LA Rams stumbled into a dominating duo in 2023 NFL Draft

Do the LA Rams really need to add pass rushing help?

Some fans want the LA Rams to open the vault to make another attempt to lure DE/OLB Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers. But Burns (8.0 sacks) was no better than either Kobie Turner (9.0 sacks or Byron Young (8.0 sacks) in 2023. If the Rams wanted to keep a productive pass rusher around, why did the team cut veteran OLB Leonard Floyd, a player who averaged 9.5 quarterback sacks per year for the LA Rams?

Leonard Floyd recorded 10.5 quarterback sacks for the Buffalo Bills in 2023. And he was willing to sign with the Buffalo Bills on a one-year $7 million contract that includes multiple void years. By all accounts, Floyd would be the wiser investment.

Rushing a quarterback is not an instant skill for NFL rookies. If you look at the career stats of any elite pass rusher, their least productive season is almost unanimously their first season in the NFL. But after that? Look out. So how did the LA Rams rookie rushers perform in 2023?

* Michael Hoecht's 2023 season was very much like a rookie, as it was his first full year at outside linebacker.

Even beyond the rookie tandem of Turner and Young, the LA Rams roster that deliberately counted on a young ensemble of pass rushers will undoubtedly improve in 2024. The truth is that the cast currently on the Rams roster will be far less expensive over the next two or more seasons than this team will find in the 2024 NFL Free-agent market.

But what of the 2024 NFL Draft? Well, the Rams will undoubtedly address the role in the 2024 NFL Draft at some point. But will restarting the calendar with additional rookies truly be an answer for the Rams team that needs quarterback pressure now?

I believe that the Rams may add a pass rusher in the 2024 NFL Draft. And if the right free agent is available at the right price, the Rams could add a veteran pass rusher as well. But whoever is added to the Rams roster will take away playing time from a group of players who seem to be tracking very well so far.

As the Rams' secondary improves, so will the time for quarterbacks to find an open receiver increase. I think the Rams secondary may be the positional group that needs upgrading. And so, I believe that defensive backs get the most attention from the Rams' front office this offseason.