What does the Goff-Stafford trade mean for LA Rams in 2021?

More aggressive offense

Let’s face it, the LA Rams offense of 2020 did not fit head coach Sean McVay’s personality. When defenses threw the kitchen sink at the Rams’ offense, McVay countered by going with an empty backfield and the result was…not good.  Let’s be honest, the offense was decimated. Successful offensive philosophy dictates one of two things – either the offense must be designed to fit the personnel, or the personnel on the roster must be designed to fit the offense.

Now, the personnel fit the offense more closely.

In 2019, the LA Rams offense threw over 630 passes. Look for that same number of passes to be tossed in 2021.  Stafford has been in those types of ridiculously pass-oriented offenses and has thrown over 5000 yards and 40 touchdowns when that happens. Of course, he had the help of Calvin Johnson, a 6-foot-5 237-pound huge target. But Stafford also had the luxury of tight ends Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler, of wide receivers Nate Burleson and Titus Young. All in all, the Detroit Lions boasted six receivers with multiple touchdowns that year.  For comparison, the LA Rams only had four receivers do so in 2020, and of that group, none boasted more than six.

The Rams will have plenty of offensive weapons for Stafford to target in what will surely be a very pass-heavy offense. The Rams will have plenty of four-wide receiver sets this year. If my suspicions are correct, the red zone offense will skew two or three to one in favor of pass plays. And while the LA Rams offense does not boast a Calvin Johnson, the group of Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, and now Van Jefferson boasts a trio of receivers who are all capable of 1000 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns.