Giving up long-term stability for short-term success: Worth it for the Rams?

I’ll be honest; I don’t subscribe to the win-at-all-costs mentality. Personally, I’m not really that competitive. I play to have fun, and if I win it’s a nice bonus. So, I’m probably not aligned to most NFL General Managers with my attitude to the game. Which makes being a Los Angeles Rams fan seem quite contradictory.

I will preface this by saying I was a fan of the Rams when the then St. Louis franchise rolled into London to face the Patriots back in 2012. Back when we had first round picks, a first overall selection in Sam Bradford under centre and an expectation going into a game which can only come with a losing record most seasons. We scored a touchdown on the first drive, and then had to witness 45 unanswered points.

Yes, my team was well beaten on the day. But from that day on, I was hooked. A youthful developing QB, with young studs like Brian Quick, Robert Quinn and Rodger Safford emerging resembles an up-and-coming roster. This is what the game is all about, building a side-up for scratch.

Now, 10 years on, heading into Super Bowl LVI that excitement reached its peak. A championship winning side with some of the biggest names in football. Aaron Donald, the greatest defensive player of all time. Cooper Kupp, undisputed generational talent with an elite QB in Matt Stafford. And Jalen Ramsey, still one of the best cornerbacks when he performs.

But after a shaky start to the 2022 season with LA 2-3 after five rounds, there is also a lot of cause for concern.

Off the field, it’s less about the football. I mean, we are in LA! Coach Sean McVay appears during commercial breaks advertising Chunky Soup, we had a preseason video with Sawyer from Lost cast as Les “F*** Those Picks” Snead (I assume because we had nothing else to do Day One of the draft) and a series of C list Celebs pictured in jerseys Game Day at “Who’s House? Rams House!” (SoFi Stadium, legally shared with the Chargers so it’s less of a house and more of a flat share at best).

And maybe that’s the issue, that we share with the Chargers. Two franchises that have moved to LA for better times. The city neighbours have gone down the traditional route, building up with a newly drafted QB in Justin Herbert, with ambitions progress each year before setting sights on the ultimate price.

Meanwhile, Stafford doesn’t quite have the same profile on a franchise. Infact, I’d argue that the Rams have little identity outside of Kupp, Donald and Ramsey. They don’t have a first-round pick until 2024 yet wonder why we have huge gaps in our roster.

Stafford and Donald are into their 30s, and Kupp will join them next year. And with the likes of Aaron Donald, Bobby Wagner and others all ageing, this side could be on its last legs very soon.

What does this season look like for LA?

Sport lives in the now. And the now seems to point towards a Rams decline, just months after winning the biggest prize in the game.

I don’t recognise this current day Rams team. There seems to be no plan after winning the Super Bowl, with the tide really turning for Sean McVay and his players.

We’ve sold our future for established talent and it’s frustrating to see the current plummet from the highs of last year.

Unearthing new talent is what appeals to so many fans across the NFL. Big names come and go, especially with the market of the sport. I don’t care if Doja Cat is at SoFi or if Chris Pratt could be cast as Stafford in the story of our Super Bowl win, I just I want a team to try their best with no expectation to win (Dan Campbell, I tip my cap). After all, to paraphrase Michael Caine, why do we fall, if not to learn to pick ourselves up again?

This must sound ungrateful, particularly having just won the Super Bowl. But there’s not a lot I see and admire in the current Rams team in 2022. They are looking unlikely to be able to defend the Lombardi Trophy this season, and at this stage are way of the playoff picture in the NFC.

The Rams may have won the Battle of Los Angeles for now. But I’m not sure they’ll win many hearts across the ocean with their attitude of selling the future for the here and now. Let’s wait and see whether the attempt to ‘run-it-back’ translates to anything anybody outside of LA cares about.