Rams focus on restoring stability, developing new talent

THOUSAND OAKS — The Rams’ swing from becoming Super Bowl champions to accumulating the most losses ever for a defending titlist had all the uppers, downers and all-arounders of a Hunter S. Thompson tale.

So after going from an all-in, win-now team brimming with experience to a franchise whose offseason group consists of nearly half rookies, the Rams are, understandably, seeking to restore some stability while developing fresh talent.

“A lot of these things that go on out here are to be able to simulate game-like situations, to be able to build those right habits,” Coach Sean McVay said. “You want to be able to create good stress because that’s where the great growth can come.”

McVay said that he and his club were focused on the day-to-day process of improving and maximizing their potential rather than analysts’ predictions. That might be a necessary approach, given that the Rams added arguably the least talent in free agency of any NFL team while racking up the second most dead-cap dollars in the league.

They also didn’t have a draft pick in the first round, but were racking up steps on their Fitbits on Days 2 and 3 of the draft, where they made a league-high 14 trips to the podium. Receiver Puka Nacua and defensive lineman Kobe Turner were among the rookies that McVay praised for their playmaking ability and preparedness during offseason workouts.

Defensive back Jordan Fuller, 25, suddenly finds himself as one of the most seasoned players on a defense led by future hall of famer Aaron Donald that has no shortage of positional battles ahead.

“I like them as people but, as football players, they ask all the right questions and they’re real, real focused. I’m just excited to see how much they grow and where they can take it,” Fuller said.

He added that the abrupt changes in external expectations did not have a significant impact on the team internally.

“The coaches are still real fun to be around, it’s not like a dreary existence coming into the facility,” Fuller said. “We’re about our work, we’re about our business, but we have fun while we do it, and I like how we do it.”

Day 1 starter?

Offensive guard Steve Avila was the Rams’ first selection, 36th overall, in the 2022 NFL draft and he could push for a starting job on an O-line with more moving parts than stationary components.

Avila is one of four players to have played for Texas Christian University, at some point, in the Rams’ crop of rookies. Avila and defensive back Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson both played at TCU last season, going through an undefeated regular season under a first-year coach and ultimately falling 65-7 in the national title game to the University of Georgia and another Rams’ rookie, quarterback Stetson Bennett.

“The TCU team this past year, I felt like we’d been through a lot, especially me and (Hodges-Tomlinson), just a bunch of different changes and stuff,” Avila said. “I feel like this is the least amount of stress that we’ve had to deal with over the past couple years.”

Avila described the Rams organization as a “perfect situation” for him given that he had familiar faces, fellow rookies and some strong vets to lean on, such as offensive tackle Rob Havenstein. The spectacularly sunny, 72-degree day in the valley didn’t hurt its cause either.

“When you’re in Los Angeles, you can’t really complain about anything,” Avila, a Dallas native, said.

Kroenke’s trophy case

McVay didn’t lose sight of whose signature is on his checks Tuesday as he was certain to take time to congratulate the Denver Nuggets, who share ownership with the Rams, on their first ever Larry O’Brien Trophy as NBA champions, which they won Monday.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke also owns the Nuggets, and he’s celebrated a championship in three different sports within a brief period. His Colorado Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup last June and the Rams won Super Bowl LVI.

“What else can you say? It’s really impressive when you look at Stanley Cup, Super Bowl, winning an NBA title now and being a part of a team in Arsenal that finished second in the (English) Premier League Champions League qualification, those are pretty damn good owners right there.”