Are the LA Rams Tanking?
Are the Los Angeles Rams tanking?
Well that’s a pretty loaded question. What does it even mean to ‘tank’?
The Rams went pretty spending heavy over the course of a few years and it led to two NFC Championship wins and a Super Bowl ring. As fans, we knew that the day would come that the empire would have to come down, I’m just not sure anyone expected it to happen so fast.
Winning just five games following a Super Bowl win was certainly not what the fan base was expecting and the emotions tied to the unexpected fall off are abundantly clear on social media.
A quick snapshot of the 2022 Rams is chaotic.
Immediately lose top draft pick Logan Bruss for the season in a preseason injury. Brian Allen, Coleman Shelton, Joseph Noteboom, David Edwards all day 1 starters all missed multiple games for injuries but some of those names missing the majority of the season.
3 of the top 4 wide receivers lost to injury including 2021 Triple Crown, OPOY, Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp.
A mess at the running back position mid-season that saw a healthy Cam Akers not participating in team activities before returning and the team waiving Darrell Henderson who was splitting time with Akers.
FOUR different starting quarterbacks over the course of the year that ended with Baker Mayfield (who was able to get two incredibly memorable wins over AFC West opponents).
The best player in the NFL, Aaron Donald, seeing missed time due to injury for the first time in his career. Donald is one of two remaining players on the roster who played for the team in St. Louis (Havenstein).
Despite the mess of injuries that the Rams saw in the 2021 season, the hits were not over as the offseason began with the news that Bobby Wagner would not be returning to the team after one of the best seasons a Rams linebacker has ever had. We then heard news of Jalen Ramsey being sent away, Leonard Floyd, Greg Gaines, A’Shawn Robinson, David Long Jr., Nick Scott and the list can continue.
So… are the Rams tanking? Again.. it depends on what you mean by that. Are the Rams eyeing a specific college player and want to lose games to ensure that they could draft him next season? Are the Rams setting themselves up for another run in 2024, but within that process understand that the 2023 season might not be a Super Bowl season? I’d feel very confident saying that it is the latter. To take a historical team and actively agree that we will ruin a season just for a CHANCE at a guy whose game MIGHT translate to the NFL is just way too risky.
We can address the player that Rams fans have tied with the Rams. It’s QB Caleb Williams from USC. Now I in no way want to talk bad about Williams because I have nothing bad to say about Williams. The kid is clearly talented and does look like he could be one of those players that lasts a long time in the NFL. Then again… the list of players drafted high in the draft that didn’t work out is hefty. The NFL Draft is anything but a guarantee. Even in the first round, the hit rate is about 50%. Meaning only half of your first round draft picks will be a guy who stands the test of time AND is a major contributor on your team.
Does it make more sense that the Rams, coming off a five win season, saw the writing on the wall? The Rams have had a lot of money invested into a few big names and saw an opportunity to release themselves from those financial obligations and while needing to eat a few dead dollars this season, knew that the clouds would dissipate next offseason and we will see clearer skies.
The Rams are currently sitting with about $52.7M in dead cap for the 2023 season and have only freed up in the neighborhood of $15M in cap space for this year. That number jumps significantly in 2024 as the Rams have already opened $58.5M in cap space for the 2024 season with more potentially on the way (or less if the Rams decide to make any additions in free agency - the Rams can absolutely afford to sign players right now, but it feels like a fresh start in 2024 is the goal)
We all have our favorite players and it’s always hard to see those guys leave when they or the team decide that it’s time to move on. I will use my infamous quote here “Players come and go, the Rams are forever.” I won’t speak for everyone here, but when I was celebrating the Rams Super Bowl LVI victory over the Bengals, I was not thinking about how Marcus Peters was no longer a Ram. That we didn’t have Brandin Cooks, Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Aqib Talib, Ndamukong Suh, CJ Anderson, Michael Brockers, or even Mark Barron. That was not on my mind at all. What was on my mind was that the Los Angeles Rams had just won the Super Bowl.
It seems impossible to love the team and not end up with a favorite player or two and it’s no fun at all to watch those guys leave for other teams, but it’s part of being a sports fan.
Back to the question.. Are the Los Angeles Rams tanking?
In short… no. At least not in the way that the internet might define that word.
Are we entering the 2023 NFL season with the understanding the the LA Rams will probably not be fighting for a Super Bowl? Yes absolutely, but let me remind you that the entire football world thought the Seattle Seahawks would be fighting for the top pick in this years draft and ended up in the playoffs off the support of a strong draft class last year. Could that be the Rams this season? Without a doubt, that COULD be the Rams this season.
Let’s take inventory of what is still here while the rest of the Rams internet world talks about who is no longer here.
The Rams still have Stafford throwing the ball to Kupp. Cam Akers ended the season on a very strong note and could carry that over into a new season. The best player in the league, Aaron Donald is still here and didn’t get to finish last season. The Rams injuries that accumulated last season are healing and the young guys on the roster could be busting their tails this offseason ready for a break out year. Who says it can’t happen?
All NFL coaches and players are always competing for their jobs. Whether that’s to keep a job, or to put out tape to the other 31 teams that you would be able to help their team, I will confidently and clearly say that no coach or player is willingly performing poorly for the chance at a college player who is anything but a guarantee in the NFL. What is the conversation if the Rams actively tank and the guy they want to draft gets a terrible injury in a bowl game? Do you still go for him knowing he may never be the same guy or do you shift and go somewhere else?
What I’m trying to say in more words than are necessary is that there is no way the Los Angeles Rams WANT to lose games this season just for a college player. No matter how incredible that college player might be, it’s just not realistic for a team that was just holding a Lombardi in front of the world just 15 months ago.
Could you imagine what Twitter would do if it ever came out that the Raiders tanked so they could draft Jamarcus Russell? The Chargers for Ryan Leaf? the Rams for Sam Bradford?? Yikes. If you tank and it doesn’t work out… everyone involved is now looking for work. It’s too much risk to put your entire career on the shoulders of 21 year old college player.
Do you agree? Do you disagree? Let me know @RamsShowcase / @SheriffJoeBags
All Rams Showcase and Sheriff Joe Bags links: https://linktr.ee/SheriffJoeBags
