Los Angeles Rams

Razor-thin cap room this season at $1615.2M ranked 26th, but the books clear sharply and the team rockets to 6th in projected room next year.

25 contracts expiring

Madden Tools Analysis

Two starting spots have weak depth behind the starter.

Just four picks this cycle with no first-rounder on hand, but 17 total picks over three years including two first-rounders signal that the cupboard refills in time.

• Acquired: Round 7 from Browns, next draft
• Traded away: Round 3 to Browns, the third draft
• Traded away: Round 2 to Browns, next draft
• Traded away: Round 1 to Browns, this draft
• Traded away: Round 7 to Chargers, this draft
• Traded away: Round 3 to Chiefs, this draft

The roster's top strength is a dominant defensive front anchored by Garrett and Donald, while the tight end position is the clearest weak spot, with the starter ranking near the bottom of the league.

• TEhigh

  The starting tight end slot ranks 29th out of 32, with Terrance Ferguson (70 overall) leading the depth chart ahead of the aging Tyler Higbee and cut candidate Colby Parkinson.

• RTmedium

  Warren McClendon Jr (73 overall) starts at right tackle, a spot that ranks 25th among starters leaguewide, making this a meaningful upgrade target on the offensive line.

• 73Colby ParkinsonTEColby Parkinson sits third on the depth chart at tight end, provides limited upgrade value at 73 overall, and his release frees $5.5M against $3.6M in dead money, making him the highest-value cap trim on the roster.Frees $5.5M · $3.6M dead
• 68David QuessenberryLTDavid Quessenberry is a 68-overall backup left tackle entering the twilight of his career, and cutting him frees $1.3M against just $180K in dead money for near-zero depth loss.Frees $1.3M · $180.0K dead
• 65Bill MurrayLGBill Murray is a 65-overall guard sitting third on both the left guard and right guard depth charts, and his release is a clean $1.1M save with zero dead money.Frees $1.1M · $0 dead
• 64Stetson Bennett IVQBStetson Bennett IV is a 64-overall third-string quarterback with Ty Simpson ahead of him and Star dev trait offering more long-term upside, and his release frees $1.1M against only $170K in dead money.Frees $1.1M · $170.0K dead
• 62Keir Thomas IILEDGEKeir Thomas II is a 62-overall edge rusher sitting third on the LEDGE depth chart, and releasing him frees $570K with zero dead money owed.Frees $570.0K · $0 dead

The Rams enter this franchise window as a legitimate contender, built around two transcendent players in Matthew Stafford and Myles Garrett. Stafford, however, is entering the twilight of his career, and the succession question at quarterback will define the medium-term arc of this franchise. Puka Nacua at 98 overall and Trent McDuffie at 94 give the offense and defense young pillars to build around long after Stafford's window closes. Aaron Donald remains a force at 95 overall but is similarly in the final stage of his career, so the interior defensive line needs a succession path alongside Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske. The offensive line is the roster's most patchwork unit, with the tight end position ranking near the bottom of the league and the right tackle slot only slightly better. Cap committed spend drops sharply from $224.5M next season to $167.6M the season after, giving the front office real flexibility to address holes in free agency. The draft cupboard is thin this cycle with just four picks, but the young core of Nacua, McDuffie, Kyren Williams, and 23-year-old Star safety Kamren Kinchens provides a foundation to sustain relevance well past the Stafford era.

The franchise was founded on April 11, 1936, in Cleveland, Ohio, by attorney Homer Marshman (the "Rams" name chosen after the Fordham University Rams). The club spent its first season in the second American Football League, then joined the NFL in 1937. After lean early years, and suspending operations in 1943 due to World War II player shortages, the Cleveland Rams won their first NFL Championship in 1945, beating the Washington Redskins 15-14 in roughly −8°F cold, with rookie quarterback Bob Waterfield named league MVP. Owner Dan Reeves moved the team to Los Angeles in 1946, making the Rams the first major pro sports franchise on the West Coast. In Los Angeles the Rams won the 1951 NFL Championship behind Waterfield, Norm Van Brocklin, and receivers Tom Fears and Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch. The 1960s were defined by the "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line, Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosey Grier, and Lamar Lundy. The 1970s brought seven straight division titles (1973-1979) and the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance (a 31-19 loss to Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XIV). Eric Dickerson set the still-standing single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards in 1984. After moving to Anaheim (1980) and then St. Louis in 1995, the Rams reached their apex with "The Greatest Show on Turf": Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Isaac Bruce, and Torry Holt won Super Bowl XXXIV over the Tennessee Titans (23-16) following the 1999 season, then lost Super Bowl XXXVI to New England (20-17) after the 2001 season. The franchise returned to Los Angeles in 2016. Under Sean McVay (hired 2017) the Rams reached Super Bowl LIII (a 13-3 loss to New England), then won Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 at SoFi Stadium, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20, making the Rams the only NFL franchise to win championships representing three different cities: Cleveland (1945), Los Angeles (1951 and the 2021 season), and St. Louis (1999 season).