Turf Show Times
Forget about Arch Manning: If the Rams can’t build a team around the QB, the QB won’t matter
The last two Rams offseasons have largely been about the future of Matthew Stafford and what L.A. plans to do to find the next quarterback to follow him when he retires. From adding an extra first round pick in the 2026 draft to rumors of a possible trade this past spring, it seems like everything has been focused on “Who is the next quarterback?” and “When will the Rams get the next quarterback?” and “What will the Rams do at quarterback when Stafford retires?”
Setting aside that Matthew Stafford may not choose to retire or leave the L.A. Rams for at least a few more years, how the Rams plan to move forward without him is not actually about who will replace him at quarterback. It’s about whether or not the Rams will have a desirable structure built AROUND the quarterback when Stafford retires.
Building out the supporting cast, especially the offensive line, is far more important to Les Snead and Sean McVay than just figuring out how to draft Arch Manning or trading for Trevor Lawrence.
So are the Rams setting up the 2026 and 2027 starting quarterback up for success, whether that’s Stafford, Manning, or somebody else?
We can’t be so sure about that.
Starting offensive linemen signed by the Rams in 2026 include:
That’s all five. That’s pretty good, assuming that Jackson will be able to play football again and stay on the field. If not, the Rams do not have a clear plan at left tackle. D.J. Humphries is merely a stopgap and Warren McClendon has yet to prove anything.
Those questions surrounding Jackson are exacerbated by the reality that L.A.’s offensive line only gets more precarious after 2026: Havenstein is a 35-year-old free agent in 2027. Dotson, Shelton and Avila are also free agents.
Jackson is the only starting offensive lineman signed past 2026. Of the four free agents, three will be over 31. Avila might be the only player that the team prioritizes re-signing, depending on how good Dotson continues to be, but both guards will have a lot to prove in the next two years. Will the Rams want to keep Avila if he’s commanding $20 million per season, which is probably the low end of what a good starting left guard will cost in 2027?
Do the Rams think that Shelton is going to be the starting center for the next two years? Or is there a better player in line? Will Beaux Limmer ever get another shot?
*The Rams opted not to draft a single offensive lineman in 2025. Will that come back to bite them...
