Understandably the focus rests on the Rams‘ players that eat up the majority of the cap. Whether its the ups and downs of Jared Goff, the usage of Todd Gurley, or the monstrous joy that is Aaron Donald, the marquee players natrually get the most attention. The downside to this is that fans are constantly reminded that Les Snead tied up the cap with seven players and the rest of the future remains so murky not even Doctor Manhattan knows how it’ll shake out.
The good news is there are players that have emerged that are both cheap and impactful. The Rams’ bright young stars might not be entirely ready for primetime but while the soap opera that is the Rams’ season continues they keep the ship from sinking.
Taylor Rapp
Rapp came into the season with a lot of hype and he’s delivered. He was considered a major draft steal in the second round out of Washington. He was expected to get some time behind John Johnson and Eric Weddle but with Johnson’s injury early in the season, he’s all of a sudden had to step up big time.
He’s been dynamite in coverage all season and while he didn’t record his first interception until his week 13 pick-six at Arizona he’s been a foil for receivers all season. He’s been part of a Rams’ secondary that’s gelling at the right time and if they can make the playoffs, they’ll get Johnson back, making them one of the most dangerous secondaries in the league.
Sebastian Joseph-Day
SJD is another one of the Rams’ bright young stars whose impact hasn’t been noticeable in the box score but his value is undeniable. What’s funny is that he wasn’t supposed to be the young defensive lineman to rise alongside Aaron Donald and Michael Brockers. Jonathan Franklin-Myers was supposed to be that guy but in a shocking move, the Rams cut him after camp.
SJD is in his second season and he’s already looking like he’ll be a cornerstone in the rotation especially when Brockers likely leaves at the end of the year. He’s recorded 20 tackles and 2 sacks, which are not exactly Pro Bowl numbers but signal that he’s capable of big things down the road. A three-man front with him Donald, and Greg Gaines could be a major force next year.
Bobby Evans
Throughout the year, Jared Goff’s play has drastically declined. It didn’t help that he was rewarded with the biggest extension in league history (for now). His turnovers skyrocketed, he keeps getting decked, and the offense looked about as rudderless and dysfunctional as the American team on “The Challenge”.
One of the biggest culprits was the offensive line as they all ranked in the 70s among lineman according to Pro Football Focus.
Andrew Whitworth was turning into a white walker, Joe Noteboom was lost for the year, and Rob Havenstein became weighed down by his contract extension. Despite the injuries and having a line with such bad chemistry that Walter White rolled over in his grave they sit at 8-5. So what changed? Bobby Evans that’s what. The third-round rookie became the stabilizing force the line needed when Havenstein went down with an injury.
Once he stepped in, the offense began to hum again and Goff looked salvageable. Yes, a lot of that had to do with McVay getting more creative with his receivers and breaking the seal on Todd Gurley after so many weeks of “load management”.
But Evans has given Goff the outside protection he sorely needed and now the Rams look like themselves again. So much so that the Rams should seriously look into trading Havenstein for picks and save themselves $5.6 million in the process. Who knew that the season would be saved, not by desperation trades but a rookie third-round tackle.
All three players are poised to become key pieces of the teams’ future. They have to figure out how to balance their cap sheet this offseason and with these three pieces they can now allow other higher priced players to be a bit more expendable. The Rams’ bright young stars might not be household names just yet but judging by the work they’ve put in this season it won’t be long before Les Snead prematurely overpays them.