First-year DC Chris Shula has tools needed for success. He won’t have many excuses if his unit falls flat in 2024.
By JB Scott May 13, 2024, 11:37am CDT

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

While known in previous years for making splashy moves and headlines, the Los Angeles Rams kept a much more low profile this offseason. They continued their investment along the interior of the offensive line as they embrace a more physical brand of football on offense. On defense, they will journey into a world post-Aaron Donald’s retirement and spent free agency and the NFL Draft restocking the cupboard of talent.

How did the Rams’ defense change over the offseason?​

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OUT: DE Aaron Donald, CB Ahkello Witherspoon, DB Jordan Fuller, DB John Johnson, DE Jonah Williams
IN: OLB Jared Verse, DE Braden Fiske, DB Kamren Curl, CB Darious Williams, DB Kamren Kinchens, CB Tre White, OLB Brennan Jackson, DT Tyler Davis
I’m personally not sure anyone is giving the weight of Donald’s retirement the full credit it deserves. Los Angeles lost one of the most impactful defensive players we’ve ever seen. He’s been the sole focus of opposing offensive coordinators for the past decade, and someone teams rarely ever left blocked one-on-one.

The Rams are losing a lot of snaps played by Witherspoon, Fuller, Johnson, and Williams; however, the reinforcements brought in are younger and probably more talented overall. While there may be step backs in the short-term, the longer view on these players could very well be more favorable—though it’s easy to feel optimistic about offseason moves generally.

The combination of Byron Young and Jared Verse should give the Rams their most formidable set of edge rushers in some time along with the potential of longevity. While Young and Verse might not ever be as productive as Von Miller and Leonard Floyd were during the team’s playoff stretch and victory in Super Bowl LVI, Young and Verse are at least together for the next three seasons if not longer. LA looks to have finally solved their void at edge rusher that they’ve had since Miller darted to the Buffalo Bills during the 2022 free agent period.

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Curl and Williams bring experience and professionalism to the secondary, and should be stabilizing forces on an otherwise young defensive unit. White brings a similar skillset to the table, though his recent injury history is a major red flag. Nearly any production the Rams get out of the veteran corner should be viewed as a bonus. I think there’s a reasonable chance he never starts a game for the team, or if he does he might not play at the level we’ve come to expect from the top of his game. The bottom line is that Witherspoon isn’t much of a loss, and the Rams still have Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick, and Quentin Lake on the roster. If Williams is a solid starter and the White signing busts, the defense is probably still improved at corner overall from 2023.

I also like the selection of Kinchens in the third round, though it’s fair to have concerns regarding his athletic profile. We’ve seen the Rams find diamonds in the rough at safety later in the draft, though their earlier picks at the position haven’t necessarily panned out.

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Terrell Burgess was also a third round pick. He impressed as a rookie under Brandon Staley in 2020 before suffering a serious ankle injury. His performance never returned to what we saw from him in his debut, and he was sooner after cut and is still bouncing around the league as a depth player.
While Taylor Rapp—taken in the second round of the 2019 draft out of Washington—should be considered a “hit”, he was labeled more of a high-floor player and solid starter than impact contributor or star player during the draft process. There was time he missed with injuries, but when he was healthy he mostly started and was steady for the Rams over his time in Los Angeles.

Can Kinchens be the best safety the Rams have drafted under Snead in recent history?

Why Chris Shula is among the most important Rams in 2024:​

The Rams spent the 2023 offseason embracing their identity as an offensive-minded football team under Sean McVay, and they asked then-defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to figure a lot out on the defensive side of the ball. After losing the likes of Leonard Floyd, Jalen Ramsey, Bobby Wagner, Nick Scott, etc. Morris was able to hold together a middle-of-the-road, patchwork defense that was just good enough to help keep the Rams in the playoff race.
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After clearly prioritizing the defense this offseason, first-year DC Chris Shula’s unit must show improvement over what Morris’ group accomplished last year. The defense can’t be “just good enough” in 2024, they’ll need to be the reason Los Angeles wins a game here and there. That’s good news for an offense that at times was left out to dry by the defense a year ago, though the offense won’t have many new starters other than LG Jonah Jackson and TE Colby Parkinson.
Outside of injuries—which can always be an excuse in the NFL if you let it be one—Chris Shula is likely out of reasons why his defense shouldn’t be successful this year. Fair or not, there is pressure on him to perform in 2024 with a new crop of talent under his control.
Will we see the Rams defense take another step forward after an influx of talent and under Shula’s stead?

It finally arrived yesterday. I ordered it right after the Super Bowl and they only made a limited number of these bottles.

I filled it with some blue Gatorade and now have it displayed behind my bar...

Lots of great former Rams... Which one of them in their prime, added to the makeup of this team, puts us over the top?

Hmm…

Orlando Pace?

she was 77

I'm sure everyone knows who she was


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2024 Preview. Show debuts May-14.

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Anyone else seeing a cool sky?

These were taken in my backyard in the last hour

We ran into a server related issue early this morning causing ROD to go down off and on. That issue has been resolved but we need to fix another thing.

There may be intermittent outages as we fix this, but the site should stay up mostly until one last reboot.

Reading the site should navigate fine.

Liking, smiling, and rating posts like that should go through just fine.

When posting, you will likely see an error. Don’t worry your post went through. Just refresh your browser and it will be there.

We hope we get this fixed soon, but I am waiting on specific assistance.

You’re not harming the site by posting. Post away.

Sorry about this. More later.

CGI

Wasn’t sure where to post this, but just today, I’ve been getting the “Oops, server error” message when posting even though the post goes through.

Is that a me thing or is the server having digestive issues?

The last time the Rams played on Thanksgiving was 1975.

Detroit plays all the time on that day.

Rams at Detroit on November 28th? Hmmmmmmm

I know this is dated but I enjoy his perspectives so here goes. 1st video is 9'ers and Rams, 2nd is Seahawks and Cardinals.
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So…
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NFL Gambling Rule:

1. No betting on the NFL. "All NFL Personnel are prohibited from placing, soliciting, or facilitating any bet, whether directly or through a third party, on any NFL game, practice or other event (e.g., Draft or Combine). This includes betting on game outcome, statistics, score, performance of any individual participant, 'futures,' or any other kind of 'proposition bet' in any way related to the NFL (regardless of whether such bet involves actual on-field play) (e.g., prop bets related to Gatorade color, pre- or post-game events, halftime show, off-field player conduct or outcomes, etc.)"

Click to expand...

How is that not a violation?

Surprised we don’t have anything. Look at our boy
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Just to let you guys know IDK if this takes into account we win the SB this year



Seriously though I see this upcoming 2025 draft
on drafting a LT, WR, TE, CB, and QB high up to work on succeeding Stafford as his heir.

10 quarterbacks to know ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft​

2X12WKC Athens, GA - APRIL 13: Georgia Bulldogs Quarterback Carson Beck (15) looks down field during the G-Day Red and Black Spring Game on April 13, 2024, Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA. (Photo by Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)
By Max Chadwick
Posted May 2, 2024 10:53 am EDT

• Carson Beck is the early favorite to be QB1: After his fantastic 2023 season, the Georgia quarterback should enter the 2024 campaign as the early top quarterback prospect.

• Shedeur Sanders is on Beck’s heels: The Colorado signal-caller is a close second behind Beck, thanks to his advanced processing and elite play from a clean pocket.

• We're on to the 2025 NFL Draft: Try PFF's Mock Draft Simulator — trade picks and players and mock for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

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The 2024 NFL Draft was loaded at quarterback. Not only did it tie the record of six quarterbacks selected in the first round, but all six went within the first 12 picks.
The early indications are that the 2025 class is not nearly as strong, but there are still plenty of intriguing options. Here are the 10 quarterback prospects to know as we head into summer scouting for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Editor's note: This isn’t a ranking of the top 10 prospects but rather a watch list.

CARSON BECK, GEORGIA​

Beck isn’t the kind of slam-dunk prospect Caleb Williams was last summer, but he should still be seen as the early QB1 favorite ahead of 2025. He’s a signal-caller with precise accuracy and timing, placing in the top five of the FBS in both adjusted completion rate and average time to throw. His 91.5 overall grade ranked fourth among all quarterbacks in the country last season.

SHEDEUER SANDERS, COLORADO​

Sanders is an advanced processor who earned the country's third-best clean pocket passing grade (92.9) this past season. The only two who posted better marks were the first two picks in 2024: Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.
Sanders kept the ball out of harm’s way, too, as his 1.6% turnover-worthy play rate ranked fourth among all FBS signal-callers.
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QUINN EWERS, TEXAS​

Ewers still has a ways to go, but he improved dramatically in 2023. He cut his turnover-worthy play rate by more than half (1.7% in 2023 compared to 3.6% in 2022) and upgraded his passing grade to 85.6 after earning just a 70.9 passing grade as a redshirt freshman.
The Texas quarterback has a live arm but will need to carry more of the offense next season, as the Longhorns lost Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Jonathon Brooks, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Jordan Whittington to the NFL ranks.

JALEN MILROE, ALABAMA​

The redshirt sophomore recorded a 9.2% big-time throw rate in 2023, the second-best mark in the nation, while his 35 runs of 10-plus yards were fourth among FBS quarterbacks. Milroe’s 96.9 passing grade on deep throws trailed only Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels among the country’s signal-callers, as well.
He needs to speed up his internal clock and be more consistent in the intermediate range, but the arrival of head coach Kalen DeBoer could do wonders for his development.

DREW ALLAR, PENN STATE​

Many were disappointed by Allar’s box-score stats this past season, but those numbers won’t tell you how hamstrung he was by his receivers and playcalling. Despite so much working against him, Allar’s 86.3 grade was still a top-20 mark among all quarterbacks in the nation. He took care of the football at an elite rate, as his 1.1% turnover-worthy play rate trailed only Bo Nix among FBS signal-callers.
The surrounding talent is still a concern, but the arrival of new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki should allow Allar to utilize his outstanding arm talent even more as a junior.

CONNER WEIGMAN, TEXAS A&M​

Weigman got off to a rapid start to his sophomore season, earning a 91.9 grade through the first four games. Unfortunately, that’s all we saw from the former five-star recruit, as he suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 4.
The Aggies passer has a good arm but an inconsistent follow-through right now. If he can build off the few games we saw in 2023, he can be a dark-horse QB1 candidate next April.
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DILLON GABRIEL, OREGON​

Gabriel’s 91.9 PFF grade trailed only Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix among FBS quarterbacks last season. The former Oklahoma quarterback is an experienced signal-caller with the wisdom to keep the ball out of harm’s way, as his 2.0% turnover-worthy play rate during his two seasons with the Sooners stands third among returning FBS quarterbacks in that span.
A lot like Jordan Travis in this past draft, Gabriel is an excellent collegiate quarterback whose below-average traits will likely make him a backup in the NFL.

JAXSON DART, OLE MISS​

Dart took a major leap from his sophomore to junior year, improving his passing grade by more than 13 points (75.2 in 2022 to 88.7 in 2023). A major reason for that jump was the significant stride he made when forced outside of the pocket. In 2022, he posted just a 42.8 passing grade outside the pocket, 111th among FBS quarterbacks. Dart improved that mark to 74.6 this past season, 15th in the nation.
Overall, his 91.2 grade was tied for sixth among all signal-callers in the country. The question will be how much he was elevated in Lane Kiffin’s RPO/play-action-heavy offense. On plays without an RPO or play-action, Dart recorded as many turnover-worthy plays (six) as big-time throws. Still, he should be one of the top Heisman contenders next year and could launch up draft boards.

RILEY LEONARD, NOTRE DAME​

The former Duke signal-caller will replace Sam Hartman at Notre Dame this upcoming season. He can create big plays with his arm by pushing the ball vertically and with his legs. Since 2022, Leonard’s 1,164 rushing yards are eighth among Power Five quarterbacks. He still has work to do in terms of accuracy, though, and he has earned sub-70.0 passing grades in each of the past two seasons.

CAMERON WARD, MIAMI (FL)​

Ward’s tape is truly a roller coaster. The former Washington State quarterback has ridiculous arm talent that allows him to make throws that very few in college football are capable of making. Ward’s 24 big-time throws were tied for eighth in the Power Five. However, he’s far too careless with the football. Since 2022, his 42 turnover-worthy plays are the most among Power Five quarterbacks. He has the talent to go in the first round but will need to rein it in to get there.

Tried to move up to Seattle's pick to get him. The player Seattle ended up taking.

I see great potential for this year’s Rams. A healthy Matthew Stafford, a top interior OL, young stars like Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, and a defense bolstered by several rookies and FAs all give me realistic hopes for a deep playoff run.

There are four projected starters, though, who I look at as boom/bust players who could make or break our season. “Boom” could mean the Rams are a true contender. “Bust” could hold us back. They are:

Cooper Kupp
Perhaps this is a surprise, but I’m placing Kupp on a relative boom/bust scale. “Boom” means returning to something resembling his 2021 form. If he can get near that level, the combination of Kupp and Nacua could be nearly unstoppable. “Bust” would mean that he presents as a guy who is clearly past his prime and on the decline. I’m betting on “boom,” but it’s a cautious optimism.

Alaric Jackson
The Rams’ approach to LT was somewhat puzzling. Offering Jackson a tender deal as a RFA was certainly fiscally sound, but was it also a vote of tenuous confidence? If he can lock down the left side, the Rams could have their best OL in years. If he is the weakest link, what then? Joe Noteboom to the rescue? Let’s hope not.

Tre’Davious White
If White can get healthy, stay healthy, and play at a level comparable to his best years… BOOM, we’d have a much-improved DB. If not… well, there’s always the trade market. I keep expecting the Rams to sign someone (Xavien Howard, Ahkello Witherspoon) as bust insurance but, so far, they seem to be confident with what they have.

Joshua Karty
To be fair, all rookies (at least, those expected to fill a key role) should be regarded as boom/bust prospects. Still, Karty is on this list for me because of the shit-show we had last year at PK (30th in FG%, 31st in XP%). If Karty becomes a reliable weapon (BOOM), it could swing a game or two. If not, back to the drawing board?

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I was 11 watching him up late at night ( Like Rhonda Up. All Night! remember her? @Loyal does!! lol) coming home from football practice playing my entire football career as RB/LB. At that time in Alabama and later New Mexico, little did I know he'd be leading us to a championship in the 99' season and the SB in Jan 2000. I'd be leaving for Marine bootcamp in the next few days.

This clip throws you back. Wasn't he amazing?

Anyone else watch him in college?

Finally I have a semi cool story compared to you old fuckers!

There were some who thought that this might be a year in which the Rams would consider drafting Matthew Stafford’s successor at QB. They, of course, did not… though six teams did select QBs in the first half of the first round.

What about next year?

I think that 2025 could be a great year for the Rams to acquire their heir apparent.

The reason: lack of competition for the top QBs.

Looking around the league, I see 19 teams that almost certainly won’t be looking to draft a QB in the first round of the 2025 draft because they have a young starter with a mega-contract, drafted a QB in the first round of the last two drafts or, in the 49ers’ case, have a starter playing on a bargain rookie contract. They are: Buffalo, New England, Baltimore, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, L.A. Chargers, Arizona, New Orleans, San Francisco, Washington, Chicago, Atlanta, Carolina, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Cincinnati

There are also 8 teams that are very unlikely to be looking to draft a QB because they either have a starter who will likely be extended before next year’s draft or they have a starter who, though not on a mega-deal, has a lot of dead cap money in 2025. They are: Miami, Tennessee, Detroit, Dallas, Green Bay, NY Giants, New Orleans, Tampa, Jacksonville

That leaves a market of only five teams, including the Rams. They are:

New York Jets, who could conceivably look for a successor to Aaron Rodgers.
Pittsburgh, who have Russell Wilson and Justin Fields playing on expiring contracts.
Las Vegas, who could be the most QB needy team.
Seattle, who have Geno Smith and Sam Howell.

It remains to be seen how deep next year’s QB class will be, but this bodes well for the Rams, as they could very well fill their need to find Stafford’s successor without having to move up to the top 5-10 picks in the draft.

How “win now” are we?

Let’s say we’re headed toward the 2024 trade deadline with a solid win/loss record… do you see the Rams going “all in” to boost our 2024 chances?

Live now… push for the ring at all costs?

Or, with fewer 2025 draft picks projected… do we play it a little more conservative to ensure the 2025 team can reload?

If Stafford has a few years left, is our strategy a little different thinking beyond 2024? It sort of looks like we have a window opening to make multiple runs at a championship.

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Rams not projected to receive any compensatory picks in 2025 for free-agent losses this offseason​

The Los Angeles Rams changed their strategy in free agency this offseason. Rather than primarily targeting players who were cut by other teams and letting some of their top free agents walk, they did they opposite. They re-signed their top guy in Kevin Dotson and also brought in some high-level free agents such as Jonah Jackson, Colby Parkinson and Kamren Curl.

The result? A lack of compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL draft. Because the Rams signed a few qualified free agents and didn’t suffer any major losses, they’re not going to have any additional picks for their departures.

According to Over The Cap, the Rams are not projected to receive any regular compensatory picks in the 2025 NFL draft. It’s unofficial, of course, because compensatory picks won’t be awarded until next spring, but the Rams aren’t in line to receive any.

The only extra pick they’ll receive is a special compensatory pick for Raheem Morris being hired as the Falcons’ head coach this offseason. That will be a third-round comp pick at the end of the round, just as they received this year.

Here’s a breakdown of the compensatory pick cancellation chart from Over The Cap, showing who the Rams lost and who they added to offseason their departures.

The Rams are known for being a team that accumulates compensatory picks. Just for free-agent losses, they received four in the 2024 draft, four in 2023, four in 2022 and three in 2021.

Next year will feel much different with the absence of compensatory picks for the Rams, especially after they also traded away their 2025 second-rounder to move up for Braden Fiske.