The Los Angeles Rams had one of the best offseasons across the NFL as they look to grow from NFC finalist to hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in 2026. The arrow certainly seems to be pointing up for the Rams, who are now favorites to win the Super Bowl.
But championships are not won in the spring or summer. There will be moves made by each team that age poorly when the games start to count. Sometimes it’s the move you did not make that works out the best. Other times teams fall just short and ask themselves why they didn’t address the need earlier.
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It’s time to take off the rose-colored glasses and critically review one offseason move that you would have addressed differently than the Rams.
I have a feeling most fans will take issue with the selection of Ty Simpson in April’s NFL Draft. LA left high-end options like Makai Lemon and Reuben Bain on the board when they instead opted to secure the future at quarterback.
I’ll take this another direction.
I think the one regret the Rams will have when looking back on the offseason is the fact they failed to upgrade at return specialist over incumbent Xavier Smith. Our last memory of Smith was his muffed punt shortly after halftime in the NFC Championship game that gifted the Seahawks seven points. His return production is also middle of the pack rather than impressive, which in fairness could be symptomatic of LA’s overall struggles and lack of investment in special teams.
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Even if they are marginally better, the Rams will likely continue to be at a disadvantage in the third phase of the game against teams who truly prioritize special teams and use it to gain a competitive edge.
An explosive return game can occasionally put the ball in the end zone without even putting the ball at risk on offense. The bigger benefit is field position, of which would reduce the degree of difficulty for an already strong offense. How much better could Matthew Stafford and company be if they needed ten fewer yards per possession on average?
In terms of alternatives, there were undrafted free agents that would cost nothing and who also bring some juice in this area: Harrison Wallace (Cardinals) and Max Tomczak (Bills). LA traded its late draft picks in order to move up and select CJ Daniels in the sixth round. Could they have held onto a seventh rounder in order to invest in the return game, or could they have picked a different receiver with a more well-rounded skillset?
Let us know your biggest offseason regret in the comments. What is one move you would have approached differently than the Rams?