Even after last year’s steep decline, the Rams saw the McVay coaching tree plucked yet again. Brown had been with the Rams since 2020; he is now in place as the Panthers’ non-play-calling OC. Brown, 36, had coached running backs and tight ends in L.A. He drew interest from the Texans as well; Houston interviewed the rising assistant for its HC job in January. Olson, another multi-stint Rams staffer who had come back to help Coen, is now with Seattle. He will join another ex-Rams assistant, Shane Waldron, in mentoring Geno Smith.
While Stafford looks out of place on the current Rams, the team’s four-year, $160M extension—authorized in 2022—has the ex-Lions QB under contract through 2026. Stafford’s trade value cratered last year, after elbow trouble and a spinal contusion spoiled his Super Bowl follow-up. (Though, the Rams are believed to have tried to find a market before that $62M hit their 2023 and 2024 books.) After being shut down as the season nosedived, Stafford participated in the Rams’ offseason program.
Snead called Stafford, Donald and Kupp organizational pillars, but if this season shows the team is truly rebuilding, it cannot be assumed all three 30-somethings—Stafford is 35, Donald is 32 and Kupp is 30—will be part of the 2024 Rams. Donald’s contract, which includes a no-trade clause, pays out its guarantees this year.
Top 10 cap charges for 2023:
- Aaron Donald, DT: $26M
- Matthew Stafford, QB: $20M
- Cooper Kupp, WR: $17.36M
- Rob Havenstein, RT: $9.7M
- Tyler Higbee, TE: $9.13M
- Joseph Noteboom, LT: $6.5M
- Brian Allen, C: $3.1M
- Jordan Fuller, S: $2.79M
- Cam Akers, RB: $1.96M
- Van Jefferson, WR: $1.79M
This section rarely reaches the sub-$2M level, highlighting the Rams’ thinning number of big contracts. The top three certainly stick out, considering they were signed barely a year ago. While clear roster holes exist on defense, the Rams have a proven quarterback, an ace wide receiver and one of the league’s all-time defensive greats. It does not seem enough depth surrounds the Stafford-Kupp-Donald trio, but in an NFC flooded with questions, the thought of McVay piecing together a competitive squad does not seem delusional. If we hit mid-October and that is not happening, how serious will the trade rumors that inevitably involve the team’s remaining All-Pros be?
As the Rams try to avoid wasting early-30s years from their best two players, this season will simultaneously present a largescale developmental assignment. The Rams have made several mid- and late-round picks productive starters under the McVay-Snead partnership. As rookies could comprise more than a fourth of the roster, this season will put the regime to a new test.
