Andrew Ortenberg
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The Super Bowl didn’t go the way the Rams were hoping. The team managed just three points as their incredible run came to an end, but while the end result was disappointing, there’s still plenty to be optimistic about. The Rams have a young quarterback/head coach duo that could be together for decades. What this loss means for the Rams is that they’ll have to continue to be aggressive in building the team, and that they’ll come back hungrier than ever next year.
With some other teams, you might expect some sort of hangover next year. That won’t happen with the culture that Sean McVay has instilled in the team during his brief tenure. McVay fell on the sword after the loss, as he always does, showing off the admiral accountability he has for himself. No one will work harder than McVay will to fix everything that went wrong, and Rams fans can take solace in the fact that they’re in good hands.
Looking forward to the offseason, the Rams will have some tough decisions to make. With the success they had this season, obviously you’d like as much continuity as possible. Quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor will be leaving to take the Bengals’ head coaching job, but the coaching staff will look mostly the same otherwise. The Rams will have some tough decisions to make in terms of the roster, as they likely won’t be able to bring back all of their impending free agents. The list of guys whose contracts expire this March include Ndamukong Suh, Dante Fowler Jr., Lamarcus Joyner, Rodger Saffold, and the heartwarming sensation C.J. Anderson.
While they probably won’t be able to keep everybody, the Rams need to do what they did this past year and stay aggressive. The Rams got to where they are by pulling the trigger on some bold moves. While most teams try and build through a young core that they drafted, the Rams took their young core and added to it with splashy acquisitions. They traded for Brandin Cooks, traded for Aqib Talib, traded for Fowler Jr., traded for Marcus Peters, signed Ndamukong Suh, the list goes on and on. No other team was as willing to make trades in a league known for its conservatism as the Rams, and general manager Les Snead needs to do the same thing this offseason if the Rams want to build on what they accomplished this year.
In terms of the draft, the Rams desperately need a consistent edge rusher, and could use some inside linebacker help as well. Fowler Jr. will ideally be retained, but the Rams could still use some additional pass-rushers. Another crucial thing to monitor for the Rams is the status of Andrew Whitworth. The All-Pro left tackle is rumored to be considering retirement, and if he does indeed call it quits it’ll be a massive blow to the Rams’ elite offensive line. If Whitworth indeed hangs up his cleats, Snead will need to be aggressive working the phones and looking for trade opportunities as well as free agents to replace Whitworth, as the Rams don’t have a player currently on the roster capable of taking over for Whit in covering Jared Goff’s blindside.
While the loss will leave a bad taste in the mouths of the Rams and their fans until next September rolls around, it’s important to remember they made it further than 30 other NFL franchises. Just about every team would love to have the roster and coaching staff that the Rams do, and the future is very bright in Los Angeles. If they stay the course, this won’t be their last Super Bowl.
