to remember that they reside in Hollywood now, and Hollywood LOVES a good story…
Projected Finish: 7-10
In many ways it felt that winning Super Bowl LVI was the conclusion to a five-year story arc for the Rams, with last season’s faceplant serving as little more than a definitive epilogue that that particular era was indeed over. After chasing stars in pursuit of a Lombardi Trophy, Los Angeles must now shift gears and change their approach towards building their roster like every other team in the league: drafting and developing. Make no mistake about it, McVay and Snead are VERY good at their jobs, and we believe that they will manage to rebuild the roster over the next few years (particularly with a full complement of draft picks), but what can we expect from them in the meantime? Injuries absolutely ravaged this team a year ago, and with a healthy Stafford and Kupp coupled with a typically stout Defense headlined by Donald and coached by (Defensive Coordinator) Raheem Morris, one would expect them to improve over their 5-12 finish a year ago. However, how much better they can be is the question. Can they compete for a Wild Card in the top-heavy NFC? If they remain healthy, then that is a reasonable ceiling, but we have a prevailing feeling that this group still lacks the kind of depth at many positions to reach that level…
