As the Rams prepare to open training camp Saturday, no team is better set up to make a Super Bowl run.
Matthew Stafford is coming off an MVP season. Puka Nacua is among the game’s best wide receivers. Kyren Williams has posted three straight seasons of more than 1,000 yards rushing.
The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, defensive end Myles Garrett, is now in the fold. So is Pro Bowl cornerback Trent McDuffie. And there is growing optimism that Rams legend Aaron Donald will come out of retirement to lend a helping hand.
It’s all set up for a big-time march to the Super Bowl.
Getting there means maximizing every step along the way. And it all starts in training camp.
Here are some things to keep an eye on:
Three position battles to watch
WR3
In the running: Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, CJ Daniels, Xavier Smith
The Rams don’t have a lot of starting jobs up for grabs, but the battle for playing time alongside Nacua and Davante Adams will be one to watch during training camp. Especially considering the frequency they line up in “11” personnel, which means three wide receivers on the field.
Given the different playing styles of Whittington, Mumpfield, Daniels and Smith — which range from speedsters to precise route runners to possession-type weapons — there is a scenario in which multiple players rotate at that spot depending on the situation.
However, the Rams hope one of those candidates steps up in camp and during the season, and announces himself as the clear-cut option.
Backup QB
In the running: Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett
Say what you want about Jimmy Garoppolo, but the veteran quarterback allowed coach Sean McVay to sleep far more easily the last couple of years. Jimmy G is gone, and with him, the security blanket he provided behind Stafford.
Barring the Rams adding a veteran quarterback, the job comes down to Simpson, whom the Rams selected in the first round, and Bennett, who was drafted in the fourth round in 2023 but has yet to take an official snap in the NFL.
That means the Rams are one snap from handing over a Super Bowl-contending team to a quarterback with zero NFL experience.
Either Simpson or Bennett must step up as the viable backup option, and McVay needs a game plan in place that accounts for their experience level.
Tight end rotation
In the running: Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen, Terrance Ferguson, Max Klare
Talk about a good problem. With so many great options at tight end, but just one football to spread throughout a loaded offense, the Rams have a task on their hands feeding all the worthy candidates.
Parkinson posted a career-high 43 catches, 408 yards and eight touchdowns last season, making him the clear-cut favorite to be the primary tight end. Higbee is back for one more season, and if he stays healthy, he is a perfect complement.
Allen and Ferguson have excelled when called upon, and both could push for more playing time. But keep an eye on Klare, the Rams’ second-round pick in the NFL draft. This is not a club prone to investing premium draft picks on players incapable of producing right away. The former Purdue and Ohio State standout has all the necessary attributes to be an impact tight end, and he’s likely to prove that sooner rather than later.
Three players who need to step up
CB Jaylen Watson
Everyone talks about McDuffie, whom the Rams traded for in March. Rightfully so, as McDuffie is one of the best in the business.
But nearly as important was the free agent signing of Watson, who played alongside McDuffie in the Chiefs’ secondary the last four years. He’s an exceptional run defender and excels in zone and man coverage. With opposing teams wary of working to McDuffie’s side of the field, expect Watson to get a lot of action his way.
LB Nate Landman
Landman plays a key role in the middle of the Rams’ defense and as their defensive playcaller. Coming off a season in which he posted 132 tackles, including eight behind the line of scrimmage, 2 ½ sacks and five quarterback hits, the stats back up his importance.
Over the years, Landman has improved in pass coverage, as evidenced by his career-high 64.4 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus last year.
A repeat season from Landman is imperative, but more than that, he needs to continue to improve as a pass defender.
RT Warren McClendon Jr.
McClendon Jr. was a revelation last year as the injury replacement for veteran Rob Havenstein. Starting a career-high 10 games and playing 667 snaps at right tackle, he earned an 83.5 overall grade from PFF and showed proficiency in pass and run blocking.
The Rams could not have drawn up that transition any better, and it’s a credit to their draft development approach.
Now he has to do it as the full-time starter.
Reasons for optimism
The Rams ended the season with one of the NFL’s best rosters, and it only got better with the additions of Garrett, McDuffie and Watson. Pretty soon, Donald might join them. Stafford is coming off an MVP season; there are weapons all over the field. And their head coach is among the NFL’s best.
Reason for concern
What happens if Stafford goes down?
Could a call to the Raiders for Kirk Cousins soon follow? Derek Carr, anyone?
