Not many people are high on the Los Angeles Rams entering the 2023 season, and there is a belief that it could be quite a while before they are contenders again. With expectations low on the Rams, they came in as the 28th-best team in ESPN’s future power rankings for the next three seasons.
Within ESPN’s power rankings, they discussed a reason for hope, a reason for concern, and a stat to know for each in the NFL. The Rams’ reason for hope is that they’re still boasting a trio of Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Aaron Donald.
Meanwhile, here is a snippet of ESPN’s Louis Riddick’s reason for concern for the Rams when looking at the future:
Donald is the only premium player the Rams have left from their Super Bowl defense, and Stafford’s health and durability going forward on a week-to-week basis is going to be something to watch.
When looking at the moves the Rams made this offseason, it’s clear that they have their sights set on the future. After moving on from Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd, Bobby Wagner, and Allen Robinson, the Rams have the second-most dead money in the NFL entering the 2023 season.
The health of Stafford is certainly a concern as the gunslinging signal-caller turned 35 years old earlier this year and he’s coming off a season in which he missed eight games because of back a back injury and concussion. Stafford also dealt with an elbow injury during the 2021 season that lingered into the following offseason.
On the defensive side of the ball, Donald, Jordan Fuller and Ernest Jones are the most experienced players. Outside of them, the Rams will have plenty of inexperienced players on defense that they’ll need to lean on this season.
Having Sean McVay coaching the team unquestionably helps the organization’s ability to get back to being a contender again. At the same time, the Rams will need to make the right moves in upcoming drafts and free agency to drastically improve the roster in the coming years.
