The Rams Are Building Their Own Dodgers-Like Superteam in Los Angeles

The roster is stacked and the addition of an all-time great has the rest of the league on notice.

The playoffs are expected to go through Los Angeles and the road to a title appears to be a familiar one.

It all sounds familiar, but it doesn’t just describe the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Los Angeles Rams have their own version of this LA story and the plot is about to thicken.

In a town quite familiar with the World Series, the Super Bowl is also coming to town and the Rams are favored to be a participant. DraftKings and FanDuel have the Rams at +550 to win the whole thing, which is far and away ahead of anybody else.

The addition of Myles Garrett to the defensive line put Los Angeles at the head of the class and in line to win their first title since Aaron Donald led the charge from the defensive line to finish the 2020 season in style.

That Super Bowl, just like the one at the end of this season, took place in the Rams’ Inglewood, Calif., stadium.

And if rumors are to be believed, Donald could be set for a return after last playing in the 2023 season. A three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and eight-time All-Pro, returning from two years of rest at the still prime age of 35 to contribute whatever he can is what dreams are made of.

If Dodgers manager Dave Roberts can manage a full constellation of his sport’s main stars, why shouldn’t Rams head coach Sean McVay be able to do the same?

Garrett isn’t even the only Pro Bowl addition on defense this past offseason. Cornerback Trent McDuffie arrived from the Kansas City Chiefs in a March trade.

The offense is led by no less than reigning MVP Matthew Stafford. And while first-team All-Pro Puka Nacua went through a bevy of offseason issues that put his character in question, he is in camp and seemingly motivated to get all the talk back on his play again.

Nacua and Davante Adams formed a formidable wide-receiver duo last season, helped by an innovative approach at tight end with some top talent at the position in Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee and Terrance Ferguson.

“It's just a different type of vibe here, and that's why you see the way that certain organizations continue to stay at the top for a long time because they know how to bring in the right type of people,” Adams said.

Keeping Stafford healthy and upright through a 17-game schedule plus playoffs is the primary concern. The retirement of offensive lineman Rob Havenstein only adds to the concern.

But the group up front still appears to be a strength led by Alaric Jackson and Steve Avila on Stafford's backside.

McVay has been an innovator in his first nine seasons as Rams head coach, while guiding the team to a 10-6 playoff record. And while he continues to lose assistants to head coaching jobs, like offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur to the Arizona Cardinals this past offseason, he continues to find a way forward.

Any new wrinkles this season will have help from new offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase, while Kliff Kingsbury was added as not just an assistant coach but an assistant head coach.

Stafford is now 38 and heading into his sixth season with the Rams after 12 with the Detroit Lions. And he sounds as excited as ever to get going, thanks to McVay’s constant wrinkles, which he makes sound like surprise presents at Christmas.

“He's always keeping me on my toes,” Stafford said of his coach. “You give that guy too much time in the offseason, there's going to be some tweaks and some fun stuff to come back to, but that's what we love.

“He's always thinking about trying to put us in the best position to succeed. And if you're a player, what more could you want from a coach?”

A boss with a hands-on approach that has players eager to perform at their best is something Los Angeles knows well.

Roberts is a San Diego native who always had an affinity for the Chargers. He even had Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh and his family on the field before a game earlier this year. But the Dodgers also welcomed Garrett to a game too and had him throw out the first pitch.

“(Garrett) is top of the food chain and is going to make a good defense even better,” Roberts said. “... It’s good to have him in LA.”

So where does Roberts’ NFL fandom lie now?

“I have no allegiance anymore,” he said. “I used to be a Chargers fan but it’s sensitive up here. So now, no allegiance. I’m an LA fan.”

It’s a good year to not turn your back on the Rams.