As the NFL offseason
is in full swing, it’s a perfect opportunity to evaluate where each team was in
2017, and where they plan to go in the New Year. Let’s begin the review of
the Los Angeles Rams.
2017 Season Recap:
Coming off a four-win season in 2016, the Rams ownership fully understood
a change was needed to revamp this once proud franchise. Seeing how the NFL is
vastly changing, the Rams chose to change in the same realm hiring the youngest
head coach in the league in 30-year-old former Redskins offensive coordinator
Sean McVay. Regarded as one of the brightest young minds in the league the LA
Rams who were in desperate need of a face list, definitely got one.
Understanding the demands of being a head coach, McVay hired long time
defensive coach and brilliant defensive mind Wade Phillips to run the show
creating a powerhouse much like his days in Denver.
With excellent pieces on the roster on both sides of the ball, a few key
additions would be needed to put them over the top. First, signing former
Buffalo Bills receiver Robert Woods from free agency was a great move even
though unpopular to some based on the contract he received. McVay had some
sense of relief, but sensing the cupboards still required some restocking, McVay
worked with general manager (Les Snead) as the Rams organized a trade that saw
another Buffalo Bills player being sent to California - this time in former
first round selection Sammy Watkins. Rebooting the offense that would focus
greatly on getting star talent Todd Gurley the ball early and often, would
allow Jared Goff to take the next steps in his progression. Opening the season
at home the Rams destroyed the Luck-less Colts as their defense created
turnovers at will. Dropping their next contest to McVay’s former team left a
chip that was quite noticeable on the young coach’s shoulder. A game that
viewed as unimpressive on paper in week 3 playing on Thursday Night Football,
had the 49ers hosting the Rams. With two of the more intelligent offensive
minds ready to duke it out in primetime, this game was an absolute beauty that
left everyone wanting more. Perhaps this was the contest that defined what the
Rams could be in 2017. An absolute shootout back and fourth eventually gave the
Rams the edge in winning 41-39. Placing their confidence on the line, LA
traveled to Dallas to face off against the Cowboys. Finding a way to win in
Dallas gave the NFL notice that this version of the LA Rams was indeed for
real.
Dropping their next game to their division foe the Seattle Seahawks again
saw the Rams rebound to win the next two against the Jaguars and the Cardinals.
Going into the bye week with a record of 5-2 behind the superb play of Gurley,
Goff, and the Rams defense, it was clear McVay had this group working together
a firing on all cylinders. Off the bye and feeling rested, the Rams
disrespected the New York Giants in a full rout beating them 51-17, nearly bringing
back the once coined Rams nickname – the greatest show on turf. Being
victorious again in week 10 against the Texans, the Rams finished the year with
a trend of win two, lose one throughout the rest of season. Dropping games to the
Eagles and the Vikings while beating the Saints in that run, gave an uneven
perception of what this team could really do in the post season.
Finishing the year at 11-5, the Rams hosted a playoff game in Los Angeles
for the first time since 1989. With the Super Bowl runner up Atlanta Falcons
coming to town, the Rams enjoyed being a favorite in this contest. Alas, the
game began and ended with many mistakes and uncharacteristic turnovers by an LA
Rams team that wasn’t prone to these types of plays. Not being able to find any
balance or cohesion, the Rams fell to the Falcons by a score of 26-13 ending
their great season. Holding their heads high, its important to note, young
teams need to learn how to win and this won’t be the last we’ve seen of these
LA Rams!
2018 Offseason
Workbook:
Offseason Review:
While the 2017 season
didn’t end as the Rams had hoped, there was a great deal to like and feel
optimistic about in moving forward with this franchise. The stability within
the coaching staff to build on last year’s success is a fantastic starting
point when implementing new schemes based on the past of learning the
playbooks. With an 11-5 record and winning the division in the first year under
coach McVay, this team should be able to add pieces to the puzzle that will be
conducive in constructing a winner for the long term.
In reviewing the
offense of the Rams, it was clear McVay had a vision and executed that to
levels of perfection at times. Understanding that Todd Gurley is the best
weapon offensively, he enjoyed a bounce back season which placed him in the
league MVP conversation as the season wore on. Jared Goff in his second year as
a pro progressed beautifully throwing for over 3800 yards and 28 touchdowns to
only 7 interceptions, quite impressive. Though Goff still has a lot to learn
and much to progress with his game, having a viable scheme with extremely
talented players to distribute the ball to will continue his development as we
enter year three. The Rams were an absolute scoring machine in 2017 ranking
atop the NFL in points scored per game (29.9 PPG). With that said, it was quite
surprising to see the rest of the offensive tallies rank near the bottom of the
top ten. Ranking 10th in total yards (361.5 YPG), 10th in
pass yards (239.4 YPG), and 8th in rush yards (122.1 YPG), these
numbers felt as though they should’ve been higher with the amount of production
witnessed and points put on the scoreboard. Cleaning up the offensive line
issues from a season ago, LA allowed a much improved 28 sacks on their
quarterbacks this season which allowed Goff and company to drive the field more
frequently. With Robert Woods making the claim as the top receiver on this
club, Sammy Watkins showed flash but didn’t dazzle on a consistent basis.
Rookie Cooper Kupp showed his ability as a prime slot weapon leading the team
in receptions filling the void when Woods went down with an injury. The most
unproductive position on the field for the Rams offense was the tight end group,
as they were seen as an afterthought in the offensive plans. In 2018, we should
see a more rounded balanced unit, as it was clear in reviewing the tape, McVay
purposely molded this offense for short passes to the running back (Gurley) to
help create those mismatches allowing Goff to feel more comfortable.
Defensively, the Rams
on paper look like to have the potential of a dominating unit on the rise. At
times we witnessed the flash of an attacking Wade Phillips style, but
statistically it didn’t pan out that way. The Rams ranked lower than expected
in most categories, ranking 12th in points allowed (20.6 PPG) which
wasn’t too bad. Ranking 19th in total yards allowed (339.5 YPG) the
expectations was a little higher. Rounding out the rest of the defense, the
Rams ranked 13th in pass allowed (217.2 YPG), and 28th in
rush yards allowed (122.3 YPG), which was nothing to brag about. With those
stats on the books, this defense was very impressive in generating pressure and
creating turnovers. LA was able to take down opposing quarterbacks 48 times in
2017 which was near the top of the league. With the constant pressure
delivered, it created valiant opportunities for the secondary to take more
chances intercepting the opposition a healthy 18 times, having three go the
distance for defensive touchdowns. It clear that Alec Ogletree is there most
complete line backer, but if we should find a glaring weakness on this group,
it would most definitely be at that position. While the Rams look to improve
this side of the ball, two rather big trades recently occurred bringing in one
talent, while letting go of another. Acquiring defensive back Marcus Peters
from the Chiefs all but finalizes the inevitable future of Trumaine Johnson
being allowed to hit the open market. The second trade saw the Rams in an
obvious salary shred move, trading defensive end Robert Quinn to the Miami
Dolphins. With the talent on the defensive line and their inability to stop the
run, this was a no brainier trade for the Rams. With more moves on the horizon,
the strength of this unit still is the defensive line, rounding out the line
backers and secondary squads should be the priority.
Rostered Free Agents:
With the trade of
Robert Quinn, the Rams were able to create an enormous 22 million dollars in space
over the next two seasons. With that added money to the books, the Rams enjoy a
healthy 57 million in current space to improve this club. With 14 players on
the free agent list, a slew of top tear talent is looking to earn new contracts
for the upcoming season. As mentioned, Trumaine Johnson is the number one
priority to garner a new deal, but may have priced his way out of town with a
market value of 13.6 million a year over 5 years, generating a total number of
roughly 70 million dollars, might be too rich for the Rams to resign. Sammy
Watkins is another player that has expressed interest in returning to the Rams
on possibly a shorter term deal to prove his on field play has more levels then
we’ve seen thus far. It’s not inconceivable to see Sammy get an offer for 2 or
3 years at 6 million per, to stay with the club. Connor Barwin is another
player that may receive a contract offer, but with more help needed at the line
backer position, they may choose to move on. With safety a glaring need,
LaMarcus Joyner should get the opportunity to stay with the team provided the
Rams are willing to pay top money for a player whose market value has increased
to roughly 10.6 million per year. Nickell Robey-Coleman is another player that
should get another deal as he provides sound coverage in the slot with great
blitzing ability.
Always a possibility
to cut bait with players not earning their salary, one name sticks out like a
sore thumb. Converted safety to linebacker - Mark Barron is uber-athletic but
lacks the overall awareness in the run game to stay on at 10 million a year.
Shedding his contract would create upwards of 7 million in added space. Rumors
have surfaced that gadget player Tavon Austin will be released or traded by the
Rams sometime this offseason. While the Rams would save 3 million in getting
Austin off the team, they would endure a cap hit of 5 million, but it seems
he’s overstayed his welcome with the Rams. With all these moving parts, the
Rams general manager will have to be very careful in how he spends his money.
Star Aaron Donald has out played his contract and will require boatloads of
cash to remain on the team. Todd Gurley will be coming up for renewal in a
couple years and should also expect big dollars. Having to over plan for Jared
Goff has to be in the back of their minds as well. Cap management should be
more than a full time job in LA this year.
NFL Draft:
With recent trades,
the Rams currently have 8 picks going into the NFL draft. With no 2nd
round and 4th round selections to speak of, the Rams do have four
picks in the 6th round at their disposal. To fill the needs on the
defensive side the Rams brass will have to get super creative if they want to
pilfer top end talent to add to this developing squad. While adding depth to
the offense should happen at some point in this draft, the LA draft class as a
whole should see the majority of selections being made to improve the defensive
side of the ball. We don’t expect the Rams to jump the board much, but possibly
trade down to add selections that are much needed to round out this roster.
Overall for 2018:
Overall, the Rams are
a building unit that looks to be moving in the right direction. Bad contracts
from previous regimes could leave LA in a situation where their progression
doesn’t match the money and will have great inability to keep the talent that
is developing in the right direction. The Rams offense should keep improving as
a plethora of talent does exist on that side of the ball. Continuing to feed
Todd Gurley should be the mantra as he has planted himself as one of the best
runners and overall players in the NFL. I fully expect the Rams offense to take
a giant leap in the new year provided everyone stays out of the medical room.
The Rams are on the rise and should be a force in 2018.
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