Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Four NFL teams are urged to adopt the Rams' aggressive, all-in strategy to contend for the 2027 Super Bowl.
- Each franchise faces distinct challenges that could be solved by bold trades or high-risk draft moves.
- The decision for these teams will test their front offices' willingness to sacrifice long-term assets for immediate championship glory.
The Los Angeles Rams did the most Los Angeles Rams thing possible on Monday afternoon, trading a boatload of future draft picks (and 25-year-old Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse) to the Cleveland Browns in an all-in bid to acquire reigning DPOY and record-holding sack leader Myles Garrett.
The Rams have always done this in the Les Snead/Sean McVay era. Picks don't equate the winning; players do. Los Angeles is willing to sacrifice the future and complicate their cap sheet if it means putting the best football team on the field, especially with Matthew Stafford on a year-to-year basis. It has worked in the past, and right now, there isn't a more obvious favorite to win the Super Bowl next February. These teams should probably take a page out of L.A.'s book if they want to keep up.
Philadelphia Eagles
Howie Roseman has never been afraid to swing a big trade or splurge on a major free agent. There are parallels here, too, in that part of Los Angeles' success resides in their ability to find impact talent in the draft, even when the Rams don't own all their first-round picks. Howie Roseman might be the best draft evaluator in the NFL. Philadelphia has a ton of success in early rounds, but the Eagles can generally be trusted to find hidden gems on Day 2 or Day 3, if needed.
The Eagles are always all-in, but their reported interest in Micah Parsons, Trey Hendrickson and even Myles Garrett hints at a desire to continue raising the stakes. Philly has one of the most dominant defenses in the NFL, with a tremendous play-caller in Vic Fangio.
Where the Eagles need to prove it this season is offensively. Sean Mannion should prove to be a substantial upgrade over Kevin Patullo on the sideline, but Jalen Hurts will need to buy in and change his approach. More crossers, more intermediate stuff, less rogue takeovers at the line of scrimmage. The Eagles, on paper, are the clearest threat to L.A. in the NFC. If the team can coalesce (and if Roseman can keep his foot on the metaphorical gas pedal), Philly has a chance.
Seattle Seahawks
Duh? The Seattle Seahawks are the reigning champs after all. The Rams are going to be preseason favorites and the talk of the town in NFL circles, but Seattle just dispatched them in the playoffs and cruised to a title, dominating the season front-to-back with very little true resistance.
Los Angeles was the biggest obstacle in Seattle's path last season, and now that obstacle has grown. This was not a bad offseason for the Seahawks, but the loss of Kenneth Walker III and especially of OC Klint Kubiak does leave room for uncertainty. The Seahawks can do away with some of that uncertainty with an all-in move of their own.
Mike Macdonald captained the most comprehensive and suffocating defense in the NFL last season. That is how the Rams will be defeated. For all the value Garrett supplies as a pass-rusher, the Rams' superpower is still their ability to put points on the board, with the reigning MVP at quarterback and the NFC's most talented, well-balanced receiving room. Seattle needs to take every measure possible to conquer L.A.'s titanic offense.
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs won six games last season, a sobering comedown for the most dominant and dynastic team since Tom Brady's Patriots. Patrick Mahomes tore his ACL down the stretch, but it appears he will be good to go for Week 1. It's time for the Chiefs to really double down on the resurrection tour.
This was a productive offseason for the Chiefs, who paid big money to pry Walker III away from Seattle to address their void at running back. Kansas City also hit the NFL Draft out of the park. Still, with Rashee Rice in stuck in another vicious legal cycle of his own creation, questions remain about the fallibility of this Chiefs receiver room. And that's embarrassing; there's no reason the Chiefs should be struggling to field a competent pass-catching group around the greatest quarterback of his generation.
Kansas City has struggled to balance their checkbook in recent years, but the Chiefs are the most obvious "throw caution to the wind" team in the NFL. There's no reason Kansas City shouldn't mortgage the future if it means giving Mahomes the weaponry necessary to live up to his immense talent on the postseason stage. Mahomes gives you a chance in any game, against any opponent. The Chiefs should be all-in, no questions asked.
Buffalo Bills
Mahomes is the greatest quarterback of a generation, but Josh Allen is the current best quarterback on the planet. Even last season, with his body half-broken and a shell of a team around him, Allen led Buffalo past Jacksonville in the first round of the playoffs by sheer wil power alone. No quarterback is more adept at manufacturing advantages out of thin air. The mobility, the power-drive athleticism, the unmatched arm talent — he is truly one of one.
Any team with Allen as their quarterback should be spamming every available talent upgrade. Unfortunately, Buffalo has done pretty much the opposite in recent years, shedding premium contributors in an effort to alleviate their cap burden. The Bills let Stefon Diggs walk in 2023 and didn't really replace him with a proven veteran until this offseason, which is unforgivable. And even now, it's not like DJ Moore is the same sort of ironclad WR1.
Buffalo still has major holes to fill on both sides. The defense was not good enough last season, and while Moore certainly helps the offense perk up, Buffalo's offensive line and overall receiving talent still leaves room for doubt. The Bills would really do well to turn a few picks into a marquee edge rusher, a la Maxx Crosby, but time will tell if the front office has the appetite for that sort of aggression.
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