2023 is shaping up to be a tough one to predict for the Los Angeles Rams. After winning the Super Bowl for the 2021 season, things fell apart in their title defense season. Injuries besieged the roster, derailing any hopes that the team had of repeating.
With an older roster and not much wiggle room when it came to salary cap space, the roster saw a purge this offseason as well. Multiple key players left in free agency while the team traded away or released multiple others.
That has left the defense without many recognizable faces beyond star defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Players will have the opportunity to step into new roles and flourish after being backups for the last few seasons.
Offensively, the Rams’ dynamic duo of quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Cooper Kupp is still in place. They were essentially the team’s sole source of production last season before injuries took them out as well. One player who will be looking to get back on track is Van Jefferson.
Jefferson battled a knee injury during the 2022 season, which led to him playing in only 11 games. It was disappointing to see after how impressive he was in 2021 during the Super Bowl run. Knowing what he is capable of providing when healthy is a big reason that Jefferson was picked as the one player the Rams need to prioritize an extension with this offseason by Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report.
“I know he feels really confident going into the season,” Stafford said, per Skyler Carlin of Rams Wire. “We feel confident in him.”
Jefferson has a chance to really emerge in 2023 as the pecking order behind Kupp is wide open. He could elevate to the second option now that Allen Robinson is with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Knowing the opportunity that lies ahead of him is a big reason the Rams should try locking him into an extension now. Heading into the final year of his rookie contract, if Jefferson booms like he is capable of, his price tag is going to soar as wide receivers are being paid more and more every offseason.
He is still young enough that he can be a long-term building block for the offense but has proven to be someone that can help win games now, too. Jefferson is the kind of player that the Rams should be committing to during this reset year, as general manager Les Snead called it.
