Throughout Sean McVay’s time as the Rams’ head coach, Los Angeles has had one of the most star-studded rosters in the league – with the exception of maybe his first year in 2017. Stars such as Ndamukong Suh, Brandin Cooks, Bobby Wagner, Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey have all come and gone, but the roster is going to have a very different feel this year.
Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford are the only stars left on this team, with nearly half the roster made up by rookies. That doesn’t mean the Rams can’t compete for a playoff spot, but it’s going to be more difficult without big-name players like Wagner, Ramsey and Leonard Floyd.
Heading into the 2023 season, only two Rams made CBS Sports’ list of the top 100 players in the NFL after five made it last year. You can probably guess who those two players are.
Donald came in at No. 9 this year, down from No. 1 a season ago.
He was limited to 11 games last season and had just five sacks. At 32, is he starting to slow down? Or will this be a bounce-back year for an all-time great?
Kupp also dropped significantly in the latest rankings, falling all the way from No. 5 to 26 after an injury-shortened season in 2022.
He was limited to nine games last season because of an ankle injury that required surgery after the season, and yet he still had 75 catches. He is recovered and ready to get back to his 2021 form, when he won the receiving version of the triple crown.
Stafford made the cut last year at No. 48 but he fell all the way out of the top 100, only to earn a nod as an honorable mention. Stafford may not have had a great season last year, but ranking him lower than Justin Fields, who was No. 78 on CBS Sports’ list doesn’t seem right.
By now, the Rams should have a chip on their shoulder the size of the Coliseum, and this lack of recognition on the top 100 list is just the latest bulletin board material.
