This is the fifth article of an eight-part NFL preview series in which I analyze the eight most compelling teams to watch this season. Click here to read why I think the Texans are the league’s top Super Bowl dark horse; here to read why Dallas is poised to disappoint in 2018; here to read why Jimmy Garoppolo is the real deal; and here to read why this year might be the most pivotal of Drew Brees’ career.
In times when stockpiling draft picks, cutting cap space, and tanking seem to be the preferred routes to success, the Los Angeles Rams’ most recent offseason can certainly be categorized as unconventional.
Sparing no expense, the Rams’ allocated $32 million in 2018 cap space to acquire four high-impact players: cornerbacks Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib, defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, and wide receiver Brandin Cooks. They also took care of their superstar running back, Todd Gurley, by handing him a lucrative 4-year, $57 million contract and could soon do the same with reigning DPOY Aaron Donald, who continues to hold out.
Aggressive? Absolutely. Foolish? Hardly. The Rams’ made the smart play by attempting to maximize their championship window by loading their team with solidified stars while emerging quarterback Jared Goff still has a manageable contract.
Two other teams have had great success recently by following the same strategy: Seattle and Philadelphia. From 2012-2014, the Seahawks won an NFL-best 42 games (including playoffs) while paying Russell Wilson an average of $700,000 per season. In turn, Pete Carroll and company were able to lock up their other integral pieces, such as Marshawn Lynch, Richard Sherman, and Earl Thomas, while also building one of the deepest defenses in the league.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, won its first Lombardi trophy last year thanks to an MVP-caliber regular season from Carson Wentz and an all-time performance from Nick Foles in Super Bowl LII. Combined, they accounted for merely 4.5% of the Eagles’ cap space, which allowed their front office to hand out large contracts to notable players like offensive tackle Lane Johnson ($9.8 million salary per year) and defensive lineman Fletcher Cox ($9.4 million), while signing high-priced free agents like receiver Alshon Jeffrey ($10.8 million).
Clearly the Rams are following in each of these teams’ footsteps. After all, LA has until 2020 before Jared Goff, who threw 28 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions in a breakout sophomore season last year, commands far more than the $7.6 million he is making now. At that point, the Rams will likely be in the same situation as a team like the Lions, who have little choice but to give Matthew Stafford upwards of $25 million per year at the expense of building much needed depth.
In other words, Sean McVay and company realized their time is now. Not next year. Not the year after. Now.
And boy will their aggressive strategy pay off. On offense, Brandin Cooks will immediately become the most explosive weapon for a Rams’ passing attack that ranked 7th in 2017 according to Football Outsiders. Cooks’ presence should also ease the burden on Todd Gurley. The reigning Offensive Player of the Year is surely to be the focus of every opposing defense’s game plan, but slowing down LA’s offense still won’t be easily with Cooks and other serviceable wideouts like Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp spearheading an above-average passing game.
The real impact, though, will come on the defensive side of the ball. The Rams were already on the cusp of becoming an elite defense after finishing 6th in defensive DVOA in 2017. Now they have arguably the best cornerback tandem in the league with Marcus Peters, whose 21 interceptions are the most in the NFL since 2015, and Aqib Talib, who has made five consecutive Pro Bowl appearances. And assuming reigning Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald returns from his holdout by week one (which is likely), Los Angeles will once again have one of the league’s most disruptive defensive fronts, especially after adding dominant run-stuffer Ndamukong Suh.
I suppose the biggest question for Sean McVay’s squad will be whether they’ll effectively handle the spotlight that comes with being one of the NFL’s top Super Bowl contenders. Clearly they weren’t ready last season, as evidenced by their disappointing Wild Card round loss to Atlanta. But with an emerging quarterback and the reigning offensive and defensive players of the year returning alongside a new group of star-studded veterans, the talented Rams are poised to accomplish something that no other LA Rams team has done in thirty-nine years.
That’s right: appear in the Super Bowl.
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