The Rams Just Built a Roster That Has Some People Calling It Unreal

The Los Angeles Rams were one drive away from the Super Bowl last year. That one drive ended with a loss to the Seattle Seahawks in a wild NFC Championship Game that nobody in that building has forgotten. But instead of running it back with the same group, Les Snead decided to go scorched earth on the roster.

Two trades changed everything. First, the Rams pried cornerback Trent McDuffie away from the Kansas City Chiefs. Then they went and got edge rusher Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns. Just like that, a team that was already close became a team that looks absolutely loaded on paper.

Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr didn’t hold back. He said this is one of the best preseason rosters he has ever seen. “Anyone who does not rank the Rams as one of the two or three top Super Bowl contenders is simply overthinking it,” Orr wrote. That’s not hyperbole. That’s a guy who watches this stuff for a living saying this is legit.

Defense looks completely different now

Last season, the Rams had a decent defense but it had one glaring hole. Cornerback. Teams attacked that spot all year. Now they’ve got McDuffie and Jaylen Watson from Kansas City. That’s two guys who know how to play winning football in big moments. And at edge rusher, Jared Verse was good. But swapping him out for Myles Garrett? That’s like trading a reliable sedan for a Ferrari. Garrett is a wrecking ball. He changes how offensive coordinators call games.

The rest of the defense already had pieces. Now those pieces have a superstar next to them. It should be an elite unit.

Offense might be even scarier

Matthew Stafford is still slinging it. He’ll have Davante Adams and Puka Nacua to throw to. That’s about as good a one-two punch as any quarterback in the league can ask for. The offensive line is solid. Kyren Williams runs hard and finds holes. And Sean McVay is calling the plays. McVay might be the best in football at what he does, and now he has more weapons than ever.

The Rams have a real shot at being the most explosive offense in the league. Stafford has a ring already, and he wants another one before he’s done. The front office clearly feels the same way.

Expectations are sky high in LA. That’s what happens when you make two blockbuster trades and come within a few plays of the Super Bowl the year before. Nobody is sleeping on this team.