Just how drastic is this LA Rams remodel/rebuild anyway?

Rams restoring roster depth

The LA Rams discovered something unexpected in 2022. When the team's elite starters fell to injury, the Rams roster was too shallow and too inexperienced to handle the sudden heavy workload. Call it roster atrophy. The depth players did not have meaningful work for the team, which gave the coaching staff a false sense of security and the Rams front office unsupported confidence.

That confidence in what the Rams had accelerated the adversity that the team faced in 2022. The Rams carried just eight offensive linemen into the 2022 NFL seaon on the 53-man roster. But, by Week 4, the Rams had already blown through all of the reserves and were signing offensive linemen off the street.

The same can be said of the team's secondary, a positional group that loaded up by drafting four rookies. But the Rams promoted multiple rookies to starting roles, with limited success. Meanwhile, the Rams jettisoned a number of veteran depth players, including three outside linebackers, one defensive back, and one running back.

Laying the foundation

Okay, so let's cut the mustard. Just how drastic is this LA Rams remodel/rebuild anyway? It's deep, down to the very foundations of the LA Rams roster. There are plenty of holes in the Rams roster, but I believe that the Rams 2023 NFL Draft will truly aim at drafting the best player available (BPA) and using the post-draft signing period of undrafted rookie free agents to address the positional needs that remain.

That may not be a bad thing. The 2023 draft class is loaded with outside linebackers, cornerbacks, offensive tackles and offensive centers, and even has some pretty incredible defensive linemen. If the LA Rams view their current strategy along the lines of a two-year process, then the team is perfectly positioned to land some incredibly talented players in 2023 who will play significant roles in 2024.

While that is not the same thing as the Rams 'tanking' in 2023, it does open the door to the Rams laying a solid roster foundation for the future of the team. That could mean that the Rams will experiment far more with the offensive playbook with new formations, new packages and even a much broader rotation of players that will discourage an offensive exclusively dependant upon QB Matthew Stafford targeting WR Cooper Kupp or TE Tyler Higbee this season.

That could mean much more work for RB Kyren Williams, TE Brycen Hopkins or Hunter Long, WRs Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Lance McCutcheon, or even Jacob Harris. That would be very welcome news to an LA Rams team that continues to 'load up' with offensive weapons that sit on the bench and end up in mothballs before their rookie contracts expire.

The LA Rams are no longer building the roster from the top down, but rather from the bottom up. It may take some getting used to, but if you keep an open mind, I think you are going to love what this team does in 2023.