The LA Rams: From Basement Dwellers to Super Bowl Kings – Thanks to a Few Billion Dollars?

From 2005 to 2016, the Rams were the epitome of NFL irrelevance.

Year after year, they stumbled through losing seasons, cycling through draft picks and head coaches without any real progress.

By 2016, they decided it was time for a fresh start.

The franchise relocated from St. Louis back to Los Angeles, hoping to recapture the magic of their glory days.

But the move alone wasn’t enough to fix their problems.

Days before the 2016 NFL Draft, the Rams traded a king’s ransom to secure the first overall pick, selecting quarterback Jared Goff as their new face of the franchise.

The 2016 season was forgettable.

Despite the hype surrounding Goff, he sat behind Case Keenum for most of the year.

When Goff finally got his chance to start, the Rams finished with the worst scoring offense in the league.

Head coach Jeff Fisher was fired after compiling a 31-45 record over five seasons, marking the end of an era defined by mediocrity.

The lone bright spot was defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who cemented his status as one of the NFL’s elite players.

In January 2017, the Rams made their most important move yet: hiring 30-year-old Sean McVay as their head coach.

McVay, a former offensive coordinator for Washington, was hailed as a wunderkind and immediately injected energy into the franchise.

The Rams didn’t even bother interviewing Kyle Shanahan, the presumed favorite for the job, once McVay was in the mix.

That offseason, the Rams began reshaping their roster, trading away underperforming players like Greg Robinson and William Hayes while signing key free agents like Andrew Whitworth and Robert Woods.

The 2017 NFL Draft brought more reinforcements, including wide receiver Cooper Kupp and safety John Johnson III.

McVay’s offensive genius transformed the Rams overnight.

Goff flourished in his second season, leading the team to an 11-5 record and their first playoff appearance since 2004.

Though they lost to the Atlanta Falcons in the Wild Card round, the Rams had laid the foundation for future success.

The 2018 offseason saw the Rams go all-in.

They traded for stars like cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, wide receiver Brandin Cooks, and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, creating one of the most talented rosters in the league.

Their aggressive approach paid off.

The Rams finished the regular season 13-3, clinching the NFC’s second seed.

In the playoffs, they defeated the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints to reach Super Bowl 53.

However, they ran into a brick wall in the form of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, losing 13-3 in one of the most uninspiring Super Bowls ever.

Despite the loss, the Rams weren’t deterred.

They continued their aggressive roster-building strategy, signing veteran safety Eric Weddle and trading for interior lineman Austin Corbett.

But their 2019 season was plagued by injuries and a lack of depth, exposing the downside of trading away draft picks.

The Rams missed the playoffs, and questions arose about whether Goff and Todd Gurley were capable of leading the team back to the Super Bowl.

The 2020 offseason marked another turning point.

The Rams released Gurley, traded Brandin Cooks, and focused on building around their defense.

Rookie running back Cam Akers emerged as a bright spot, while the defense, led by Donald and Jalen Ramsey, became the league’s best.

However, Goff’s inconsistent play and a thumb injury hampered the offense.

The Rams made the playoffs but were eliminated by the Green Bay Packers in the Divisional Round.

The Rams knew they needed a change at quarterback.

In early 2021, they traded Goff and multiple draft picks to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford, a proven veteran who had languished in Detroit.

Stafford’s arrival reinvigorated the team and allowed McVay to fully unleash his offensive creativity.

The Rams doubled down on their win-now philosophy, trading for Von Miller and signing Odell Beckham Jr. during the season.

These moves transformed the Rams into a super team.

The 2021 regular season was a rollercoaster.

The Rams started strong and finished 12-5, earning the NFC’s fourth seed.

In the playoffs, they dominated the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round, survived a nail-biter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and rallied to beat the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship.

Super Bowl 56 was a hard-fought battle against the Cincinnati Bengals, but Stafford and Cooper Kupp delivered in the clutch.

Kupp’s fourth-quarter heroics sealed a 23-20 victory, giving the Rams their first Super Bowl title since 1999.

The Rams’ championship run was unconventional.

Instead of relying on draft picks to build a team, they prioritized proven veterans, often trading away future assets to win now.

Critics questioned their approach, but the results speak for themselves.

The Rams proved that bold moves and calculated risks can lead to greatness, challenging the traditional blueprint for success in the NFL.