Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
The NFC West is still stacked, and the Rams have to make some tough cap decisions to stay competitive.
The Los Angeles Rams regressed in 2019 after they had come so far so quickly in recent seasons. The Rams finished the season at 9-7 and out of the playoffs a year after losing to the Patriots in Super Bowl 53.
In that time, they went from an NFC powerhouse to a team with very little offensive identity as the shine on Sean McVay faded just a little bit. Now they face major issues, including Todd Gurley‘s lingering leg injury and the lack of cap space created through a string of win-now moves made before their Super Bowl run.
The Rams have some big decisions to make that will shape the future of the team — and they don’t have a first-round pick this year to help them.
Los Angeles Rams (9-7), missed playoffs
Los Angeles still has a lot of great players, but the team helps at premium positions this offseason.
Before free agency:
- Left tackle: Left tackle Andrew Whitworth is set to be a free agent, but he’s 38 and coming off a down year. Even if the Rams bring him back as expected, they really need a young tackle to be ready to take over when Whitworth calls it a career.
- Guard: The Rams need help across the entire line. As the unit struggled last season, Jared Goff and Gurley both became less efficient. Goff is still a big question mark, but LA can’t get an accurate read on him if the line can’t keep him upright. On that same note, when Gurley is playing, he needs better blocking.
- Edge: The Rams still have Aaron Donald to rack up sacks (12.5 last season), but edge rusher Dante Fowler, Jr. was right behind him (11.5 sacks) and will be a free agent. While retaining Fowler is ideal, Los Angeles might not be able to afford him. If they do re-sign him, the Rams could still use a Day 2 or 3 draft pick to upgrade from the aging Clay Matthews.
What Turf Show Times wants most this offseason: Because of their cap constraints after Les Snead and McVay got so spendy in the last couple of years, the most important objective for the Rams is keeping as much of the band together as possible. The three names to watch are Whitworth, Cory Littleton, and Fowler. Because Whitworth sounds like a guy intent on returning, the focus turns to the two defensive players. Out of the two, Fowler’s pass rushing abilities might have the most value to LA next season, so I may stress focus on him before Littleton. — Kenneth Arthur
After free agency:
The Rams, after building for a narrow Super Bowl window, saw some incredibly players leave this offseason. Todd Gurley, Dante Fowler Jr., Cory Littleton, Clay Matthews, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Eric Weddle are all gone. They re-signed left tackle Andrew Whitworth and managed to retain Michael Brockers after his deal with the Ravens fell through. Still, there’s a lot of holes to fill. Unfortunately, they do not have a first-round pick for the fourth consecutive season.
- Linebacker: Micah Kiser had his season derailed due to a chest injury, but the Rams are a big fan of his. If he can fill the void left by Littleton, even a little bit, it’ll be great news for Los Angeles. Then there’s Troy Reeder and Travin Howard, two other linebackers the Rams like but who are far from proven. The Rams lost a home-run hitter and now they have a bunch of unknowns.
- Running back: It’s unsurprising that the Rams moved on from Gurley, who had a massive contract and nagging injuries. But his loss still leaves a large void at running back, with guys like Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson remaining on the roster. They’re likely going to be wary of paying top dollar for another one, but they could use some help in the draft.
- Guard: The line as a whole needs help. Left tackle was an issue before the extended Whitworth, though it’s far from a solved position given he’s unlikely to play another three seasons like his contract suggests. The team re-signed Austin Blythe at guard, but they needed two quality ones and Blythe doesn’t inspire much confidence.
We’ll check back on the Rams after the 2020 NFL Draft to see how they did addressing the holes on the roster.
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