Ranking the 5 Worst NFL Rosters Ahead of 2023 OTAs

[kurtfaulk]

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WARNING - Bleacher Report Rubbish


View: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10075830-ranking-the-5-worst-nfl-rosters-ahead-of-2023-otas

5. Los Angeles Rams​

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   AP Photo/Doug Benc
   The Los Angeles Rams forsook long-term prosperity to chase a championship. The organization achieved its goal when it won Super LVI. Since then, a combination of injuries, overpayments and a lack of high-end draft assets has eroded the once-prolific roster.
   To be fair, the franchise pillars of three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and quarterback Matthew Stafford are still in place. But all three will be 30 or older at the start of the 2023 campaign. Plus, each suffered an injury last season, with Stafford's being the most concerning.
   A return to form by all three can keep the Rams in the thick of things, though quality throughout the rest of the roster remains sparse. Andrew Whitworth, Austin Corbett, Odell Beckham Jr., Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Leonard Floyd, Von Miller, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Troy Reeder, Jalen Ramsey, David Long Jr., Taylor Rapp, Nick Scott and Matt Gay are all gone from the 2021 champs.
   Stafford lacks a second option at wide receiver. The offensive line will feature two new starting guards in second-round rookie Steve Avila and Logan Bruss, who suffered a torn ACL and MCL during last year's preseason.
   The defense will rely heavily upon a quartet of rookies—Byron Young, Kobie Turner, Ochaun Mathis and Mr. Irrelevant Desjuan Johnson—to generate some kind of pass rush beyond what Donald provides.
   And after Ramsey's departure, Los Angeles features a no-name secondary with Cobie Durant, Robert Rochell, Derion Kendrick and Russ Yeast expected to take on much bigger roles.
   The Rams still have star power, but the light is much dimmer in other areas of the roster.

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[Turducken]

That's fair. We had more talent on last season's roster and we finished with five wins. We can improve if we stay healthy, but there's a reason why Vegas thinks we will only win seven games.

 

[Ballhawk]

We had a terrible year last year because the O line was such a clown show that Stafford got beat up and we had no run game.
Now the idiots think that Stafford is gong to be injury prone even if the line gets fixed.

 

[PARAM]

It's all good. Catch many of them sleeping on us. It may shape up to be one of those seasons where it's a tale of two seasons. Early growing pains (on defense) and much better over the 2nd half of the year........if health is our friend. The OL should be better simply with better health. If Avila can start, even better still.

 

[bubbaramfan]

Hard to argue. Only one pro-bowl calibur player on defense, smallish DL and CB's. 14 rookie draft picks and 26 UDFA's are not gonna replace all the talent lost on defense. They're gonna struggle to get off the field. Maybe the offense can score enough to win games. I'd love to see Rams win 10+ games but with such a drastic turnover. on D it looks like an expansion team and we should expect a rough learning curve.

 

[Steve808]

I believe most Rams fans would rather win a SB and deal with the fallout rather than being like the whiners with a top notch defense and roster for just as many years with only bitter 4th quarter defeats to show for it.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Let everyone sleep on us.

Go Rams!

 

[BuffaloRam]

Bottom 5 roster? Maybe. I still think we will be better than that

 

[den-the-coach]

but with such a drastic turnover. on D it looks like an expansion team and we should expect a rough learning curve.

Concur here as the secondary is definitely a work in progress, counting on the pass rush to level the playing field. Plus I am hoping with DB Coach Pleasant & Assistant HC Jimmy Lake the learning curve for the secondary is not steep.

 

[AvengerRam]

Bleacher Report is a collection of collie molesters.

 

[Merlin]

They're not wrong. But the quality of the guys who went out the door is not as good as perceived. Rams cleared out many guys not living up to contracts and that can energize a roster when they are replaced by young and hungry options who play the call and leave it all on the field.

 

[AZRams]

I believe most Rams fans would rather win a SB and deal with the fallout rather than being like the whiners with a top notch defense and roster for just as many years with only bitter 4th quarter defeats to show for it.

The next big game Shanny wins will be his first.

 

[thirteen28]

I believe most Rams fans would rather win a SB and deal with the fallout rather than being like the whiners with a top notch defense and roster for just as many years with only bitter 4th quarter defeats to show for it.

Now, now Steve, you know that's not true ... their loss to the Eagles in last year's NFC Championship was a bitter 1st quarter defeat.

 

[gabriel18]

I’m starting to warm up to the new roster. We’ll see how good our coaches are, I guess.

 

[Memento]

Can’t exactly disagree. Our roster has huge potential, but it’s a very young roster, with over thirty rookies - when you add second year players, it’s over forty.

 

[snackdaddy]

I'm not expecting much this season. So I can't argue with the overall theme of the article. Although claiming Avila and Bruss will be the starting guards is premature. Noteboom or Jackson will be at LT. I expect Shelton to be the starting RG. Which only leaves one guard spot. If Noteboom is ready to start the season then I expect Jackson to be the LG.

I look at 2023 to be a season where young guys are baptized by fire. A learning season for several of them. They will likely make mistakes. But learn from them. To me its all about 2024 and beyond. They can cherry picks guys they have now who look ready to be NFL caliber starters. And use the cap money they have available to round out the roster.

If they contend in 2023 then I will be pleasantly surprised. If they don't its not like it was unexpected.

 

[dang]

They're not wrong. But the quality of the guys who went out the door is not as good as perceived. Rams cleared out many guys not living up to contracts and that can energize a roster when they are replaced by young and hungry options who play the call and leave it all on the field.

Or their availability was not equal to their compensation requirements. See Von Miller, Ashawn, OBJ.

 

[AZRams]

Since the football gods have cursed us with at least a minimal level of competence in 2 of the other 3 front offices I don't see how we can pull a re-run of 2017 and surprise everybody.

SF is already too good and SEA, after years of letting Pete throw darts at pictures of draft prospects, has put together consecutive good drafts. Even AZ looks to improve over the next several years and the difference b/t the Bidwill/Keim regime and the Bidwill/Ossenfort offering is already clear.

Who we gotta pay to get the kind of luck the 80s-90s Niners or 00's-'10s Pats got with divisions full of morons and idiots?

 

[ramsince62]

Can’t exactly disagree. Our roster has huge potential, but it’s a very young roster, with over thirty rookies - when you add second year players, it’s over forty.

Huge, I think not. Certainly "significant", especially in lieu of the circumstances.

It's early, but baring unforeseen injuries, etc., this team is a solid lock for 3rd in the division. The betting boys have them around 7 wins, if they can come closer to 9 wins it will be a highly successful season.

“Brick by brick, my citizens. Brick by brick.”

 

[Merlin]

Or their availability was not equal to their compensation requirements. See Von Miller, Ashawn, OBJ.

Definitely.

But Ashawn had windows where he was available and played like a JAG. He came through bigtime for us in that Super Bowl run and that alone made the contract a win but there's a reason they didn't keep him around. Same with Floyd. Love the guy's game but there were times we needed him to carry things in accordance with that pay he received and he struggled with that. Just like there's a reason Ramsey went for peanuts. Had his play been better nobody would bat an eye giving up compensation for him but he hasn't been the same guy.

What we're gonna miss with Ramsey is his tackling. But that's not the worst area to have dropoff in a secondary. Media is acting like these guys that went out the door were epic players however each of them went for a reason. We'll definitely miss some of them but maybe not as much as folks think.

I mean if you had told me our weaknesses on defense after all those moves would be 1T and CB3 I'd have taken it. They did a real nice job overall in reloading this roster in the face of those tough moves they had to make.