The Rams didn’t just tinker with a good roster this offseason. Les Snead went after the kind of upgrades that change how teams have to game-plan.
After losing twice to the Seattle Seahawks in 2025, Los Angeles responded by adding two of the NFL’s top defensive playmakers in Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett. Some would put cornerback Jaylen Watson in that same elite conversation, too. However you slice it, the message from Snead was obvious: enough near-misses, time to load up.
That idea got a loud endorsement on Good Morning Football from former defensive back Ryan Clark, who did not exactly go small with his assessment.
"We're talking about one of the best rosters in the last 25 years of football. To have a returning MVP (Matthew Stafford).
To have the Defensive Player of the Year (Myles Garrett). To have someone in Puka Nacua who almost wins the Triple Crown (catches, yards, and touchdowns)."
Clark didn’t even get to McDuffie and Watson, which only underlines how absurdly stacked this group looks on paper. Snead took a roster that was already strong and pushed it into another tier. The Rams were one two-point conversion swing away from competing in Super Bowl LX, and now they’ve made themselves even better.
The offense was never the issue. Los Angeles already had the league’s top-scoring attack, with Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua driving the production. The question was whether the defense could hold up long enough to match it.
Last season, that side of the ball wore down. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula got as much as he could out of a thin, inexpensive group, but the ceiling was clear. Snead answered by going all-in: he added both of the Kansas City Chiefs’ starting cornerbacks and then traded for Garrett, the game’s best pass rusher.
That combination changes the math for opposing quarterbacks. Receivers won’t be as open, and throws won’t come as easily with Garrett closing in. The Rams clearly wanted to attack the problem from every angle, pairing tighter coverage with a faster, more disruptive rush.
It’s not going to sort itself out overnight, though. A defense loaded with this many premium pieces still has to learn new jobs, build chemistry, and communicate cleanly. Training camp will be about making all that talent fit together.
The goal is simple: be better. Clark thinks they will be.
In Other News...
Cardinals Receivers May Not Benefit Equally From Mike LaFleurs New Offense
Mike LaFleurs first season in Arizona is already drawing comparisons to the system he helped shape in Los Angeles, and that gives Cardinals receivers a familiar starting point as they learn a new playbook. Michael Wilson said the offense should look a lot like the Rams version, with the same basic receiver roles and only modest tweaks, which at least gives the group a head start on terminology and structure after LaFleurs three years with the Rams.
For Wilson, though, familiarity may not mean identical responsibilities for everyone. The way the Cardinals line up and use condensed splits could ask more of certain receivers in the run game and at the point of attack, which is where the real adjustment may come in. The framework is recognizable, but the distribution of opportunities and duties is still something to watch as LaFleur settles in and figures out who fits where. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Rookies Enter Camp With Almost No Margin For Error
The Rams are heading into training camp with a rookie class that has almost no room to ease in. After drafting just five players in 2026, the team has built a roster deep enough that every newcomer is going to have to fight for snaps, and in some cases just to stay in the conversation for a spot.
Los Angeles also knows the competition will not be limited to established veterans. The rookies will be battling last years draft class and other new additions for limited roles, which makes the preseason especially important as the Rams look to sort out who can separate themselves when the reps start to matter. [Read more 🡒]