The Rams have no shortage of business to handle, and much of it points in the same direction: keep the core together before the calendar turns and the contract questions get louder. With general manager Les Snead and the front office juggling a crowded to-do list, the names at the center of the discussion are already clear.
At the top sits Matthew Stafford. Los Angeles already reworked his deal, but the pattern has been set: after each season, the team and quarterback have gone back to the table and worked out a new agreement. If Stafford is back next season, he will likely want another year added to his current contract, and the Rams need to have the money ready.
Puka Nacua is the other obvious priority, and the case for extending him is as strong as it gets. The price tag could climb near $170 million, but the source of that number is also the reason the Rams can’t blink.
Nacua is described as arguably the best receiver in the NFL, and he has carried the offense against some of the league’s toughest defenses. That makes him the clear top priority.
The defensive side has its own pair of must-keep players. Byron Young matters not just as an edge rusher, but as the kind of piece that would make a Myles Garrett trade make sense for the Rams.
Without Young in the picture, Garrett would be drawing the same kind of attention he saw in Cleveland. Young is also framed as the “other guy” after the departure of 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse in the Garrett trade, with Verse labeled stronger and Young faster and more agile.
Put Young opposite Garrett, and the pass rush changes fast.
Kobie Turner belongs in that same conversation. He’s more than a productive defender; he’s also a leader and a player teammates gravitate toward.
The source points to his versatility, his talent, and even his personality, calling him worth extending for his infectious laugh and smile. The message is simple: The Conductor needs to remain in Horns.
Period.
Beyond those four, the Rams have six more players who should be back in the fold next season.
Warren McClendon Jr. has already shown he can step in and do the job, filling in admirably for the then-injured, now-retired Rob Havenstein last season. There are questions about whether he can handle a full 17-game workload, but he is the best option currently on the roster. With four of five projected starting linemen on expiring contracts, keeping him becomes even more logical.
Kevin Dotson is the kind of guard you’d rather have on your side than across from you. He loves Los Angeles, and his play matches the reputation: tough, physical, relentless. The only thing missing is a new Rams contract.
Steve Avila, the 36th pick in the 2023 draft, also belongs on the keep list. He helped the Rams turn the corner, battled through injury, cross-trained at center, and even had to earn back his starting role. When he lines up next to Dotson, the Rams get good things.
Stetson Bennett gives the Rams stability behind Matthew Stafford and helps keep rookie first-rounder Ty Simpson from being thrown into action before he’s ready. Bennett is expected to be the primary backup, and he has already shown he can handle the preseason offense and deliver late-game heroics. He also comes with a contract that should be easy on the wallet.
Special teams gets its own pair of priorities. Ethan Evans has been versatile, even handling kickoffs from the tee, and he has earned a reputation as coachable. The Rams would prefer not to be shopping for a punter when the season ends.
Then there’s Harrison Mevis, who stepped in after LA learned a hard lesson in 2025 when Joshua Karty suddenly lost the ability to put the ball through the uprights. Mevis, a former UFL kicker, missed only one of 13 field goal attempts and made all 39 extra points. Given the uncertainty the Rams just lived through, a modest multi-year deal for Mevis looks like the practical move.
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Cardinals Receivers May Not Benefit Equally From Mike LaFleurs New Offense
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Still, a familiar framework does not mean every receiver will be asked to do the same things, or benefit in the same way. Wilsons comments point to a scheme that can shift responsibilities depending on alignment and personnel, which means some players may find themselves leaning more heavily into the dirty work while others are used more as traditional pass-game pieces. For a Rams team that knows how much LaFleurs ideas can shape an offense, the more interesting question is which Cardinals receiver ends up fitting where once the new system settles in. [Read more 🡒]