The Rams have a bright future ahead of them according to experts.
The Los Angeles Rams are coming off the back of a dominant playoff run and a Super Bowl win in 2021.
And according to the experts, they appear to be here to stay.
On Wednesday, ESPN released its future projections and power rankings for all 32 NFL teams, with the Rams coming in a favorable spot, tied for third with the Green Bay Packers.
Why they're here:
The champs deserve praise for so many things, but I often come back to this simple point: GM Les Snead identified that his squad was on the precipice of greatness early last offseason and committed to doing everything to win big right away. That decision was validated with a Super Bowl last season, but L.A. doesn't project to regress soon, either. The Rams are loaded, incredibly well coached and smartly managed. And while they don't pick in the draft often (in the premium rounds, at least), the Rams deserve more credit for their drafting than they get.
-- Field Yates
Biggest worry:
The concern now is the ability of the front office to continue to draft well and develop depth outside of the first round to support what is a top-heavy roster. Considering defensive tackle
Aaron Donald
, quarterback
Matthew Stafford
, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and edge rusher
Leonard Floyd
alone account for $105 million of the 2023 salary cap -- a year away -- young, cost-effective depth is as a must.
-- Louis Riddick
What could change for the better:
Who will be the next great pass-rusher to complement Donald? The Von Miller trade worked because Miller did Miller things in the playoffs. But now that Miller is gone -- and the Rams get the coveted compensatory pick for letting him walk -- Los Angeles must replace him off the edge. Floyd is capable, and maybe
Justin Hollins
can deftly fill a pass-rush role full time. But Donald, for as great as he is, could use more help at age 31.
-- Jeremy Fowler
Stat to know:
No team had a larger gap in expected points added per pass play to expected points added per rush play last season (through the Super Bowl) than the Rams (0.29), who were dramatically better when passing the ball. In other words, there's actually room for this offense to grow if the Rams keep the ball in Stafford's hands more often.
-- Seth Walder
On the surface, coming off of a Super Bowl win, and taking down some of the NFL's best along the way, third place might seem low for Sean McVay and Co.
However, multiple factors should be taken into account here.
Unlike the No. 1 and No. 2 teams on this list, the Rams have an aging quarterback in Matthew Stafford, who turns 35 next February.
They also have a substantial lack of draft capital following their multiple trades over the last few seasons and a good deal of money on the books in the coming years that will be hard to move.
However, as both McVay and general manager, Les Snead, have proven time and time again over the last few seasons, the Rams will find a way to compete at the highest level, regardless of the circumstances.
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