The Rams have spent plenty of time this offseason grabbing attention with the shiny new pieces, but the quieter story may be the one that matters just as much: the veterans they kept around.
Los Angeles no longer operates by the old rules it once seemed to live by. There was a stretch when the Rams would not re-sign players over 30, would not extend a 30-year-old coming off a major injury, would not do it for an inside linebacker, and treated safeties the same way even when the player was a top talent. That playbook has clearly changed.
Recent extensions tell the story. Tight end Tyler Higbee, now 30 and still working through the after-effects of a 2024 ACL injury, got his deal. So did linebacker Nate Landman and safeties Quentin Lake and Kam Curl.
That kind of continuity could be a major stabilizer for a roster that has changed in a big way around them. The Rams have added plenty of new names, but keeping those familiar voices in place may be just as important.
Sean McVay’s track record remains the backbone of it all. Since taking over in 2017, he has guided the Rams through only one season below .500 and only two missed playoff trips. His regular-season record sits at 92-57, and he is 16-10 in the postseason.
What stands out most is how often the formula has changed. The 2018 team leaned on Todd Gurley and Jared Goff all the way to the Super Bowl before falling to the New England Patriots. The 2021 group found a different path, built around the connection between Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp and a pass rush led by Aaron Donald inside and Von Miller off the edge, and that run ended with a Lombardi Trophy.
Now the Rams are trying to do it again with a fresh cast and the same aggressive mindset. Davante Adams and Puka Nacua headline the receiving group, the tight end room is deep, and Kyren Williams and Blake Corum give them a strong backfield duo. On defense, the new additions include Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie.
But even with all that change, the steady presence of Higbee, Curl, Lake and Landman gives the Rams something they have valued more and more: dependable veterans who can help hold everything together while the rest of the roster keeps evolving. Under McVay, that blend of innovation and stability has been the formula time and again.
In Other News...
Rams QB Debate Just Took A Dramatic Turn Around Stafford
Matthew Staffords new extension has put the Rams in a familiar place: building around the quarterback who still gives Sean McVay the best chance to keep the offense steady. The deal keeps Stafford in Los Angeles through at least the upcoming season, and it also narrows whatever immediate questions might have lingered about how the team planned to handle the position after drafting Ty Simpson.
Simpsons arrival still adds a layer to the picture, even if he is expected to open as the third-string quarterback. His long-term role is not settled, which is what makes the depth chart worth watching now, because the Rams have invested in a developmental option while staying committed to Stafford for the present. The only real question is how long that present lasts, and how the team chooses to manage the runway behind its established starter. [Read more 🡒]
Rams May Finally Have What Chris Shula Has Been Missing
The Rams spent the offseason trying to stabilize a secondary that has had to absorb the blow of Jalen Ramseys departure, and the hope is that the new look back end gives defensive coordinator Chris Shula more to work with. Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson arrive as the kinds of corners who can help tighten pass coverage, while the broader idea is to build a defense that can make quarterbacks pay for mistakes instead of simply reacting to them.
Kam Kinchens figures to be part of that next step, too, with the staff wanting to free him up to play more downhill and use his ball skills around the line of scrimmage. Shulas defense has already shown a knack for creating turnovers, and with more talent in place this season, the Rams are betting there is still another level to reach if the pieces settle in the right way. [Read more 🡒]
Sean McVay Just Added Intrigue To The Rams Quarterback Debate
The Rams quarterback room already had a fresh layer of intrigue after they used a first-round pick on Ty Simpson, and Sean McVay added to the conversation by making clear the team has not really discussed bringing in another backup. For a club that has spent plenty of time navigating the position under McVay, that alone is enough to keep the depth chart conversation alive as the roster settles in around its newest passer.
McVay did not completely shut the door on another move, though, which is what makes the situation worth watching from here. The Rams have a young quarterback in Simpson and a head coach who is leaving some room for flexibility, while the broader NFC picture keeps shifting around them, from Mac Jones stated commitment in San Francisco to Sam Darnolds post-Super Bowl reflections in Seattle. [Read more 🡒]