Sean McVay’s decision to cancel mandatory minicamp may have looked odd from the outside, but for the Rams it fits the moment. With a demanding schedule ahead - one loaded with quality opponents and long travel - Los Angeles is taking a measured approach before the real grind begins.
That makes sense for a roster built the way this one is built. The Rams are not leaning on a bunch of rookies to carry them.
They’re stacked with veterans and proven voices, much like the 2021 Super Bowl group, with a core of elite talent surrounded by above-average starters. But this is still a new team in a lot of ways, and the old résumés don’t win games on their own.
The expectation around the league is pretty clear: barring a wave of injuries, the Rams should be at least a serious playoff team. The bigger question is how they push beyond that baseline. Before training camp fully gets rolling, there are three areas that have to come together.
First, the offense has to build better chemistry, especially with Matthew Stafford. His connection with Davante Adams didn’t really hit its stride until six games into last season, and rookies Terrance Ferguson and Konata Mumpfield never got that same kind of rhythm with Stafford because he was dealing with a back injury and didn’t return until just days before the season started.
That history is part of why the Rams are already managing Stafford’s workload now. The goal is simple: get him in sync with the long list of receivers fighting for targets in 2026.
The defense, meanwhile, has a different kind of puzzle. Chris Shula landed three elite defenders at premium spots, and now the challenge is turning all that talent into one cohesive unit.
Cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson bring the coverage ideas they used with the Kansas City Chiefs, while Myles Garrett adds his Cleveland Browns experience up front. Shula has plenty of tools to work with, and the pressure is on him to put them together the right way.
Special teams is the other area that can’t be left to chance. Bubba Ventrone’s hiring may not have caused much buzz among fans, but the expectations are real.
The Rams were sloppy in 2025, with broken blocking assignments, bad penalties and shaky downfield coverage hurting them again and again. Ventrone is there to bring discipline, but the players have to clean it up.
There is reason for optimism there, too. Grant Stuard and long snapper Joe Cardona are both elite special teamers, and the Rams are also expecting Shaun Dolac back healthy. That gives Los Angeles a much better chance to fix a unit that cost them too much last season.
This is the part of the year when the foundation gets laid. The Rams know the season starts well before the first real snap, and this summer has already raised the bar.
In Other News...
Rams Backup Quarterback Debate Just Took A Serious Turn
The Rams backup quarterback conversation has taken on a little more urgency after former NFL scout Daniel Kelly floated a trade idea that would bring in a more seasoned option behind Matthew Stafford. His case is rooted in a simple concern: the current depth chart does not offer much in the way of proven NFL experience, with Ty Simpson and Stetson Bennett still waiting for their first snaps.
Kelly pointed to one available passer as the kind of insurance policy the Rams should consider, leaning on that quarterbacks game exposure and recent efficiency to argue he would fit the role. Whether Los Angeles actually entertains the idea is another matter, but the discussion underscores how thin the margin can feel when Stafford is the one holding the offense together. [Read more 🡒]
Rams May Have Finally Put Emmanuel Forbes In The Right Spot
Emmanuel Forbes Jr. got thrown into the fire last season, and the Rams needed every bit of his aggression when injuries ravaged the secondary. He ended up starting a career-high 14 games and even flashed the kind of ball production that can change a defense, finishing with three interceptions and a forced fumble while showing he can make plays when the ball is in the air.
The issue was the rest of the picture, because the same style that created turnovers also came with missed tackles and too many damaging gains allowed behind him. This year, the Rams appear ready to put him in a cleaner lane, with Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson handling the outside work while Forbes slides into a more limited role that should ask less of him and lean more into what he does best. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Staffords Role In Ty Simpsons Future Just Got More Interesting
The coaching pipeline around the NFC West keeps producing familiar names, and K.J. Wright is the latest example. The former Seahawks linebacker is now in his third year with the 49ers as a defensive quality control coach, and his old coordinator in Seattle, Ken Norton Jr., still sees a long runway ahead for him, with confidence that Wright can keep climbing through the ranks.
For the Rams, the more immediate development story is unfolding in the quarterback room, where first-round pick Ty Simpson is learning behind Matthew Stafford. Simpson has leaned on Stafford for guidance as he settles in, and the veteran's presence has given the rookie a steadier path than most young passers get, even as the bigger questions about how far that relationship can go remain part of the intrigue. [Read more 🡒]