Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams

There's no doubt that there are storylines aplenty for the Rams, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's a team ready to win it all in 2016. The return to Los Angeles will draw the spotlight, and the Rams have young stars like Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald to soak it in. The question is whether those obvious strengths on the roster will be enough to make up for areas that aren't as star-studded.

Jared Goff may one day be another one of those star players for the Rams, and in a best-case scenario, he's a success right away in LA. But a Super Bowl-caliber season just isn't a realistic hope, let alone expectation, for Goff, who has battled through a tough preseason and may have to watch Case Keenum in the starting lineup, at least for a while. But the offense will run through Gurley, probably the most exciting young running back in the NFL. If he can deliver with highlights and the defense can survive the changes in the secondary, Jeff Fisher might be able to finally shake his tendency to finish around .500.

5 questions with Turf Show Times


Does the excitement of having a new team in L.A. outweigh the last decade of terrible results?

There's a schism in the fan base between those who have been fans and the new population. For the "new" L.A.-based fans who either: (a) Haven't paid much attention to the Rams or regular season NFL football or (b) Consider themselves Rams fans but haven't paid much attention to them in some time, I think it does. We've seen quite a bit of that from fans who are supportive of Rams head coach Jeff Fisher and the trajectory of this team … neither of which is really all that supportable by normal human logic. But for the majority of Rams fans who have actually watched this team in the last four years under Fisher and general manager Les Snead, I don't think it does. That goes even for Los Angeles-based fans who have watched the team. With a new franchise QB in tow and the Rams' home stadium not even opening until 2019, there is a sense that there's time for the Rams to figure it all out. The question is how much of the luster will wear off by then if results haven’t improved.

What are the expectations for Goff this year, besides goosing ticket sales?

Case Keenum looks like he’ll be the starter, so Goff's coming in as the backup and with the worst offense in the NFL in 2015. The personnel changes to that 32nd-ranked offense aside from Goff? Cutting Jared Cook and drafting two wide receivers and two tight ends on Day 3 of the 2016 NFL Draft. So it's fair to expect less than stellar statistical production from Goff in 2016. That being said, he was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Context aside, if he doesn't star this year and put up a season that tops Philadelphia Eagles QB Carson Wentz … well, we all know what we'll be reading in a year's time. If the Rams' strategy is to lean on defense and running back Todd Gurley (and it is), then the whoever the quarterback is just has to avoid being the reason why the Rams' offense fails, something Nick Foles couldn't do in 2015.

Is there much faith that Jeff Fisher will be able to develop a viable franchise quarterback?

You've been hacked.

With seven first-round picks in the front seven, the defense is getting a lot of hype, but that unit also went through some pretty big changes during the offseason (losing Chris Long, James Laurinaitis, Rodney McLeod and Janoris Jenkins). Is this still one of the NFL's best defenses?

That's tough to predict. The Rams were the ultimate bend-but-don't-break defense last year, finishing 27th in yards but near the top of the league in terms of points allowed and red zone stinginess. As you noted, they're losing a starter at every level and adding CB Coty Sensabaugh, so there's reason to expect regression. I think there's a case for optimism, though, because the Rams lost a TON of time to injuries on the defense last season, especially to LB Alec Ogletree, DE Robert Quinn and CB E.J. Gaines. The hope will be that a healthier defense limits regression while improvement on the offensive side that outweighs that regression. When that doesn't happen after Week 1, I expect Rams fans to assume their normal positions.

How does the first month of the season go? The last month of the season? What's the final record going to be?

Well, the season is going to start off huge with a Week 1 Monday Night Football slot against the San Francisco 49ers. One of the least enjoyable aspects of Fisherball is the consistent slow starts. In fact, the Rams have started off 1-2 every year under Jeff Fisher. Making things worse is that the Rams have the third-toughest schedule in the NFL in 2016. So I've got them with an ugly month to get the season started and an ugly month closing things out for another ugly year of ugly 7-9 football … in beautiful L.A.

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