Sean McVay has become a sort of enigma around the NFL with his offensive prowess. In the two seasons that McVay has been the head coach, the Los Angeles Rams have ranked at or near the top in every category when it comes to offense.
Fans shouldn't expect any different from the offense in 2019. If anything, the Rams offense will be even better if that's even humanly possible. But leave it to a mastermind like McVay to find ways to become even more lethal on the offensive side of the ball.
With rookie mini-camps starting up this weekend, we're going to discuss what the Rams offense could look like in the upcoming NFL season. There's a ton of returning players, but there will be new faces in certain positions.
First, Jared Goff will be back under center, entering his fourth year in the NFL. Every season he continues to improve statistically and as a franchise quarterback. If he is able to remain healthy and put together another great season, he'll be seeing dollar signs very soon.
The topic that will constantly be asked about is the status of Todd Gurley's knee. Earlier this offseason, Gurley was reportedly diagnosed with arthritis in his knee. Drafting Darrell Henderson in the third round of this year's draft didn't comfort any fans.
If anything, drafting Henderson made matters worse in terms of what's going on with Gurley. Regardless, McVay said the Rams drafted Henderson to be another weapon within their offense. As a result, we could see a lot more two running back sets from Los Angeles.
Keeping Gurley fresh and ready for the postseason is one of the main priorities for Los Angeles. The last thing the Rams need is a repeat of last season and even more question marks surrounding the situation.
The wide receiving group of the Rams is arguably the best in the NFL, especially when Cooper Kupp is in uniform. Last season, Kupp suffered a torn ACL that ended his season prematurely. This season, the trio of Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, and Kupp will all be intact.
The loss of Kupp really hurt the Rams offense and if he was available for the Super Bowl it's hard to believe the game wouldn't have ended differently. The Rams also would have likely had three 1,000-yard receivers last season if Kupp wouldn't have gotten injured.
Also, Josh Reynolds showed a lot of potential out of the slot position after Kupp went down. Therefore, Reynolds could be used as a red zone option or in four wide receiver sets.
The tight ends also flashed potential within McVay's offense last season. After Kupp got hurt, Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett became more involved in the offense. Expect to see more two tight end sets for the Rams in 2019 as it worked for them late last season.
The offensive line will be the biggest question mark for Los Angeles. This offseason, Rodger Saffold departed in free agency, while John Sullivan was cut. Therefore, the Rams have two spots that are going to be filled by younger guys.
Currently, Joseph Noteboom is expected to shift over to the left guard position, while Brian Allen is expected to man the center position. Both positions could be subject to change if anything happens during training camp.
Andrew Whitworth is returning for his 14th season in the NFL, which is great news for the Rams. In addition, Austin Blythe really impressed in 2018 at the right guard spot and figures to maintain his position there. Also, Rob Havenstein continues to improve at right tackle and will start once again there.
All in all, the Rams' offense should be expected to be just as dangerous, if not more dangerous than previous seasons under McVay. A few new offensive concepts will likely be incorporated into the offense to keep defenses guessing.
McVay wants to get the bad taste out of his mouth from the disappointing Super Bowl loss and what better way to do that than showcase your offensive dominance en route to another Super Bowl run.
The Rams are going to be a contender in the NFC again and it will be exciting to see how different the offense looks in 2019. Opposing teams are going to have a lot of late nights at the facility game planning for the new-look Rams offense.
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