NFL Offseason Rankings: Where Do Rams Rank After Departures?
The Los Angeles Rams have had an eventful offseason, parting ways with several key players to their Super Bowl title the year before. The decision to scale it back wasn't easy, but it may have been necessary to build for the future.
However, those decisions didn't land well with everyone. In ESPN's recent ranking of each team's offseason, the Rams placed second-to-last at No. 31.
Despite the low placement, this offseason wasn't all bad for the Rams. ESPN commended L.A. for admitting the window had closed and selling off several key pieces like cornerback Jalen Ramsey. After the teardown, the Rams' future looks much more open than it did previously.
"Now they have $32.6 million in cap space for the 2024 season, giving general manager Les Snead meaningful flexibility in a city that is always going to attract free agents," ESPN writes. "They also traded down twice in the third round of April's draft, landing sorely needed draft capital in the process."
However, that's where the positives end in ESPN's eyes. The main criticism is that, despite parting ways with so many key pieces, they held onto others like Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald. ESPN describes this problem as being "stuck between stations," not good enough to be a serious contender, but not bad enough to get a top draft pick.
Additionally, ESPN questions why the Rams hardly signed any players in free agency. The article concedes that it's possible to build around the remaining stars, but the Rams neglected to add supporting pieces. This is especially true on defense, where there's little starting experience besides Donald.
"They will be running out Donald and a defense full of players on rookie deals," ESPN writes. "It's one thing to do that when they have first-round picks there, but they project to start five Day 3 picks in the secondary and a rotation of Day 3 picks and practice squad additions on the edge this upcoming season. Defensive coordinator Raheem Morris should be applying for hazard pay."
To cap it off, ESPN suggests that the Rams add to their defense before the season kicks off. Some names mentioned include safety John Johnson, cornerback Eli Apple, and edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue.
The Rams have received plenty of criticism for their offseason so far, but they'll be looking to prove it wrong once the season begins.
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