8 surprisingly effective LA Rams who could do better in 2022

Okay, the LA Rams have finished the 2021 NFL Season, and have done so with a 12-5 record. In the end, it was the Rams, and not the early season favorite Arizona Cardinals, who ended up winning the NFC West Division. But for all that is said and done, the season-ending loss to the San Francisco 49ers took a lot of the positive momentum out of last season’s accomplishments. Well, at least temporarily.

Was it a trend? In Wall Street financial terminology, that was an overdue correction. Since that time, the offense did more than enough to win, while the defense has most certainly upped their game. It was the LA Rams who held the last laugh, assembling a four-game winning streak from the ashes of their five-game regular-season winning streak. A colossal effort from the entire organization throughout the entire season. The margin of victory in three of those four wins? A single field goal.

It was such as special shared experience, prompting everyone associated with the win to publicly proclaim a desire to simply come back for a Super Bowl success sequel. But we know now that isn’t how it played out, is it? The end of each NFL season is a molting process. Coaches are pruned from successful teams and grafted into the coaching staff of less successful teams.

For players, it’s an even more challenging process that is called the NFL Free Agency market. For a handful of players, it’s a chance to get paid big dollars. For the majority of players, it’s simply another round of packing up and moving from one part of the country to another part of the country. A new city, with a new team, a new culture, new coaching staff, and new players. A new chapter to write, because the last chapter was written to a close.

Economics. Roster limits. Salary caps. Culture clashes. The reasons for players to end up in the marketplace selling their wares are varied. Some players simply outplayed their contract, while other players outplayed expectations. Of course, the expectation is that every season, the defense will be led by All-Pro Aaron Donald. And for the most part, that happens. But winning a Super Bowl requires significant contributions from unexpected players and places.