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After retaining quarterback Matthew Stafford, signing veteran wide receiver Davante Adams, and securing a serviceable haul in the NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Rams have assembled one of the best rosters in the National Football League.
They will undoubtedly be one of the league's biggest draws this season. The Rams responded responsibly to their playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles by pouring into their roster. They even helped themselves in next year's draft by securing the Atlanta Falcons' first-round pick.
Still, the Rams will look to win the NFC West again and secure a home playoff game. They will have stiff competition once again, as nearly every team in the division improved over the offseason. Still, no team in the division, or arguably the league, has improved its roster as much as the Rams.
Last season proved that records and expectations are meaningless in division games, as the NFC West witnessed more than a few upsets in divisional matchups. The Rams nearly lost a must-win game against a depleted San Francisco 49ers team.
It was a Thursday night game in which they did not score a touchdown, four days after they scored a season-high 44 points against the Buffalo Bills. Still, the 49ers were a tough out. The Rams and 49ers nearly always make for a competitive game, regardless of either team's record.
David Helman of FOX Sports listed the Rams' matchup against the 49ers as one of the matchups the league should consider scheduling for Christmas Day. The league generally puts its best foot forward on holidays, especially Christmas Day, so slotting the Rams and 49ers for then would be fitting.
"I’ll say it again: Every big holiday should include at least one division rivalry, and this is one of the best. Nine of the past 12 Niners/Rams games have been decided by one possession, and both teams should be in contention to win the NFC West in 2025. Another bonus is that, by playing this game at SoFi Stadium in L.A., we’ll be guaranteed at least one Christmas game that isn’t affected by winter weather," Helman said.
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Cowboys' CeeDee Lamb shares Brian Schottenheimer's stern message after another camp incident
It will be even harder for the Dallas Cowboys to rebound from a 7-10 season if they don't stop fighting each other. Last week, there were multiple incidents at training camp in Oxnard, California. On Wednesday, more scuffles broke out, and rookie offensive tackle Ajani Cornelius was ejected after punching a teammate (via ESPN's Todd Archer). Cowboys rookie head coach Brian Schottenheimer subsequently stopped practice and made players and members of the coaching staff sprint sideline to sideline. He also sent a clear message to his team. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb reiterated it in a news conference. "Do we want to be champions? Because throughout the year of us being here, talent was never the problem for us," Lamb said. "It was always discipline. How do we, like, get ahead but not behind? How do we not shoot ourselves in the foot? Honestly, when that momentum is going our way, we need to continue to keep the foot on the pedal and make the right play and always think about the team." It's good for the Cowboys that Schottenheimer emphasized discipline after practice, but the coach may have inadvertently contributed to the issue. At the start of camp, he indicated he wanted the Cowboys to be more aggressive. "We want to have a very physical training camp," the coach told the media. "That's really important to us both offensively and defensively. How we want to play, be a physical team both offensively and defensively." It appears his team misinterpreted the message. This raises concerns about Schottenheimer's ability to maintain control, especially in a locker room featuring volatile personalities, such as new wide receiver George Pickens. Lamb seems to be listening to Schottenheimer, but the coach must connect with other players. If he doesn't, trouble could be brewing in Dallas.
Mariners acquire Eugenio Suarez in blockbuster deal
The hype around Eugenio Suarez at the trade deadline has been circulating for quite some time, and now, the 34-year-old third baseman has been dealt to the Seattle Mariners, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Suarez has bounced around the major leagues through a 12-year career, including a stop in Seattle for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. In that span, Suarez tallied 267 hits, 53 home runs and 183 RBIs. In Passan's report, the trade is pending a medical review. Suarez was hit on the right index finger by a pitch while playing on Monday in Detroit. There were no fractures revealed in his CT scan and MRI exam he got after leaving the game. Suarez has not played since that game on Monday. Suarez joins a Seattle team that is fighting in the AL West race, trailing five games to the Houston Astros. The Mariners are also clinging to the third AL Wild Card spot, tied with the Texas Rangers and in the playoff pack with the Yankees and Red Sox. Suarez in Seattle also means that two of the top home run hitters in baseball will team up on the same lineup card. Cal Raleigh leads the league with 41 home runs and added a Home Run Derby title to his 2025 season accolades. Suarez sits in fifth place in MLB with his 36 homers. Suarez is the first player in MLB history to be traded in-season after reaching 35 home runs, as reported by Yahoo Sports. MLB.com's Daniel Kramer reported shortly after the Suarez trade news broke that the return to Arizona will be Tyler Locklear and pitching prospects Hunter Cranton (No. 16) and right-hander Juan Burgos (No. 17), according to Kramer. Locklear made his MLB debut last season and played 16 games with the Mariners, putting together seven hits and a .156 batting average in 49 plate appearances. Suarez will not have a chance to see his former team as Arizona and Seattle don't meet this season, but the veteran first baseman will likely get a chance to expand upon limited playoff experience, and he'll do so playing his best baseball.
Phillies' blockbuster trade just upped the pressure on Dodgers
The Philadelphia Phillies struck a deal to land a big bullpen arm in Jhoan Duran on Wednesday night, not only boosting their own relief corps but also putting more pressure on the Los Angeles Dodgers. Both the Dodgers and Phillies had been linked to Duran, a right-hander who posted 12 saves along with a 2.01 ERA so far this season. However, it was Philadelphia that struck the pre-trade-deadline deal, bringing the 27-year-old on board in exchange for a pair of the franchise's top 10 prospects. Now the next move belongs to Los Angeles. Both the Phillies and Dodgers are expected to be among the teams competing for the National League title in October, but Los Angeles is in desperate need to reinforce its bullpen before that happens. Dodger relievers Tanner Scott, Michael Kopech, Evan Phillips and Brusdar Graterol have all spent time on the injured list this year, and the Los Angeles bullpen has suffered with their absences. Entering Wednesday's action, Dodgers relievers had posted a minus-3.4 Wins Above Average (WAA), placing Los Angeles 25th among MLB's 30 teams in that category. Additionally, Dodgers starters have thrown just 493.1 innings this year. That's the lowest number in MLB and makes Los Angeles the only MLB team to have their starters not cross the 500-inning threshold. With L.A. starters not going deep into the game and current Dodger relievers struggling with health and performance when called upon, it's clear that Duran would have been a big piece for the Dodgers to add to their personnel puzzle. With Duran heading to Philadelphia and Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase off the trading block after being the subject of an MLB investigation, the number of true impact relievers is dwindling ahead of Thursday's 6 p.m. (Eastern) MLB trade deadline. Minnesota's Griffin Jax is still a possibility, as is David Bednar from the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, the clock is ticking on the Dodgers to make a move ... and it will likely be a costly one in terms of prospects. In the wake of the Phillies claiming arguably the biggest bullpen prize of the trade deadline, Los Angeles can't afford to wait.
Kings Up The Ante For Warriors-Jonathan Kuminga Sign & Trade
While the Golden State Warriors want restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga to bend knee, he’s betting on himself this offseason. As a result, he’s eschewed all opportunities to return to The Bay on their terms. In fact, at this point, it’s starting to sound as if he wants to get out of town by any means necessary. Ironically, that could lead to the 22-year-old combo forward joining a franchise that’s even more dysfunctional than the Warriors have been these past two seasons: the Sacramento Kings. Kings Up The Ante For Warriors-Jonathan Kuminga Sign Trade “He wants to go,” Andscape’s Marc J. Spears tells ESPN colleagues Malika Andrews and Kendrick Perkins. “He wants to go and the Kings are offering a starting spot (at) power forward next to Keegan Murray, next to (Domantas) Sabonis. He’s talked on a Zoom call with (general manager) Scott Perry, (assistant general manager) BJ Armstong, and also with their head coach (Doug Christie). So he’s in. He wants to go there… but, I think that first (round pick), the Warriors don’t like the first.” A previous report mentioned that Kuminga had met with Sacramento’s decision-makers. However, it was believed that the Kings had offered the Warriors a package of Devin Carter, Dario Saric and a second-round pick. Perhaps that really was the proposed package at the time. Nevertheless, the intel Spears received makes Golden State’s decision to dig in their heels a real head-scratcher. Letting Down Their Guard? “The Warriors have been defiant,” ESPN senior insider Shams Charania tells Andrews in a separate segment. “They want a good player. They also want an unprotected first-round pick — a good first-round pick. The Sacramento Kings, I’m told, have actually offered a first-round pick in those conversations. It’s been a conditional first-round pick, as well as a potential rotation player… but the Warriors wanted the Sacramento Kings to give an unprotected fully (sic) first-round pick.” The Kings have first-round picks available in each of the next five drafts, including two 2027 first-rounders (h/t ESPN). With that in mind, they can probably afford to give Golden State one that’s unconditional. Yet, the interest Kuminga has in signing with them combined with his disinterest in remaining with the Warriors and his ability to become an unrestricted free agent next year doesn’t give them much incentive to do so. That’s particularly true with the Phoenix Suns, who are also hot on Kuminga’s trail, not having a tradable first-round pick. Consequently, the Suns have offered four second-round picks, according to Spears. Notably, ESPN posted a graphic showing that Phoenix only has three tradable second-rounders.
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