Injury potential is still monster in the closet for Rams' top-heavy roster

The Los Angeles Rams are back to the 'all-in' stage of the roster cycle. And as has been the case in the past, they intend to rely heavily on a handful of highly paid stars to carry this team to another Lombardi Trophy. But the strategy comes with risks. And Rams fans know those risks all too well.

Injuries are simply a fact of life in the very physical sport of football. A top-heavy roster is vulnerable to injuries that can derail the entire season. There are only 53 spots on the active roster. If injuries start to pile up, a playoff contender can quickly find itself struggling for a win of any kind.

That's the risk of creating an older, top-heavy team. Of course, the potential reward is equally dramatic. If the Rams remain healthy, they'll have all returning starters from last year's top-scoring offense; a defense led by All-Pro veterans; and even a special teams unit that invested heavily in dependable veterans.

The challenge now becomes keeping everyone on the field.

Injury remains Rams' most formidable potential foe

The Rams found great success in 2021 by managing to unite edge rusher Von Miller with All -Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald. The offense joined receiver Odell Beckham Jr. with Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. But Beckham's injury in the Super Bowl forced LA to pivot to Kupp to carry the offensive load.

That was barely enough to salvage a victory, and fans know this.

General manager Les Snead does, too. From the height of winning Super Bowl LVI to the depths of a 5-12 season the following year, one difference stood out: injuries. The defending champions tried to run it back with nearly the same roster. Injuries got in the way.

This season, Los Angeles boasts three of the top 10 players on the NFL's Top 100 list: edge rusher Myles Garrett (No. 2), receiver Puka Nacua (5), and quarterback Matthew Stafford (9).

Of course, some could argue a Top 100 case for many starters on the Rams' roster: RB Kyren Williams, WR Davante Adams, CB Trent McDuffie, EDGE Byron Young, NT Poona Ford, DT Kobie Turner ... the list goes on.

The obvious question, though, is rotational depth. The Rams have invested heavily, both in dollars and draft picks, for elite talent. Do they have sufficient reserves at key positions like cornerback and the offensive line? The truth is that we won't know until bench players are called on to step up.

The Rams mortgaged the future in building a star-studded roster. That's fine if they win a Super Bowl, but they'll have to navigate inevitable injuries along the way. If this top-heavy team falls short, it will be difficult to reload for another shot.

As always, thanks for reading.

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