The Good

Few defensive tackles have been as dominant as Aaron Donald over his 9-year career. The 7x All-Pro is a surefire Hall of Famer when he decides to hang it up. In the meantime like McVay, Donald considered walking away but in the end, decided to come back after a disappointing 2022. Although out of his prime Donald is still a force on the defensive line regularly blowing up offensive plays. The Rams will need all they can get from Donald in order for them to have a chance to rebound in 2023.

When healthy, Cooper Kupp is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. Kupp had a dominant 2021 season with the Rams where he amassed 1,947 receiving yards. 2022 was a different story as Kupp was only able to play in 9 games due to injury. He is currently still dealing with a hamstring injury that the Rams are calling day-to-day. While this is troubling I don’t expect him to miss much time this season and LA will need him to be in top form.

The Bad

Other than Aaron Donald the Los Angeles Rams defense is lacking star power. This is due to the team moving on from Leonard Floyd, Bobby Wagner and Jalen Ramsey who was traded to the Miami Dolphins. The Rams will now rely on rookies and several unproven players on a defense that will have a tough time stopping anybody. Teams will be able to double-team Donald regularly and attack the young cornerbacks on the outside. It’s clear the Rams have decided to invest in the offensive side of the ball rather than the defense. If the offense struggles this could be another long year for LA.

The Prediction

It’s looking more like the Rams are in for another tough season. This may be the final year we see Matthew Stafford and Aaron Donald in a Rams uniform. There are just too many questions on the defense and not enough weapons on offense for them to be successful.

2023 Record: 5-12 (3rd in the Division)

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10. Sam Huff

Sam Huff played 13 seasons in the NFL, eight with the New York Giants and five with the Washington Redskins. He won an NFL Championship with the Giants in 1956, a season in which he finished third in voting for United Press International’s Rookie of the Year Award. He was also a first-team All-Pro selection twice, in 1958 and 1959.

Sam Huff Career Stats:

• Interceptions: 30
• Fumble recoveries: 17
• Sacks: 29

9. Bobby Wagner

Bobby Wagner has been one of the best linebackers in the NFL for almost a decade at this point, winning a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2013. He’s been nothing but consistent since those days of Seahawks dominance in the league. He led the league in combined tackles in 2016 and 2019, and in solo tackles in 2017. He’s a four-time first-team All-Pro selection.

Bobby Wagner Career Stats (* = as of Week Two 2022):

• Interceptions: 11
• Forced fumbles: 6
• Fumble recoveries: 9
• Sacks: 25.5
• Combined tackles: 1,397*
• Solo tackles: 827*

8. Nick Buoniconti

Nick Buoniconti played 14 seasons in the NFL, seven with the Boston Patriots and seven with the Miami Dolphins. He won two Super Bowls with the Dolphins, in 1972 and 1973. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro selection, including in four consecutive seasons between 1964 and 1967 during his Patriots tenure.

Nick Buoniconti Career Stats:

• Interceptions: 32
• Fumble recoveries: 6
• Sacks 24

7. Brian Urlacher

Brian Urlacher played 13 seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears. He won both the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award, in 2000 and 2005 respectively. The four-time first-team All-Pro led the NFL in solo tackles in 2002 with 117 and yards recovered from fumbles in 2001 with 101.

Brian Urlacher Career Stats:

• Interceptions: 22
• Forced fumbles: 11
• Fumble recoveries: 16
• Sacks: 41.5
• Combined tackles: 1,361
• Solo tackles: 1,046

6. Ray Nitschke

Ray Nitschke played 15 seasons in the NFL, all with the Green Bay Packers. In that time, his teams won five league championships, including the first two Super Bowls in 1966 and 1967. The two-time first-team All-Pro selection was one of the staples of the great Packers teams of the NFL Championship/early Super Bowl eras of the league.

Ray Nitschke Career Stats:

• Interceptions: 25
• Fumble recoveries: 23
• Sacks: 16

5. Luke Kuechly

Luke Kuechly played just eight seasons in the NFL, all with the Caroline Panthers, retiring while still in his athletic prime. He won the AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons in 2012 and 2013. He also twice led the league in combined tackles in 2012 and 2014.

Luke Kuechly Career Stats:

• Interceptions: 18
• Forced fumbles: 7
• Fumble recoveries: 9
• Sacks: 12.5
• Combined tackles: 1,092
• Solo tackles: 690

4. Mike Singletary

Mike Singletary played 12 seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears. He was a seven-time first-team All-Pro selection, and the leader of the 1985 Bears defense, commonly remembered as one of the top defenses in the history of the league. He won AP Defensive Player of the Year that season, an award he won again in 1988.

Mike Singletary Career Stats:

• Interceptions: 7
• Fumble recoveries: 12
• Sacks: 19

3. Jack Lambert

Jack Lambert played 11 seasons in the NFL, all with the Pittsburgh Steelers. During his tenure, the Steelers won four Super Bowls and were the defining franchise of the 1970s. He was a five-time first-team All-Pro selection and a winner of the AP’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year accolades.

Jack Lambert Career Stats:

• Interceptions: 28
• Fumble recoveries: 17
• Sacks: 23.5

2. Dick Butkus

Dick Butkus played nine seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears. He was such a great player that he overshadowed the struggles of the team throughout his tenure. No playoff appearances and no Defensive Player of the Year accolades doesn’t dampen the career of this all-time great player.

Dick Butkus Career Stats:

• Interceptions: 22
• Fumble recoveries: 27
• Sacks: 11

1. Ray Lewis

Ray Lewis, alongside Dick Butkus and Lawrence Taylor, is arguably the scariest linebacker in the history of the NFL. His 17 seasons with the Baltimore Ravens are the stuff of legend. Not only did he forever define that franchise, he also won two Super Bowls and was a two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year Award winner and leading the league in combined and solo tackles three times each.

Ray Lewis Career Stats:

• Interceptions: 31
• Forced fumbles: 19
• Fumble recoveries: 20
• Sacks: 41.5
• Combined tackles: 2,059
• Solo tackles: 1,568

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Rams may have had fireworks on offense under Sean McVay, but they also really leaned on their defense to upend the likes of Tom Brady and Joe Burrow in the recent post-season gauntlet. Well, the Rams will miss the future Hall of Famer Von Miller (2 sacks in Super Bowl LVI), who left for Buffalo in free agency. Nonetheless, I still love the Rams direction on defense (and on offense) this off-season and I’m going to untwine three reasons why their defense will really improve in 2022.

Improved rushing attack

It’s exciting when the Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp connection can be utterly explosive in the passing game, but it’s also crucial to have a strong, balanced offensive attack. The Rams ranked 25th in rushing yards last season and they are happy to witness a healthy Cam Akers moving forward. Cynthia Frelund of NFL Network listed Akers as one of the NFL’s most underappreciated players.

The explosive RB will not only seek to reach the end zone frequently, but he will also slowly break down opposing defenses and help the Rams time of possession. The Rams ranked 20th in TOP last season, while the Buffalo Bills ranked fifth in TOP (and coincidentally yielded the best defense in YPG allowed). A well-rested AD will thank Akers and the Rams offense.

Bobby Wagner

Let’s be honest – the Rams have a new legend at LB in Bobby Wagner. He has made the Pro Bowl in each season between 2014 and 2021. Furthermore, he made five straight All-Pro teams between 2015 and 2020. He also has only missed two games in his past six seasons. He will seek to propel a Rams-run defense that actually ranked sixth in rushing yards allowed last season — so, there is no reason that the Rams defense doesn’t edge out defensive units like the Ravens and Saints for the best-run defense with the Donald-Wagner tandem leading the charge. Wagner signed a five-year contract worth $50 million with a Rams team that he previously despised.

Justin Hollins

The Rams will clearly have Leonard Floyd (20 sacks in the past two seasons combined), but they will certainly ask Justin Hollins to elevate his performance (as he will ideally be the new OLB starter). Hollins learned a lot under Von Miller and he feels very energized about the increase in opportunities in 2022. Cole Thompson from the Rams Digest outlines that the 6’5 pass rusher could breakout next season. Thompson talks about how he made flashes in his third season, that Hollins has developed a stronger football IQ, and that 2022 will be his contract season. The other OLB I expect to turn heads on occasion (at least) is Chris Garrett, who was a D2 legend at Concordia St. Paul, and he could be an x-factor in his sophomore season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Rams have officially signed linebacker Bobby Wagner to a five-year, $50 million dollar contract. Sean McVay made it loud and clear that the Rams were strongly interested in inking Wagner after he left Seattle. McVay’s wish of landing Wagner came to fruition on Thursday.

The Rams dream team consists of Wagner, Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford, and Allen Robinson. I fully expect the Rams to elevate their overall performance with Wagner on their squad. With that said, the question is: what exactly should we expect from the Rams defense with Wagner leading them out into battle?

The Rams gave up the second-fewest passing touchdowns last season and they managed to give up the sixth-fewest rushing yards in 2021. Furthermore, the Rams also ranked ninth in PPG allowed last season. Demario Davis is a big reason why the Saints gave up the fourth-fewest rushing yards a season ago and he was the leader behind the Saints defensive unit that allowed the fewest rushing yards per play (3.7) in 2021 (while the Rams impressively allowed 4 rushing yards per carry). Wagner should provide significant improvements for the Rams defense in a similar way that Davis fuels the Saints defense.

The Rams may have featured Donald, Ramsey, and Von Miller last season, but they didn’t have a quality ILB. Troy Reeder led the Rams in tackles last season (91) and the Rams clearly wanted to upgrade at the pivotal MLB spot this offseason. The Rams didn’t re-sign Reeder this offseason, as they aimed to mightily improve their key MLB spot. It’s safe to say that Les Snead’s patience with Wagner has paid off, as he inked the future Hall of Fame LB.

I expect the Rams to unleash the best-run defense in the NFL next season and they should unveil a Top 5 defense in PPG allowed. It will be difficult for the Rams defense to be sexy in the PPG allowed category, as opposing teams will engage in shootouts with the Rams offense. Nonetheless, Wagner will really improve a quality defense and he will make his biggest mark in key games next season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Los Angeles Rams have honestly had a terrific offseason thus far. Sean McVay upgraded at the wide receiver position with the signing of Allen Robinson. A-Rob is clearly an upgrade over Odell Beckham Jr. at this point in time (regardless of OBJ’s injury). The Rams also kept Sean McVay and most likely Aaron Donald out of retirement.

I still expect the Rams to be aggressive and creative to acquire talent this offseason. There are a few profiles that I believe McVay is currently drooling over this offseason. With that said, here are a few free-agent draft prospects that should impress Les Snead and McVay in the near future:

Bobby Wagner

McVay has been firm in his interest to ink the future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner. Per Rams Wire, McVay is definitely interested in bringing in Wagner. If the Rams signed the former Seahawks LB, it would honestly be the most impressive free-agent signing by any NFL team this offseason. It would be hard to imagine that the utterly explosive Rams offense wouldn’t be joined by a Top 5 defense with Wagner, Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, and Jalen Ramsey.

James Cook

James Cook, the brother to Dalvin Cook, would be a fine replacement for Sony Michel. Cook impressively ran a 4.42 40 yard dash and his agility is as equally impressive. PFF nicely compares Cook to DeVonta Freeman. The Saints traded up to snag Alvin Kamara in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. I wouldn’t be shocked if McVay grabbed a shiny playmaker in Cook in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

Odell Beckham Jr.

I suspect that Odell Beckham Jr. is hoping for a team to overpay for his services, but It would be very logical if he returned to the Rams on a short-term contract. OBJ could be involved in the Robert Wood-less offense and have a strong chance of winning another Lombardi. I’d also expect OBJ to want to play for a playoff contender on a one or two-year deal because he will already miss a huge chunk of the 2022 season. There isn’t any reason why OBJ can’t have a ton of success with the Rams in 2022 and then sign a massive four-year deal after the 2022 season.

Jadeveon Clowney

It appears that Jadeveon Clowney is looking to finally cash in after staying healthy and having a 9 sack season. I expect him to sign with a squad that offers him the most money. Clowney may not be head over heels to sign with a squad like the New York Jets, but he can help any team grow for the next five years. If the Rams sign a player like Wagner or OBJ, he may be more tempted to take less money to ink a deal with the Rams (If the Rams make their cap work for numerous FA signings). With that enunciated, I expect the Rams are more interested in signing Wagner and OBJ than Clowney (and his infamous Outback Bowl hit).

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By: Khari Demos

On arguably the toughest day in franchise history, the Seattle Seahawks parted ways with first Russell Wilson, then Bobby Wagner, on March 8. Those two moves marked the end of an era, as they were the last two Seahawks from the team’s Super Bowl XLVIII victory to close the 2013 NFL season.

The Wilson trade almost seemed inevitable ”” just a year after Russ’s camp released a list of teams he’d prefer to be sent to if he were to be traded. The move with Wagner came out of the left field. I mean even for Wagner, the move even caught him by surprise.

How could Seattle let that happen? The franchise’s all-time leading tackler, a team co-captain, and one of the cornerstones for a team that played in back-to-back Super Bowls. The Seahawks should have done better. So now a soon-to-be 32-year-old Wagner will hit free agency for the first time and he’ll have a huge chip on his shoulder. Coming off a second-team All-Pro selection (his eighth consecutive All-Pro nod) and his eighth straight Pro Bowl campaign in 2021, Wagner compiled a career-high 170 tackles last season.

There’s no question Wagner has built up a case for the Hall of Fame already in his 10 NFL seasons. But how does he rank all-time amongst the game’s best middle linebackers?

According to Pro Football Reference’s Pro Football ILB Hall of Fame Monitor, Wagner is currently 10th on the list with a career score of 101.33, as the average HOF score is said to be 109. The top 10 on that list are also the only MLBs in NFL history that have compiled a score of 100 or more. There are only four players above him on the list that have not made the HOF yet, but they all figure to do so ”” Zach Thomas, Brian Urlacher, Luke Kuechly, and Patrick Willis.

Also of note, Wagner is one of only five players within that top 10 that has won a Super Bowl.

Despite only playing 10 seasons thus far, Wagner’s six first-team All-Pro selections (he also has two second-team selections) are tied with Pittsburgh’s Jack Lambert for second-most all-time for an MLB, trailing only Ray Lewis and Mike Singletary who each have seven, respectively. His eight Pro Bowl selections are tied for the fourth-highest MLB total of all-time, as he’s matched Urlacher, Dick Butkus, Nick Buoniconti, and Willie Lanier.

Two of the coolest stat rankings, in my opinion, for Wagner are his combined tackles and QB hits. Coming in at third all-time with 78 QB hits, the Utah State product only needs 20 more to surpass Ahmad Brooks for the most ever for an MLB since it became a stat in 2006. As for the combined tackles, he’s already ninth all-time with 1,383, as he’s one of three players to rank inside the top 10 that has played no more than 10 seasons, joining Kyle Clifton and Chris Spielman.

Moving up on the all-time tackles list should not be a problem for Wagner. Averaging 138.3 tackles per season, if Wagner were to hit that average mark next season he’d place himself sixth all-time ahead of Clifton and right behind Hardy Nickerson (1,586). And if he keeps on this pace, Wagner should be a top-five tackler of all-time before the end of the 2023 season.

Now let’s get into some comparisons. As an NFL 2010s All-Decade performer, let’s start with the team’s other MLBs, Luke Kuechly and Patrick Willis. One thing to keep in mind with both Kuechly and Willis is that their careers were cut short ”” both players only stuck out in the league for eight seasons.

Let’s start with Kuechly vs. Wagner. The former Carolina Panther superstar did win the 2012 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award over Wagner, but he also has a nod over Wagner by claiming the 2013 Defensive Player of the Year, an honor Wagner has yet to achieve. Wagner does, however, have more All-Pro nods (8 total vs. 7 total).

With Wagner having outplayed Kuechly for 33 more games, it’s hard to evaluate some raw totals. Wagner wins the combine tackles (1,383 vs. 1,092), sacks (23.5 vs. 12.5), defensive touchdowns (3 vs. 1), and in QB hits (78 vs. 31). But Kuechly was much more of a ballhawk, surpassing Wagner in picks (18 vs. 11), pass deflections (66 vs. 60), as well as in tackles for loss (75 vs. 68). Both players tied with nine career fumble recoveries and they both led the NFL in tackles twice each.

Now looking at the Willis vs. Wagner debate, the former played in even fewer games than Kuechly (112 total, 39 fewer than Wagner). Wagner’s eight All-Pro nods outpaced Willis’ six total (5 first-team, 1 second-team), and his eight Pro Bowls were one more than Willis’ seven, but it’s almost unfair to pit the two against each in raw totals. Wagner’s career numbers are higher than Willis in the categories of combined tackles, INTs, pass deflections, sacks, TFLs, QB hits, and defensive TDs. But amazingly, Willis does have the advantage in forced fumbles, edging Wagner by a margin of 16-6.

Willis also matched Wagner by leading the league in tackles on two separate occasions.

Now another MLB I believe Wagner stacks up to comparatively is a fellow All-Decade performer, and that’s 2000s selection, Zach Thomas. Most known for his tenure with the Miami Dolphins, Thomas also led the league in tackles twice (2002, 2006). Wagner’s eight All-Pros are just one more than Thomas’ seven (5 first-team, 2 second-team). Wagner also has the edge in Pro Bowls over Thomas, coming in at an 8-7 margin.

Thomas has played a few more games than Wagner (184 vs. 151), and the latter had that advantage in the other comparisons. Thomas has a clear lead in tackles with his 1,734 combined total (fourth-most ever), but he also takes it with INTs (17 vs. 11), forced fumbles (16 vs. 6) and tackles for loss (74 vs. 68) even though that did not become a stat until Thomas’ fourth year in the league. Wagner has outperformed Thomas in some areas though too, including in sacks (23.5 vs. 20.5), fumble recoveries (9 vs. 8), and pass deflections (60 vs. 48), although it must be noted that PDs were not a stat until Thomas’ fourth year as well.

Another name that I want to compare Wagner to is Thomas’ fellow 2000s All-Decade MLB, Brian Urlacher. In a dominant career with the Chicago Bears, the former New Mexico Lobo tied Wagner with eight Pro Bowl selections and was named the 2005 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Urlacher does hold the DPOY over Wagner, but his five All-Pro nods (4 first-team, 1 second-team) just fall short of the former ‘Hawk’s total.

This may be the most back-and-forth debate of them all. Wagner outpaced Urlacher in terms of seasons leading the league in tackles (2 vs. 1) and has more career tackles (1,383 vs. 1,361), despite playing in 31 fewer games. But Urlacher has the advantage in INTs (22 vs. 11), fumble recoveries (16 vs. 9), forced fumbles (11 vs. 6) pass deflections (90 vs. 60), defensive TDs (4 vs. 3), and TFLs (138 vs. 68).

All of these figures are great, but one that was not mentioned was playoff statistics. All the players mentioned above were tremendous, but they may not stack up to Wagner here. The former Seahawk has 153 combined tackles in the postseason, the second-most in NFL history only behind Lewis (218).

Overall historically, Wagner would need two more first-team All-Pro selections to tie Bruce Smith, Lawrence Taylor, Joe Schmidt, and Bill George for the most ever for a player that plays defense primarily (8). In terms of active players, only the great Aaron Donald (7) has more first-team nods than Wagner.

So it’s safe to say Wagner should end up with a gold jacket once he hangs up the helmet. But the question now will be what team will he be adding to his HOF resume with next season?

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