Here are the coaches who the LA Rams cannot afford to lose after 2023

It's pretty clear that the LA Rams team has outperformed the expectations of any but the most optimistic Rams fans. But let's park those expectations to the side for just a moment. After a 5-12 season, the Rams' 2023 NFL season was destined to be a success if the team improved their win column by 40 percent. That means that the Rams would be very much improved if the team had won just seven games this year.

After 15 games, the Rams are 8-7, and could improve all the way to 10-7 by the end of the season. Whether or not these LA Rams earn a playoff berth, we have to be willing to give this team, and all of the young players who showed up in such a big way, full credit for this turn around.

The Rams resurgence is no accident. Regardless of how the LA Rams organization strayed from a winning formula of developing high-quality players from modest beginnings, the 2022 NFL season appeared ot be the result of failing to do so. This year, the Rams refocused on getting back to that method of stockpiling talented players for future success in 2023.

To do that, the Rams had to start by enhancing the ability of the entire coaching staff to communicate, educate, and optimize the talents of young NFL prospects, and forge them into competent NFL players. The Rams were so enthusiastic about returning to their roots that the team nealy bit off more than the coaching staff could handle with nearly two-thirds of the training camp roster comprised of rookies and second-year players.

The LA Rams got by with the help of some very talented NFL coaches. So which of the Rams coaches can this team not afford to lose in 2024? Here are our five top Rams coaches who the team simply cannot afford to lose in 2024.

I had thought to add other names to the list. Rams WR Coach Eric Yarber has 11 amazing years with the team. By all rights, he has been a master craftsman on the Rams coaching staff who ensures that wide receivers not only know how to catch the football, but how to block and run as well. And yet, if he was open to signing with another NFL team, he would likely have done so by now. Special Teams Coordinator Chase Blackburn had to restock the LA Rams special teams roster completely, and was given almost no help from the front office to do so. Still, the Rams special teams have not been impressive in 2023, even with modest expectations.

So who can't the Rams afford to lose in 2024? Here are our five top coaches:

Which coaches can the Rams NOT afford to lose in 2024?

1. Running on empty
2. A secondary that exceeds expectations
3. Let's get physical
4. The underestimated addition
5. #DAWGWORK incorporated

Running on empty

RB Coach Ron Gould has been an incredible addition to the coaching staff for the Rams running game. While he could not salvage the Rams' relationship with former running back Cam Akers, he has certainly proven to be an incredible addition to the Rams' coaching staff. He has a long and accomplished career of coaching running backs to their optimal performance. Unlike many coaches, he is content with being the best RB coach around.

The Rams needed to hire a veteran RB coach because that positional coach became a hotspot on the Rams coaching staff in 2022. Not only did the Rams need a coach whose reputation was impeccable, but the Rams needed to hire a coach who was an accomplished communicator, but one who held a high standard for his players.

Coach Ron Gould not only checked all of the boxes, he added a host of qualities that the Rams did not even realize were needed to fill the vacant role.

When the Rams lost both RBs Kyren Williams and Ronnie Rivers to injury, he did not panic. Rather, he calmly promoted veteran RB Royce Freeman and rookie RB Zach Evans and directed the team to re-sign former RB Darrell Henderson Jr., while adding RB Myles Gaskin.

The Rams were able to weather the storm, getting optimal performances out of Henderson and Freeman. But the true power of Gould's coaching prowess was demonstrated after Kyren Williams returned to the football field. The Rams have not had a rusher top 1,000 yards in a single season since star RB Todd Gurley did so in 2018. RB Kyren Williams has done so this season, despite missing four games and with two games to go on the schedule.

A secondary that exceeds expectations

When the LA Rams were able to re-sign DB Coach Aubrey Pleasant, the outlook for the Rams secondary was not very optimistic. The Rams defensive backs struggled in 2022. Even worse, the Rams traded away All-Pro defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Pleasant had a number of second year players to work with, and only one rookie.

Pleasant is the first DB coach who seems to be able to amplify what DC Raheem Morris needs from the secondary. When it comes to defensive backs, the LA Rams are spending just $10.1 million, which is the 31st least out of 32 teams in the NFL (per Spotrac.com). That is less than one-third spent by some NFL teams. And yet, the Rams are beating expectations this season. Imagine just how effective the Rams' secondary would be with a significant investment.

Let's get physical

When the Rams opted to sign OL Coach Ryan Wendall, many fans were uncertain of what to expect. But after a rather impressive uptick on the Rams offensive line performance, a year in which quarterback sacks are way down and rushing yards are way up, I think many fans are delighted in his hire.

The addition of Wendall has translated into bigger and more physical offensive linemen, a welcome change for Rams fans who wanted the team to return to a balanced offense with more 'oomph,' a the line of scrimmage. The Rams offense has been a pleasant surprise in 2023, thanks is no small part to a revamped offensive line.

The underestimated addition

I believe that the addition of OC Mike LaFleur to the Rams coaching staff may be one of the more unestimated additions to the team in some time. Rather than add a yes man to the offensive staff, LaFleur was brought up through the ranks of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, and as a result has a far more refined respect and play designs for running the football.

LaFleur fingerprints are all over the Rams renewed ability to run with the football. It's also clear that LaFleur's hire inspired the Rams to upgrade to RB Coach Ron Gould and OL Coach Ryan Wendall. If the new offensive positional coaches are the Rams sub-contractors, then OC Mike LaFleur is the general contractor.

The thing is, many of the Rams best offensive improvements have come later in the season. The Rams need to keep progress advancing by ensuring that OC Mike LaFleur returns to the Rams offense in 2024.

There were many questions about the Rams hire of an offensive coordinator who had only filled the role for two seasons with a team, the New York Jets, that was not exactly known for a good offense or for putting plenty of points on the scoreboard.

But Coach McVay already knew how to do that. What Coach McVay needed was an offensive coordinator who could balance McVay's knowledge of the passing game with an equally vast understanding of the running game. Coach LaFleur certainly possessed that knowledge, and has brought some intriguing twists and changes to the Rams offense as a result.

#DAWGWORK incorporated

Whether or not you are an LA Rams fan, or an NFL fan for that matter, Rams DL Coach Eric Henderson is someone you should know. He is not just an inspiring defensive line positional coach for the Rams defensive linemen. He is more than just the Rams run game defensive coordinator. He possesses the life-changing mindset that benefits anyone and everyone who hears him as a motivational speaker.

His need to communicate his message about focusing on the most important matters to a football player, and to people in general, originated the message of #DAWGWORK. That is his mantra, which stands for: Discipline, Attitude, Work ethic, and Grit. In the end, it's a fascinating philosophy, which embodies all of the necessities of a blue-collar work ethic to enable even the youngest and most naive to embrace the qualities that lead to success.

Coach Henny is so persuasive, that even DC Raheem Morris has fully embraced his mantra.

Young rookies who arrive in the NFL are extremely motivated to succeed. Whether drafted with the first overall pick or never drafted, rookies arrive starving for the keys to succeed. Their dreams of becoming an NFL player only get them so far. Coach Henny's #DAWGWORK carries them the rest of the way.

That is not to say that Coach Henderson is a miracle worker. Like a man who leads a horse to water, he can only offer the path to his players. In the end, they must undertake the journey to embrace the hard work and grind that is needed to become a high-caliber NFL player. As All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald says, "Hard work works." Coach Henderson knows that not everyone will make it in the NFL. Only those who accept the climb to the top of the mountain ever get to see what lies on the other side.

The LA Rams have already improved in 2023, and could earn a berth in the NFL Playoffs. But it was not simply a matter of showing up and good things automatically happened. The LA Rams had to do a lot of hard work to lay down the right type of foundation for future success.