When ESPN handed out its NFL offseason grades, only one team earned a coveted “A”: the Los Angeles Rams. It might surprise some, considering the Rams are navigating the back end of their Super Bowl window with an aging quarterback and questions about long-term sustainability. Yet in the shadows, general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay orchestrated one of the most balanced offseasons in the league, and one that positioned Los Angeles to contend now while also preparing for the post-Matthew Stafford era.
Los Angeles Rams Earn Offseason’s Lone ‘A’ Grade from ESPN — Here’s Why It Matters
The biggest move, and arguably the trickiest, was handling Stafford’s contract situation. Entering the offseason, rumors swirled about a possible split. The Rams even allowed Stafford to explore trade interest from teams like the New York Giants and Las Vegas Raiders. But instead of losing their franchise quarterback, they retained him, and on a reworked deal.
Not only that, the Rams also have a new avenue to explore should the team look for their quarterback of the future next season. With the trade down in the 2025 NFL Draft with the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams now have an additional first, second, and seventh-round pick they can use to find Stafford’s successor.
Even their personnel decisions were bold. The Rams moved on from Cooper Kupp in favor of newly acquired wide receiver Davante Adams. While both are 32 years old, Adams remains a more productive and durable option, coming off a solid campaign where his open score in ESPN’s receiving metrics was a “more-than-respectable” 77. Paired with Stafford, he gives the Rams one of the most feared wideout duos in the NFL with Puca Nacua.
Davante Adams’ route running 😮💨
On the offensive line, there were two key moves the Rams made: locking down left tackle Alaric Jackson to a three-year deal and shipping off interior offensive lineman Jonah Jackson to the Chicago Bears, who would have likely been cut.
Most expected Los Angeles to eat up the rest of the guaranteed money owed to Jackson. Not only did they get the full contract off their hands, but they also received a sixth-round pick. An absolute fleece for a team that did not have Jackson in their long-term plans.
Where Division Rivals Landed in ESPN’s Offseason Grades
As much as the Rams killed the offseason, so did the rest of the NFC West. Both the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals received an ‘A-‘ grade, which were the only other teams in the NFL to receive at least an A- grade besides the Denver Broncos.
ESPN’s Seth Walder notes signing Brock Purdy to an extension and hiring Robert Saleh as the defensive coordinators were the two biggest offseason moves for the 49ers, and signing Josh Sweat and extending Trey McBride for the Cardinals.
The Seattle Seahawks fell short of the rest of the NFC West, receiving a ‘B-‘ grade from ESPN. Walder noted that trading away Geno Smith and guaranteeing only $37.5 million to Sam Darnold were great for the team, but not signing a free agent guard might come to haunt them in the near future.
This isn’t to say the Rams were perfect this offseason either. The re-signing of wide receiver Tutu Atwell to a one-year, $10 million deal raised some eyebrows. Atwell has shown flashes but lacks consistency, and $10 million seems steep for a player of his caliber. Still, when the biggest misstep is an overpay for a rotational receiver, the team is in a good place.
