Rams primed to be Super Bowl contenders, but two critical areas of concern remain
Sean McVay's Rams are among the favorites to win the Super Bowl, but glaring needs on the offensive line and in the secondary could prove problematic. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Warm, breezy and feeling good.
That was the prevailing feeling among the Rams this week as they ended their off season with a 'Mauicamp,' a low-key event heavy on bonding and light on drills for a team expected to contend for a championship.
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Star quarterback Matthew Stafford is under contract for another potential Super Bowl run.
The Rams also added star receiver Davante Adams, drafted tight end Terrance Ferguson and bolstered depth to an ascending defensive front.
The Rams, however, have areas of concern as they head into a break before reporting to training camp at Loyola Marymount in July.
Read more: Puka Nacua's rapid ascent an inspiration to Polynesian athletes and Hawaiian fans
Offensive tackle and cornerback could be vulnerabilities for a team aiming to improve upon last season's 10-7 record and an NFC divisional round loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
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Here's how confident the Rams were in those positions going into free agency and the draft: They did not sign or select a player at either spot.
Whether that was wise is another matter.
Stafford, 37, remains the Rams' most important player and — other than coach Sean McVay — their most valuable asset. So the tackles must foil edge rushers hellbent on hitting the quarterback while playing perhaps the most pressure-packed position other than Stafford's.
With his play last season, Alaric Jackson convinced the Rams he was their longtime solution at left tackle. They awarded him a three-year contract that included $35 million in guarantees.
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But uncertainty now reigns. Jackson sat out the final week of offseason workouts because he is dealing with blood-clot issues for the second time in his career. If, or when, he will be able to practice and play is unknown.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford passes during organized team activities on June 3.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The Rams hurriedly signed D.J. Humphries, but the veteran is of late something of an unknown quantity. He played only two games last season for the Kansas City Chiefs after returning from major 2023 knee surgery and then suffering a hamstring injury.
Right tackle Rob Havenstein, 33, is entering his 11th season and the final year of his contract. He is coming off two shoulder surgeries.
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Swing tackle Warren McClendon Jr. started five games last season, but he has not established himself as a frontline player. The Rams also recently signed eight-year pro David Quessenberry, who made 17 of his career 30 starts in 2021.
The Rams are confident in the secondary — in large part because of the defensive front.
A rush led by rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske helped the Rams rank 20th among 32 teams in pass defense last season. That rush is expected to improve with the addition of tackle Poona Ford and rookie edge rusher Josaiah Stewart.
Read more: Rams' Jared Verse and Braden Fiske look to run it back again
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So the Rams stood pat with the same defensive backs from last season.
Cornerback Darious Williams, 32, does not have salary guarantees beyond this season, according to Overthecap.com. Ahkello Witherspoon, 30, is playing on a one-year deal for the third consecutive season but was signed early enough this time to participate in offseason workouts.
Cobie Durant is in the final year of his rookie contract, and Emmanuel Forbes Jr. is trying to prove that the Washington Commanders erred by releasing the 2023 first-round pick last season.
Derion Kendrick, coming off a knee injury that forced him to sit out the 2024 season, was waived last week in a cost-cutting move and then re-signed with the Rams for a veteran-minimum contract. Josh Wallace and Charles Woods, undrafted free agents in 2024, also are on the roster.
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McVay this week indicated that there were probably too many obstacles to trade for Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, the three-time All-Pro who was an integral part of the Rams' Super Bowl LVI championship team.
Read more: Rams' chances of trading for cornerback Jalen Ramsey appear to be fading
Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaire Alexander was recently released by the Green Bay Packers, but McVay said last week that was 'not a direction' the Rams would go. Alexander signed with the Baltimore Ravens, the Rams' Week 6 opponent.
While the NFL largely shuts down until the start of training camp, general manager Les Snead in the past has added players before it opens and after it begins.
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But for now, with their Hawaiian excursion behind them, the Rams appear ready to go with what they've got.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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