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

Stafford has a deep threat

The LA Rams wasted little time in loading up a burner receiver for Stafford when they signed on WR DeSean Jackson. Jackson’s speed and the ever-present threat of taking one to the house on any given play are critical for the Rams offense this year. In fact, it’s as critical as yeast is to bread dough. Without Jackson, the Rams offense will be flat and two dimensional.

While Kupp, Woods, and Jefferson can go deep, their strength lies in route running to create separation. While effective in their own right, defensive backs can play close to the line of scrimmage and bottle up the Rams routes, forcing the Rams quarterback to hesitate and allowing the pass rush to apply the pressure.

Now the Rams have a less shakable quarterback and a receiver who will feast on defensive backs who crowd the line of scrimmage. Combined, the pairing of Stafford and Jackson force defenses to cover the entire football field. That means that at least one safety will stay back to protect from the deep ball. And that means that the Rams offense will lock and load.

Even if Jackson is merely a decoy, he will attract secondary attention. So McVay can use Jackson to clear out an area, and then get another receiver in Jackson’s shadow for a big gain. But Jackson is not here to distract. In fact, I would be very surprised if the Rams’ first offensive play at SoFi Stadium does not target Jackson on a deep route for an early score. One quick score will set the tone for 2021. From that moment on, the Rams offense will dictate to defenses all season long.