After coming up just short of reaching the Super Bowl last season, the Los Angeles Rams did not stand pat. Far from it.
They started the offseason out with a bang and traded for corner Trent McDuffie of the Kansas City Chiefs followed by the free agency signing of his teammate, Jaylen Watson. LA did some miscellaneous tweaking on special teams to fill the remainder of the free agent period. In the draft they shocked the NFL world by selecting Ty Simpson thirteenth overall. This move, which seemed
like a luxury at the time, secured the team’s future and allowed them to be more aggressive in the short term.
It took awhile for us to see that newfound aggression. I thought the Rams would either trade up into the first round or early on day two. Instead, they traded Jared Verse and three future draft picks in order to land the best defensive talent in football in Myles Garrett.
The Rams are doing everything in their power to reach the Super Bowl again for the first time since 2021, but championships are not won in the spring and summer.
There are still significant questions surrounding how McDuffie, Garrett, Simpson, and others fit with the franchise for 2026 and beyond.
These are the burning questions of the Rams’ offseason:
Question #1: Can Stafford and Ferguson fix their disconnect?
Terrance Ferguson caught just 38% of his targets as a rookie. He’s one of the team’s offensive breakout candidates in 2026, but he must become a more efficient target. Fixing this involves improvement on Matthew Stafford’s end as well.
Question #2: Does Garrett trade signal defensive scheme shift?
The Rams led the NFL in defensive line stunt rates a season ago. Was this an indictment on Jared Verse and others? The blue chip talent of Garrett could allow the team to move away from a potential scheme crutch.
Question #3: How will Rams deploy McDuffie?
Sean McVay hinted in OTA’s that McDuffie could play inside often. That possibly displaces slot player and safety Quentin Lake and forces Emmanuel Forbes into a larger role on the outside. We preview the implications.
Question #4: Is this the end of 11 personnel in LA?
How Terrance Ferguson could become a hybrid player similar to the role Cooper Kupp used to fill for the team. Does this transition explain why LA did not address the third receiver need this offseason?
Question #5: Did Rams do enough to fix special teams?
Summarizing special teams changes for 2026 and outlining the things expected to remain the same, including Xavier Smith at returner. The group should be improved but are they good enough?
Question #6: Can Nate Landman reverse downslide?
Landman was a much different player after his mid-season contract extension–in a bad way. Can he return to midseason form? Who will win the linebacker job next to him?
