The Los Angeles Rams already had a target on their back when they traded for Trent McDuffie and signed Jaylen Watson in free agency. Then they swung a blockbuster trade for Myles Garrett, pairing the reigning Defensive Player of the Year with the reigning MVP, Matthew Stafford.
As if that wasn’t enough, Aaron Donald decided to join the party
, coming out of a two-year retirement to chase another ring with the Rams.The only notable loss they suffered this offseason was Jared Verse, but trading him away brought in Garrett, so it was still an upgrade.
Quentin Lake is a key piece of the defense and after learning that Donald was coming back, one of his first thoughts was that the rest of the NFL probably hates the Rams. It’s a feeling the Dodgers
have experienced for years in L.A., and now it’s the Rams’ turn to be the villain.
“The first thing that goes through your mind is, ‘Teams probably hate us,'” Lake told Nate Atkins of The Athletic. “All of these other teams probably hate us. We’re like the new Dodgers.”
On paper, the Rams are the clear Super Bowl favorites. They returned every key starter from last year’s top-ranked offense, and a defense that ranked 10th in points allowed got substantially better with McDuffie, Watson, Garrett and Donald.
But games aren’t played on paper. They’re played on grass. And turf. And in Australia. And on Wednesday nights. And Christmas Day. Against some of the best teams in the NFL, including the Seahawks (twice), Bills, Broncos, Packers, Chiefs and Eagles.
There are a lot of things working against the Rams but so long as they can stay healthy and replicate some of the success they had last season, the Super Bowl will be well within their grasp.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams DB: 'Teams probably hate us' after getting Aaron Donald back
