What do we really know about the 2023 LA Rams today?

Fact I: The LA Rams performance in 2023 will be inconsistent

With so many rookies projected to the LA Rams roster and playing in 2023, there is a significantly higher risk of inconsistent play. We know from all professional sports that the greater the number of rookie players on a team, the streakier that team becomes. That means that the Rams could win consecutive games, only to stumble and lose consecutive games.

Of course, if the LA Rams potential in the 2023 NFL season is not better than eight wins or fewer, than the team is not harmed in the least by consecutive losses. Sure, it will be disheartening and quite frustrating, but if the Rams see their current strategy in terms of a two-year process, than losses in 2023 only help to improve their odds of success in 2023.

That will happen from multiple factors. The first reason is that the Rams picks in the 2024 NFL Draft will be optimized with a poor record. That is not to say that the team is outright trying to lose games in 2023. But rather if the team focuses upon 2024 to make their next playoff push, then losses in 2023 are simply considered as collateral damage.

Rams 2023 season is a key to 2024 success

Other factors that improve in 2024 with an underwhelming 2023 NFL season include the teams 2024 schedule. The Rams historically have bounced back rather quickly after a tough season thanks to the next year's schedule being less competitive. Also, the Rams should benefit from not losing significant number of coaches to other NFL teams if the team struggles for their second consecutive season.

While we have yet to see the LA Rams 2023 NFL schedule on a weekly basis, we do know that in addition to the NFC West Divisional opponents and a third-place NFL team schedule, the Rams are slated to face the competitive AFC North and NFC East in 2023. In 2022, the AFC North teams finished with a combined record of 38-29, and the NFC East teams finished with a combined record of 43-23-2. Combined, it appears that the Rams will face teams that boast 2022 records of 81-52-2. That is quite a challenge for a roster that is robustly populated with rookies.

The LA Rams must face these accomplished teams with a significant number players who are not even on the roster. That makes it difficult to gauge how well the team's chances are at this point in time. But it is not premature to allow the Rams leeway to struggle as all of the new faces learn to compete at the NFL level and coordinate/communicate with so many new teammates.

What do we really know about the 2023 LA Rams today? We know enough not to set high expectations for this team, to expect a huge import of rookies to the team's initial 90-man roster, and to look for plenty of developing stories throughout the 2023 NFL season. Is that enough to whet your curiosity? It works for me. Let's see what happens . . .