Rams Team Building Strategy Will It Be Duplicated or a Rareity

[corta765]

With the LA Rams winning the super bowl it brings up an interesting question as in sports in general whoever wins the title the rest of the league mimics to some extent the following season. The really interesting thing with the Rams is they in many ways put together a dream team and it actually worked. If you ever played Madden one of the fun things to do is just go all out with no regard to the cap or picks for the title. Now that is putting it loosely as even though the Rams don't have a 1st round pick until 2069 (I Kid), they are actually 2nd in total draft picks since 2017. So the Rams are using their 1st/2nd round picks for established talent, but they do have players they draft and develop. Kupp himself was a 3rd round pick (#69 no joke). With that said the Rams are not a perfect team as they do have some holes, but they basically bet that their talented players would cover those gaps and with Stafford as an upgrade at QB it could mask the flaws even greater. For a long time it has seemed that GM's value picks over anything and carefully planning their window. One of the things I appreciate with the Rams winning is it validates to some extent a just go for it and worry about the rest type strategy.

 

My question to you is if you think more GM's might be a bit more inclined to trade some future for immediate success or will the Rams stay an outlier?

[Steptide]

Dream teams rarely work, but with good coaching and the right players, ya I guess it can work. Thing is, I don't even think the rams are the best in the NFL. Their defense really won that game last night, and even as good as they played, they only won by 3 points. 

[thenorthremembers]

Just now, Steptide said:

Dream teams rarely work, but with good coaching and the right players, ya I guess it can work. Thing is, I don't even think the rams are the best in the NFL. Their defense really won that game last night, and even as good as they played, they only won by 3 points. 

Agree.  The Rams won last night because they played the Bengals.   I am not sure they beat the Bills or the Chiefs.

[PetermansRedemption]

Rarity. Almost never works out. IMO they were lucky to even be there in the first place. Should have had to get past the Packers instead of the 49ers. Then the 49ers gifted them the game with the dropped INT. Not only that, but they got to face the 3rd or 4th best team in the AFC. To top it all off, the future situation of the Rams isn’t exactly bright. 

Edited February 14, 2022 by PetermansRedemption

[Big Turk]

It only works if you can draft well in later rounds because you will have no first round picks and need to replenish your roster with cheaper players from the draft. Rams have done well in that regard, a lot of teams wouldn't.

Edited February 14, 2022 by Big Turk

[wjag]

1 minute ago, Big Turk said:

It only works if you can draft well in later rounds because you will have no first round picks and need to replenish your roster with cheaper players from the draft. Rams have done well in that regard, a lot of teams wouldn't.

 

If your goal is to be one and done, sure.  The Rams will be in purgatory for some time to come.  But the trophy on their home field sure looks nice in the trophy case.

[Greg S]

1 minute ago, PetermansRedemption said:

Rarity. Almost never works out. IMO they were lucky to even be there in the first place. Should have had to get past the Packers instead of the 49ers. Then the 49ers gifted them the game with the dropped INT. Not only that, but they got to face the 3rd or 4th best team in the AFC. To top it all off, the future situation of the Rams isn’t exactly bright. 

 

They went all in for the Lombardi this year and it paid off. But tough times are definitely coming for them. I don't think they will care as they got their championship.

[Matt_In_NH]

What would the take be in the Bengals held on and won the game.  You should draft and sign mostly lower priced FA's and rarely trade your pics?  In short, the Rams went for it and it worked out for them.  But it did not have to.  Generally teams that have signed/traded for superstars have not had SB success.  I dont think there will be a huge movement towards this approach. However, with younger coaches and GM's I think we will see more player movement than in the past.  I dont expect the Bills to take this approach on scale the Rams did which I know will be disappointing to many.

 

I think the Bills need to be careful to not give too many moderate contracts to average-ish players.

[T master]

17 minutes ago, corta765 said:

With the LA Rams winning the super bowl it brings up an interesting question as in sports in general whoever wins the title the rest of the league mimics to some extent the following season. The really interesting thing with the Rams is they in many ways put together a dream team and it actually worked. If you ever played Madden one of the fun things to do is just go all out with no regard to the cap or picks for the title. Now that is putting it loosely as even though the Rams don't have a 1st round pick until 2069 (I Kid), they are actually 2nd in total draft picks since 2017. So the Rams are using their 1st/2nd round picks for established talent, but they do have players they draft and develop. Kupp himself was a 3rd round pick (#69 no joke). With that said the Rams are not a perfect team as they do have some holes, but they basically bet that their talented players would cover those gaps and with Stafford as an upgrade at QB it could mask the flaws even greater. For a long time it has seemed that GM's value picks over anything and carefully planning their window. One of the things I appreciate with the Rams winning is it validates to some extent a just go for it and worry about the rest type strategy.

 

My question to you is if you think more GM's might be a bit more inclined to trade some future for immediate success or will the Rams stay an outlier?

 

 

It all depends on the outcome of getting those players wasn't that what the Saints had done & look where they are right now even the coach jumped ship because of the hell they will be going through for the next couple of years .

 

With any of it you need a little luck if Brees hadn't hurt his thumb or had a call go their way they could have added another trophy but luck didn't go their way & if the Rams hadn't had a couple of things go their way it could be different to so all that said I'm not sure what is the best way to go about it .

Edited February 14, 2022 by T master

[Matt_In_NH]

6 minutes ago, Greg S said:

 

They went all in for the Lombardi this year and it paid off. But tough times are definitely coming for them. I don't think they will care as they got their championship.

I assume you are referring to the cap, there are some here who think it means nothing.

[Mark Vader]

8 minutes ago, Greg S said:

 

They went all in for the Lombardi this year and it paid off. But tough times are definitely coming for them. I don't think they will care as they got their championship.

This is similar to the Buccaneers when they won their first Super Bowl.

Edited February 14, 2022 by Mark Vader

[Greg S]

1 minute ago, 13 Second Prevent Defense said:

What would the take be in the Bengals held on and won the game.  You should draft and sign mostly lower priced FA's and rarely trade your pics?  In short, the Rams went for it and it worked out for them.  But it did not have to.  Generally teams that have signed/traded for superstars have not had SB success.  I dont think there will be a huge movement towards this approach. However, with younger coaches and GM's I think we will see more player movement than in the past.  I dont expect the Bills to take this approach on scale the Rams did which I know will be disappointing to many.

 

I think the Bills need to be careful to not give too many moderate contracts to average-ish players.

 

It will be interesting to see what Beane does this offseason. The Bills will be one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. But there are issues that need fixing mostly on defense if they are going to win it all.

2 minutes ago, 13 Second Prevent Defense said:

I assume you are referring to the cap, there are some here who think it means nothing.

 

And draft picks. Didn't they give up a lot to acquire the players that they did?

[Warcodered]

22 minutes ago, corta765 said:

With the LA Rams winning the super bowl it brings up an interesting question as in sports in general whoever wins the title the rest of the league mimics to some extent the following season. The really interesting thing with the Rams is they in many ways put together a dream team and it actually worked. If you ever played Madden one of the fun things to do is just go all out with no regard to the cap or picks for the title. Now that is putting it loosely as even though the Rams don't have a 1st round pick until 2069 (I Kid), they are actually 2nd in total draft picks since 2017. So the Rams are using their 1st/2nd round picks for established talent, but they do have players they draft and develop. Kupp himself was a 3rd round pick (#69 no joke). With that said the Rams are not a perfect team as they do have some holes, but they basically bet that their talented players would cover those gaps and with Stafford as an upgrade at QB it could mask the flaws even greater. For a long time it has seemed that GM's value picks over anything and carefully planning their window. One of the things I appreciate with the Rams winning is it validates to some extent a just go for it and worry about the rest type strategy.

 

My question to you is if you think more GM's might be a bit more inclined to trade some future for immediate success or will the Rams stay an outlier?

It'll be a rarity, you actually have to be in a position to do it. Things lined up nice for them in being able to trade away their firsts for great players leaving bad teams at the right time.

[First Round Bust]

rams strength is a young innovative coach who has been to the big game twice already and has an extensive coaching tree of assistants now head coaches and he keeps on winning !

 

he is able to take a mediocre to slightly above average qb and raise his game, (and save momey and picks in not having a super start qb to carry the team) they over-invest in the skill D positions (which the Bills seem to do) but it seems to pay, add the LA-LA-LAND sunshine and glamour appeals to vet free agents to add quality depth for the championship run...could that happen in Buffalo ?

 

Their warts are burning high draft picks, a soon to be 41 year-old LT, a punter is 11th on your pay scale ?,  and are 10M over the 2022 cap, but that is the cost of winning.

 

Stafford does not make to the SB if he is Bills, Chefs, Packers or Bengals qb, but now he has a ring, the game-winning-drive and TD pass in a super bowl which everybody wants !!!   

 

 

[Mark Vader]

3 minutes ago, 13 Second Prevent Defense said:

I assume you are referring to the cap, there are some here who think it means nothing.

I don't think that the salary cap means nothing, but I do subscribe to the idea that it is a myth.

 

Over the years we have seen teams get into "salary cap hell", and then all of a sudden they are fine, and they are able to still sign players.

 

Now you need the right people in your front office who are experts at manipulating the cap, and know how to structure contracts, and fortunately we have that type of front office.

 

Last year's reduction of the cap hurt the Bills, and that was beyond our control, which is why we have very little cap room right now, but I believe that will change.

 

Also, if you look at the big picture, the Bills are currently projected to be over $60 million under the cap in 2023, and that's with the first year of Josh Allen's big contract. Money is not that big of an issue for the Bills going forward.

[corta765]

25 minutes ago, Steptide said:

Dream teams rarely work, but with good coaching and the right players, ya I guess it can work. Thing is, I don't even think the rams are the best in the NFL. Their defense really won that game last night, and even as good as they played, they only won by 3 points. 

 

Sadly in sports rarely does the best team actually win. Circumstance and luck drive many champions.

[NewEra]

It’ll be an extreme rarity for a team to have Donald, Miller and Floyd type pass rushers on one team. 

[bigduke6]

well,  they won a SB.   luck,  timing,  hell even the refs can make a team miss out or win.   they mortgaged the future for this title.   it will eventually come time to pay that mortgage off.   we shall see if its harder to pay for this win than they expect.

[corta765]

23 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

It only works if you can draft well in later rounds because you will have no first round picks and need to replenish your roster with cheaper players from the draft. Rams have done well in that regard, a lot of teams wouldn't.

 

That is kinda where I am. The Rams are unique because the have the best DT, top 5 CB, great pass rusher Von Miller, and some good role players like Leonard Floyd. You can lack depth when your top guys are that good and elevate the other guys.

 

The Bills have the CB and Milano is a really good LB, but I do not think they could sellout the same way as their pass rush just isn't as dynamic. With that said I am all for trading a high draft pick this year for a Cam Jordan or top pass rusher. I just don't see Beane doing that yearly, he is wayyy too future driven.

[FilthyBeast]

There will certainly be teams more inclined to mortgage their future for short term success given the 2021 Rams story.

 

But despite all the 'star power' there was nothing truly impressive about the Rams this year and outside of blowing out a struggling Cardinals team in the first round, they could have easily lost every other game including the SB last night if a few plays go the other way as all were very close one score games including having to come from behind in the final minutes to win both the NFC championship and SB.

 

I still think at the end of the day having a true star player on defense matters and if the Bills do try to mimic what the Rams did this year and take any big swings it must be for a dominant pass rusher.