This could be the end for Matthew Stafford. If it is, the LA Rams will have their work cut out for them as they not only have to replace him, but continue to be one of the top teams in the NFC West and the NFC as a whole. This won’t be an easy task. It’s easy to say Stafford gets that itch and returns for one more year after how this one ended; but you never know.
With his retirement looming over the future of this Rams team, Sean McVay and his staff have to get aggressive in filling out the holes on this team to keep them atop one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. Here’s three moves the Rams need to make to make sure they’re ready for another deep playoff run in 2026.
1. Sign Malik Willis whether Matthew Stafford retires or not
First order of business is to sign Malik Willis this offseason. He’ll be a big name for quite a few quarterback-needy teams and the Rams need to be quick to poach him. Whether Stafford comes back or not, they need to bring in Willis. If Willis lands with the Rams, that gives this team insurance they’re set whenever Stafford decides to call it a career.
If LA waits around for Stafford to make a decision and miss out on Willis, it would set them back and that’s not an option right now. Signing Willis is the best of both worlds. He probably spends one more season as a backup before taking over one of the top offenses in the NFL.
2. Capitalize with two first round draft picks
Thanks to the Atlanta Falcons unnecessary greed for EDGE rushers last year, the LA Rams have a second first round pick, which will help them address two needs almost immediately. They have to think best available with their needs and have a strong draft strategy going into April. Here’s a four-round mock that should give the exactly what they need:
- Round 1, pick 13: Makai Lemon, USC, WR
- Round 1, pick 29: C.J. Allen, Georgia, LB
- Round 2, pick 61: Malik Muhammad, Texas, DB
- Round 3, pick 93: Parker Brailsford, Alabama, IOL
With this draft strategy, the Rams cover all their bases, capitalizing on their multiple early picks. Makai Lemon and C.J. Allen feel like no brainers with their first round selections. They need some depth with their coverage linebackers and Allen would be a massive steal with their second first round pick.
Getting Lemon with the No. 13 pick gives them some receiver depth and prepares for the eventual departure of Davante Adams. The Malik Muhammad pick with the second pick feels like a steal to me. I am high on Muhammad and truthfully, the Rams should take a DB with their first round pick unless someone like Aveion Terrell or Jermod McCoy is there for them to steal. Between Muhammad and possibly Devin Moore, that’s where I’d focus in the second round.
As for Parker Brailsford, this was a wild card pick. I didn’t really like any of the interior offensive lineman in that spot so I went with the best available, but it could be something where a trade or a free agency move could bolster the line over the draft. That said, that pick could be used in a variety of ways.
3. Improve their entire secondary through NFL Draft, free agency
Not only do they need cornerback depth, but they need safety depth too. Kamren Curl is set to become a free agent and if they don’t re-sign him, they’ll need some upgrades if they want to return to the post season. As good as their defense was, it started in the trenches. Their secondary was iffy throughout the playoffs.
That’s why addressing their corners should be first and then improving their safeties. Peeking at pending free agents, Kansas City’s Bryan Cook and New England’s Jaylinn Hawkins are two names to watch. Obviously Curl could come back and Coby Bryant in Seattle could become available too.
As for the draft, the Rams could use one of their second or third round picks to go safety instead of corner back and then go after cornerback later in the draft. In another mock simulation, I went Dillon Thieneman from Oregon in the second round and then Chandler Rivers in the third.