The Los Angeles Rams are entering the 2023 season with low expectations and part of the reason is the lack of long-term pieces on the roster after they parted with Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, Bobby Wagner and Allen Robinson this offseason. With the roster looking much different than a season ago, ESPN’s Seth Walder believes the Rams have the 21st-best core in the NFL.
The five-man core mentioned for the Rams features Matthew Stafford, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Ernest Jones, and rookie lineman Steve Avila. Here is what Walder said about the Rams’ current core:
Looking only at five-man cores certainly works in Los Angeles’ favor, yet the Rams’ list still turns to relatively unknown players after the first three. Even so, I have a hard time keeping a group that includes Kupp and this generation’s best defensive player too low on a five-player list.
Stafford and Kupp are certainly the two certainties on offense, while Avila is unquestionably expected to be a building block for the future after being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft. The veterans on offense that were omitted from the core are Tyler Higbee, Rob Havenstein, and Cam Akers.
On the defensive side of the ball, Donald and Jones are the lone foundational pieces. The Rams are projected to start a handful of first- and second-year players in 2023 after moving on from Ramsey, Wagner, Floyd, Greg Gaines, and Nick Scott this offseason.
The Rams find themselves in an awkward spot this season with a few All-Pro-level players on a team that is looking toward the future. Even though the majority of the Rams’ core is set to be 30 years or older in 2023, they are hoping that guys like Avila and Jones can remain in Los Angeles for the long haul.
