Posts in category: Don Lichterman

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.

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On The Rampage International Games, Thanksgiving Eve, At home, SoFi Stadium, The Road Schedule, 18-Player Undrafted Free Agent Class & Speculation

The noise surrounding the NFL never really stops in Los Angeles. Even in the middle of May, long before preseason headlines begin dominating national television, the Los Angeles Rams are already one of the league’s most fascinating organizations to monitor because almost every move the franchise makes carries larger implications for the NFC power structure. The team is once again being positioned directly in the center of the NFL’s global spotlight as early schedule leaks continue revealing what could become one of the franchise’s biggest national showcase seasons in recent memory.

Even before the complete 2026 NFL schedule officially drops, the league has already confirmed two massive standalone primetime games involving the team, and both matchups carry enormous implications not only for the Rams’ playoff trajectory but also for the NFL’s ongoing international expansion strategy and streaming television future. The season will begin in unprecedented fashion as the Rams open the 2026 campaign against the San Francisco 49ers in one of the most ambitious regular-season events the NFL has ever staged. I had no clue it was the opening game. The Niners and Jags play two International games.

Scheduled for Thursday, September 10, the NFC West rivals will meet at the legendary Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, turning the Rams into one of the featured franchises spearheading the league’s aggressive global growth initiative. The matchup instantly becomes one of the most watched opening-week games of the entire NFL season, with kickoff set for 8:35 PM ET and the broadcast streaming globally through Netflix in another sign of how rapidly the NFL’s media landscape continues evolving.

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The next phase of the Los Angeles Rams’ 2026 season officially begins this week. While rookie minicamp rarely carries the spectacle of training camp or the pressure of September football, this year’s gathering inside the Rams’ Woodland Hills facility may quietly become one of the most important transition points of the Sean McVay era.

Read on Substack!

The Rams are no longer rebuilding, retooling, or resetting. They are operating within a far narrower and far more demanding window. Everything now is about maximizing what remains of the Matthew Stafford era while simultaneously preparing the next layer of the roster to develop around him.

At the same time, it is going to take much more than rookie minicamp to determine whether the Ty Simpson pick was the right decision. After some legitimate preseason action, there will be a far better sense of what the Rams were trying to accomplish with that selection. Right now, anyone paying close attention to the draft process still has questions about what the Rams were doing during the draft and in the weeks leading up to it. As of today, there is still no clear consensus on the overall direction behind several of their moves.

That balancing act defines this offseason.

I also think the team, and everyone around it, is forgetting how Super Bowls are won, which is with great defense.

Reqardless, the Rams will now enter rookie minicamp with a first-round quarterback in Ty Simpson, a roster still capable of competing in the NFC, a receiving corps headlined by Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and a front office that continues to operate with aggressive precision rather than passive patience. This is not an organization interested in developmental timelines that stretch three or four years into the future. The Rams believe they can contend now. Every decision being made this month reflects that reality.

Rookie minicamp, scheduled for May 8 through May 10, represents the first live look at the Rams’ newest draft class and undrafted free agents as the franchise transitions from offseason conditioning into football operations that more closely resemble the structure and rhythm of an actual season. While many organizations use rookie minicamp as a physically intense evaluation period, the Rams have historically treated it more like an orientation process built around classroom installation, terminology, professional preparation, and culture assimilation. That approach is expected to continue under McVay and his staff this weekend.

Still, even without heavy-contact practices, the stakes remain substantial.

The central figure entering camp is unquestionably Ty Simpson, the Rams’ first-round selection out of Alabama and one of the most scrutinized draft picks the organization has made since Jared Goff. Simpson arrives with a profile that fits precisely what Sean McVay values in quarterbacks: pre-snap recognition, timing, processing speed, accuracy, and control within structure.

His Alabama production reflected that efficiency. He finished with the lowest interception percentage in school history while also setting a program record for consecutive completions in a single game. That is the one statistic that immediately stood out to me. He threw an unbelievably low number of interceptions last season. I believe it was only four, which is an astounding number at that level of football. The Rams clearly believe those traits translate directly into the structure and demands of their offensive system.

What makes Simpson’s arrival particularly fascinating is the timing.

Matthew Stafford remains firmly entrenched as the Rams’ starting quarterback, and the organization continues to operate publicly as though its championship window remains open with him under center. Yet drafting Simpson signals something equally clear: the Rams are preparing for the future without sacrificing the present. That dual-track approach places enormous importance on this entire offseason program because it determines how quickly Simpson acclimates to NFL speed, NFL protections, and McVay’s notoriously demanding offensive structure.

The rookie quarterback will not be alone in drawing attention.

The Rams’ 2026 draft class also includes tight end Max Klare and wide receiver CJ Daniels, both of whom enter situations where immediate opportunities could emerge far sooner than many sixth-round or mid-round selections typically experience. Daniels, in particular, becomes increasingly interesting because of the Rams’ ongoing search for another wide receiver.

That search has become one of the defining stories of the Rams’ offseason. After letting Makai Lemon go in the draft, they are seemingly still on the prowl these days.

I still wish they would add one more defensive player who can truly impact the team, or show me someone already on the roster whom I am not seeing yet but is ready to step up and become a star. I understand that the Rams addressed the cornerback position well, but they are still cornerbacks. There is no easy way to play that position. It is arguably the hardest position in football to play at an elite level. On a good day, a cornerback is still allowing receivers to make two or three catches.

That became painfully clear during the playoffs. Still, I maintain that this team needs one more legitimate threat who can consistently sack the quarterback and help stop the run. Ironically, that would help the entire secondary, not just the cornerbacks.

Even after adding Davante Adams to pair with Puka Nacua, the Rams continue evaluating the market for another reliable target who can stabilize the WR3 role and provide Stafford with additional versatility. That is in addition to the five tight ends the team is currently carrying which is a story in itself.

In all seriousness, this is not simply about adding depth. It is about creating offensive insulation. Injuries, age, rotational flexibility, and postseason durability all matter significantly more for teams attempting to contend immediately.

The Rams should understand this. The team also needs better conditioning, which I have great hope they are working hard on now during the offseason. They cannot afford to suffer a slow decline at the end of the season, let alone during a playoff run. The way they played defense at the end of the year was embarrassing.

Internally, there is belief in younger players such as Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, and Daniels himself. However, the organization also recognizes that proven veteran production becomes critical late in seasons when defensive coverage shifts heavily toward top receiving options. Opposing defenses are going to devote extraordinary attention to Nacua and Adams. The Rams need another player capable of winning isolated matchups consistently enough to punish those adjustments.

When the team won in 1999 with the Greatest Show on Turf, the team had what felt like five receivers running through defenses if you include Marshall Faulk, who was a huge threat catching the ball and taking off in open space.

In 2021, the Rams had Odell Beckham Jr., who I believe was the third receiver that pushed the team over the top alongside Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and Van Jefferson.

That reality explains why multiple veteran receivers continue to be connected to Los Angeles.

Stefon Diggs, a University of Maryland football player and graduate, which is also where I went to school, has rapidly emerged as one of the most intriguing possibilities for the Rams.

The four-time Pro Bowler is still available following his release from New England, and his situation shifted dramatically after his acquittal on assault-related charges yesterday. From a football perspective alone, Diggs fits almost perfectly into what the Rams need. He remains an elite route runner capable of lining up both outside and in the slot, and despite recovering from a torn ACL suffered in 2024, he returned with a productive 2025 season that included more than 1,000 receiving yards and a Super Bowl appearance with the Patriots.

Conversely, the Rams could be positioned to win a Super Bowl, which is something Diggs clearly wants. It would also beautifully cap the NFL career of the Terps graduate.

However, by that same standard, the situation raises another question. If the Rams had concerns about Ruben Bain Jr. because of his manslaughter or vehicular homicide case, then pursuing Diggs would seem hard to justify, even with the acquittal. Regardless, the football fit remains obvious.

For a Rams offense already built around spacing, timing, and layered route concepts, Diggs could represent a major addition without requiring the offense to fundamentally change its structure. He would not need to carry the offense. That may actually make Los Angeles one of the league’s most dangerous landing spots for him.

DeAndre Hopkins remains another name heavily connected to the Rams. Although Hopkins is no longer the dominant vertical force he once was during his peak seasons, league evaluators continue viewing him as an effective possession and red-zone receiver who could thrive as a complementary third option. The Rams’ interest in experienced route technicians has never disappeared under McVay, and Hopkins’ ability to operate efficiently in condensed areas of the field still holds considerable value.

Jauan Jennings has also generated substantial interest as a more physical and financially manageable alternative. His reputation around the league centers on toughness, blocking, reliability, and situational consistency. For a Rams offense that places heavy responsibility on wide receivers inside the running game and perimeter blocking schemes, Jennings would fit naturally.

Other names continue circulating as speculative possibilities.

Alec Pierce would provide significant vertical field-stretching ability, although his projected contract value may exceed what the Rams are willing to commit financially. Rashid Shaheed brings explosiveness and special teams versatility. Tyreek Hill and Deebo Samuel remain dream-level possibilities discussed more within league speculation than realistic cap modeling, though both continue drawing attention because of their game-breaking profiles.

Regardless of which direction the Rams eventually choose, their pursuit of another receiver underscores a broader organizational philosophy. This franchise is still operating aggressively.

The same urgency exists along the offensive line.

League sources and analysts continue linking the Rams to additional offensive tackle depth as they prepare for organized team activities and eventual training camp battles. The importance of offensive line stability within Sean McVay’s offense cannot be overstated.

The Rams’ rushing attack, built around Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, depends heavily on continuity and health across the offensive front. Both runners thrive because of vision, leverage, and timing within zone-running structures rather than overwhelming physical dominance. They can still fall forward for six or seven yards, let alone what happens when they break through into the second level, which occurs often.

Both running backs are excellent, and honestly, they are so similar stylistically that I sometimes do not realize which one just carried the ball. I get them mixed up all the time because they run so much alike. They slice through defenses in nearly identical ways, and both are outstanding players.

However, if the offensive line struggles, the entire offense changes immediately, and it becomes noticeable very quickly.

That concern explains why undrafted offensive linemen entering rookie minicamp could receive legitimate attention.

Austin Blaske, Chad Lindberg, and Bryce Henderson arrive with opportunities that extend beyond developmental practice reps. The Rams value versatility heavily among reserve linemen, particularly players capable of functioning across multiple positions in emergency situations.

Depth along the offensive front often determines survival over a 17-game season, and Los Angeles has learned that lesson repeatedly in recent years. The depth on the offensive line has been thin, or at least a concern, for several years now. When one player goes down, the impact becomes noticeable immediately, and usually not in good ways.

This is also where the Rams need someone to step up and become a dependable contributor along the line. In one or two areas, I think this team is only one player deep in some places on the front line. They probably need to add as many as three offensive linemen who could immediately become second- or third-string options day one. Even then, I still believe one or two starting positions on the offensive line could be up for grabs this season.

The Rams’ 18-player undrafted free agent class reflects that broader search for functional depth and developmental upside.

On offense, quarterback Matthew Caldwell joins the room alongside Simpson, while running back Dean Connors enters a backfield already featuring established contributors but still requiring camp competition. Tight ends Dan Villari and Rohan Jones both arrive with opportunities to compete for situational roles within a system that increasingly values multi-dimensional tight ends capable of functioning as blockers, move pieces, and secondary receiving options.

At receiver, EJ Williams becomes another player worth monitoring as camp progresses. The Rams have historically shown a willingness to give undrafted skill players legitimate opportunities if they demonstrate consistency and special teams value early in camp.

Defensively, the Rams focused heavily on athletic front-seven depth and developmental secondary pieces.

Wesley Bailey, Eddie Walls III, and Darryl Peterson III all enter a linebacker room where rotational pass-rush depth remains important. Nikhai Hill-Green brings experience from Alabama into the interior linebacker competition, while defensive linemen Jaxson Moi, Jalen Logan-Redding, and Payton Zdroik enter an organization that consistently rotates defensive fronts aggressively throughout camp and preseason.

In the secondary, Nick Andersen, Nyzier Fourqurean, Al’zillion Hamilton, and Drey Norwood all arrive with realistic opportunities to compete for developmental roster spots or practice squad consideration. McVay’s staff has repeatedly demonstrated a willingness to elevate undrafted defensive backs who show adaptability, communication skills, and special teams reliability.

The larger reality surrounding all of this is impossible to ignore.

The Rams are entering one of the most important developmental stretches of their offseason calendar. Rookie minicamp leads directly into organized team activities beginning May 26, followed by mandatory minicamp in mid-June and then full training camp later this summer. The structure of the roster will begin revealing itself quickly.

OTAs will provide the first extended look at how the Rams plan to expand and evolve the offense around Davante Adams and Puka Nacua heading into the 2026 season. They will also intensify scrutiny surrounding Stafford’s contract situation and long-term future. By training camp, roster competition will become fully operational as veterans and rookies battle for spots on the final 53-man roster.

This offseason feels different because the Rams are attempting to accomplish two difficult objectives simultaneously.

They are trying to remain dangerous enough to compete immediately in the NFC while quietly laying the foundation for what comes next. That is an extraordinarily difficult balance to maintain in the modern NFL. Most organizations either commit fully to the present or pivot aggressively toward the future. The Rams are attempting both.

That makes every practice, every roster move, every receiver visit, every developmental rep, and every training camp battle more important than usual.

The Rams are not rebuilding. They are recalibrating while still trying to win.

And beginning this week at rookie minicamp, the next version of that vision officially takes the field.

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On The Rampage: Ty Simpson in the first round, Max Klare in the second, Keagen Trost in the third, CJ Daniels in the sixth, and Tim Keenan III in the seventh

The 2026 NFL Draft was supposed to be a reinforcement exercise for the Los Angeles Rams, a team that is not rebuilding and not searching for identity. This is a roster anchored by a veteran quarterback, supported by established offensive weapons, and constructed with the expectation of competing in the present. What unfolded over the course of the draft did not reflect that reality. Instead, it produced one of the smallest draft classes of the Sean McVay era, heavily tilted toward offense, and defined by decisions that appear misaligned with the team’s immediate needs.

The class consisted of five players: Ty Simpson in the first round, Max Klare in the second, Keagen Trost in the third, CJ Daniels in the sixth, and Tim Keenan III in the seventh. Four of the five selections were offensive players. It was a class that, from the opening night through the final pick, never fully established a clear or consistent approach. Read the Full Story at the Los Angeles Rams Substack!

On The Rampage: The Rams’ No. 13 Pick Reflects a Misread of Timing, Urgency, and Draft Value

Rams’ Selection of Ty Simpson at No. 13 Raises Questions About Timing and Draft Value

The Los Angeles Rams used the 13th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, a decision that immediately shifted attention away from the roster’s current trajectory and toward a longer-term projection at the most important position in the game. For a team structured to compete now, the selection stands out not because of the player alone, but because of the context surrounding it.

At the time of the pick, the board still offered players expected to contribute immediately. Rueben Bain Jr. remained available and was selected at No. 14. The Philadelphia Eagles then traded up to secure Mikael Lemon. Both players project as contributors in the near term at positions where performance is measured on every snap. The Rams passed on both. They also passed on Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who, despite the Rams’ existing depth at the position, was widely regarded as one of the strongest overall prospects still available.

The selection becomes more difficult to reconcile when placed alongside the current quarterback situation. Matthew Stafford remains the starter and continues to perform at a level that supports contention, especially considering he was the MVP last season. His contract runs through the 2026 season, and while there has been periodic discussion about retirement, the organization has maintained a flexible, year-to-year approach rather than signaling an immediate transition.

“We’ve been like that,” head coach Sean McVay said when asked about Stafford’s status. “You’ll probably see us put another year in there as kind of a placeholder, like we’ve done each of the last couple years. But he’s earned the right to be able to be on a year-to-year basis, and that’s something that we’re comfortable with out of respect for him. And hopefully he continues to say, every year, ‘I’m ready to go again.’”

That framework suggests continuity rather than urgency. Stafford is “ready to go again” this season, and beyond 2026 remains open-ended rather than defined.

Read The Full Article on the Los Angeles Rams Substack!

On The Rampage: The Rams at No. 13 and the Demand for an Immediate Starter Otherwise Trade it Away!

Today is what it must feel like for people when they wake up on Christmas morning. Like any red-blooded American, the lead-up includes putting on Draft Day, the Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner film, featuring Terry Crews, Chadwick Boseman, Ellen Burstyn, Frank Langella, Denis Leary, Sam Elliott, Timothy Simons & Kevin Dunn from Veep, Chi McBride from Hawaii Five-0, Patrick St. Esprit, Wade Williams, and Pat Healy whom have all been a ton of things but anyway, the Rams enter the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh with seven selections. The focus is entirely on No. 13 overall, a pick acquired from Atlanta that gives the organization access to a tier of prospects it rarely reaches.

The remaining picks, 61, 93, 207, 232, 251, and 252, provide flexibility, but none carry the same expectation of immediate impact. That expectation rests on the first-round decision, and the standard is straightforward. The player selected at 13 must be capable of starting immediately. If that threshold is not met, the pick itself becomes the asset, and moving it is the more rational approach.

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