2021 LA Rams success runs from three principles

What do successful organizations do in uncertain times? Well, the LA Rams would certainly qualify as a successful organization. In the past four seasons under head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead, the team has not had a losing season.

In fact, the team has gone 11-5 in 2017, 13-3 in 2018, 9-7 in 2019, and 10-6 in 2020. All that totals up to a 43-21 record since 2017. In that period, the Rams have not selected first in the NFL Draft once, nor is it likely that the team will do so before 2024.

So much for those who believe that the sky is falling because the team does not pick in round one of the NFL Draft. Have you heard the complaints? The Rams organization is accused of being both reckless and irresponsible to go eight years without a first-round pick. The Rams last picked on day one of the NFL Draft in 2016. The next time they are scheduled to select on day one again? 2024.

And yet, there is a discipline to this organization

Rams roster rules

Love or hate the Rams roster, it seems that the methods that the organization uses to construct the annual NFL roster upon three basic fundamentals:

Principle I – The LA Rams must have a top-five player at quarterback, pass rusher, left offensive tackle, and defensive back. If not, they must pursue getting one on the roster.

Principle II – The LA Rams then focus upon players of sufficient experience and production to field starters capable of championship play with the four elite players listed above, with an emphasis on superior offensive weapons.

Principle III – The LA Rams must round out the roster with sufficient talent and youth to provide sufficient talent in case of injury, and sufficient depth to manage free agency losses in the future.

Now, nothing is written on the wall. These are simply broad strokes of history shaved and assembled into three easy-to-track and understand categories. But after writing them down, the more I like what the Rams are doing. And there is nothing special about these rules. Each NFL team adopts a philosophy in its approach.

Stick to the plan, man!

But without a grand master plan, the team may work against itself. Like signing veteran offensive linemen to huge contracts, and then drafting a rookie quarterback. Senior NFL veterans want to win now. Rookie quarterbacks not name Goff or Wentz take time to appear in the Super Bowl.

NBA teams use basketball analytics to not only assess the best players to focus upon in the draft but also the basic construction of the championship team. In the NBA, the rule is to grab three players who can play NBA Championship caliber basketball and then construct the best roster around them.  Have the Rams applied those NBA analytics principles to the NFL?

If they have, that could explain the uncanny roster success. The Rams have leveraged the excellence of Aaron Donald, Andrew Whitworth, Jalen Ramsey, and now Matthew Stafford. And that has defined all of the other personnel actions.  The team added WR DeSean Jackson to augment Stafford’s ability to pass. The team signed OLB Leonard Floyd because he compliments Aaron Donald so well. So too, the team is keeping Darious Williams one more season to bookend with DB Ramsey.

Yes, the Rams have some depth to fill in on this roster. But each year, some new ‘sky is falling’ voice appears because they just don’t get the concept. The Rams have a rather sophisticated plan. We get that.

And if it’s not obvious to you, don’t sweat it. The Rams are 43-21 over the past four seasons, without quarterback Matthew Stafford. That alone puts these Rams between 11 or 12 wins this year in a 17 game season. That’s just how the Rams roll.