- Joined
- Sep 11, 2014
- Messages
- 553
http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...-shape-regular-season-playoffs-super-bowl-lii
Culture-changers
5. Wade Phillips, defensive coordinator, Los Angeles Rams. He is 39 years older than Sean McVay, the head coach who just hired him, but Phillips' track record as a high-impact coordinator is unquestioned. Aaron Donald, Trumaine Johnson & Co. should be better just for Phillips' presence and take a lot of pressure off young Jared Goff and the offense.
Stars who need some help
18. Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams. Gurley's 1.59 yards before first contact in 2016 ranked 41st in the NFL. He had no room to run. The Rams hope the installation of a zone scheme under Sean McVay and the additions of veteran offensive linemen Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan will help.
Defensive MVP race
27. Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams. Only nine players have more than Donald's 28 sacks the past three seasons, and all nine of them play on the edge. So do the eight players who follow Donald on that list. No one else dominates from the interior of the defensive line the way Donald does right now.
What's in store in Year 2?
76. Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams. A new coaching staff is in place that had nothing to do with drafting Goff No. 1 overall in 2016. They're stuck with him for at least a couple of years, so we'll see how Sean McVay & Co. do developing a guy they didn't pick. His future and theirs depend on it.
Underrated additions
98. Andrew Whitworth, OT, Los Angeles Rams. The Rams lured the veteran left tackle from Cincinnati by guaranteeing him $15 million over the next two years. He and veteran center John Sullivan are being asked to stabilize the line in front of young QB Jared Goff and young RB Todd Gurley.
Culture-changers
Stars who need some help
Defensive MVP race
What's in store in Year 2?
Underrated additions