Saturday Confidence Poll for Rams fans

It is the first Saturday of the league year and less than one week into free agency, the only major difference in the NFC West’s landscape in 2021 is that Matthew Stafford is the quarterback of the LA Rams. I do not believe that J.J. Watt in his current form is as valuable of a presence to the Arizona Cardinals and I don’t have reason to think yet that Shane Waldron will elevate the Seattle Seahawks back into Super Bowl status. So until the San Francisco 49ers trade for a quarterback who is as good or better than Stafford, that’s the only chess move of a potentially power-tilting level that I am aware of.

Given that the Rams went 10-6 with the number one defense last season, this one move could theoretically vault them from divisional round contenders to the browsing the full buffet of playoff rounds. Even if the defense regressed to the point of allowing three more points per game than they did in 2020, I still think that the offense could return to the 33 points per game that they were able to score in 2018.

And that would put them in contention as the best team in the NFL next season.

Not that there aren’t opportunities for fault or flaws that could work against that happening for Los Angeles, such as entrusting the left side of the offensive line to a 40-year-old tackle and having to replace a significant portion of the roster and coaching staff again, but as of March I believe that the Rams are the best team in the conference. What’s more interesting is that the 49ers and Seahawks have good argument to also be in contention for that title, while the Cardinals are a Kyler Murray breakthrough season from doing the same.

What are your feelings about the Rams chances at this stage?