The Rams knew this was going to be an offseason filled with turnover almost as soon as the 2019 season ended. Wade Phillips and John Fassel were two of the first departures, then followed running backs coach Skip Peete.
In free agency, the Rams have continued to make major changes. They cut Todd Gurley and Clay Matthews, declined Nickell Robey-Coleman’s 2020 option and watched Cory Littleton, Dante Fowler and Michael Brockers all leave in free agency.
Their additions have been minor, signing A’Shawn Robinson and Leonard Floyd, primarily to fortify the run defense. They also re-signed Andrew Whitworth and Austin Blythe, bringing stability to the offensive line.
All told, though, the Rams seem to have regressed on paper this offseason. Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield dropped them lower in his mid-free agency power rankings, pushing them down from No. 21 to 23.
Gurley is now with the Atlanta Falcons, they have minimal draft capital thanks to some of the trades they have made, and they have made scant few acquisitions in this free agency period. Add these moves up — along with what is happening around them in the NFC — and you see a team trending in the wrong direction.
The Rams have put themselves in a difficult position with their aggressive approach the last couple of years. They don’t have a first-round pick in either of the next two years, have limited cap space this offseason and still need to sign Jalen Ramsey to an extension.
That’s put an emphasis on their top players to perform at an extremely high level, beginning with Jared Goff and Brandin Cooks. It also forces the Rams to draft well, since signing quality starters in free agency and finding them early in the draft is difficult.
Their Super Bowl window hasn’t closed, but finding success in an incredibly tough division is going to be a challenge moving forward.