Turf Show Times
Will Jared Verse or Puka Nacua finish career with the most accolades?
The Los Angeles Rams have some of the NFL’s most exciting players on both sides of the ball, including potential winners of the top awards in the league. So which of these two scenarios seems most likely to you:
Jared Verse ran away with the Defensive Rookie of the Year award last season after putting together an impressive campaign. His raw stats may not have jumped off of the paper but the videos of him lifting 300 lb linemen off their feet in pursuit of the quarterback was plenty to be given the accolade.
Just a year prior, Puka Nacua was a finalist for the Offensive Rookie of the Year and arguably should have gotten after setting two rookie records (receiving yards and receptions) but lost to CJ Stroud. Last season he missed six games but still was just 10 yards away from his second season with 1000+ yards receiving and also had the most average yards per game in the NFL.
Verse will get some help in the middle of the line with the addition of run-stuffer Poona Ford. He will also have some continuity on the line with nearly every defensive lineman returning for another season. His offseason workouts with Aaron Donald may unlock some talent as well.
Nacua comes back healthy and has already started taking notes from Davante Adams. Adams will provide plenty of attention that could allow him to get open more often and the offensive line should be better with more continuity and an upgrade at center.
Ramsey comes with a price which could be a deal breaker for the Los Angeles Rams who only have $19 million in cap space left but they could get the Miami Dolphins to eat some of his contract for a better pick. Right now it is just a waiting game between the Dolphins and the rest of Ramsey’s potential suitors but there is definitely interest from LA and Ramsey to get him back in horns.
Williams, on the other hand, is in a contract year and contracts seem to be going in a positive direction. Les Snead has made the mistake of signing a running back to a big contract in the past (see Todd Gurley’s contract for example) and may be hesitant to do it again if the asking price is too high. Blake Corum has had limited opportunities but has shown some potential at the position. Newly added rookie Jarquez Hunter also could be a factor this year and could prove to be something special. Either way, Williams will have to stay healthy and fix his fumbling issues to keep ahead of the competition and earn his contract.
