Unlike last season, the Los Angeles Rams aren’t under much pressure in 2023. Expectations are so low for this team that even if they finish with seven or eight wins, it won’t be a huge surprise.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t players on the Rams’ roster who aren’t facing some pressure for one reason or another. For some, they’re fighting for starting roles. For others, they’re expected to carry the team on offense or defense.
Here are the six Rams players under the most pressure this season.
1
Joe Noteboom
The Rams restructured Noteboom’s contract this offseason, which was a sign that they believe he’ll be on the team this year and next. However, he’s not even guaranteed a starting spot on the offensive line this season and he’ll need to hold off Alaric Jackson if he wants to continue playing left tackle.
Noteboom is coming off a torn Achilles, which is a difficult injury to return from. He’s expected to be ready for training camp but it’s no certainty that he’ll be 100% healthy this season. If he struggles again this season, he could not only find himself out of a starting job, but off the Rams roster altogether in 2024.
2
Brian Allen
Allen is in a similar position as Noteboom, only with a smaller contract that’s easier to move on from – as early as this year, even. He’ll compete with Coleman Shelton for the starting center spot and up to this point, both have been getting first-team reps this offseason.
Allen was injured again last season, playing just seven of 17 games, and he struggled even when he was on the field. He allowed four sacks and had a pass-blocking grade of 59.2, according to PFF, which simply isn’t good enough for a starting center with an $18 million contract.
Unlike many of the Rams’ other linemen, Allen doesn’t have position flexibility. So if he loses out at center, he’s going to the bench.
3
Matthew Stafford
Stafford will be under figurative pressure, but he’ll also be under literal pressure, too, if the offensive line doesn’t improve. The Rams are only going to go as far as Stafford can take them because this is a top-heavy team that will rely heavily on its best players. Stafford is one of them.
While his 2022 season was cut short by injury, he also didn’t play very well when he was healthy. If he plays like that again this year, the Rams are going to fall out of playoff contention rather quickly. Stafford must elevate the play of everyone around him and not simply lean on Cooper Kupp snap in and snap out.
He’s under pressure to get Van Jefferson going, get Tutu Atwell involved and keep drives alive on third down so as not to put the defense back on the field.
4
Ernest Jones
Jones isn’t under pressure because he’s at risk of losing his job. His pressure comes from the expectation that he’ll be one of the three most important players on defense. Jones is taking on the role held by Bobby Wagner last season and he’ll be on the field for just about every defensive snap.
The Rams are going to lean on Jones even if there are some struggles because they simply don’t have a player close to his skill level at linebacker. He’ll be expected to cover tight ends, stop the run, blitz the quarterback and get the defense organized as the signal caller. That’s a lot of pressure for the third-year quarterback.
5
Cam Akers
Akers has yet to be a full-time starter in the NFL, splitting snaps in the backfield throughout his career thus far. That should change in 2023 now that Darrell Henderson Jr. is gone. The Rams hope he can be their workhorse back this season after ending last year on a high note, and by all accounts, he’s off to a great start this season already.
Though Los Angeles will go through Stafford on offense, Akers can take some of the pressure off of his quarterback by running the ball well and converting on third down when he does have it in his hands. Kyren Williams and Zach Evans will still push Akers for snaps but this is his backfield now.
6
Tutu Atwell
It might be a make-or-break season for Atwell in 2023. It’s his third year in the NFL and after two quiet seasons as a former second-round pick, the Rams may not have much more patience if he struggles again. He’s impressed his coaches and teammates already this offseason but that was the same story last year during training camp.
Atwell has to prove he’s more than just a gadget player with speed. He must become a more well-rounded receiver capable of making plays at every level, not just as a deep threat and jet-sweep specialist. There may not be a spot on the team for him in 2024 if his slow start as a pro continues this season.
