2021 NFL Offseason: Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams (Last Year: 10-6)

2021 NFL Season Preview:

Veteran Additions:
QB Matthew Stafford, WR DeSean Jackson.
Early Draft Picks:
WR Tutu Atwell, LB Ernest Jones, DT Bobby Brown, CB Robert Rochell, WR Jacob Harris. Rams Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
QB Jared Goff, RB Malcolm Brown, WR Josh Reynolds, TE Gerald Everett, C Austin Blythe, DE Morgan Fox, DT Michael Brockers, OLB Samson Ebukam, CB Troy Hill, S John Johnson.

2021 Los Angeles Rams Offense:
Jared Goff had always held the Rams back, and the team finally admitted it. In a shocking move this offseason, the Rams traded Goff and draft capital to the Lions for Matthew Stafford. The long-time Lion will be a huge upgrade over the quarterback who once forgot his own snap count in the Super Bowl. Goff posted pretty numbers during his tenure in Los Angeles, but only because of Sean McVay’s great scheming. McVay will now get the most out of Matthew Stafford, who has not enjoyed the luxury of good coaching in his pro career.

Stafford will be grateful for some of the nice weapons at his disposal. He didn’t have that advantage with the Lions following Calvin Johnson’s retirement, as his top receiver since that event, Kenny Golladay, spent plenty of time on the injured list. Stafford will make good use of his top duo, Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp. Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell, recent second-round picks, will provide some nice depth at the position. Meanwhile, tight end Tyler Higbee will have the job all to himself with Gerald Everett gone. Higbee posted nice stats when Everett had been absent, so he could be very productive in 2021.

Stafford will have a nice backfield piece to complement him. Cam Akers didn’t get early starts as a rookie last year, but was excellent down the stretch when he took over the job on a full-time basis in Week 13. Akers rushed for 171 and 131 yads versus the Patriots and Seahawks, respectively. With the opposition needing to respect Stafford’s arm, Akers could be in a for a big 2021 campaign.

Akers and Stafford will have some nice blocking from a stout offensive line. Four of five starters will return from last year, and that includes both tackles. Andrew Whitworth could always decline, especially now that he’s 39, but he’s coming off a terrific year. Rob Havenstein was stellar in 2020 as well, which the Rams needed to see because he struggled the prior season.

The new starter on the offensive line is center Brian Allen, who will take over for the departed Austin Blythe. Allen was actually the starter in 2019 before he tore up his knee, thrusting Blythe into the starting lineup. He’ll be flanked by David Edwards and Austin Corbett, both of whom were solid this past year. Corbett doing well was a surprise, as he had been a bust in Cleveland as a former No. 33 overall pick.

2021 Los Angeles Rams Defense:
Along with Sean McVay, the offensive line and Todd Gurley, the defense was able to help carry Jared Goff to a Super Bowl appearance a few years ago. The Rams’ stop unit has been one of the NFL’s best, and that was once again the case this past season; it ranked first in points and yardage allowed.

There were some key departures this offseason. Coordinator Brandon Staley took the head-coaching gig with the Chargers, but the Rams managed to hire Raheem Morris, who should be an excellent replacement. Morris will do very well as long as he has Aaron Donald at his disposal. The elite defensive lineman is still a one-man wrecking crew. Donald’s sidekick, Michael Brockers, is gone, but Sebastian Joseph-Day and A’Shawn Robinson made him expendable. Joseph-Day was a surprise performer in 2020 as a run-stuffer. The Rams also added fourth-rounder Bobby Brown, who will be a rotational piece to start.

The Rams also lost a couple of key defensive backs, one of whom was cornerback Troy Hill. The skilled slot corner could be replaced by David Long Jr., who did not fare well on the outside last year. Regardless, the Rams still have two stellar cornerbacks in Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams to create havoc for opposing receivers.

The other secondary departure was John Johnson. He was an excellent safety for the Rams, so he’ll be missed. Johnson will be replaced by Taylor Rapp and Jordan Fuller. The latter was a surprise performer last year as a sixth-round rookie. Rapp, a second-round pick from 2019, missed the second half of the 2020 season with a knee injury.

Los Angeles nearly saw Leonard Floyd depart as well, but it managed to re-sign the edge rusher to a $64 million deal. It was fair to be skeptical of this transaction because prior to his 10.5-sack campaign in 2020, Floyd hadn’t recorded more than 4.5 sacks since his 2016 rookie season. Nevertheless, he won’t draw much attention as long as Donald is in the trenches, so he’ll continue to benefit. It’s unclear who will start across from Floyd. It could be 2020 third-rounder Terrell Lewis, who didn’t do much in his rookie campaign.

It’s safe to say that the weakness of the Rams’ defense is the linebacking corps. Troy Reeder was a mediocre player this past season, while Micah Kiser was a huge liability before being replaced by Justin Hollins in the second half of the year. Perhaps third-round rookie Ernest Jones will challenge for a starting job.

2021 Los Angeles Rams Schedule and Intangibles:
It’s no surprise that Los Angeles has been a horrible home-field advantage for the Rams. When the team played in Los Angeles previously, Steve Young would actually have to tell his teammates to be quiet in the huddle, since the stadium was so silent that the opposing team could hear what they were saying. Predictably, the Rams were 3-5 at home in 2017 while being 7-1 on the road. They were 8-1 as hosts in 2018, but failed to cover the spread in most of their home games. They were a mere 4-3 as hosts in 2019. That record improved to 6-2 in 2020, but most of their opponents were weak. In a crumbling city comprised of heavy traffic, high taxes, countless homeless people, diseases from the 1800s, and insufferable celebrities who think they know what’s best for everyone else, there aren’t many people who care about professional football.

Greg Zuerlein is one of the best kickers in the NFL, but he’s no longer with the team after signing with Dallas. His replacement was Matt Gay, who hit 14-of-16 attempts in seven games. He didn’t whiff on an extra point.

Johnny Hekker maintained the highest net-punting average at 44.2 in 2013, 43.7 in 2015 and 46.0 in 2016. He was second in 2017 and 2018, only behind Tennessee’s Brett Kern (2017) and Thomas Morstead (2018). He finished seventh (42.4) in 2019, but dropped all the way to 24th in 2020. However, he hit a high percentage of kicks inside the 20.

The Rams were poor on special teams last year; they didn’t score on returns, and yet they allowed a touchdown.

Los Angeles’ schedule is mixed. It’ll have tough games inside the division, but it’ll also have the luxury of battling the NFC North and AFC South.

2021 Los Angeles Rams Rookies:
Go here for the Rams Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.

2021 Los Angeles Rams Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):

Quarterbacks	Offensive Line	Secondary
Running Backs	Defensive Line	Special Teams
Receivers	Linebackers	Coaching

2021 Los Angeles Rams Analysis: The Jared Goff trade finally unshackled the Rams from pedestrian quarterback play. Matthew Stafford is a huge upgrade, and he’ll likely play better than he ever has in his career because of Sean McVay’s great coaching. Stafford gives the Rams a good chance of winning the toughest division in football and making a run to Super Bowl LVI.

Projection: 12-5 (Tied 1st in NFC West)

2020 Projection: 5-11. 2020 Actual Result: 10-6.
2019 Projection: 9-7. 2019 Actual Result: 9-7.
2018 Projection: 9-7. 2018 Actual Result: 13-3.
2017 Projection: 3-13. 2017 Actual Result: 11-5.
2016 Projection: 3-13. 2016 Actual Result: 4-12.

NFL Draft Team Grade: C Grade

Goals Entering the 2021 NFL Draft: The Rams are built to win the Super Bowl now with Matthew Stafford as their quarterback. They lost some defensive backs this offseason they must replace. Otherwise, they can settle for taking the best player available with their four draft choices prior to No. 200.

2021 NFL Draft Accomplishments: I’m torn on the Rams’ overall draft grade. On one hand, they did a terrific job of trading down because they had just four picks prior to No. 200. They were able to pick up some needed resources to help them challenge the Buccaneers as the best team in the conference.

On the other hand, some of the selections were reaches and/or luxury selections. Tutu Atwell qualified as the latter, while the next pick, Ernest Jones, violated the former issue. Both can be said of fourth-rounder Jacob Harris.

I liked a couple of the Rams’ picks – namely Bobby Brown and Robert Rochell – but I wanted to see them put more of an emphasis on addressing the offensive line and the departures they had in the secondary, yet they spent just one pick on those areas.

NFL Draft Individual Grades:

57. Tutu Atwell, WR, Louisville – B- Grade
Tutu Atwell is someone I’ve had slotted in this range for months, so I’m fine with this pick. Atwell is very small (5-8, 155), but he’s lightning quick, and Sean McVay will make good use of him in the offense. That said, I would’ve liked to have seen the Rams address their blocking or secondary, as this seems like a luxury pick.

103. Ernest Jones, LB, South Carolina – D Grade
The Rams have had a blind spot when it comes to linebackers. This was a position of need entering the draft, and that remains the case, Ernest Jones was a tackling machine at South Carolina, but I didn’t think he translated into the NFL, so I never had him in any of my mock drafts. I could be wrong, but the Rams’ bad history with linebackers suggests otherwise.

117. Bobby Brown, DT, Texas A&M – B Grade
Bobby Brown has some amazing athleticism, so the Rams are swinging for the fences with this pick. It would make sense for them to address defensive tackle after losing Michael Brockers. I had Brown a bit later than this, but there’s no denying Brown’s potential.

130. Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas – A- Grade
The Rams lost some defensive backs this offseason, so they had to address both positions. Robert Rochell is someone I’ve had in the fourth round of my mock draft, so I like the value the Rams are getting with this selection.

141. Jacob Harris, WR, Central Florida – F Grade
Jacob Harris is very athletic. And that’s about it. Harris doesn’t fill a need at all, especially in the wake of the Tutu Atwell pick, and I never had him in any of my mock drafts.

174. Earnest Brown, DE/DT, Northwestern – D Grade
Another defensive lineman makes sense to compensate for the Michael Brockers departure, but I didn’t have Earnest Brown as a draftable prospect. The Rams could have done much better than this.

233. Jake Funk, RB, Maryland – B Grade
The Rams lost Malcolm Brown, so the Rams wanted to add a third running back to join Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson. I mocked Jake Funk in the seventh round, so this makes sense.

249. Ben Skowronek, WR, Notre Dame – B Grade
I don’t think I would have gone with a third receiver if I were the Rams, but this is pick No. 249, so it’s not a big deal. I had Ben Skowronek mocked eight picks earlier than this, so the range is obviously something with which I agree.

252. Chris Garrett, LB, Concordia – C+ Grade
Chris Garrett was not on my radar at all. He’s a mediocre athlete who will have to contribute on special teams to make the roster. The Rams could’ve done better, but we’re now in the 250s.

Follow @walterfootball for updates.

Season Summary:
The Rams pulled an upset over the Seahawks in the opening round of the playoffs, but never had a chance in the next game at Green Bay. With Aaron Donald banged up, the defense wasn’t nearly the same, allowing Aaron Rodgers to tear it apart.

Offseason Moves:

Rams sign WR DeSean Jackson

Lions acquire DT Michael Brockers from Rams

Rams acquire QB Matthew Stafford from Lions for QB Jared Goff

Team Needs:

Quarterback: Jared Goff is weighing down the Rams. They would be a perennial Super Bowl contender if they had a better quarterback. Unfortunately, it’ll be difficult to upgrade Goff at this time. Traded for Matthew Stafford
Two Linebackers: Quarterback is the weakness of the Rams’ offense. Linebacker, meanwhile, is the weakness of the defense. Two new players are needed at the position.
Two Edge Rushers: With Leonard Floyd about to hit free agency, the Rams will need two new edge rushers. Make it one if Floyd is retained. Re-signed Leonard Floyd
Safety: John Johnson is one of the top safeties in the NFL. He may get a huge contract in free agency from another team. If so, the Rams will somehow have to find a replacement.
Center: Austin Blythe is an impending free agent who must be re-signed or replaced.
Slot Cornerback: Troy Hill is another free agent-to-be who must be retained.

Follow me @walterfootball for updates.

2021 NFL Free Agent Signings:

DeSean Jackson, WR, Eagles. Age: 34. — Signed with Rams (1 year)

Los Angeles Rams Free Agents:

Salary Cap: TBA.

John Johnson, S, Rams. Age: 25.
Signed with Browns (3 years, $33.75 million)

John Johnson is one of the top safeties in the NFL, and he’s only 25 years old. The sky is the limit for him.
Darious Williams (RFA), CB, Rams. Age: 28.
Tendered by Rams (1st)

Darious Williams has taken big leaps in his three years in the NFL. He performed on an All-Pro level in 2020. He should get a huge contract when he’s unrestricted next spring.
Leonard Floyd, DE/OLB, Rams. Age: 28.
Re-signed with Rams (4 years, $64 million)

Leonard Floyd was seen as a bust as a former first-round pick in Chicago, but the Rams got the most out of him. Floyd registered 10.5 sacks in 2020.
Troy Hill, CB, Rams. Age: 30.
Signed with Browns (4 years, $24 million)

Troy Hill was one of the better slot cornerbacks in the NFL last year. He’s now 30, so regression could come soon, but he should still play well the next two years.
Austin Blythe, C, Rams. Age: 29.
Signed with Chiefs (1 year)

Austin Blythe has done a good job at center for the Rams, particularly when it comes to run blocking. His pass protection must improve a bit.
Gerald Everett, TE, Rams. Age: 27.
Signed with Seahawks (1 year, $6 million)

Gerald Everett is a highly athletic tight end. His numbers haven’t been great, but he’s one of many targets Jared Goff has had at his disposal.
Josh Reynolds, WR, Rams. Age: 26.
Signed with Titans

Josh Reynolds has done well as the Rams’ third receiver ever since Brandin Cooks left the team. He caught 52 passes for 618 yards in 2020.
Morgan Fox, DE, Rams. Age: 26. — Signed with Panthers
Samson Ebukam, OLB, Rams. Age: 26. — Signed with 49ers (2 years, $12 million)
Malcolm Brown, RB, Rams. Age: 28. — Signed with Dolphins
Derek Rivers, OLB, Rams. Age: 27.
Blake Bortles, QB, Rams. Age: 29. — Signed with Packers