However, despite posting winning seasons in 2019 and 2020, the team was only able to make one playoff appearance and won just one game. It was becoming clear that there were some limitations to the team’s upside, and if they wanted to take advantage of the strong core they had, they would need to make some moves.
General manager Les Snead helped do just that. He and McVay worked to retool the Rams’ roster after their disappointing follow-ups to their 13-3 Super Bowl loss to the Patriots in 2019. They added some key, high-end talents but also worked diligently to improve the team’s depth and develop some unheralded players already on the roster.
The result? The Rams are back in the Super Bowl. This time, they will face the Bengals and they will be favored to beat Cincinnati and take home a title for the first time since 2000.
How did the Rams build their Super Bowl roster? Here’s a look at their recent draft picks, free agent signings and the aggressive moves they made in 2021 in an effort to make a juggernaut.
MORE: Meet Kevin O’Connell, Rams offensive coordinator and reported future Vikings coach
Matthew Stafford trade: Rams land upgrade at QB
The Rams weren’t among the teams that desperately needed a quarterback during the 2021 NFL offseason. They had Jared Goff and while the former No. 1 overall pick had his share of issues, the team had invested heavily in him with a lucrative deal and rode him to a Super Bowl 54 appearance.
However, Sean McVay and Les Snead knew if the team could get an upgrade, it might put them over the top. That’s why they pulled the trigger on a deal to acquire Matthew Stafford from the Lions.
Stafford was long one of the NFL’s underrated quarterbacks, and he and the Lions agreed to part ways during the 2021 offseason. The Rams got involved in the sweepstakes for him and ultimately won it. Below is what they gave up to acquire Stafford.
Matthew Stafford trade details
Rams receive: Matthew Stafford Lions receive: Jared Goff, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 first-round pick, 2021 third-round pick
It helped Los Angeles’ cause that current Lions general manager, Brad Holmes, came from the Rams’ front office. He evidently liked Goff enough to make the deal and use him as a bridge while Detroit rebuilt the rest of its team.
Meanwhile, the Rams got a high-end starting quarterback in Stafford. He posted a strong season for the Rams and logged 4,886 passing yards and 41 touchdowns while completing 67.2 percent of his passes. He threw a league-high 17 interceptions, but his downfield, playmaking ability proved superior to Goff.
Stafford undoubtedly gave the Rams a higher ceiling in 2021, and McVay enjoyed coaching him during the 2021 season.
“Bro, this dude’s a bad MF-er,” McVay said of Stafford to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer. “Whatever people say about him, as good as it can be, he’s even better than advertised. It makes sense to him. The guy’s ability to see the game, his ability to draw on his experiences, the feel that he has, it’s pretty special and unique. And man, his feel for people, his authentic way of connecting with his teammates, his coaches, this guy, it’s great being around him.”
Credit McVay and Snead for knowing exactly what their team could be with an above-average starter instead of a lower-tier one.
MORE: Why the Lions traded Matthew Stafford, explained
The 2021 Rams and the NFL Draft: Finding value without first-round picks
One of the most incredible parts of the Rams’ Super Bowl run is that they haven’t used a first-round draft pick since 2016. They have dealt them away for key players, including Stafford and Jalen Ramsey, so the last first-round pick they made was actually Goff.
Despite their lack of early-round resources, the Rams still have developed homegrown players at a high rate, as Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com detailed on Twitter.
How have the Rams done that? They have found values on Days 2 and 3 of the draft and turned them into key role players on both offense and defense.
Since 2017, the Rams have drafted five offensive starters outside of the first round. They have done particularly well finding offensive linemen, as 2018 fourth-round pick Brian Allen and 2019 fifth-round pick David Edwards have both become solid interior offensive line starters. Joseph Noteboom, a 2018 third-round pick, has also played a key role for the team as a swing tackle and spot starter.
Of course, fans of the team will be a bit more familiar with players like Cam Akers and Van Jefferson, two second-round picks in 2020 that have been key parts of the offense during this Super Bowl run. And, of course, who can forget Cooper Kupp, a 2017 third-round pick who nearly racked up 2,000 receiving yards during the 2021 NFL season.
The Rams’ success on defense has been notable as well, especially up the middle. They have uncovered players like defensive tackle Greg Gaines, a 2019 fourth-round pick who had 4.5 sacks this year, and undrafted linebacker Troy Reeder, who was one of the primary starting middle linebackers along with rookie third-round pick Ernest Jones.
Even more impressive is the group of safeties that the Rams have collected over the years. They selected Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott in the second and seventh rounds of the 2019 NFL Draft before taking Jordan Fuller in the sixth round of the 2020 draft. All three have been well-rounded players with good coverage skills, and Fuller, in particular, has become a steal.
These players may not be household names, but they haven’t needed to be. The Rams spent a lot of their draft capital on proven, NFL-ready players and stars to ensure that they just had to find role players. While not all of their big acquisitions — like the trade up for Goff and trade for Brandin Cooks — have panned out, they have hit on enough of their stash of mid-to-late-round draft picks to field a team that is both well-rounded and deep.
MORE: Cooper Kupp’s breakout campaign coincides with new diet
The 2021 Rams and NFL free agency: Picking their spots
As aggressive as Snead and the Rams have been on the trade market, they tend to be rather tame in free agency. They have made a handful of bigger signings since McVay was hired in 2017, but they tend to choose their targets carefully.
The Rams’ most aggressive free agency under Snead and McVay came in 2017. They made several key signings, chief of which was adding Andrew Whitworth to the fold. They needed help at left tackle and Whitworth, then 35, was viewed as a good bridge option.
Five years later, Whitworth is still starting. He is the oldest active player in the NFL, after Tom Brady’s retirement, and became the oldest player to start a game at left tackle on “Monday Night Football” against the Cardinals earlier in the year.
Robert Woods was also signed by the Rams in 2017. He was their de facto No. 1 receiver until Kupp’s breakout year in 2021, so needless to say that he has panned out well for them. He would be a key cog in Super Bowl 56 had he not torn his ACL midway through the 2021 NFL season.
Since 2017, the Rams have made just two critical signings. They added safety Eric Weddle in 2019 and signed rush linebacker Leonard Floyd as a cap casualty in 2020. Floyd is a key part of the Rams’ pass rush rotation while Weddle started in 2019 and returned to the team for the 2022 NFL postseason to provide safety depth out of retirement.
The Rams’ cautious approach in free agency has paid off. They have found quality contributors without overspending on anyone too frequently. That has given them more of an opportunity to make trades, as they have had the assets and money needed to both acquire and pay their top targets.
MORE: Why Eric Weddle came out of retirement to join the Rams
Von Miller trade: Rams add more high-end talent to defense
The Rams had a strong roster coming into the 2021 NFL season and were expected to be a playoff team. However, they were able to raise their ceiling by making a couple of key in-season moves.
One of them was trading for Von Miller. The Broncos elected to move on from their long-time pass rusher and the Rams saw it as an opportunity to improve their pass rush across from Floyd and next to Aaron Donald.
Miller didn’t come cheap. The Rams had to give up two, Day 2 picks in 2022 to acquire his expiring contract.
Von Miller trade details
Rams receive: Von Miller Broncos receive: 2022 second and third-round draft picks
That said, Miller has helped make the Rams more dangerous. He generated five sacks in nine regular-season games with the team and has 12 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in three playoff games. He is making an impact and will look to do the same against the Bengals’ subpar offensive line in Super Bowl 56.
MORE: Why the Rams traded for Von Miller, explained
Odell Beckham Jr. signing: Rams land Robert Woods replacement cheap
The Rams were the big winners of the Odell Beckham Jr. sweepstakes. He chose them over several other teams he was considering after his release from the Browns, including Bill Belichick and the Patriots.
Beckham proved to be a critical acquisition for the Rams. Woods tore his ACL just days after the Rams signed Beckham. As tough as it was losing Woods, it was serendipitous that OBJ was there to provide key depth. Originally, he was added to the fold to push Van Jefferson for the No. 3 receiver spot. After that injury, he was thrust into the No. 2 role across from Kupp immediately.
It took Beckham some time, but eventually, he worked into a groove with Stafford. He has recorded 46 catches for 541 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games for the Rams, including the playoffs.
Los Angeles can actually thank one of their other key acquisitions for helping lure Beckham to the Rams. Miller had always wanted to play with him, and as Beckham weighed the options, he realized that he also wanted to play with his good friends Miller and Ramsey.
“It just was on my heart and I feel like this was the right place,” Beckham said after winning the NFC championship. “Just truly an amazing moment. Here with Von, this is a brother. We talked about this. Didn’t ever think that it would really be possible, and here we are.”
The Rams’ ability to tinker with their roster and add talent in the middle of the season is a big part of why they made it to Super Bowl 56. Now, they will hope that the win-now roster they constructed has one more victory in it as the Rams look to win their second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
