LA Rams cannot take too much stock in PFF lofty free agency grade

The Los Angeles Rams did not win Super Bowl LX. That distinction fell to the Seattle Seahawks. While the team hopes to win Super Bowl LXI, that will not happen for many months. In the meantime, LA must hope that it's making the right decisions and additions to compete for the Lombardi Trophy.

And Pro Football Focus is giving LA its strongest endorsement.

While I agree with their assessment, it comes with a disclaimer. No trophies are handed out before the season starts. Of course, the front office can only do what it can do. And to many fans, the decision to transplant both Kansas City Chiefs cornerbacks into LA's secondary was an inspired decision to ensure a jumpstart on 2026.

But the dazzle and flash of adding cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson are nice. But the real meat and potatoes of this offseason have been the extension of multiple key players and the addition of special team savants whose NFL careers include effectively covering punts and kickoffs.

It's general manager Les Snead doing Les Snead things again.

Rams cannot be satisfied because the job's not done

The Los Angeles Rams are on the right track. But if you want to humble yourself, examine the 2025 win projections for NFL teams. The Arizona Cardinals were expected to surpass the Seattle Seahawks' win total.

Um... no.

This is not intended to toss shade on anyone. It's an exercise intended to illustrate just how difficult offseason expectations can be to manifest into reality. Call it the Eye of the Tiger, competitive hunger, or pure desperation for success. Whatever pushes professional athletes to train harder and perform better is something the Horns cannot afford to lose or even misplace.

It will be a 17-game season for Los Angeles. Six games will be played against NFC West opponents, one of the most competitive divisions in the league. After logging nearly 35,000 travel miles in 2025, LA will be back at it in 2026. logging more than 35,000 travel miles once more. That's a lot of travel, and it will add to the wear and tear on players.

An A grade is great, for now. But it's not something that will matter to the players who will be tasked with facing motivated opponents for five months this year. Fans may be encouraged by the positive endorsements. But players have to ignore it. Success and reputation are earned, not awarded. Right now, the LA Rams have won nothing.

And they won't until they take the football field in Melbourne, Australia, to face the San Francisco 49ers.

As always, thanks for reading.