If the Rams pause in 2023, could 2024 mean landing USC QB Caleb Williams?

Rams must recharge roster to have another SB run

Hitting on late-round draft picks has been the forte' of the LA Rams. But the last time this team was hitting on late-round picks with any level of success was the 2020 NFL Draft when their 199th-chosen pick turned into safety Jordan Fuller, who became a starter that season.

But the latest Rams draft classes have not hit the mark for the Rams. That has the effect of a double whammy. Not only do the Rams not have reliable young players to reinforce their roster, but few NFL teams are interested in signing former Rams players who struggled to take the field. That means that the LA Rams' pipeline of compensatory picks may be drying up. That is not a positive development for the Rams.

Rams inflated trade market

It was quite clear in 2022 that the LA Rams tried and failed to pry two players from the Carolina Panthers roster. The first was the failed attempt to acquire RB Christian McCaffrey, simply due to the fact that the San Francisco 49ers outbid the Rams for CMC. The second attempt failed to acquire Panthers star pass rusher Brian Burns. In this case, the Rams simply could not meet the Panthers' asking price.

So a change of strategy is in order. If the price for NFL veterans has been inflated, then why not become sellers of NFL veterans and recharge the roster with young talent to start the process all over again? Too risky? Well, the consensus among NFL analysts and fans right now is the undeniable fact that the Rams have gotten as far as their roster can carry them as is. As players get older, injuries become more frequent and more serious.

If the Rams focus on improving the depth, age, and equitible salary distribution for the 2023 NFL season, the Rams may not win as many games as hoped for. But the team's overall fortunes could be incredibly improved. And if, by some unforeseen chance, the LA Rams struggle once more, then the team could be in a real position to reload with an elite quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft.

You win some, you lose some. But the LA Rams are in a position that even by losing today, they win tomorrow. Will the Rams do an about face, and forego today to build a winner for tomorrow? Some say that the LA Rams would never have been able to lure Sean McVay back if the plan was to rebuild. I respectfully disagree. What if the real attraction is dangling the chance to select and coach QB Caleb Williams in 2024 and beyond?

In my mind, that would definitely be the type of perk that would lure any head coach back to the NFL.