The stakes are high for the Los Angeles Rams this season. They surprised last year by making the playoffs when expectations were low. Now the standard is set and the team must make the most of their window while Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp are on the roster.
Who are the players or coaches that could swing the outcome of the 2024 season for the Rams? It’s a blend of both the most important roles and uncertainty about their ability to live up to expectations or reach the next stage of their career.
These are the five individuals that came to mind for me:
Matthew Stafford, QB
If there’s been one thing consistent about Matthew Stafford’s career, it’s that he’s inconsistent. That might be disconcerting to hear for Rams fans, but it’s the honest truth.
Even last season Stafford and the offense struggled with anemic offensive production. It wasn’t until a thumb injury that kept Stafford out for a game against the Green Bay Packers and a subsequent bye week that the offense began to hit on all cylinders. Was this a sign that things had finally come together for LA—Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were finally on the field together and the running game was surging with Kyren Williams—or was this just a temporary hot steak like we’ve seen from Stafford before? This is an important question because it informs our expectations for this team into 2024.
I don’t think we should ever have high expectations for a 36 year old quarterback. The New York Jets have built a relatively short window of contention and went all-in around Aaron Rodgers at age 40—and we saw just how fragile that roster construction can be if injuries set in for these older players when Rodgers played only four snaps a year ago before suffering a season-ending Achilles tear. Stafford, of course, can prove that he has something left in the tank, but it’s generally a bad idea to be starting the oldest quarterback in your own conference. It’s also not wise to guarantee said quarterback additional years on his contract and concede salary cap flexibility in future offseasons.
The bottom line is if the Rams return to the playoffs in 2024, Matthew Stafford would be one of the biggest reasons why. If they fail to live up to expectations, inconsistent play or injuries to their quarterback (nearly expected at his advanced age) could be a main driver of their shortcomings.
Chris Shula, Defensive Coordinator
Turf Show Times’ Daniel Stone asked an important question this week, “Is Chris Shula the right answer at DC, and what options do the Rams have if he isn’t?”
While Raheem Morris wasn’t perfect (no one is), he was at least good enough to help the Rams win Super Bowl LVI. He added wrinkles to the defensive scheme implemented by Brandon Staley in 2020, such as finding a role for Ernest Jones as a blitzer to make the most of his skillset and hide his struggles in pass coverage. Shula was a behind the scenes part of both the adoption of Staley’s scheme and the addition of Morris’ own twists. He was even around to learn from Wade Phillips during his three seasons in Los Angeles.
We don’t necessarily know who Shula is as a defensive coordinator, but we do know the Rams have spent a lot of draft capital on defense the last couple of offseasons and added a number of veterans this year in Kamren Curl, John Johnson, Darious Williams, and Tre White. While Aaron Donald is no longer in town, there is still plenty of both young and experienced talent to work with—the question remains whether Shula can get the most out of this group.
Kobie Turner, DT / Jared Verse, OLB
The Rams’ brass has made it clear that they understand Aaron Donald cannot be replaced by a single player. They’ve invested significant draft capital along the defensive line over the last two seasons in order to overhaul that group, but it remains to be seen if that investment will payoff.
Both Kobie Turner and Jared Verse will be especially important to the LA defense this season. You could even list Braden Fiske and Byron Young here. Still, while no one should be expected to become the next Aaron Donald, the Rams may need one of these players to bloom into a full-fledged star.
Young was most effective early in the season before either offensive tackles adjusted to his seemingly one-dimensional pass rush or until he hit a rookie wall, maybe both. Inversely, Turner was most productive over the back half of the year and pushed for the defensive rookie of the year award that was ultimately earned by Houston Texans pass rusher Will Anderson.
Verse is the most talented EDGE defender the Rams have drafted since maybe Robert Quinn. He’ll bring a violent tenacity and physicality to form a complementary pairing with Young. He will also look to make the most of his chemistry with his former college teammate, Fiske. Fiske is plenty talented in his own right and should bring pass rushing juice to the three technique spot.
If one of Turner, Verse, Young, or Fiske bloom into a star, the Rams defense will be in good hands. If this group instead collectively has growing pains, LA’s return to the playoffs may be in jeopardy.
Tre White, CB / Cobie Durant, CB
We really have no idea what Tre White will be able to contribute to the Rams defense this season. He suffered a torn ACL on Thanksgiving day 2021 and then suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in fall 2023 during his time with the Buffalo Bills. He hasn’t been on the field much over the last few seasons, and those are significant injuries to recover from.
Still, LA’s gamble on White is wise. We’ve seen teams take flyers on injured corners that have paid notable dividends, such as Jason Verrett with the San Francisco 49ers. The Rams deploy a zone heavy scheme where White can apply his veteran savvy and potentially hide physical limitations. If they can let him trust his instincts and play with the ball in front of him, this could be a strong match that gives the defense overall a boost.
But if White looks nothing like his old self, the Rams would instead turn to third-year corner Cobie Durant. Durant impressed as a rookie despite his fourth round draft position, and he flashed good ball skills with return ability. The Rams coaching staff made a mistake by asking him to play in the slot a year ago—Quentin Lake eventually took over these duties—and he’s hoping to rebound in 2024.
I trust Darious Williams to give reliable production at one of the outside corner spots, but in order for this defense to play at a playoff caliber level they’ll need either White or Durant to prove capable.
Demarcus Robinson, WR / Tutu Atwell, WR
I’ve been saying for the last month or longer that Los Angeles still needs a third receiver to complement Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. The Rams’ reported and/or rumored offseason moves seem to suggest that they also feel this way, as they’ve at times been connected to the likes of Mike Evans, Rome Odunze, Brock Bowers, and others. While bringing back veteran journeyman Demarcus Robinson is smart, he’s best-served as a fourth-string or backup receiver that can contribute situationally or in case of injury. The Rams don’t seem content with Robinson as a starter or top three option in their offense, but he could certainly prove them wrong and demonstrate he’s a capable target for Stafford.
Tutu Atwell will also have chances to make plays for this offense, at least as a situational contributor if not beating Robinson for the WR#3 role outright. He’s entering his fourth season and a contract year. While the Rams haven’t found ways to consistently leverage his talents in the offense, he’s been exactly the player his draft profile suggested he’d be—a capable deep threat and gadget player. If anything, Atwell has been stronger at the catchpoint than his 165 lbs. (max) frame would suggest.
It’s on the coaching staff to make the most of Atwell’s skillset even if it takes designing a handful of plays each game specifically for him. Robinson is likely to be the true WR#3. If he plays at the level we saw from him towards the end of last season, the Rams should be in good shape. There’s also a chance that Robinson and Atwell either lack production behind Kupp/Nacua or aren’t capable of adequately replacing Kupp/Nacua in case of injury and are forced to step into full-time starting roles.
The Rams should have done more to find a third receiver this offseason, but now they’ll have to make the most of what they have.
