Rams' Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford ESPN Stat Projections - Good Players, Bad Team?
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The Los Angeles Rams battled injury issues throughout this past season - a problem that spread all the way to the top of the totem pole with receiver Cooper Kupp, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Kupp, the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year in 2021, underwent tightrope surgery on his ankle, ultimately missing eight games.
Donald also suffered a high ankle sprain, some two weeks after Kupp, and missed the final six games, while Stafford sustained a spinal cord contusion and missed eight total contests.
When healthy, Kupp and Donald were still their dominant selves; Stafford had an inconsistent campaign due in part to other injury issues on the offensive line.
But what does 2023 have in store for the trio?
ESPN recently issued projections for the stats of each player currently on the Rams' roster ... and reached the following conclusion for the three stars.
Stafford: 364 of 547 (66.5 percent) for 3,959 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions across 15 games (with a "to be determined" backup making two starts).
Kupp: 122 receptions for 1,377 yards and seven touchdowns in 15 games.
Donald: 74 tackles and nine and a half sacks while playing 976 snaps.
The model has the Rams' win total set at 6.2 wins, the second-worst mark in the league, while holding a projected point differential of negative 68.
In essence, ESPN anticipates strong campaigns from Kupp and Donald but another lofty turnover year from Stafford - along with some injury trouble.
Also of note, the metrics don't reflect positively on Los Angeles' chances of getting back to the playoffs; under coach Sean McVay, the Rams have yet to miss the postseason in consecutive years.
But perhaps most importantly, the 2023 NFL Draft - in which Los Angeles has 11 selections - hasn't taken place, and even then, metrics can only tell so much of the story.
And in this case, the Rams will eagerly await Week 1 with the hopes of getting back to the top of the league once more ... even if ESPN's model doesn't like the odds.
You can follow Daniel Flick on Twitter @DFlickDraft
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