The draft is over, free agency slows down, training camp remains weeks away, and an entire industry suddenly finds itself searching for something, anything, to discuss.
Every NFL offseason eventually reaches the same point. The draft is over, free agency slows down, training camp remains weeks away, and an entire industry suddenly finds itself searching for something, anything, to discuss. Sometimes that search produces meaningful football conversations. Other times it produces storylines that take on a life of their own despite having little connection to reality. Read the Full Substack Article!
The Los Angeles Rams are currently living through one of those moments with the Aaron Donald comeback speculation. Honestly, it is becoming annoying to watch. It feels as though people are chasing ad revenue and creating drama where none really exists. Once again, a story built largely on speculation is being treated as something much bigger than it actually is, and it has become increasingly annoying to see.
What bothers me most is that much of this story appears to have originated from people who have little connection to the Rams, the organization, or even the realities of the NFL. In one case, the agency pushing the narrative is based in the United Kingdom and seemed more interested in generating attention through a conspiracy theory than presenting a legitimate football argument. They were essentially looking for credit for creating a rumor rather than reporting actual news.
The problem is that there is very little football science behind any of it. There is no evidence of contract negotiations, no scheduled workouts, no official meetings, and no indication that Aaron Donald is actively pursuing a return. Yet the speculation continues to grow because it generates clicks, engagement, and discussion during a slow period of the NFL calendar.
If you read the press release I received last week, which, again, is included below, you will understand exactly why I found the entire thing so ridiculous. My immediate reaction was simple, what exactly are we doing here?
Then, yesterday, I saw the story in Sports Illustrated. At that point, my reaction became, what the fuck are we doing here? To be fair, I did not read the article itself. I only saw the headline. Even so, the fact that this speculation had reached that level of visibility was annoying given how little substance actually exists behind the story. Read the Full Substack Article!
Today, the Los Angeles Rams acquired reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns, instantly transforming both their defense and their championship outlook.
Back before the NFL Draft, I explored the possibility that the Rams could pursue a major defensive addition rather than simply using another premium draft pick. Once the draft arrived, that conversation largely disappeared. The focus shifted toward rookies, roster battles, and the development of one of the youngest defensive fronts in football.
Today, the Los Angeles Rams acquired reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns, instantly transforming both their defense and their championship outlook. While the move surprised much of the NFL world, it also revived a discussion that had quietly faded after draft weekend which was how far would the Rams be willing to go to maximize Matthew Stafford’s remaining years at quarterback?
The trade itself is easy to understand. Opportunities to acquire a player like Myles Garrett almost never arise. The only real question is whether any team can comfortably part with a player like Jared Verse, who looked capable of being a cornerstone of the Rams’ defensive front for the next decade.
The moment the trade became official about an hour ago today, it instantly became one of the most significant moves of the Sean McVay era.
Myles Garrett is one of the most dominant defensive players of his generation, a future Hall of Famer capable of changing games by himself. Yet the story of this trade is not simply about acquiring Garrett. It is about what the Rams were willing to surrender in order to get him.
I honestly do not care about draft picks. The centerpiece of this trade is Jared Verse. Let’s evaluate it while I go through the five stages of grief in real time so we can all accept that Verse is officially gone. However, the Rams did acquire the best defensive player in the NFL, and the salary structure is a work of art.
The Los Angeles Rams officially entered one of the most important developmental stretches of the offseason this week as Phase 3 of Organized Team Activities began in Woodland Hills, California – Read on Substack!
The Los Angeles Rams officially entered one of the most important developmental stretches of the offseason this week as Phase 3 of Organized Team Activities began in Woodland Hills, California, signaling the true on-field start of preparation for the 2026 NFL season. While much of the national football world remains obsessed with offseason rankings, fantasy projections, and manufactured quarterback controversies, the Rams quietly returned to the field looking very much like an organization still operating with championship expectations at the center of everything they do.
Matthew Stafford’s new contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams is far more nuanced than the headline numbers initially suggested. While the deal is officially structured as a one-year, $55 million extension, the larger financial picture includes a significant postseason incentive package designed to reward both Stafford and the organization if the Rams remain legitimate Super Bowl contenders over the next two seasons.
According to details reported by NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, the contract includes up to $10 million in additional postseason-based incentives tied directly to team success rather than individual statistical production. The structure of the agreement reflects the Rams’ continued belief that Stafford remains capable of leading the franchise deep into the playoffs while also aligning the quarterback’s financial upside with championship-level performance.
The incentive package is divided across the 2026 and 2027 seasons, with Stafford eligible to earn up to $5 million in additional bonuses each year. The framework itself is relatively straightforward but heavily focused on postseason advancement. If the Rams win the NFC Championship Game, Stafford earns a $2.5 million bonus. If the team then goes on to win the Super Bowl, an additional $2.5 million payout is triggered.
However, the bonuses are not automatically guaranteed simply because the team advances. The contract reportedly includes a playing-time requirement stipulating that Stafford must participate in at least 70 percent of the Rams’ offensive snaps during those postseason games in order to collect the incentive payouts. That clause protects the organization against injury-related scenarios while also reinforcing that the bonuses are directly tied to Stafford serving as the driving force behind a championship run.
What makes the structure especially interesting is that none of the additional money is connected to traditional quarterback statistics. Passing yards, touchdown totals, completion percentage, and other individual metrics reportedly play no role in activating the incentives. Instead, the Rams built the contract around one priority above all else: postseason victories.
From the organization’s perspective, the structure sends a clear message about how the franchise currently views its championship window. The Rams are not paying Stafford based solely on regular-season production or reputation. They are financially investing in the possibility that he can continue delivering deep playoff runs and potentially bring another Lombardi Trophy back to Los Angeles.
If Stafford successfully triggers every available postseason bonus over the next two years by leading the Rams to back-to-back championship victories, the total value of the agreement would rise from its base structure of roughly $95 million to approximately $105 million overall. More importantly, the contract reflects an organization that still views Stafford as one of the NFL’s elite quarterbacks and continues building aggressively around the belief that its championship opportunity remains very much alive.
This stage of the offseason matters far more than casual observers often realize. OTAs are not simply glorified walkthroughs or public-relations photo opportunities. For Sean McVay, defensive coordinator Chris Shula, and the Rams coaching staff, this is the first meaningful opportunity to begin constructing the identity of the 2026 roster in real time. The next two weeks of non-contact work will shape depth-chart momentum, establish schematic experimentation, and begin determining which young players can legitimately contribute once the regular season arrives.
Phase 3 officially opened yesterday, May 26, and consists of 10 days of organized non-contact practices spread across two weeks before the Rams transition directly into mandatory minicamp scheduled for June 15 and 16. Even without pads or live tackling, the opening sessions already revealed several significant themes developing around the roster, particularly on offense where McVay appears to be quietly reshaping portions of the scheme once again.
The most immediate storyline emerging from the opening OTA practices centers around the tight end room and the growing buzz surrounding Davis Allen. Multiple reports from Woodland Hills identified Allen as one of the early standouts during install packages, with coaches clearly expanding his involvement as the Rams experiment with heavier personnel groupings.
That development may become one of the more underrated offensive shifts of the entire offseason.
For years, the Rams offense has largely been associated with spread concepts, condensed formations, motion-based spacing, and receiver-driven personnel packages. However, McVay now appears increasingly interested in heavier 12 and 13 personnel looks involving two and three tight ends on the field simultaneously. That evolution could significantly change how opposing defenses are forced to match up against Los Angeles.
Allen’s emergence becomes particularly important within that framework because he offers versatility that allows McVay to disguise intentions before the snap. The ability to shift seamlessly between blocking formations and receiving concepts out of the same personnel package creates major stress for defensive coordinators trying to substitute correctly against Stafford’s offense. Early reports indicate Allen has capitalized heavily on these opportunities, especially while working alongside rookie tight end Terrance Ferguson.
The additional intrigue comes from how these formations potentially expand the offense around Matthew Stafford rather than restricting it. McVay’s heavier sets are unlikely to become traditional smash-mouth football packages. Instead, they appear designed to create matchup confusion while giving Stafford cleaner protection structures and more flexibility attacking intermediate coverage zones. Defenses forced to respect multiple tight ends in protection become increasingly vulnerable against play-action concepts and late-developing route combinations.
Meanwhile, another fascinating subplot developing during the opening OTA sessions involves the backup quarterback competition behind Stafford. While Stafford himself reportedly handled lighter workloads during the first practices, much of the attention shifted toward the increasingly important battle between rookie Ty Simpson and third-year quarterback Stetson Bennett for the QB2 role.
This competition carries far more importance than many outside the organization may initially assume.
The Rams’ handling of the quarterback room this offseason has generated enormous debate across the NFL landscape, especially following Stafford’s MVP campaign and the organization’s continued long-term commitment to him. Drafting Simpson immediately fueled speculation about future succession planning, but internally the Rams appear focused on something much more immediate: stabilizing the backup quarterback position behind a veteran starter still fully capable of competing at an elite level.
The early OTA reps reflect that reality.
Simpson and Bennett have reportedly been splitting competitive 11-on-11 opportunities as the coaching staff begins evaluating how each quarterback processes McVay’s offense in live practice situations. For Simpson, the transition extends beyond football itself. In one of the more human moments to emerge from the opening practices, the rookie admitted he is still adjusting to Los Angeles life, battling traffic patterns, relying on Ubers, and simultaneously attempting to master one of the NFL’s most complex offensive playbooks.
That adjustment process matters because McVay’s system historically places enormous mental demands on quarterbacks. Timing, terminology, motion recognition, protection adjustments, and route progression discipline are all amplified within the Rams offense. Physical talent alone rarely determines success in this system. Mental processing speed often becomes the defining factor.
Bennett, meanwhile, enters a critical stage of his own development. After an uneven and highly scrutinized beginning to his NFL career, the former Georgia quarterback now faces an opportunity to reestablish himself within the organization. OTAs may ultimately determine whether Bennett can realistically secure long-term footing on the roster or whether Simpson’s developmental upside begins accelerating the rookie ahead of him entering training camp.
Defensively, much of the early focus centered around the immediate integration of former Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson into Chris Shula’s first-team secondary.
Even within the restrictions of non-contact practices, observers quickly noticed how aggressively the coaching staff deployed the new additions alongside returning defensive pieces. Because Phase 3 prohibits pads and live contact, coaches are currently evaluating defensive backs almost entirely through movement efficiency, transition fluidity, ball-tracking instincts, and footwork consistency during 7-on-7 work.
That evaluation process strongly favors technically polished corners like McDuffie.
The former Chiefs defensive back already entered Los Angeles carrying a reputation as one of the league’s more intelligent and disciplined secondary players, and the Rams appear eager to integrate his versatility immediately into Shula’s evolving defensive structure. Watson, meanwhile, brings additional length and range to a secondary that continues prioritizing adaptability and rotational flexibility.
The significance of those additions cannot be overstated because the Rams clearly entered the offseason determined to strengthen the defensive backfield after stretches last season where coverage inconsistency placed enormous pressure on the front seven. Improving the secondary does more than reduce explosive plays. It directly impacts how aggressively the defensive line can attack opposing quarterbacks.
That reality ties directly into one of the broader themes quietly hanging over the entire offseason program: the Rams still appear to be searching for one more major defensive addition capable of elevating the entire structure of the defense.
Even after assembling one of the league’s more promising young pass-rushing groups, there remains a strong sense around the organization that another elite edge presence could fundamentally change the ceiling of the unit. Jared Verse and Byron Young already provide physicality, relentless effort, and disruptive pass-rushing power, but there were multiple stretches last season where the defense dominated offenses early only to struggle sustaining that same level of pressure deep into games.
Fatigue, rotational depth, and schematic predictability eventually became factors.
Because of us, it is precisely why the constant comparisons to the Von Miller addition during the Rams’ 2021 championship season continue resurfacing among those closely following the team. Miller’s impact extended beyond statistics. His speed and explosiveness forced offenses to completely alter protection structures, which in turn opened cleaner paths for Aaron Donald and the rest of the defensive front. One elite edge presence changed the geometry of the entire defense.
The Rams appear very aware that a similar dynamic could exist again.
Whether that eventually leads toward blockbuster trade speculation involving players like Maxx Crosby or Kayvon Thibodeaux remains unclear, but the ongoing interest in adding another explosive pass rusher feels very real when evaluating how this roster is currently constructed. The organization understands its championship window remains directly tied to maximizing Stafford’s remaining elite seasons, and improving the defense may ultimately become the clearest path toward returning to the Super Bowl conversation.
Beyond the marquee names and headline storylines, one of the more interesting developments from the opening OTA period involves the organization’s undrafted free-agent class, specifically former Syracuse tight end Dan Villari. Among the rookie signings, Villari reportedly secured the highest financial commitment of the group, earning a $45,000 signing bonus as the Rams worked aggressively to secure his participation during offseason activities.
That number may not dominate national headlines, but internally it signals legitimate interest from the organization.
Undrafted rookie compensation often reveals which developmental players teams view as priority projects rather than simple camp bodies. Villari’s versatility and physical profile appear to have already impressed evaluators enough for the Rams to invest more heavily in securing him compared to other undrafted additions. Within the context of McVay’s expanding tight end usage, his development becomes particularly worth monitoring throughout the summer.
As the Rams continue through the remainder of OTA practices before breaking briefly ahead of the next sessions beginning June 1, the larger picture surrounding the organization remains remarkably consistent with everything that has defined the McVay era.
This is still a franchise operating with urgency.
The practices may be non-contact. The pads may not arrive until later in the summer. The games themselves remain months away. Yet the tone surrounding the Rams already feels distinctly competitive. Position battles are active. Tactical experimentation is underway. Young players are being evaluated aggressively. Veterans are being integrated into new systems. And the organization continues behaving like a team that fully expects to matter deep into January.
For all the national debate about long-term timelines, future quarterbacks, and eventual roster transitions, the Rams continue sending a much simpler message through their actions. The focus remains on the present. The objective remains contention. And the belief inside the building appears unchanged, as long as Matthew Stafford continues operating at an elite level, the championship window remains very much alive in Los Angeles. Read on Substack!
Newark Liberty’s Aging Terminal B Set for Major $200 Million Modernization as Port Authority Pushes to Stabilize Passenger Experience Before Full Replacement
The guy just won the MVP award. Yes, the Rams fell one game short of the Super Bowl, but that was not because of Stafford or the offense. The defense failed!
Matthew Stafford was the Most Valuable Player last season, yet people continue talking about him like he is some broken-down quarterback hanging on for one final season. The guy just won the MVP award. Yes, the Rams fell one game short of the Super Bowl, but that was not because of Stafford or the offense. The defense failed, and even with those issues, Stafford still nearly carried the team all the way back for a win. Instead of appreciating the level he is still playing at, the entire conversation immediately shifted toward replacement plans and “life after Stafford,” which honestly makes no sense based on what we just watched last season. Read on Substack!
I learned this week that the organization is apparently using some kind of Moneyball-style analytical system to help gauge and guide roster decisions, which honestly makes a lot more sense when you look at how they approach the offseason. I also love the offseason trade discussions because, in my opinion, every scenario or rumor I have brought to the table is above and beyond anything they could have landed in this year’s draft. The problem is that they seem scared about Stafford getting injured, which is a horrible way to think about a player coming off an MVP season. What am I saying? They were nervous about his preseason injury, which is ironic because I do not think he missed a single down last season. Regardless, everyone, including the Rams themselves, along with Les Snead and Sean McVay, needs to allow Matthew Stafford to simply continue playing at the elite level he is capable of before constantly discussing retirement or replacement plans, let alone relying on some “Moneyball”-style system designed to calculate or gauge Stafford’s long-term health as a way to justify solidifying the No. 13 draft pick.
By the way, have you seen Tom Brady lately? The guy looks incredible. Granted, he was just at the Kevin Hart roast last week standing next to Kevin, but I honestly had no idea he was that tall and broad. Also, did he somehow get even more chiseled over the years, or does he just age differently than everyone else? Setting aside Brady’s absurd luck in the genetics department, the larger point remains the same, like Brady, Stafford has earned the right to avoid hearing nonstop speculation about replacing him every five minutes. If he gets injured this year, we can cross that bridge when we come to it, so to speak. We can figure out who the backup is in a few months and hope we do not have to worry about it.
I have said this before, and I will continue saying it, what happens if Stafford once again plays completely out of his mind, but this time actually has a strong, consistent, and championship-level defense behind him for the next two seasons? That is my goal for this team. Then we can start talking about retirement timelines and future replacements. Until then, the focus should be maximizing the championship window that still exists right now.
If any of the trade rumors I have written about actually come true, I will absolutely admit the Rams nailed this offseason. In fact, I already think the offseason has gone above and beyond what I expected in several areas. Some of the defensive moves they have already made surpassed what I originally wanted them to do. And remember, months ago here at On The Rampage, I specifically said I wanted the Rams to prioritize drafting a cornerback.
For months, the national football conversation surrounding the Los Angeles Rams has drifted into a strange and increasingly detached place. Despite the franchise coming off one of its most explosive offensive seasons in years, despite Matthew Stafford delivering the finest statistical campaign of his career, and despite the organization reaching the NFC Championship Game behind an MVP quarterback, a sizable portion of the sports media continues framing the Rams as if they are somehow preparing for the end of an era rather than aggressively building toward another Super Bowl run.
That has become one of the more bizarre storylines surrounding the NFL entering the 2026 season because the Rams themselves have shown absolutely no indication they are thinking conservatively about the future. Every meaningful move made by Sean McVay and Les Snead over the past several months points in the opposite direction. This is not a franchise easing into transition. It is a franchise attempting to maximize what it believes is still one of the most dangerous championship windows in football.
The reality is simple, Matthew Stafford just authored an MVP season at 37 years old and looked stronger, sharper, and more commanding than he did during the Rams’ previous Super Bowl run. His 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdown passes did not come from a quarterback surviving on reputation or system inflation. They came from a player operating with complete command of McVay’s offense while dismantling defenses at every level of the field. Stafford’s arm strength remained elite, his anticipation looked surgical, and his ability to manipulate defensive coverage with timing and placement elevated the Rams offense into one of the most difficult units in the league to defend. Most of all, if you gave him the ball with more than 10 to 20 seconds left, the opposing team usually lost, or almost lost. If Stafford puts in the work this offseason, I expect that level of play to continue or even expand upon last season’s performance.
What makes the constant speculation about his replacement so strange is that the organization’s actual behavior directly contradicts the narrative. The Rams did draft quarterback Ty Simpson, and national analysts immediately rushed to present the move as the symbolic beginning of the post-Stafford era. Internally, however, the Rams appear to view the situation entirely differently. Reports continue surfacing that the organization and Stafford are engaged in substantial extension discussions that could keep him in Los Angeles well beyond the 2026 season. Rather than signaling the end of his tenure, the Rams are positioning themselves to extend it.
That changes the entire context of the franchise’s offseason strategy. Teams preparing for transition do not aggressively pursue win-now roster additions. Teams preparing for transition do not continue exploring major veteran acquisitions on both sides of the football. Teams preparing for transition do not organize their salary structure around maximizing the remaining prime years of an MVP quarterback.
The Rams are clearly doing all three.
That urgency explains why the franchise has become directly connected to one of the biggest developing stories in football, the sudden availability of Stefon Diggs following his unexpected release by the New England Patriots. Diggs’ departure immediately altered the NFL free-agent landscape and reignited speculation that Los Angeles could emerge as the most logical destination for the veteran receiver.
The fit between Diggs and McVay’s offense is not difficult to understand, particularly when viewed beyond surface-level statistics. Diggs has long been regarded as one of the league’s most technically refined route runners, capable of creating separation through precision, leverage manipulation, and timing rather than relying solely on physical dominance. Those traits align naturally with the motion-heavy complexity of McVay’s offensive structure, which depends heavily on receivers understanding spacing, pre-snap adjustments, and route timing at an advanced level.
There is also an intriguing football-development connection that makes the possibility even more compelling. Diggs emerged from the Maryland football program, a system that has consistently produced receivers with advanced route discipline and spatial awareness, and, most of all, my alma mater. That type of technical polish translates particularly well into offenses requiring receivers to process adjustments quickly before the snap. McVay’s offense demands intelligence as much as athleticism, and Diggs has built his career around mastering the finer details of the position.
Adding Diggs to a receiving group already featuring Puka Nacua and Davante Adams would dramatically alter how opposing defenses approach the Rams offense. Nacua’s physicality underneath coverage zones already creates major matchup problems, while Adams remains one of the most complete route technicians in football. Introducing Diggs into that equation would force defenses into impossible balancing acts. Any attempt to overload coverage toward one receiver would leave another operating in favorable isolation. With Stafford distributing the football, the cumulative effect could produce one of the most dangerous passing attacks in the NFL.
The Rams’ interest in maximizing offensive firepower also reflects a broader philosophical difference between Los Angeles and organizations like New England. The Patriots reportedly grew uncomfortable with Diggs’ financial structure and long-term cap implications. The Rams, by contrast, continue operating according to a far more aggressive model built around maximizing championship opportunities while Stafford remains at the peak of his career. Les Snead has repeatedly shown a willingness to absorb short-term roster risk when he believes the reward significantly elevates the team’s title chances. That scenario would be far stronger than selecting Makai Lemon out of college with the No. 13 pick, a player the Rams ultimately did not draft, even though he was available to them.
That same mindset is shaping the Rams’ defensive thinking as well.
Even after building one of the league’s most promising young defensive fronts, there remains a growing sense that the organization is still searching for one more impact edge rusher capable of transforming the entire structure of the defense. For me, the comparison repeatedly circles back to the effect Von Miller had during the Rams’ championship season in 2021.
Miller’s impact extended well beyond individual production. His presence fundamentally changed offensive protection schemes and forced opposing coordinators into impossible decisions regarding double teams and blocking assignments. Aaron Donald immediately benefited because offenses could no longer dedicate every available resource toward neutralizing him. The ripple effect spread across the entire front seven.
The current Rams defensive front appears positioned similarly close to another leap. Jared Verse and Byron Young already provide exceptional effort, physicality, and pass-rushing power, but the addition of another explosive speed rusher could completely alter the geometry of the defense. One more elite edge presence would create cleaner matchups across the line while reducing the physical burden placed on the younger rotation pieces over the course of a long season. There were points this season when the defense completely devoured opposing offenses, but in many cases, it struggled to sustain that level of intensity and dominance throughout entire games.
That is why the Maxx Crosby rumors continue following the Rams despite the Raiders’ apparent reluctance to move him immediately. Las Vegas appears intent on waiting until the early portion of the season to reassess Crosby’s value following concerns surrounding his knee surgery and the collapsed trade discussions with Baltimore earlier this offseason. From the Raiders’ perspective, a healthy and productive start to the season would immediately restore Crosby’s market value and potentially create a bidding war among contenders.
From the Rams’ perspective, however, waiting presents its own risks.
Integrating a player like Crosby into the defense would require time, repetition, and familiarity with Chris Shula’s system. Acquiring him midseason may provide a late surge, but it would likely delay the full impact of the move until much deeper into the schedule. If the Rams genuinely believe they possess another championship-caliber roster around Stafford, delaying a major addition until October could prove counterproductive.
The emerging speculation surrounding Kayvon Thibodeaux offers another fascinating alternative. The Giants’ aggressive defensive rebuild and highly regarded draft class have created significant depth along their front seven, leading many league observers to believe Thibodeaux could eventually become expendable before New York commits major long-term money elsewhere on the roster. Unlike Crosby, Thibodeaux represents a younger and potentially more financially manageable option while still possessing the type of elite speed profile the Rams appear to covet.
His explosiveness off the edge would fit naturally alongside Verse and Young, giving Los Angeles a far more balanced and versatile pass-rushing rotation. More importantly, the reported asking price surrounding Thibodeaux appears considerably more realistic than the massive package Crosby would likely command if the Raiders fully reopened trade negotiations.
At the center of all these discussions remains the same fundamental truth, the Rams are behaving like an organization that should be fully aware that its championship opportunity is alive right now. The front office should understand that Stafford is still playing at an elite level. McVay should continue coaching with the urgency of someone who recognizes how difficult sustained contention can be in the modern NFL. Every major rumor connected to the franchise reflects a team attempting to capitalize on the present rather than protect itself against hypothetical future decline.
At the same time, I may have started two or three of those rumors myself, but anyway, the broader NFL world may continue debating timelines, succession plans, and eventual transitions, while inside the Rams organization the focus appears considerably more direct. The franchise believes it still has one of the best quarterbacks in football, one of the league’s premier offensive minds, and a roster close enough to contention that another aggressive move could push it directly back into the Super Bowl conversation.
The offseason moves, the trade speculation, the free-agent evaluations, and the contract discussions all point toward the same conclusion. The Rams are not cautiously managing the final stages of an aging roster. They are actively pursuing another championship while Matthew Stafford continues playing the best football of his career.
