Now that the Super Bowl has been played and free agency is approaching in early March, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be looking at the top three needs for each team. In this article, the Los Angeles Rams are the focus.
In 2015 the Rams went 7-9, finished third in the NFC West and missed the playoffs yet again. Jeff Fisher’s team allowed 367.8 yards per game (23rd) on defense last season and ranked dead last on offense (297.6 yards per game). Running back Todd Gurley had a great rookie campaign in 2015, but their offense couldn’t score (17.5 points per game in 2015). Their defense wasn’t perfect, but they are a physical bunch who are strong up front and at cornerback (if they can hang onto both Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson).
This off-season the team moved back to Los Angeles, but more than a relocation will be needed for the Rams to improve and make the postseason in 2016. Below are the top three off-season needs for the Los Angeles Rams.
Los Angeles Rams 2016 Off-Season: Top 3 Needs
Quarterback
Last off-season the Rams traded the oft-injured Sam Bradford to the Eagles for Nick Foles, but Foles never really worked out under center. In 11 games in 2015 the former Arizona Wildcat threw seven touchdowns and ten interceptions. He ended the season with a QBR of 30.0 and a quarterback rating of 69.0. Foles performed so poorly last season that he was benched for Case Keenum, who didn’t exactly light the world on fire himself. In five starts the former Houston Cougar threw for 828 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Keenum’s 2015 QBR was 47.7 and his quarterback rating was 87.7. The third signal caller on their roster, Sean Mannion, is not the answer either.
Los Angeles doesn’t select until the 15th pick in this year’s draft, so it is highly unlikely that either Carson Wentz (North Dakota State) or Jared Goff (California) will be available when they pick in the first round. The Rams could make a trade with a team to move up to get one of those quarterbacks (not my favorite option), select another quarterback later in the draft (possibly Paxton Lynch out of Memphis) or go after one of the free agent quarterbacks this off-season.
Head coach Jeff Fisher has stated that “Case Keenum comes back as our starter and we’re going to give Nick Foles a chance to compete.” That statement can’t be very inspiring to Rams fans. The team needs to move in another direction at quarterback. They haven’t had a really reliable guy under center since Marc Bulger and they simply won’t truly compete with the options they have on their roster.
Wide Receiver
True, the last section ragged on the quarterbacks, but the Rams have needed to improve at the receiver position for years and that holds true going into the 2016 season. Tavon Austin is not really a number one receiver, but he led the team with 52 receptions last season. The former West Virginia Mountaineer had only 473 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2015. Jared Cook was second on the team in receptions (369) and yards (481) last season, but he’s currently a free agent. Veteran Kenny Britt led the team with 681 yards and had 36 receptions in 2015. The Rams did add Wes Welker last season, but how much he can really add is a question. As their roster is currently constituted Los Angeles simply does not have a legitimate receiving threat.
The Rams could potentially target Laquon Treadwell out of Ole Miss in the first round. The 6-foot-2, 210 pound receiver had 82 receptions for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns in his junior season in 2015. Treadwell was great while with the Rebels, despite sustaining a broken fibula against Auburn in the last month of the 2014 season. The talented receiver worked hard, lost 25 pounds and was ready to go in the 2015 season opener. Treadwell might not be the fastest receiver, but he brings a lot to the table and he could be a really good addition to the Rams.
Offensive Line
I get that the Rams have been trying to build a better offensive line. In 2015 they selected tackle Robert Havenstein (out of Wisconsin) in the second round (57th overall) and guard Jamon Brown (out of Louisville) in the third round (72nd overall), along with two other offensive linemen. In 2014 they had the number two overall pick and took Greg Robinson out of Auburn. The problem is most of their moves with respect to the offensive line have not panned out.
Injuries did hurt the Rams offensive line in 2015. Starting guards Rodger Saffold and Brown both were lost for the season due to injuries and Havenstein missed three games in the middle of the season. It remains to be seen if Robinson, who struggles in pass protection, will prove he was worth being the number two overall pick in 2014.
Whether or not Fisher will make any moves on the offensive line, after investing heavily last year, is a certainly a valid question, but the Rams offensive line simply needs to be better in 2016.
