Los Angeles Rams Offseason Grade: Why Super Bowl Push Hinges On Matthew Stafford (And One Glaring Flaw)
The Los Angeles Rams took the Philadelphia Eagles to the brink, coming 13 yards shy of a trip to the NFC Championship Game, before general manager Les Snead and Co. got down to work buttressing a roster built around ascending homegrown talent.
After flirting with moving off quarterback Matthew Stafford, the Rams committed to the 37-year-old, and swapped an aging slot possession receiver for an aging yet still prolific perimeter threat who has the potential to be a significant upgrade in the vertical passing game.
In some key areas, the Rams targetedly added at or near the top of the market, while in others, are relying on the talent already in place, continuing to develop into their collective prime in hopes of closing the gap at the top of the conference.
Snead and the Rams have come quite far from their “Fuck Them Picks” era that delivered a Lombardi, and have become one of the most adept front offices at building a consistent contender, largely from within, and largely with untapped potential still to reach.
What I liked about the Los Angeles Rams’ Offseason
Keeping Matthew Stafford is mission-critical to the Rams taking the next step. So, check off a big box for Los Angeles and the offense’s potential to contend for a championship.
To double down on Stafford’s twilight potentially delivering another Lombardi Trophy, the Rams inked Davante Adams to a two-year deal worth $46 million, dropping him opposite ascending playmaker Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell, whose 12.1 yards average depth of target ranks 36th in the NFL.
The Rams now boast a balanced receiving corps with three potential deep threats capable of significantly taxing opposing secondaries.
Adams has the potential to be a significant upgrade over what the Rams had been getting out of Cooper Kupp in recent years. Even with Aaron Rodgers’ inconsistency last season, the Jets’ quarterback still posted a 97.9 passer rating when targeting Adams, and Sean McVay’s scheme is set up nicely to extend the veteran receiver’s streak of 1,000-plus yard seasons.
During the NFL Draft, the Rams plucked former Oregon standout Terrance Ferguson, a potentially elite pass-catching tight end, in the second round. Ferguson is a big-bodied target with reliable hands, who caught just about everything thrown his direction during the Senior Bowl, and arrives in Los Angeles with the chance to be a major upgrade in the red zone, for an offense that scored touchdowns on just 51.3% of trips inside the 20-yard line, seventh-fewest in the NFL.
It is very clear that the Rams aim to win with offense, but adding 312-pound Poona Ford into the middle of the defensive line adds a dimension of a space-eating run-stuffer and interior pass rush to Los Angeles’ front.
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What Worries Me About the Los Angeles Rams’ Offseason 2025 Outlook
Banking on continuity in a middling secondary could be the kind of risk that lowers the Rams’ ceiling.
Safety Quentin Lake is a fine player and respected locker room presence, but a cornerback room headlined by Darious Williams and Ahkello Witherspoon leaves much to be desired. And especially given that to even think about Super Bowls the Rams have to get through a division that houses Jaxson Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Marvin Harrison Jr., and a conference stacked with elite receiving corps, it’s fair to wonder if the Rams aren’t betting a bit too much on continuity in personnel and scheme at a premium position.
This is a team looking to win with offense, but if opposing quarterbacks are able to sling it across the yard on a middling cast of defensive backs, it could wind up being too much pressure even for McVay’s wizardry as a play-caller and Stafford’s explosive supporting cast to overcome.
Los Angeles Rams’ Offseason Grade: B
The Rams boasted seven starters drafted in the third round or later last season, including Earnest Jones, Cobie Durant, Kyren Williams, Byron Young, and Nacua among them. This is why Los Angeles doesn’t need to go on a Supermarket Sweep-style spending spree in free agency.
Los Angeles has become an organization adept at not only mining diamonds in the rough of the midrounds of the Draft, but also developing them into key contributors across the lineup.
Former Michigan star, Josiah Stewart, is a heat-seeking missile who lands in the shadow of the Hollywood Sign after an 8.5-sack season in Ann Arbor, potentially the next off Sneed and McVay’s assembly line. Then, in the fifth round, Ohio State’s Ty Hamilton pulled down a Rams hat after posting 8.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and 116 career collegiate tackles as a standout on one of the nation’s most ferocious defenses.
But, for as much as the Rams have excelled building through the draft, Los Angeles’ trajectory hinges on Stafford. There’s not much more that Los Angeles could have done to push their aging franchise quarterback and stable leader into the next tier than signing Adams and drafting Ferguson, and now it’s up to Stafford to prove he’s capable of once again leading the charge towards a championship.
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In Case You Missed It
I like the Rams to win the NFC West. Signing Adams is a big upgrade over Cooper Kupp, who served me well in fantasy football for a couple years and holds a spot in my heart. The Rams are in the NFC's B Tier pileup along with the Cowboys, Commanders, Vikings and Packers, not on par with A Tier Eagles and Lions. Gonna be an exciting season!