So, are the ‘20 Rams gonna be better than the ‘19 version, or what?

[Rams43]

I say, Heck yeah!

Let’s see...

Coaching. Three new coordinators THREE!. I love the O’Connell addition which plugs a ‘19 hole. Staley seems like an upgrade over the stale Wade Phillips (Wade is still unemployed, btw). Bonamego doesn’t have a high bar to exceed the down-trending Fassel of the previous 2 years.

On O...

QB. More experienced and benefitting from O’Connell’s influence. Can’t be overstated.
RB. Damaged Gurley gone and replaced by Akers. Hopefully, Hendy has upped his pass pro and grasp of playbook.
OL. Gotta believe that this group benefits from last years experience together, plus Blythe and Hav are now healthy.
TE. Needle definitely pointing up for Higbee and Hopkins sure looks like an upgrade for 3rd string.
WR. Is the tandem of Reynolds/Jefferson an upgrade over the concussed Cooks of ‘19? I sure think so.

On D...

DL. Better run D than last year with the ARob addition and with impressive depth.
Edge. Floyd looks like a push vs Fowler because of better run D and coverage skills. Matthews, frankly, won’t be that hard to upgrade among 4-5 candidates waiting in the wings.
ILB. Littleton was a fine player, but not necessarily a good fit for Staley’s D. That can’t be overstated. I expect better run D this year from Kiser and whoever wins that other spot in base D.
CB. Ramsey and Hill/Long/Williams? Are you kidding me? Long/Burgess/Williams at nickel? Wow! An embarrassment of riches at CB this year, honestly.
S. JJ and Rapp/Burgess depending on set called by Staley? Mercy! Is there a more versatile D in either secondary or front 7 anywhere? I’ll wait.

On ST...

As I said above, Bonamego doesn’t have a tall order to exceed the Fassel results of the last 2 years. Seriously, Bones was coasting on his previously elite reputation. I predict a Hekker return to All Pro level and one of those three impressive K candidates should be able to exceed GZ’s mediocre 40-49 yard numbers of ‘19. Coverage and return units are likely to be markedly better, too.

So, there you have it in black and white. I see upgrades and/or potential upgrades just about everywhere I look. The only exceptions might be at one edge and at ILB in base. And even those might not be downgrades at all.

 

[RamsFanCK]

It may just be that kool-aid time
of year but I think the answer is a resounding YES.

Our D looks set to be substantially better if not just more consistent. The secondary is stacked, if the run D pans out then the league should be on notice.

This should lead to the O not having to get in multiple shoot outs which will allow for more diversity in play calling and less pressure on Goff.

I’m falling in love with the new coaches as well. Truly impressed with Staley in his approach and with the way he presents himself. Reminds me a lot of McVay.

2020 has all the makings of a good season.

 

[den-the-coach]

Overall I believe many of us feel there is reason for optimism in 2020 because the year itself has been the most challenging and in the words of Sonny & Cher "The Beat Goes on."

Anyway back to the Los Angeles Rams and I do believe the offense should improve because the Offensive Line barring injury, should improve and IMO, the TE's should make more of an impact as they did towards the end of last season and the changes to the coaching staff appear to be all for the good across the board, so I'm anxious to see how it plays out.

Concerns???? Many.

Pass Rush....I loved Dante Fower and will miss him, he will make Atlanta's defense better, so where does the pass rush come from? Players like Ogbonnia "Obo" Okoronkwo, Samson Ebukam, Michael Floyd & even rookie Terrell Lewis need to provide that spark in order to take off pressure of Aaron Donald and put fear into opposing Quarterbacks.

Vertical Congestion.....A WR that can go over the top is something that when the Rams acquired Brandon Cooks, Sean McVay stated "It was a necessity in his offense." Currently the Rams have route runners & no actual speed WR, will it hamper the offense? Seem to do that when they initially lost Cooks, but McVay adapted and it appears the fastest WR might be on the bench in Nsimba Webster, who ran a 4.4 40.

Inside Linebacker....They did not pay Cory Littleton, let's hope this is not London Fletcher Part Deux....Rams will look to Micah Kiser again and most likely Travin Howard to fill Littleton's role, however, I for one hope that Troy Reeder stays on special teams as IMO, seemed very slow in his reactions, but he was a rookie.

Offensive Line....All of us have posted about, but now we have to hope the regime was right and we were wrong. Staying healthy is the key, but the thought of not bringing back Whitworth, trading for Trent Williams & drafting a Center might make most of us feel confident, however, @Mackeyser is very confident with Whit, Corbett, Blythe, Edwards & Evans over Havenstein, so hopefully this won't be an issue and they will come together as a unit in 2020.

Special Teams...Not as concerned as I was because as much as I loved John Fassel, John Bonamego has had success and the triumphant of kickers he's brought in, I feel very good about one of them being extraordinary and I feel that there is plenty of fine athletes available on the roster to ensure this unit is better in 2020.

 

[dang]

2020 is a major retooling (notice I didn’t say rebuilding) year. I am a homer Rams fan so I am very optimistic but I expect it to take some time with improvements throughout the year that will peak at the end of the year. I see us back in the playoffs but feel it may be next year before it peaks.

 

[majrleaged]

Short answer, yes! For all the reasons posted and the refocusing of the coaching staff and the players after the SB hangover. Last year was one big teaching moment. I know some of us have lost some confidence in the FO and Head Coach, but I will argue that learning from ones mistakes is a huge part of this teams mentality. The slowness of the adjustments last year was disappointing, but I really believe there was lingering affects of the SB loss, and the desire to prove the offensive philosophy was still good.
Now one other point I want to make. The thought that the Rams will pay for the all or nothing shot at the SB is not all wrong. What is wrong is when it will be paid. I will think that the payment was made last year, loosing Su for instance (not a coincidence that Donald had 22 sacks and then only 12). Loosing Saffold as well. Granted it was in the FO plan for the youngsters to take over, but having all the veteran talent also stunted the growth of our young bucks on the Oline and the Dline. Last year was payment and a very painful learning experience that while the FO was hoping they could weather better, had to know there would be bumps in the road.
So yea, I definitely think this years Rams are way better than last year.

 

[Loyal]

Iam upgradingmy 11-5 prediction to 13-3. I am influenced by actual play on the field AND conversation at ROD. Super Bowl BOUND!
“I prefer too legit, to quit, but whatevs” ~ den-the-coach @den-the-coach

 

[den-the-coach]

“I prefer too legit, to quit, but whatevs” ~ den-the-coach @den-the-coach

"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." - LoyalRam @LoyalRam

 

[Mackeyser]

Yes.

 

[So Ram]

My prediction is a better younger team. The question is if they have a better record ???

 

[CGI_Ram]

I like Wade, but even during the Super bowl run the defense never consistently played to the sum of its parts.

Staley may be the biggest offseason move we made.

 

[Loyal]

"Failing to prepare is preparing to fail." - LoyalRam @LoyalRam

Rams coaches do that. Our job is to talk shyte on the internet!

 

[Oregonram]

I think the biggest question for this team is, will we be able to run the ball effectively. If we can establish that, all will be right with this team. If not, we will struggle again with inconsistency. I have high hopes that Akers will make defenses pay and open up all the passing lanes.

 

[Mikey Ram]

They better be noticeably better or they could see themselves 3rd in the West...Not a popular thing to say here, I know...My "best move" I think will be sending Wade off into the sunset...Gotta love the guy, but I think he's been living on his rep for a few years now...I think that if the LB group gels, the D will be strong..O line concerns me a bit but if they also come together then I feel real good about this year...

 

[Malibu]

Predictions are a hard game due to injuries or over expectations.

Biggest concern: 2 actually the obvious the OL and can they get by without always needing help with extra blockers forced to stay in and help. By keeping more in limits the McVay style offense. The run game will be affected if the OL struggles.

The other major concern is BU QB I do not want to go into the season with Wolford sorry too inexperienced at the #1 position on the team. Now that we got some of the Gurley money available we should spend to resign Bottles. Not his biggest fan but he knows the offense and is very seasoned.

As for the rest of the team I am concerned about Littleton departure it reminds me of Saffold. I get the cost cutting, I just hope it doesn't bite us. He is amazing in coverage and played 97% of the D snaps last year.

I love our DL, entire secondary and wr/TEs. Most of all I love Goff & McVay. Together theyhave amazing stats for 3 & 4 years in the league.

Baring injuries we go 11-5 I would go higher but the run game/ok is still tbd.

This is a type of team that gets better with more games under our belt.

 

[rams1fan]

I think the offense will be better. Not so sure about defense with a new system and all.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I hope they play better overall than last season. Consistency is a big deal. They need to show up every week. Hopefully the new coordinators help with that. I felt game planning didn’t fit personnel as well last year until we saw McVay start to go back to more rollouts to counter poor pass blocking.

Staley is basically a rookie. If he can duplicate the Bears defense then great. If he struggles to manage the whole defense then ouch. He has a similar secondary set talent wise. He hopefully has a comparable DLine. It should be close. But there will be a drop off at linebacker.

 

[oldnotdead]

This time next year I think we will see this as the best team under McVay. Snead is an elite GM. This team was devastated by injuries last year yet the talent of the young guys can't be denied. They lacked experience and in some cases what I think was complacent coaching by some of the position coaches. BUT they never folded up and most of all they never quit and IMO that is testament to McVay.

Those young guys played as bad as they probably will ever play yet this team finished with a winning record. They were undone by a couple of very makeable FGs or they would have made the playoffs. Staley's scheme is at its base the same as Wade's but I expect him to take the next evolutionary step. I think the same will be said for the offense under O'Connell.

Unlike many, I see real talent on this o-line. Also, unlike many, I don't see a dropoff at LB. In fact, they upgraded and are deeper at LB particularly OLB. I think Kiser is an upgrade to Littleton. I think Johnston gives them legit talent at depth and is underrated. The Rams front d-line of Floyd, AD, Robinson, and Lewis is the best in the NFCW if not the NFL with speed off the edges, and power inside. They have a top tier SAM LB in Ebukam and speed to cover with ILBs Young, Kiser, and Howard.

The Ram secondary could be the best in the NFCW with size, speed, and coverage ability. There is no dropoff with Burgess and Williams.
In fact when you breakdown the secondary the weak link is Troy Hill who is primarily a zone CB. He stands out because the other 4 CBs are man coverage CBs.

Offensively, they will have the best trio of WRs in the NFCW in Woods, Kupp, and Jefferson. Two of the best TE's in Everett and Higbee with a talented new addition in Hopkins. Akers and Henderson will be a two-headed monster at RB. This offense can play ball control or quick strike.

I don't think the Niners have improved that much if any. IMO they will miss Buckner. Their draft pick of NT Kinlaw is a warning to the Rams. Kinlaw even as a rookie will destroy Blythe who struggles against size, quickness, and power. That said Kinlaw has to prove he has the motor to be an NFL starter. The strength of the 49er D is their D-line. Neutralize them and you beat their D. I don't see their secondary matching up to the Rams receivers. As people here have pointed out the Hawks might have taken a step back but Wilson will keep them in the game and very competitive. Murray has to prove he isn't Baker Mayfield v.2, i.e. that he can read defenses and carry a team.

The Rams have gotten not only better, but they have also gotten significantly better at key positions. The NFCW will be facing not the stale old simple Wade zone but man and zone and a combination of both as well as a much-improved pass rush over one that was pretty damn good last year. So for all of the above reasons the Rams will not only be better than last year, this could be the best team they have fielded in years.

 

[tempests]

I hope so but think we lost too much talent and experience this offseason. Retaining Brockers helps but not enough. Just don't have enough playmakers on defense. Staley may be an OK coordinator but he's up against it trying to install his defense without a normal offseason to get his players together. I still consider our offensive line suspect and we have too much cap tied up in players playing on other teams.

 

[ReekofRams]

Yes.

So wordy

 

[ArkyRamsFan]

I think the offense will be better. Not so sure about defense with a new system and all.

rams1fan,
Heh! I'm the exact opposite. I feel good about our defense and really think Staley is going to put them in positions to succeed. I'm really confident our run defense will much improve at the very least.
Just not there with the offense yet since it requires a lot more timing and rhythm and all. I have faith that Coach Mac will get it going but we gotta hope the OL and the RBs and the rest get on the same page and stay there.
Just think the defense might lead the way this year.
And I looking forward to that .....and more!!

~ArkyRamsFan~