Darious Williams and 6 other Rams who are slept on as training camp opens

The roundtable of fans' projections and optimism has never been stronger for the Los Angeles Rams than it is right now, and for good reason. This is a team that is no stranger to taking risks, but the 2025 iteration of the team seems to be less about wild high-stakes risks and more about sound, calculated risks.

While that may not make for a dramatic 2025 NFL Draft, or even a white-knuckler period as the team restocked via the 2025 NFL Free Agency market, it does offer some comfort level at this point in the NFL season. The Rams have not built hopes for a solid season on the expectation that untested rookies will exceed expectations across the board.

And this season's success is not even dependent upon several veterans who were shed by their former teams out of health or durability concerns.

The Rams roster may not appear to be a Who's Who of NFL Pro Bowlers. But this is a new era of Rams football, and the team has abandoned the strategy of loading up the roster with a handful of elite All-Pro players and committed to raising the competitive levels across the roster. While it may not give fans sleepless nights, it does bring a certain level of confidence that has been absent in recent years.

But don't confuse the glowing embers of confidence wth lethargy or apathy. The Rams remain a passionate team that is hungry for success. And here are seven returning veterans whose 2025 season could very likely clock in as their career bests.

(7) - LG Steve Avila

The Rams offensive line was a bit chaotic in 2024, and one of the less-discussed reasons for its sub-par performance was the absence of left guard Steve Avila. Avila was a rookie sensation in 2023, starting every game on the offensive line and showing remarkable promise. But the team needed a center in 2024, and Avila was happy to take on any task assigned to him by the coaches.

The problem was that Avila was trying to learn a new role with a new teammate in veteran IOL Jonah Jackson. Complicating the matter further was the outbreak of injuries that decimated the offensive line through training camp and early into the season. Steve Avila was injured as well, suffering an injury that kept him out of action for six weeks.

And the team struggled in trying to backfill his absence, with Jonah Jackson, then Logan Bruss, and finally settling on undrafted rookie Justin Dedich. It was not until Avila returned to action in Week 10 that the team began to find sustained success. With him back at his familiar left guard role, the Rams ran a 6-3 playoff push to make the NFL Playoffs for the second season in a row.

But that was a season in which Avila had to overcome cross-training to a new position, working out communication with an ever changing starting lineup, and ultimately being rushed back into action in the hopes that he was enough as a fraction of himself then 100 percent of his backup.

This year, Avila resumes his left guard role from the get-go. And while he will need to coordinate with a new left tackle, he benefits immensely from the return of starting center Coleman Shelton.

I fear that some fans may have forgotten just how good Steve Avila was in his rookie season. He not only handled his assignment, but he was constantly swiveling his head to the left and right and picking up any defender who was at risk of slipping through the line. Avila will have a huge season, and may flirt with his first Pro Bowl nod.