The Los Angeles Rams are just one season removed from representing the NFC in the Super Bowl. But last season, the Rams were unable to reach the playoffs for the first time since Sean McVay was hired by the franchise in 2017.
Throughout this offseason, Los Angeles underwent quite a few changes to their roster. On the offensive side of the ball, the Rams released Todd Gurley and proceeded to trade Brandin Cooks to the Houston Texans.
As for the defense, Los Angeles watched Dante Fowler and Cory Littleton find new homes in free agency. Meanwhile, they released Nickell Robey-Coleman and Clay Matthews — with Robey-Coleman inking a deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Lastly, Eric Weddle decided to retire after he spent one season with Los Angeles in 2019. Taking all of that into account, the Rams are going to look a bit different on both sides of the ball. The same can be said for the coaching staff, considering the Rams hired Kevin O'Connell as their next offensive coordinator and Brandon Staley as their defensive coordinator.
Despite all of the alterations that Los Angeles made this offseason, they have their sights set on returning to the postseason in 2020. With that in mind, what is the biggest need for the Rams heading into the 2020 NFL season?
Rams' biggest need: Interior offensive line
During the 2019 NFL season, it was apparent that the Rams' offensive line left a lot to be desired. While Jared Goff didn't perform well, part of the reason for his struggles was due to the lack of protection he received.
On the surface, Los Angeles only allowed 22 sacks, which was the fewest allowed by any team in the NFL. However, Goff was constantly under duress, being hit 48 times last season (10th most in the NFL).
The glaring reason why the offensive line faltered is due to the Rams' decision to allow Rodger Saffold to walk in free agency last offseason. While Saffold thrived with the Tennessee Titans in 2019, Los Angeles was unable to find a consistent replacement for him.
Even though the Rams are confident in Austin Corbett — who they acquired last season — Joseph Noteboom, Bobby Evans, or David Edwards in the interior, they could use an upgrade in the trenches. If Los Angeles wants to see Goff return to his 2018 form, they'll need to make protecting him the utmost priority.
Similar to other teams, the Rams don't have much cap space to work with at this point in the offseason. Still, there are a variety of ways they could free up cap space to make room for one of the remaining free agents. Names like Larry Warford and Ron Leary should pique the team's interest ahead of next season.
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