Rams defense will carry the water again in 2017

The Los Angeles Rams will feature a stellar defense again in 2017, supporting an offense with more questions than answers.

Los Angeles Rams fans will be used to a certain narrative again in 2017. It’s the one that kept them in games last season, and will do so again this year.

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Defense.

I bring this up because of the payday due to the one bonafide star in Los Angeles:

Aaron Donald.

If you paid attention last year, the prevailing hope was that Donald & Co. could keep the Rams in business just long enough for a score to push them to a win.

That didn’t happen much.

At 4-12, the evidence of an overly taxed defense became clear in New Orleans and rolled on through the balance of the season that eventually saw Jeff FIsher jettisoned from Los Angeles.

But despite the optimism of a new head coach, a draft heavy on offensive weapons, and the hope that Jared Goff finally looks like a number one draft pick, this team will look to its defense to carry the day.

Such will be 2017 in LA.

As for Donald, one of the few jewels on the Rams roster, payday is coming, and General Manager Les Snead is keenly aware that the one top draft pick that has worked, needs to get paid.

According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez:

"“Even though they just bought themselves some extra time by picking up his fifth-year option, the Rams are very interested in getting a long-term extension done with Aaron Donald this offseason. That would probably require making him the game’s highest-paid defensive player, which right now is Von Miller (6 years, $114.5M, with $70M guaranteed). Rams GM Les Snead from the combine, on extension talks: “It’s definitely coming. The guy deserves a raise, there’s no doubt about it.”"

Next: NFL Power Rankings: Rams benefit from NFL Draft

The Rams tackle has made the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons.

Bright spots can be hard to come by these days in LA.