Rams need more playmakers for Matthew Stafford trade to succeed
Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead pulled it off, moving on from Jared Goff in a trade with the Detroit Lions, securing what appears to be an upgrade at the quarterback position in the addition of one-time Pro Bowler Matthew Stafford
However, the cost was significant, giving up first-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 draft, along with a third-round selection (89th overall) in this year’s draft to secure Stafford’s services. Pending Goff passing a physical with the Lions, the deal does not become official until the new league year in mid-March.
In Stafford, the Rams receive one of the most talented arms in the NFL who turns 33 years old on Super Bowl Sunday, so the Texas native still has gas left in the tank. And Stafford has a reasonable two years and $43 million remaining on his contract.
But the Rams still have several question marks remaining this offseason to make the deal worthwhile and to compete for a Super Bowl -- which will be held at the $5 billion SoFi Stadium in Inglewood next season -- with players like Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey still under contract and in their prime.
Rams a projected $35 million over the cap
With next year’s salary cap projected to be around $180 million, the Rams are currently about $35 million over the projected cap for the team’s top 51 players. So, it will be difficult to keep foundational players headed for free agency like safety John Johnson, edge rusher Leonard Floyd, tight end Gerald Everett, center Austin Blythe and receiver Josh Reynolds due to the Rams’ cap restraints. Snead’s also going to have some tough conversations with veterans at the end of their deals like left tackle Andrew Whitworth to keep them around moving forward, not to mention adding a couple pieces that can make the team better in free agency.
Can Van Jefferson emerge as deep threat?
The Rams lacked a consistent deep threat last season that could stretch the field vertically, and because of cap constraints might have difficulty adding a player with that skill set in free agency. However, at times Jefferson showed the ability to get deep during training camp and scrimmages last season. Jefferson was not used often last season due to Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Reynolds on the roster. But he finished with 19 receptions for 220 receiving yards, including a long of 31 yards in his rookie season and could develop into a reliable deep target for Stafford. Sean McVay is enamored with Stafford because he can run all of the play-action game that’s a foundation of the Rams’ offense, and recently did so under offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell with the Lions last year. Along with that, Stafford remains one of the best deep ball throwers in the game and will bring back that added element to the offense for Los Angeles.
It’s all about Cam Akers
One thing that sometimes gets overlooked in the offseason is the ability for young players to grow into larger roles and continue to develop. That certainly should be the case for rookie running back Cam Akers, who showed during the second half of the season and the playoffs that he can develop into the engine for this offense. Along with Akers, other young players like tight end Brycen Hopkins and safety Jordan Fuller have continue to develop to take on larger roles on the team next season.
Hitting on the draft a priority
The Rams have not selected a player in the first round since taking Goff out of Cal No. 1 overall in the 2016 draft. Unless they trade up, the Rams will not select in the first round again until 2024. L.A. does not have a first-round selection in this year’s draft because they traded it away in the deal to get Jalen Ramsey. They also traded this year’s fourth-round selection to Jacksonville in the Ramsey deal and this year’s fifth-round selection to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for offensive lineman Austin Corbett. The Rams received a third-round, compensatory selection in this year’s draft due to the hiring of former director of college scouting Brad Holmes by the Detroit Lions under the league’s new minority initiative. So, the Rams have four picks overall, not including potential compensatory picks. That puts a premium on hitting on those picks in the upcoming draft and adding playmakers on the rookie deals who can contribute right away.
Add talent with undrafted rookies
Last season, the Rams found some diamonds in the rough in signing undrafted rookies like safety JuJu Hughes, running back Xavier Jones, receivers Trishton Jackson and J.J. Koski, along with dual-threat quarterback Bryce Perkins last year. This season, they will need to land a handful of undrafted rookies again to fill in the back end of the roster with quality depth that can help them in a pinch in the marathon of an NFL season. Specifically, new special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis will need some young, dynamic players to improve the Rams on special teams.
