Where are they now? LA Rams 2019 starters who play elsewhere?

Offense and special teams starters

I. WR Brandon Cooks was traded to the Houston Texans, and factors significantly into their new offensive projections. He becomes a deep-threat, a stretch-the-field receiver option much like the Rams intended and the Patriots exploited. With the Texans, he joins Will Fuller, Kenny Stills, and Randall Cobb, as their top four receivers in their offense for this upcoming season. Can he deliver?

Well, he does get a step or more on separation as well as any player in the NFL.  But the Rams simply do not have the protection necessary for QB Jared Goff to find and connect with Cooks on those long throws.  As long as the Texans can keep QB Deshaun Watson upright, and Cooks healthy, this could be a good fit. As long as Cooks remains in the active rotation for the Houston Texans, this could work.

II. RB Todd Gurley has since signed on with the Atlanta Falcons. While Gurley was with the LA Rams, the Falcons had little nice to say about Gurley.  Now that the Falcons have signed Gurley, they are suddenly a Top-10 offense in the red zone.  The truth is likely somewhere in between.  If the Falcons do pull off the “red zone runner” niche role for Gurley, that could prove very effective.

After all, Gurley is a hometown favorite from the University of Georgia, and he will get fans in the stadium when that becomes an option. If the Falcons can limit Gurley’s touches to red-zone impact runs, they’ll get the most impact out of Gurley.  I fear they will be tempted to run him often, and that will burn up what he has left very quickly. But he has a chance to revitalize his career with the Atlanta Falcons.

How To Maximize your NFL Experience Despite Coronavirus restrictions

Concerned that the NFL season won’t be the same as last year without tailgating, sports bars, or sitting tall in SoFi? Well, don’t let yourself be disappointed. Make it better than ever with these minor changes!
3 LA Rams’ tailgate menus to enjoy from your kitchen
3 ways to optimize your LA Rams virtual football experience
3 ways to convert your home into an LA Rams mini SoFi experience

With some minor redecorating and changes to your routine, you can make NFL Game Day special again!

Just for kicks

III. K Greg Zuerlein has since signed on with the Dallas Cowboys. While some may have been surprised at the defection, all the signs pointed to the move. After the Rams special teams struggled in 2019, ST Coordinator John Fassel signed on with the Dallas Cowboys. His assistant ST coach, Matt Daniels, soon joined him. From that point, it was almost a certainty that Zuerlein would defect to Dallas as well.  The connection between Fassel and Zuerlein rivaled those of a head coach and a franchise quarterback.

And there may be the problem. While the Cowboys believed Zuerlein would compete for the kicker’s job, that competition may already be over as Zuerlein is very familiar with Fassel.  Even Dallas beat writers question the signing of Zuerlein, pointing out he has battled injury and inconsistency in recent years. Zuerlein has a special place in the Rams history books. But this is a new chapter for both the Rams and Greg Zuerlein. Zuerlein is a Cowboys kicker now. And the day after this article posted, the Cowboys released Kai Forbath with no competition, ensuring that Zuerlein has won the Cowboys kicking job.