Now that the dust has settled on free agency and the NFL Draft, I find myself looking back on the offseason for the Los Angeles Ramsand I feel uninspired. While the team’s improbable mid-season turnaround to return to the playoffs last year was fun to watch, I’m not sure that we should set the bar at the postseason for the 2024 version of the Rams
Los Angeles has spent the offseason pouring resources into the defense while hoping its offense can maintain momentum, but it’s dangerous to expect much to stay the same long in the NFL. Sure, the defense should overall be dramatically improved from last season; however, it’s fair to have concerns surrounding the supporting structure on offense.
While the retirement of Aaron Donald became an annual question mark and was expected in the relative near future, it doesn’t change the fact that LA will be without its single-best player in 2024 and someone who impacted nearly every single play when he was in the game. The Rams have added a lot of young talent on the defensive line—including their top draft picks this year in Jared Verse and Braden Fiske—and it was wise for the team to attempt to replace Donald in the aggregate instead of with a splashy, single move. Still, from both leadership and on-field performance standpoints, the Rams are worse off moving forward without Donald—it remains to be seen how stark the drop off is.
