Rams' Offseason Moves: Will They Bounce Back After Week 1?

The Rams went all out this offseason; head coach Sean McVay ran with an “anything goes” draft-pick mindset. The team traded away 8 draft picks, including 2 first-round picks; with this, they acquired Trent McDuffie and Myles Garrett. Aaron Donald spoke out after the Myles Garrett trade, saying, “It for sure got me thinking.” Since the Rams had around $ 45 million in cap space, 90 days after his statement, he was signed to a one-year, $20 million contract. They used the rest of the cap space to extend Trent McDuffie, sign Jaylen Watson and Tre’Davious White, and re-sign their safety room.

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Ty Simpson was the true breakout story of the preseason. The Rams took him 13th overall out of Alabama, at first he was heavily hated on. The NFL Fanbase thought the Rams wasted a first-round investment in the future of the quarterback position. He answered those comments immediately, going 47 of 60 for a 78.3 percent completion rate, 382 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions across three games. That earned him a 109.9 rating and the NFL’s Preseason MVP award on the All-Preseason team. The pick matters because Matthew Stafford is 37 years old and is only under contract through 2026, even as extension talks continue. McVay has been clear that it is still Stafford’s team right now, and Simpson’s path looks a lot like Jordan Love’s in Green Bay, sitting and learning behind a proven starter before taking over. A rookie with only 15 college starts putting up numbers like that in his first NFL action is exactly the kind of proof point the Rams needed that their succession plan is on track.

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With all this, are the Rams frauds? It’s what most people are saying after this first game.

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Week 1 was an embarrassing sight; they lost to their Division Rivals by 20 in the NFL’s first game in Australia. Aaron Donald did not travel with the team, and star edge Myles Garret cited his knee in his first game of the season and had 0 tackles. Sean McVay went with flying in 24 hours before, which influenced the players’ jet lag. Social Media is using this as an excuse for their loss, but the real excuse is how they played.

So what’s next after this game? Change the Offense? Change the Defense? Neither; they need to re-induce their confidence. They aren’t the team they were last year, playing aggressively, driving the ball down the field, and just dominating with their strong, star-studded receivers, Puka Nacua, who had more tackles than Myles Garret during this game.

Rams play the Giants next game. This is their chance to reintroduce themselves, gain confidence, and hopefully get to New York on time. Domination should be their only mindset in this game; it shouldn’t even be close.