There is more talent on this roster than most people know. I've said that if the Rams basically fill 3 defensive holes and simply change the way they play Morris zone scheme the defense can be good. Edge (drafted or vet signed after the draft), CB and ILB both can be had in the 3rd round. The offense is basically intact. They definitely need a QB2 which they can get in the 5th round and a RB3. The offensive line is where I see the Rams standing pat as well. Assuming Noteboom can return from his Achilles injury and if not Jackson has shown he can play well. So LT is IMO covered, and with Allen and Shelton they are covered at Center as well. I think their OGs will be Thomas and Bruss but they can also play Shelton and Jackson so they have options. Havenstein will be back for his final year and if Noteboom can start then Jackson is the logical successor at RT. I think they will use a 6th or 7th round pick on an OT and they can always bring back Nsekhe for one last year.
On defense they have AD, Hoecht, Brown with Murchison in rotation. Hardy OLB/edge, Kier Thomas DE, Zach VanValkenburg DE (an interesting prospect), E. Brown ILB, Rozeboom ILB and in the secondary they have Durant, Rochell CBs, Fuller, Lake and Yeast safeties. If Kendrick gets his head out of his ass then he might be a factor in a zone concept in a short zone.
This season has a lot more moving parts than the previous years, but then what year doesn't. What I'm saying is that there is a core of good players and a core of elite players. As long as those elite players stay healthy this team will be in the running for the playoffs. There is no question that they have a lot riding on this draft. But from what I've been told Snead & Co. are planning not just one year down the road but they have a 4 year plan that is constantly evolving and adjusting to new developments. I understand that because as a businessman I always had to take a long term perspective on everything. I made short term moves, but I understood what I needed over the long term.
When this team signed Stafford it wasn't whimsacal. They looked at him as a 4 year investment. When you look at his contract structure it's reflecting that planning. They expected him to play 4 perhaps 5 years but understood they needed to be ready to move on after that. Look at Stafford's contract and you get a glimpse of what the Rams plan is. When they wrote up the contract they structured it so that after he was a Ram for 4 years the contract gave them natural "outs" after 2024 and 2025. This is why I expect them to take their next franchise QB via the draft either this year or next year at the latest. This would give McVay at least a year perhaps two to groom the QB in McVay's system.
I think that is going to be their approach with key players going forward. When you look at possible elite QBs that the Rams could possibly lure away from their current franchises there really is only Josh Allen in 2026 at the earliest. So I think the trade option isn't going to be there.
There are some good QBs in this draft and next years as well. If they don't get one this year than I expect Snead to use his 1s to move up and grab one in 2024. I think this year it's get QB2. That said I still think Tanner McKee is a sleeper in this draft. I expect him to drop into the second round because he had a poor combine and his record last year at Stanford was poor. But his record at Stanford had more to do with a shit team around him. He's got the head and arm to excel in McVay's offense. To execute a west coast system you need to read defenses. Mckee has shown he does.
This team has shown they can be opportunistic in the short term. But I think to maintain a core of key players they must also take a more long term approach. I think even their hired guns will now be young enough to warrant a 4 year contract. Someone like Ngakoue fits that mold. He's 28 and projects that he can still play another 4 years at a high level. Oh BTW he was a third round pick for those who think an edge has to be a 1st round pick.
So to answer the question, absolutely this team can be competitive this year. For godsake they have an elite QB, WR and the GOAT DT, so if this team can't be competitive that's on McVay and his staff. The Rams have their offense intact, that's half the team for for godsake.
This is what I say to the doubters and the doom and gloomers......
