NFC West power rankings after J.J. Watt signs with Arizona Cardinals
51. . . . Los Angeles Rams. 1. team
Matthew Stafford is a potential Hall of Fame quarterback, who had the first half of his career wasted by the woebegone Detroit Lions who struggled mightily to build a contender around him.
Stafford arrives in Los Angeles taking the reigns of the most talented roster in the most talented division in the NFL.
In Detroit, Stafford’s most gifted receivers since Calvin Johnson’s retirement were the likes of Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, and Kenny Golladay. Now behind center for the Rams, Stafford has the benefit of throwing to the explosive Robert Woods and steady Cooper Kupp, behind a veteran offensive line.
Defensively, the Rams, of course, boast the game’s most gifted defender in defensive end Aaron Donald, and a secondary that features arguably the premier cornerback in the NFL, Jalen Ramsey.
The Rams acted hyper-aggressively to pry Stafford out of Detroit, but with him behind center, this is a team that legitimately has a chance to make a run at the Super Bowl for at least the next three years.
Matt Lombardo is the site expert for GMenHQ, and writes Between The Hash Marks each Wednesday for FanSided. Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattLombardoNFL.