The Los Angeles Rams are seemingly entering what could be a rebuilding offseason. One year after winning the Super Bowl, the Rams are coming off of a 5-12 season that saw them lose several key players to injury, and it has taken general manager Les Snead down a tear-down path in the offseason.
They have already started the process by releasing Bobby Wagner, and rumors say they are taking calls on Allen Robinson and Jalen Ramsey, two of their highest-paid players. There have also been reports about the availability of quarterback Matthew Stafford, stating that the Rams have been making calls to gauge teams’ interest.
However, Snead fervently denied Stafford trade rumors in a pre-free agency press conference, according to Sarah Barshop of ESPN:
“Matthew is definitely one of our pillars,” Snead said.
Although Stafford appears to be safe, Snead wouldn’t deny that trading some players and getting under the salary cap will be a part of the Rams offseason and that they have already generated significant interest.
Snead said that he counted before the news conference and that he has “probably taken calls on nine players” this offseason.
“We’re trying to assess situations, figure out how to get under the cap [and] what’s the best way to do that,” Snead said. “… We’ve had calls on a lot of our players. Probably other places trying to figure out what are we doing big picture and things like that. It’s been a busy off season discussing players.”
Regardless of who does and doesn’t wind up getting traded, the 2023 Rams figure to look much different than the 2022 Rams. If Snead is being transparent about Stafford’s place within the organization, then he, Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald may be the only stars remaining from the Super Bowl run when the 2023 season begins.
However, it’s much too early in the offseason to make any kind of declaration. If cap space and draft capital are the goals, it won’t be long before the Rams start making moves that put that focus in the spotlight.
Rams not franchise tagging kicker Matt Gay
The Rams opted not to use their franchise tag on kicker Matt Gay, allowing him to become a free agent and sign with any team. He is reportedly already receiving significant interest and is very likely to be kicking for another team in 2023, although the Rams do appear to have interest in keeping him.
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