The Los Angeles Rams have completely upended the NFL landscape this offseason with a series of aggressive, win-now roster moves.
General manager Les Snead went all in by trading for two-time Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett from the Cleveland Browns, following earlier acquisitions of All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie and free agent defensive back Jaylen Watson.
Pairing Garrett with reigning league MVP Matthew Stafford has immediately positioned Los Angeles as a top championship favorite on paper. However, rival coaches across the league remain skeptical of June expectations, warning that offseason championships rarely translate directly to Lombardi trophies.
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The blockbuster trade sent shockwaves through the league on June 1, as the Rams surrendered 25-year-old edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and a 2029 third-round pick to secure Garrett.
Garrett is coming off a historic 2025 campaign where he set the NFL single-season record with 23 sacks. While fans and media analysts have already anointed the Rams as the team to beat in the NFC, opposing coaching staffs are taking a far more measured approach during mandatory minicamps.
An anonymous survey of league coaches conducted by The Athletic revealed a widespread reluctance to crown Los Angeles before pads even go on. Many veterans note that assembling a collection of superstars does not guarantee a cohesive unit when the regular season kicks off.
“I don’t get too hyped on this stuff,” a coach said, “because it all gets sorted in the fall.”
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The skepticism is rooted in the harsh reality of the NFC West, where the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks still hold the crown. Seattle defeated the Rams in two out of three matchups last season, including a postseason victory that eliminated Los Angeles.
Even with Garrett anchoring a revamped pass defense that ranked 19th last year, the path to a division title remains incredibly steep.
Furthermore, the cost of acquiring Garrett was historic. Sending away Verse, the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year, who recorded 12 sacks over his first two NFL seasons, leaves a void of young talent.
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The Rams are betting heavily that Garrett’s generational ability to disrupt opposing backfields will outweigh the loss of future draft capital and a rising defensive star.
While some coaches are quick to dismiss summer hype, others acknowledge the sheer talent Les Snead has accumulated in his latest championship push. The combination of Garrett, McDuffie, and Watson completely transforms a secondary and pass rush that struggled for consistency during the previous campaign.
“I’m really not much into favorites at this time of year. A lot can happen before you actually get to Week 1. (But) I get the hype with L.A. It sure looks like they’re going all in,” a second coach added.
As the league enters the quiet period before training camp, the Rams will carry the heaviest expectations in football.
Whether this star-studded roster can gel under Sean McVay remains to be seen, but their peers are content to wait until September to see if the gamble pays off.
