The Los Angeles Rams exceeded expectations this season after overcoming a 3-6 start to win seven of their final eight games to clinch the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.
While the Rams fell short in their Wild Card matchup against the Detroit Lions, there is plenty of optimism surrounding the team heading into the 2024 season.
The Rams roster was led by several rookies and new faces, including Steve Avila, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Kobie Turner and Byron Young. There were also many returning veterans such as Aaron Donald, Rob Havenstein, Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford.
Havenstein, who just completed his ninth year with the Rams, believes the team will benefit from the highs and lows of the 2023 season, per Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“As a lot of people take this time to reflect, myself included, there’s a lot of confidence that we can draw from this past year,” Havenstein said. “I’ve always been a big believer in, whenever a new year does start, last year is all experience. There’s never picking up right where you left off just because of the nature of the NFL, there’s going to be different players, different coaches, you might do things a little bit differently to adapt to a changing NFL game. But it’s all experience, and so the more of that you can get in a positive way, I think that’s what (head coach) Sean (McVay) created – a culture, this year especially, of just going about things the right way and just working on playing better football, being a better football player, being a better teammate and keeping everything a positive environment around.”
Havenstein noted that the NFL is an evolving league, but believes the Rams are well-equipped for any changes due to the culture head coach Sean McVay has created.
Having continuity in the locker room is important for long-term success, and Havenstein believes the the entire team will benefit from the positivity that has been instilled by McVay and the rest of the coaching staff.
Rams rookie standouts
The Rams received significant contributors from several first-year players, including Nacua, who set the NFL rookie records for receiving yards (1,486) and receptions (105).
Turner additionally tied Donald for the most sacks by a rookie defensive tackle with nine.
