LA Rams News: Head coach Sean McVay likely rebounds in 2020

Another McVay 2020 hotspot

If the LA Rams resolve the offensive line issues from 2019, that in itself will do a great deal to improve the performance of the Rams’ offense. But the Rams offense was effective in recent years, but not efficient.  What is the difference?  Well, the Rams moved the ball consistently, well enough to be the seventh-ranked offense for total yards in the NFL, making it an effective offense.  But the Rams scored as the eleventh ranked offense in the NFL. Since the Rams yardage ranked higher than the Rams scoring, the Rams can improve the team’s offensive efficiency.

Hotspot II- optimize tight ends

The second hotspot is the LA Rams use, or lack of, their talented tight ends. Almost immediately after hiring OC Kevin O’Connell, the LA Rams reached out to former Washington Redskins tight end Jordan Reed. It seemed as though O’Connell seeks a larger role for tight-ends in the Rams offense, and wanted to jump start that improvement by importing a player who had remarkable success at his former team.  Since that early interest, the Rams have publicly committed to emphasizing both Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett in their 2020 offensive looks.

The Rams had used modestly valued draft picks at the position, selecting Higbee in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and selecting Everett in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. But neither player was often targetted in the Rams proficient passing game over time.  It was not until 2019 that the pair combined for over 100 targets. With the departure of both Gurley and Cooks, the Rams will distribute 121 passes to the remaining receivers. While rookie additions will claim some, the Rams could end the season with both tight-ends targetted more than 80 passes each.