Between now and the end of August, TGS will offer up a quick snapshot of every NFL team heading into the 2016 regular season. Today, the Los Angeles Rams.
2015 in a nutshell: The quarterbacks are a mess and the offense is anemic as they finish 7-9, failing to post a winning record for the 11th consecutive season.
Why 2016 could be different: They’re now located in Los Angeles, and they have a No. 1 pick at quarterback.
Major additions: That quarterback is Cal product Jared Goff, who is competing for the Week 1 starting job.
Major losses: They cut veteran Chris Long and lost starting defensive backs Janoris Jenkins and Rodney McLeod in free agency.
Breakout watch: Running back Todd Gurley had a huge rookie season in 2015 and is expected by many to become a superstar in his second season. Remember, he was coming off a torn ACL last year but still surpassed 1,100 yards despite starting just 12 games.
Position to watch: With Jenkins and McLeod gone, the secondary is close to barren. They did bring back Mark Barron and Trumaine Johnson, but it’s open season at both safety positions, as well as CB2.
Prediction: They’re still a year away in that tough division, especially if Goff starts and experiences standard growing pains. That said, they should be slightly better this year than they were in 2015. I’ll give them an 8-8 record.
