How does Aaron Rodgers’ decision affect the LA Rams

If you are a fan of the LA Rams, you had plenty of new developments to digest today. What a day in the NFL.  We finally got some big quarterback news that we were all sort of expecting; however, it wasn’t the quarterback news that we may have expected.  Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has elected to stay in Green Bay.  That decision may have set off a chain reaction of other decisions, which may serve to ultimately improve the LA Rams‘ odds of repeating as Super Bowl LVII winners.

The first and most impacting was a huge trade between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos, sending veteran Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson, to the Broncos for a massive haul in draft picks, including two first-round picks and three players, most notably, tight end Noah Fant.

Aaron Rodgers’ decision also led to the Packers assigning their Franchise Tag to WR Devante Adams. Before the 1:00 pm PT deadline on March 8, several other players received a Franchise Tag from their respective teams. So what does this all mean for the LA Rams?

Let’s answer this question by taking a holistic look at the LA Rams division, the NFC West.  We’re going to start with the San Francisco 49ers who battled the LA Rams for the right to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.  Outside of the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers are their biggest competition for the Rams at returning to the Big Game. But right now, they appear ready to roll with a young and inexperienced quarterback in Trey Lance.

Murray must find more maturity

The Arizona Cardinals seemed to be a team in harmony yet have shown a knack for struggling down the stretch. Now there appears to be a rift between their young signal-caller, Kyler Murray, and the front office, as well as with possibly the coaching staff.  The team wants Murray to essentially grow as a leader and Murray wants a contract extension, despite having two more years remaining on his current deal. Maturity is something a team should insist upon in their quarterback. Murray hasn’t grown in that area very much.

Lastly, the Seattle Seahawks, who struggled last season on their way to a 7 – 10 record do not appear to be heading in the right direction, having now traded one of the best quarterbacks in the game and have announced will be releasing Bobby Wagner. For all intents and purposes, the Seahawks appear to be embracing a complete rebuild.

The bottom line is that what was one of the tougher divisions in the league a season ago, now appears to have taken steps backward.  Right now, the LA Rams are working out contract extensions for their best players on each side of the ball.  The team has some tricks up its sleeve and may be able to retain some key players despite facing a lot of work to clear salary-cap space.  The LA Rams are in the drivers’ sit in the NFC West, which is going to put them in a beautiful position heading into the playoffs and potentially a shot at back-to-back titles.