Although the Los Angeles Rams suffered some key losses this offseason, expectations remain as high as ever going into the 2021 NFL season.
The optimism is a result of their track record in recent years under the tutelage of head coach Sean McVay. Their blockbuster acquisition of quarterback Matthew Stafford also made it clear that they are still all in on taking advantage of this championship window.
On paper, this roster looks every bit the Super Bowl contender L.A. hoped it would be at the onset of the offseason. However, it seems there are still some more balanced rosters out there.
Ben Linsey of Pro Football Focus gave the Rams the seventh-best roster going into the 2021 NFL season:
Biggest strength: The Rams have the best player in the NFL, regardless of position, on their roster. Aaron Donald‘s 456 pressures across the past five seasons are 86 more than any other player’s in the NFL. That number is wild in its own right, but it becomes even more impressive given the position Donald plays and the extra attention he receives from every offensive line he faces. Those double- and triple-teams have also allowed players like Dante Fowler Jr. and Leonard Floyd to have career years in Los Angeles.
Biggest weakness: Micah Kiser, Troy Reeder and Kenny Young each played roughly 500 defensive snaps for Los Angeles last season. They combined for an overall grade of 41.9 at the off-ball linebacker position, which ranked 28th among all 32 defenses. The Rams will return Travin Howard from injury and add third-round pick Ernest Jones to the mix, but it still projects as one of the weaker groups across the league. The losses of Troy Hill and John Johnson III in free agency make it harder to rely on dime packages, as well.
X factor for 2021: Since Sean McVay took over as the Rams’ head coach in 2017, Los Angeles has had the ninth-most efficient offense in the league, according to expected points added per play. Jared Goff flashed high-end play when things were running smoothly but struggled to improvise and elevate McVay’s offense. The Rams bet two first-round picks that Matthew Stafford can. Stafford graded in the 73rd percentile of qualifying quarterbacks when under pressure last season, while Goff finished in just the 14th percentile.
Donald serving as the team’s biggest strength hardly comes as a surprise. The three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year has made a habit out of busting the grading scale they have for him.
As a result, Donald was recently named by PFF as the No. 1 player on their list of top 50 going into the 2021 NFL season. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey was the only other teammate to make the list at No. 16.
Of course, major outlets are still concerned about the lack of quality experience plaguing the inside of their linebacker corps between Micah Kiser, Troy Reeder and Kenny Young. Fortunately, L.A.’s track record when it comes to developing young talent leaves good reason to be optimistic about this group moving forward.
It is clear that the onus will ultimately fall on McVay and Stafford to show how much their pairing will give the Rams an edge over other teams that they did not have last season.
