The Los Angeles Rams have taken plenty of heat for their offseason, but one NFL analyst sees the picture very differently.
NFL.com’s Matt Okada handed the Rams an A and ranked their work as the best offseason in the league, judging teams on one simple question: did they improve their roster and competitiveness? By that standard, he thought Los Angeles checked almost every box.
That evaluation stands in sharp contrast to the criticism the Rams have faced elsewhere, including from former general managers and even ESPN, which took aim at LA’s offseason because of the team’s decision to draft a future franchise quarterback. Okada wasn’t bothered by that one move. He looked at the full body of work and came away impressed.
The Rams also came out on top in his NFC West breakdown.
He placed Los Angeles first in the division, followed by the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.
For the Rams, Okada pointed to a defense that got a major boost with the additions of 2025 DPOY Myles Garrett, All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and McDuffie’s Kansas City Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson. He still knocked the grade down because of the team’s draft choice of Ty Simpson, but the overall result was still a top mark.
San Francisco landed at No. 2 with a C+. The 49ers added wide receiver Mike Evans and extended offensive tackle Trent Williams, though Okada noted that both players are past their prime. He also said their 2026 draft choices kept the team from reaching the higher grade it might have earned.
Seattle came in third with a D+. Okada saw no newsworthy additions and pointed to the departures of running back Kenneth Walker III, edge rusher Boye Mafe, safety Coby Bryant and cornerback Riq Woolen in free agency. He said the Seahawks’ draft did little to make up for that loss of talent.
Arizona finished last with a D-. The Cardinals hired former Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur as their head coach, then cut quarterback Kyler Murray.
They also drafted running back Jeremiyah Love, though Okada said that move may not pay off until later. With little at quarterback, he described the offense as leaning into a rushing-first approach and suggested Arizona is playing the long game after a 3-14 season, with hopes of landing a franchise quarterback in the 2027 draft.
The Rams may not be guaranteed to be better in 2026, but Okada clearly believes general manager Les Snead did enough to put the team in position to compete. For once, at least one analyst is giving Los Angeles the kind of credit its offseason has not always received.
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Ty Simpsons contract situation is one of the few offseason storylines worth monitoring around the Rams, mostly because rookie holdouts have become so uncommon since the NFLs rookie wage scale arrived in 2011. Simpson, the Rams first-round quarterback taken 13th overall, is still unsigned in early July, and while that does not automatically signal a major dispute, it does mean there is at least some work left to do before the team gets to the business of camp.
The holdup appears to be about the fine print more than the headline money, with details such as guarantee payout scheduling, offset language and voiding rules often shaping these rookie negotiations. Los Angeles is set to report to training camp on July 25, and the Rams would clearly prefer Simpson to be signed and on the field when camp opens rather than spending those first days sorting out a contract that should have been settled well before then. [Read more 🡒]
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That standard is part of why McBrides comments matter beyond Arizona. When a respected veteran starts talking up rookies, it tends to sharpen the conversation around who is ready to matter right away, and in the NFC West that discussion inevitably circles back to the players already forcing opponents to plan for them. [Read more 🡒]
The Rams Have One Contender Weakness Fans Can't Ignore
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The problem is that both players are carrying the kind of age and durability concerns that contenders usually try to avoid, and the margin behind them is thin. Los Angeles does not have much receiver depth behind Adams and Puka Nacua, so if either veteran misses time, the Rams would be asking a lot of the rest of the roster to keep a Super Bowl-caliber offense on track. [Read more 🡒]