New Year, same Champions! Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for repeating as NFL Champions. The Rams did much better than most experts predicted and would have beaten the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card game if the Refs called the game evenly. With the Super Bowl completed, the Rams and their fans can focus on the off-season. Los Angeles will have a first round pick for the first time since selecting Jared Goff first over all in 2016. They are also in much better shape with the salary cap. Unfortunately, Los Angeles lost several members of their coaching staff. Let’s take a look at current situations for the Coaching Staff and Fantasy positions.

Coaching Staff: The good news is that HC Sean McVay is committed to coaching this team. The bad news is that this staff continues to lose important members and this year they lost DC Raheem Morris to be the Head Coach of the Atlanta Falcons. The other big loss is defensive line coach Eric Henderson who took a job with the USC Trojans. Los Angeles promoted DC Chris Shula to take over for Morris and he has a long history with this franchise. Quarterback coach Zac Robinson left to join Morris in Atlanta as their offensive coordinator. The Ram’s latest hire is former Eagles DC Sean Desai, who was blamed for the Eagle’s defensive struggles last year. McVay has been good at developing coaches so I am confident that this staff will be successful.

Quarterback: QB Matthew Stafford had a bounce back season and was in the running for comeback player of the year. Matthew has a huge salary cap number but he is not going anywhere as he is one of, if not the most important player on the team. QB Carson Wentz was a solid backup; however, he is a free agent and might want to find a team willing to give him a chance to start. QB Stetson Bennett dealt with non-football related issues in his rookie season and his tenure with the team might be over before it even started. I have no idea what the plan is for the backup quarterback position but we will find out soon.

Running Back: The Rams currently have two running backs under contract. RB Kyren Williams is coming of a Pro-Bowl season and is the unquestioned leader in the running back room. RB Zach Evans had minimal playing time during his rookie season and is hoping to improve in year two. RB Royce Freeman and RB Ronnie Rivers are both free agents and one or both could be resigned. Evans is a former five star recruit who has potential to develop into a quality player. I hope Evans takes over as the second back and Freeman is brought back as insurance.

Receiver: WR Cooper Kupp fought through several lingering injuries but was able to finish the season at less than 100%. With Kupp a shell of his former superstar self, Rookie WR Puka Nakua burst onto the scene to set NFL rookie records for receptions and reception yards. Los Angeles just resigned WR Demarcus Robinson who had a solid year after taking over as the number three receiver. WR Tutu Atwell is in the last year of his rookie contract so he needs to step up his game if he wants a future with this team. This position is in good shape especially if Kupp can regain his 2021 form. I do not expect any big free agent signings but Los Angeles could select a receiver later in the draft as they are good at finding diamonds in the rough.

Tight End: TE Tyler Higbee suffered a torn ACL in the playoff loss. TE Hunter Long suffered a similar injury earlier in the season and TE Bryce Hopkin is a free agent, which means rookie TE Davis Allen will have a great opportunity to claim a significant role in the offense. It may depend on rehab schedules and if Hopkins resigns, but I think Allen is the starting tight end on opening day for the Rams.

Kicker: Last year at this time I said the Rams needed to resign PK Matt Gay but they did not and paid the price for that mistake as Los Angeles attempted the most field goals (43) and also missed the most (11). The special teams in general were the worst in the league last season and SC Chase Blackburn will need his crew to improve immensely if he wants to keep his job. Los Angles could bring in a veteran free agent of draft a rookie kicker. Either way, they have to be better than last year.

Defense: This unit lost several key players last year but should keep most of their stars this off season. DL Aaron Donald was able to stay healthy and finished his tenth season with his 8^th first team All-Pro selection. LB Ernest Jones is coming to the end of his rookie contract and is due for a raise as he set a franchise record for tackles in a season in 2023 and is also a Captain and leader of the team. The defense needs an upgrade at edge and corner. There are several big name free agents out there and if Los Angeles decides to spend money on either position, I hope they sign an elite pass rusher. They could even sign former Ram LB Leonard Floyd who will be a free agent from Buffalo.

Besides the Fantasy positions, Los Angeles must deal with their offensive line and the first move that they made was release OL Brian Allen, who lost his starting center position to OL Coleman Shelton. Shelton is a free agent whom the Rams are trying to resign. OT Joe Noteboom will most likely be release also but maybe not until June to save more cap space. Starting OG Kevin Dotson played so well for Los Angeles last season that he could earn a free agent contract from another that the Rams cannot afford. Optimism is high for the team after a surprisingly successful 2023 season. The Combine starts this week and before you know it, April and the Draft will be here. Come back every month to see what’s going on with the Rams. Love and blessings to my family. Miss you Pops and Scratch! Aloha!

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