Just two seasons ago, the Los Angeles Rams lost in the Super Bowl to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots by a score of 13-3. The sports world was high on the team coming back with vengeance and bringing home the Lombardi Trophy. Sean McVay was widely considered one of the most innovative coaches in NFL history.
How the mighty have fallen.
The Rams spent last season underachieving and figuring out their identity. Quarterback Jared Goff lost his mojo from the 2018 season, throwing a career-high 16 interceptions. Running back Todd Gurley wasn’t quite able to bounce back from his injuries and came back down to Earth before being released. Once thought of as one of the best receivers in the league, Brandin Cooks only recorded 583 receiving yards (his lowest since his rookie season) and a career-low two touchdowns. The addition of Jalen Ramsey in the middle of the season was supposed to put the defense over the top. It only led to the unit being inconsistent and allowing an average of 34 points per game in the last three games of the season.
The Rams failed to make the playoffs at 9-7 and were left on the outside.
After reexamining themselves, it appears the Rams had the idea to make some changes to their franchise heading into the 2020 season. Veteran linebacker Clay Matthews and Gurley were both surprisingly released from the team to save money on their salary cap. The moves probably shouldn’t have been as much of a surprise since they were tight on the salary cap with Ramsey coming into the picture last season. Their long-time kicker Greg Zuerlein was not re-signed by the team as he will be heading to Dallas. Another key defensive player in Dante Fowler, Jr. left to sign with the Atlanta Falcons. Linebacker Cory Littleton also signed with another team as he will be heading to Las Vegas to play with the Raiders.
The team did make some moves to help offset their changes. To help replace Fowler, linebacker Leonard Floyd signed with L.A. on a one-year deal. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth will stay on the team on a three-year contract extension. Defensive end Michael Brockers is also being brought back on a three-year deal.
Where does this leave the Rams for the 2020 season?
The Rams have key pieces in place to still be a dominant team. Cooks, Robert Woods, and Cooper Kupp still show to be one of the best receiving cores in the league when they are on their A-game. Aaron Donald is considered to be the best defensive player in the NFL as he continues his reign of terror on opposing teams’ quarterbacks. Ramsey headlines a secondary that has seen many changes to their cornerbacks in the past couple of seasons.
Offensively, the team needs to look at the running back position with some interest. Gurley is gone, so they will need to find a replacement. Malcolm Brown is their leading back on the team as he finished 2019 with 255 yards and five touchdowns. He has not been able to prove yet that he is an every-down back, but he might get his shot in camp. Los Angeles will likely have to either look in free agency or the draft to find their starting back, though. Cooks has been the subject of trade talk during the offseason after his off year. Trading him could bring in draft picks, but the team shouldn’t expect a first-rounder for him. Goff will make or break this offense as he needs a strong season in order to get the “bust” label off of him.
Donald and Ramsey lead a defense that needs to find ways to create turnovers. The defense has been mixing and matching linebackers, but still has the good unit with Floyd stepping in to be the focal point of the linebackers. Pass rushing should not be a concern as they have plenty to work with. Donald, Fowler, and Brockers bring plenty of speed and power to get to the quarterback. Ramsey and safety John Johnson headline a secondary with some key pieces, but inconsistency hurt the unit in parts of the season.
The team overall has a lot of key weapons to help them out, but with too many moves being made in key spots, it could be a long season for the team. What will make or break this team is how well Goff can play on the field. If he can set the tone for each game, it could benefit them. If he struggles, it could mean another season of no playoffs for what is supposed to be a Super Bowl-caliber team.
