Well, here we are. The Los Angeles Rams are about to embark on their annual quest to build a better Rams roster. The thing is, this year may be the year that the front office, led by GM Les Snead, returns to the winner's circle and hoists the Lombardi Trophy one more time. After two seasons of improvement, is this team ready to take the next step and enter the arena of Division winners who compete in the NFC Championship Game?
After a stunning 17-sack performance by the defense in the 2025 NFL Playoffs in just two games, do the Rams need to do much with the defense? Absolutely. The team needs to reinforce a battered run defense, sign or draft a lockdown cornerback, and ensure that depth and talent is abundant.
But the Rams offense needs a bit more attention. For openers, the Rams offensive strategy from 2024 needs an overhaul. When the team lost starting tackles, the plan seemed to abandon helping the backup offensive tackles sent into the game, while calling more and more pass plays. It didn't work, and the early struggles of the team helped contribute to a 1-4 start to the season.
If the Rams are to finish the season better, the team has to do a much better job of adapting to gametime circumstances right out of the gate. The Rams opened 2023 at 3-6 before finishing 10-7. The team opened 2024 at 1-4 before finishing 10-7. If the team could manage to win the lion's share of games in September and October 2025, the team could go a long way in the postseason.
Of course, all 32 NFL teams are undertaking the same mission to improve in 2025. But as we discovered when comparing the Los Angeles Rams (10-7) and the Seattle Seahawks (10-7), the two teams face similar challenges in 2025, but are taking completely different approaches to finding a resolution.
And so, even the Rams front office must find a new solution to the enigma of restocking the roster. The team has a new salary cap, a new ammo box of draft picks to use in the 2025 NFL Draft, and a new amount of available salary cap funds to spend to fill a new set of roster needs.
The first step is to ensure that the Rams roster has at least enough veterans on the roster to ensure that the team has a player capable of starting in 2025. And the first opportunity to ensure that minimal level of talent begins at 9:00 am PT on March 10, 2025.