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NFL Analyst Reveals Bold Prediction For Los Angeles Rams

Originally posted on NFL Analysis Network
By Matthew Schmidt | Last updated 5/3/24

Are the Los Angeles Rams darkhorse contenders in the NFC heading into next season?

You wouldn’t typically think of this current iteration of the Rams as legitimate Super Bowl hopefuls, but when you look at the rest of the conference, anything is possible.

The San Francisco 49ers could have a Super Bowl hangover. The Dallas Cowboys have done nothing to improve. The Philadelphia Eagles had a disastrous second half of 2023. The Green Bay Packers are still very young and could be in line for a sophomore slump.

Could that open the door for Los Angeles to make some noise?

Fox Sports analyst Craig Carton thinks the Rams are on the fringes.

"They're just on the outside. They're a playoff team."

— @craigcartonlive on the Rams pic.twitter.com/5qwMOB3HVx
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) May 3, 2024

Carton says that he thinks that Los Angeles is a playoff team and that anything can happen in the postseason, but he does not think LA is on the same level as the 49ers.

That’s a pretty solid assessment.

The Rams did just make the playoffs this past season, but lost to the Detroit Lions in the Wild Card Round. The question is, did Los Angeles really get any better this offseason?

The Rams did do some work along their offensive line, but otherwise, they were fairly quiet in free agency.

Los Angeles also lost its heart and soul in Aaron Donald to retirement, and while LA did address the defensive front in the draft, it’s going to be nearly impossible to replace what Donald brought to the table, both from a production standpoint and in the locker room.

A lot of this also depends on the health of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has certainly had his fair share of injury issues.

On paper, the Rams look decent, but they are playing in the same division as the NFC’s best team, and let’s remember that it took a huge second half for LA to even make the playoffs in 2023.

This article first appeared on NFL Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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