Around the NFC, a few familiar names are still drawing plenty of respect from league insiders - even as some of them are entering the stage of their careers where durability and workload start to matter more.
Christian McCaffrey remains one of the league’s most intriguing evaluation cases. After Jeremy Fowler asked anonymous executives about the running back landscape, one NFC exec said this of McCaffrey: “He’s declined some - I think you will see more juice if he doesn’t have to be the focal point of both the run and pass game. But he’s such an elite overall player with versatility who takes care of himself that he can be a top guy for at least one more year.”
George Kittle also continues to command elite-level praise. In Fowler’s top-ten tight end exercise, anonymous executives still placed Kittle among the best at the position.
One NFC executive put it plainly: “Injuries and durability are becoming a concern, but when he’s healthy, he’s still the most versatile, dominant, complete tight end,” an NFC executive said. “He’s still the gold standard for blocking, running, and catching.”
Trent Williams, meanwhile, is still viewed as a force at left tackle even as the conversation around him shifts toward how long that level can last. Fowler polled league executives on the top offensive tackles heading into 2026, and Williams came up as a player who hasn’t really lost the traits that made him special.
“At this stage, it takes him a while to get going early in the season, but he’s still producing at a high level,” an NFL coordinator said. “I don’t see a lot of drop-off - he still operates without the need for any help in pass protection, he still mauls people, he’s still got light feet for his size, still has the capacity to dominate.”
On the Rams side, there’s plenty of roster and role movement to watch. The Athletic’s Nate Atkins wrote that if Los Angeles does manage to lure DT Aaron Donald out of retirement to pair with DE Myles Garrett, the biggest hit would likely come to DT Braden Fiske’s snap count. Even so, Atkins noted that the situation could still fit Fiske’s strengths and leave him with a meaningful role.
Atkins also pointed to DT Kobie Turner as a strong candidate for a long-term extension in Los Angeles. On the other end of the spectrum, he said it’s very unlikely the Rams will be able to keep OLB Byron Young after his breakout in 2025, with both players entering contract years.
There could also be changes at linebacker. Atkins said Rams LB Omar Speights may see his snaps cut this year as the team leans more heavily into dime packages and uses its safety depth, especially players like Kamren Curl. He also flagged veteran LB Grant Stuard as an under-the-radar addition worth watching.
In the secondary, Atkins said new Rams CB Trent McDuffie will mainly work as an outside corner, though he’ll still get slot snaps in certain packages. When that happens, Rams CB Emmanuel Forbes is expected to slide onto the boundary.
Quarterback remains the biggest long-term question in Los Angeles, but Jason La Canfora of Sportsboom reported that Rams QB Matthew Stafford could still have several years left with the team even after the selection of first-round QB Ty Simpson. La Canfora said Stafford has stayed away from the back problems that surfaced last summer and were serious enough that the Rams were preparing for him to miss time.
Stafford has said he is approaching things year to year, but La Canfora added that there have been signs he may be thinking about playing into his 40s the way other top quarterbacks have. The key point, according to La Canfora, is that Sean McVay wants Stafford to remain the starter as long as Stafford wants to stay and keeps playing at a high level. As one source put it: “The amount of respect we have for (Stafford) goes beyond words.”
In Other News...
Blake Corum Has One Clear Hurdle Before Rams Expand His Role
Blake Corums second season with the Rams brought a noticeable jump in rushing workload and production, a sign that his role is starting to grow in Sean McVays offense. Even with that progress, the former Michigan standout still looks like a back whose value can rise further if he becomes more than just a runner, especially in a system that rewards versatility and trust.
The next step is clear enough: Corum has to prove he can be a dependable option in the passing game. His receiving involvement was still limited last season, and until that changes, it is hard to see the Rams making a bigger commitment to his snaps, even as his overall profile continues to improve. [Read more 🡒]
This Rams Addition Could Make Camp Cuts Even More Brutal
The Rams tight end room is suddenly one of the more crowded parts of the roster, and that alone makes the coming months worth watching. Los Angeles has eight tight ends on the offseason roster, a number that almost certainly will not survive all the way to the regular season, and the team will have to sort through a group that includes enough bodies to create real competition for every snap and every roster spot.
Max Klares arrival only sharpens the picture, because his versatility gives the Rams another option to evaluate as they sort out who fits and who does not. Preseason work with quarterback Ty Simpson could matter here too, since those reps often help determine trust levels in a room where small differences can decide who stays and who goes. [Read more 🡒]
Major Legal Update Hangs Over Key Rams Starter
A legal cloud around Alaric Jackson remains a topic of interest for the Rams as the left tackles situation continues to be monitored after his June 8 arrest on a domestic violence allegation. The Los Angeles County District Attorney said this week that Jackson will not face felony charges at this time, leaving the matter in a holding pattern rather than bringing any immediate clarity to one of the teams most important spots.
For Los Angeles, the uncertainty matters because Jackson has been a consistent starter and is under contract for the next few seasons, making him a key part of the front line whenever the team looks ahead. The case is still open, though, and officials have said it can be revisited if new developments surface, which means the Rams are left waiting to see whether this remains a legal footnote or turns into something more consequential. [Read more 🡒]