After last year’s surprise success, it’s safe to say the Los Angeles Rams have earned the necessary respect across the NFL.
It’s amazing how quickly things can change in a span of a year, as the Los Angeles Rams were coming off a four-win season around this time last offseason, only to now be considered one of the early favorites to make a serious Super Bowl run in the NFC.
Originally, the plan was for the Rams to go through at least a year or two of rebuilding under Sean McVay since the players would be adjusting to a completely new system, but obviously that was far from the case.
Now, the question becomes whether Los Angeles has what it takes to live up to the hype of being an early favorite in the NFC since this is a whole new level of pressure they aren’t used to deal with.
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If anything, when looking at all of the talent the Rams have to work with on both sides of the football, there’s every reason to believe McVay’s team will come through on their end by living up to expectations.
Speaking of talent, NFL.com’s Gil Brandt recently put together a list consisting of the most talented rosters in the league, and in what shouldn’t come as a surprise to any football fan, the Rams ended up finishing at No. 3.
Between the defense led by Aaron Donald getting even more dangerous with the signing of Ndamukong Suh to Jared Goff running an offense with weapons like Todd Gurley and Brandin Cooks to work with, it’s easy to see why Brandt is so high on the Rams.
Sure, the argument can be made that Los Angeles could make a case to be ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles or Jacksonville Jaguars, but also keep in mind this is still a team with a lot to prove. Unlike the Rams, the Eagles and Jaguars were able to win a few playoff games last January, so sitting at No. 3 seems fair for now.
Not to mention, as great as it is to see Los Angeles earn respect on a list like this one, the most important factor in the long run will be how the team performs during the regular season.
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At the end of the day, if the Rams come through on their end by being one of the top teams to beat in the NFC while hopefully making a push at the Super Bowl, that’s what really matters the most.