10
Loading video...
By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
This offseason, the Los Angeles Rams made several serious moves to upgrade their defense, including trading for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett.
While Garrett joining the Rams is one reason they're atop the list of strongest Super Bowl contenders, the possibility that they'll have former Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald back on defense could make them a much more formidable opponent.
"If he's here, I'm excited to be his teammate- his partner in crime, and I think we're going to do great things," Garrett said in an ESPN video about the potential for Donald to return.
Read More on NFL
"I think there's a lot we can learn from each other, and I'd love to pick his brain on the kind of things he does to attack his matchups, and I think the same could be said, vice versa," he said.
More news: Joe Burrow Gets Honest About Bengals Training Camp Fight
...
In terms of NFL offense last season, no team ranked ahead of the Rams, who averaged 394.6 yards of total offense per game, thanks to their Most Valuable Player, Matthew Stafford. However, their defense left a bit to be desired, as they were middle of the league, allowing 327.5 yards per game.
They flirted with a return to the Super Bowl under Stafford, but their division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, were good enough to win the NFC Championship Game and then defeated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
Los Angeles decided to make some significant moves this offseason to address that issue. In addition to landing Garrett in a blockbuster trade with the Cleveland Browns, they traded four draft picks to the Kansas Chiefs for 2023 All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie.
The Rams also signed McDuffie's former teammate, Jaylen Watson, to a three-year $51 million deal, further bolstering their secondary.
Garrett set a new single-season sacks record with 23 last season for the Browns, and there are high hopes for his debut season in Los Angeles. However, the main goal is to win a Super Bowl, and if they end up getting Donald back in the lineup, they could become pretty tough to beat.
Donald, a 10-time Pro Bowler and former Super Bowl winner with the Rams, last played in 2023 before announcing his retirement in March 2024. At the time of his retirement, the three-time AP Defensive Player of the Year had 337 tackles, 111 sacks, and 24 forced fumbles in his career.
An ESPN report last week indicated that Donald was using a "very strict, regimented process" to determine if he was at the level he needed to be to unretire and return to play for the team. Coach Sean McVay has left the door open for his decision and for his rejoining the Rams' defense.
More news: Dan Campbell Addresses Jahmyr Gibbs’ Absence From Lions Training Camp
For more about the NFL, head over to Newsweek Sports.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines