3 major questions I still have surrounding the Rams ahead of 2024 season

3 major questions I still have surrounding the Rams ahead of 2024 season

I seemingly struck a nerve earlier this week when I said that the Los Angeles Rams are still in need of a third receiver behind Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. After watching fans for years lament the team’s decision to draft Tutu Atwell over Creed Humphrey, I was surprised to see people coming out of the woodwork to express confidence that the fourth-year receiver can be relied on to start. Same goes with 30 year old NFL journeyman Demarcus Robinson.

But the experience got me thinking, and receiver is just one of several questions I still have surrounding the Rams’ roster ahead of the 2024 season:

1 - Do the Rams have enough firepower on offense?

This extends beyond the question mark at WR#3, but also to the tight end position and possibly at running back. The Rams inked Colby Parkinson to a free agent deal that averages $7.5M annually, but the fact they are paying him as a starter doesn’t make him one. Behind Parkinson is the oft-injured Hunter Long and last year’s late fifth round pick Davis Allen.

Atop the running back depth chart is Kyren Williams, who has battled a slew of injuries over his first two seasons. Blake Corum seems to have an excellent head on his shoulders for a rookie, but there’s a very real possibility that he’s maxed out as a prospect and could finish his career as a better college player than professional. There are no safe picks or transitions to the pro game. The Rams don’t seem to like or trust Zach Evans much, and Ronnie Rivers is nice but you don’t want him starting for more than a game or two at a time. Boston Scott is in the mix to return kicks and contribute on special teams.

All that goes without mentioning that this offense looks drastically different if Cooper Kupp doesn’t look like the same player. That doesn’t mean the Rams need him to play at the level he demonstrated in 2021, but he needs to threaten defenses and take pressure off of Puka Nacua.

2 - What is going on at corner?

Darious Williams is as safe as a free agent signing as it gets. The Rams should be able to plug him into the starting lineup and not look back for the rest of the season, barring injury. The bigger question with Williams is how long you can rely on him to perform at a high level. There’s no certainty he will be the same player in 2024, and the probability of decline goes up each season thereafter.

But who do the Rams plan to start along the opposite boundary? At first glance you’d assume that player would be the team’s other free agent signing Tre White. Is it that straight forward, however? Maybe Los Angeles would ask the veteran to play in the slot at the “star” position and elect to keep Cobie Durant as the starter on the outside after he’s filled in for minicamp. White seems to be a better option than Russ Yeast and Derion Kendrick who played in the “star” over minicamp.

I’d feel OK with a starting trio of Williams, Durant, and White—better than I would if the starters were Williams, White, and Yeast. Still, the Rams have no idea what contributions White will be able to make as he returns from multiple significant injuries and enters the later stages of his career.

3 - How much will the Rams miss Aaron Donald?

The Rams deserve credit for how they were able to retool their defensive line over the last two offseason with Kobie Turner, Jared Verse, Byron Young, and Braden Fiske. They still have veterans Bobby Brown and Michael Hoecht who will contribute key snaps as well.

But Donald leaves an elephant in the room sized hole in the middle of the Los Angeles defense. The loss of his locker room leadership is immeasurable. Donald was always known as the hardest worker in the Rams organization and led by example for the better part of a decade. Who is equipped to step into that role, not just on the defense, but for the team overall?

And then there are Donald’s on-field contributions, which stand alone in history as the best we’ve ever seen from an interior rusher. Opposing offensive coordinators made it their first priority to identify Donald on each play and have a plan to slow him down. While those plans rarely worked, the attention offenses paid to the defensive legend did create opportunities for others—and we saw the likes of Dante Fowler, Leonard Floyd, and Von Miller all earn big pay days after getting the “Donald bump” in production.

Overall, LA’s pass rush could be more formidable than it was a year ago. It’s a smart move to ask four developing players to carry the load rather than one significant investment, as no one can single-handedly replace a legend. Still, there’s no telling how this defensive line will fare because opposing offenses will play them differently than we’ve seen over the last decade. The potential is there for the Rams, but I’m going to need to see it in action first.