The three hottest seats on the Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams followed a blockbuster Super Bowl season with a box office bomb in 2022. Three familiar names are on the hottest seats in 2023 for the Rams, who could fortify their roster with 10 draft picks.
1. Jalen Ramsey
You know you’re on the hot seat when a Detroit Lion openly courts you on social media. By the numbers, Ramsey is still an amazing player. In 2022, he set career highs for tackles (88), solo tackles (64) and assists (24).
He also had the first two sacks of his career and tied his career high with four interceptions. But when your team wins five games and you make a lot of money, you become a target for other general managers.
The Rams, who went all-in to win a Super Bowl in 2021, are a little more than $14.5 million over the cap, per Spotrac. Ramsey’s $25 million cap number is the third highest on the team. His contract runs through 2025, but the team can clear $17 million off the cap by trading him. His days as a Ram seem numbered.
2. Running back Cam Akers
Akers also had career numbers in 2022, but they didn’t come easily. The third-year back had seven touchdowns in 15 games, but three of those scores came in one game. He had three 100-yard games to end the season, but he was suspended by the team earlier for two games for what it called “personal reasons.”
The Rams sent Akers home for three weeks as they tried to trade him. Luckily for Akers, other teams weren’t interested in a back one year removed from a torn Achilles.
Los Angeles has 10 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft but no first-rounder. If RBs Bijan Robinson (Texas) or Jahmyr Gibbs (Alabama) are available with the 36th pick, the Rams should have no problem pushing Akers aside again.
3. Head coach Sean McVay
After a 5-12 season in 2022, McVay considered resigning. It was just his first losing season in six years with the team, and the 37-year-old took it hard. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, he also faced challenges off the field, including the death of his grandfather.
McVay seemed so serious about leaving that the team let his assistant coaches look for other jobs, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. McVay has also been upfront about his interest in television gigs.
Players supported McVay while he pondered retirement, but let’s see what happens if the team has a slow start.
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