- 7 weeks ago
Willard and Dibs react to the Rams' offseason, which was completed this weekend with the official return of Aaron Donald. Are the Rams too big to fail?
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00:00The Los Angeles Rams.
00:01Ooh, the Los Angeles Rams.
00:05Oh, so scary, so terrifying.
00:07I don't even know why anybody else is going to show up.
00:10That's the vibe that I get out and about in the world.
00:13We'll talk about it.
00:15We'll talk about it.
00:15Let's do the football season.
00:17Well, what happens when the Rams go out there
00:19and they lose the opener against the Niners
00:21in a home game in Australia?
00:24So then are we all still terrified of the Rams
00:27if they fly back 17 hours away and they're now 0-1?
00:31So, like, if the Rams are that terrifying
00:34and you want to look at their roster,
00:36okay, they have a good roster.
00:37You look at their schedule.
00:39Well, they do have two games against Seattle
00:41and two against the Niners,
00:42and they play a second-place schedule, I believe,
00:45across the board.
00:46And I don't know if you know this.
00:48Actually, I know that you know this,
00:49but most people out there probably aren't aware
00:51that the NFC West is playing the AFC West.
00:55So they've got the Chargers and the Chiefs,
00:58and they've got the Broncos as well.
01:00So as scary as the Rams might be
01:02from a roster standpoint or on paper,
01:06their schedule and the teams they're going to have to face,
01:08it's going to make it hard on them.
01:09First five weeks for the Rams
01:11after the Australia game against the Niners,
01:13they'll come home for a Monday night home date
01:15against the New York Giants.
01:16Then they go at Denver, at Philly, home to Buffalo.
01:19That's the first five weeks for the Rams.
01:21I'm not even here to make any sort of it.
01:23They might be 5-0 after that.
01:255-0.
01:26They might.
01:26Yeah, I got them at 3-2.
01:28Maybe.
01:28Maybe.
01:29It's just, I guess it's not that.
01:31Like, I'm not here to diss the Rams.
01:33They're very good.
01:34They're very good.
01:36They've drafted well.
01:38They were already good.
01:40And they've made some very aggressive offseason moves
01:43that if I were a Ram fan, I would support.
01:46The larger point I'm trying to make is,
01:49I feel like every offseason,
01:50the whole world forgets that this is the NFL.
01:53And we come back every August
01:55to talk about the league in a way that it never was.
01:59It's never like that.
02:01Nobody ever just goes absolute snowball through a wall
02:06on the rest of the league,
02:07and nothing comes back and is the same
02:10as it was the year before.
02:11Ever.
02:13I got a wild take for you today.
02:15Okay.
02:15And I'm trying to think about last year,
02:19if there was a team that we looked at going in
02:21and everybody thought,
02:22oh boy, this team, you better watch out.
02:25I know you and I.
02:26Overwhelming favorite.
02:27Or just like, man, this team looks phenomenal on paper.
02:30And you and I looked at the Chiefs
02:31and we both kind of agreed,
02:32which is why we made the bet with Steini and Gu,
02:35that we thought they were prime for a regression.
02:38And they did regress.
02:39And I know that losing Mahomes
02:40certainly didn't help Kansas City,
02:43but they were a team that took a step back.
02:45And I don't know if this is a unique thing this year
02:48where you look at the Rams and say,
02:50oh boy, like 17-0, right?
02:52They're going to go ahead and run the table.
02:53Yeah.
02:53So I'm looking at it right now.
02:55The favorite two,
02:58there were three favorites
03:00that were all at plus 700 to start last year.
03:04Okay.
03:042025.
03:05They were the Baltimore Ravens,
03:08didn't make the playoffs.
03:10Correct, yeah.
03:10The Buffalo Bills did make the playoffs,
03:14but eliminated in the second round.
03:16And the Philadelphia Eagles,
03:18who I believe hosted a playoff game.
03:21Trying to remember who it was
03:22that came in there and kicked their ass.
03:33I think they lost.
03:34But I have a factoid that I found
03:36that I think is very applicable
03:39to what we're talking about right now.
03:41And by the way,
03:42get in on the NFL conversation.
03:448 at 8,
03:459-5-7,
03:469-5-70
03:47is the number.
03:49I'm not here to say
03:50someone's going to beat the Rams
03:51or someone's going to beat the Seahawks
03:54or that it's going to be the Niners.
03:56These are very,
03:56very good football teams.
03:57I have the utmost respect for both
04:00and for what they've achieved
04:02and where they sit right now.
04:04My take is,
04:05just remember,
04:06this is the NFL.
04:07It's the NFL.
04:08And so,
04:10it changes every year.
04:13Even when you bring back
04:14the exact same crew,
04:16this is one thing
04:17that the Seahawks are trumpeting.
04:18Oh, we got 20 and 22 starters back.
04:21Okay.
04:22Okay.
04:24You needed the last game of the year
04:26in order to even have the one seed.
04:29You know what I mean?
04:30You showed up in the Super Bowl
04:32against a team
04:34that had a very odd journey,
04:37I would argue,
04:38to get there.
04:39One of the craziest easy schedules
04:41I've ever seen
04:42followed by an AFC title game
04:45in the snow
04:45against a backup quarterback.
04:47Historically easy schedule
04:48and a bunch of one-score victories.
04:51And so,
04:51this is not to diminish anything
04:52that they did.
04:53My point is only to say,
04:55I don't think it's all
04:56just going to happen the same.
04:58It's not going to be the same.
05:00Check this out.
05:01Does this do anything for you?
05:03So, because of the addition
05:05of Aaron Donald,
05:07the Rams are such an overwhelming
05:09Super Bowl favorite
05:10that their odds have hit
05:11plus 500.
05:13That is way better,
05:14in fact,
05:15than those three favorites
05:16I mentioned from last year.
05:18So, the Rams are the clear-cut
05:20plus 500 favorite.
05:22over the past 30 years
05:24in the NFL,
05:2520 times
05:27a team has started the year
05:30with plus 500
05:31or better odds
05:33to win the Super Bowl.
05:3520 times in 30 years
05:37someone has been
05:38as big of a favorite
05:40as the Rams are right now.
05:42Did you,
05:43did I send this to you?
05:44Did you already see it?
05:44Yeah.
05:45Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:45You sent it to the whole group.
05:46I can't,
05:47I can't have you guess
05:49how many of those 20
05:50won the Super Bowl
05:51because you already know
05:51the answer.
05:52Right.
05:54Bubkiss.
05:55Zero.
05:55Zero of 20.
05:56None.
05:56Right.
05:57That's my NFL.
05:59That's what I'm talking about.
06:02That's the,
06:03that's what makes us love this.
06:05Every one of you
06:07walks out of your fantasy draft
06:08thinking you won.
06:10You all love it.
06:11You just did it.
06:13On paper,
06:15you're like,
06:16dog,
06:17I don't know how anybody
06:18gonna beat me.
06:18I mean,
06:19last year Yahoo gave me an A
06:20for my draft.
06:21So,
06:22and then
06:23by week three
06:24you're sitting there
06:25in a pile of beer
06:27wondering what the hell happened.
06:28Right.
06:29That's
06:30football.
06:31So,
06:32I just,
06:32when I look at the Rams
06:33and Seahawks,
06:34sure,
06:35sure,
06:36this is a very hard division.
06:38It's got in fact
06:39at least three teams
06:41that I think
06:42should scare the crap
06:43out of anybody.
06:44But it does not guarantee
06:46anything,
06:47anything at all.
06:49And do I think the,
06:50like,
06:50would I predict the Rams
06:51to win the division?
06:52Sure.
06:53If somebody was like,
06:54pick a Super Bowl win,
06:55or right now,
06:56which I always think
06:57is kind of a,
06:58I'm just kind of like
06:59just a stupid shot
07:00in the dark in August.
07:01A little bit,
07:02yeah.
07:02Would I say the Rams
07:03have the,
07:04you know,
07:05kind of the best look at it?
07:06I don't know.
07:08I mean,
07:09they're in the hardest division
07:09in the harder conference
07:10in my opinion,
07:11which makes it harder.
07:12And there's no value
07:14in plus 500,
07:15which is five to one.
07:16So,
07:17yeah,
07:17it's easier to like
07:18reverse engineer it
07:19and look at
07:20among the 32 teams,
07:21who would you say
07:23you have no shot
07:24to win the Super Bowl?
07:25And you probably
07:25lop off maybe
07:27half the league
07:28or at the very least
07:29like 10 to 12 teams.
07:30You have no chance.
07:31And then you look
07:32at that group of 18
07:34and you think,
07:35okay,
07:35now we start to pick through,
07:36but I think three
07:38of the 18
07:38that you would include
07:40in that group,
07:40they're all in the same division.
07:41No doubt.
07:42And of the other teams,
07:43the Rams are probably
07:44playing like six of them.
07:46By the way,
07:46the Niners don't have
07:47the only division
07:49that has three teams
07:50who are on the list.
07:51The AFC West does too,
07:53does it not?
07:54Are the Chiefs,
07:54Chargers,
07:55and Broncos
07:55not on the list?
07:56Oh,
07:56is it on the list?
07:57Yeah.
07:57Are the Packers,
07:58Lions,
07:59and Bears
07:59not on the list?
08:00Probably.
08:01I mean,
08:01among the teams
08:03and you could even
08:04say the Vikings as well
08:05and a lot of people
08:06are higher on the Vikings
08:09than you are.
08:09Right.
08:10Right.
08:10I mean,
08:11look,
08:11when you're keeping
08:12four quarterbacks
08:13and you don't really
08:14like any of them,
08:16okay,
08:16I mean,
08:17I just haven't
08:18I think they like
08:18Kyler Murray.
08:19I think that that
08:20he's who is available.
08:22Yeah,
08:22we'll see.
08:23Kyler Murray to me
08:23was like,
08:24I like you.
08:25It's 130 at the bar,
08:27but I like you.
08:29That's how that one
08:30feels to me.
08:30Like,
08:31that's a placeholder
08:32because it's better
08:33than what they had
08:34and they'll try to
08:35figure something else
08:36out within the next
08:36couple of years.
08:37I could argue
08:38there are potentially
08:39at least three viable
08:40teams in the AFC North.
08:44The Ravens are viable.
08:45Are the Bengals viable?
08:47Are the Steelers viable?
08:48So,
08:49like,
08:49I don't know,
08:49man.
08:50That's just the way
08:50I look.
08:51I'm so excited
08:52for this thing to start
08:53because there's a damn
08:55weakness with every team.
08:56At least one
08:57and then more
08:58will be revealed
08:59and more will develop.
09:01You know,
09:02you brought up
09:02the quarterback injury thing.
09:05That's true
09:05for every single team.
09:07Let's think about
09:08that for a second.
09:09Is there any team
09:10in the NFL right now
09:11where you would argue,
09:13no,
09:13no,
09:13no,
09:14they could lose
09:14their quarterback
09:15and they stay
09:16in this conversation?
09:17The Niners.
09:18I mean,
09:20I don't even know
09:21to what level
09:22I agree with that,
09:23but I hear why
09:23you bring it up.
09:24Anyone else?
09:26I'd have to go through
09:27and we can play
09:28rank the backups.
09:29I don't even know
09:29who the backups are.
09:31I think J.J. McCarthy
09:31is probably going to be
09:32the third stringer
09:33in Minnesota.
09:34Probably.
09:34So as you start
09:35to go through
09:36each and every team,
09:37some teams have
09:38better backups than others.
09:39I do think the Niners
09:40are a team that
09:41you don't want to lose
09:42Brock Purdy,
09:42obviously,
09:43but Mac Jones
09:44was a first round pick
09:45and he went five
09:46and three last year.
09:47So,
09:47I mean,
09:47that would be
09:48among the teams
09:49that could withstand it.
09:50I think they're one
09:51of the top of that list.
09:52I agree.
09:53I agree.
09:54So anyway,
09:55man,
09:55that's among
09:56all the obvious reasons.
09:58One of the reasons
09:58I'm so excited
09:59for this thing
10:01to start
10:01is so that
10:03we can stop
10:03doing all of this
10:04stuff on paper
10:07because the Rams
10:08at this point
10:09have grown
10:11into much more
10:13a function
10:13of anxiety,
10:14quite frankly,
10:16than they are
10:16an actual football team.
10:18Phenomenal football team.
10:19They already were.
10:21They already had
10:22a really good pass rusher.
10:23His name was Jared Verse.
10:24Now he got better.
10:25Now his name is
10:25Miles Garrett,
10:26but they were already
10:27very,
10:28very formidable
10:29in all of the spots
10:31where they are now
10:31formidable.
10:32Okay.
10:34Right.
10:34But like,
10:35they didn't win every game
10:36and they didn't end up
10:38winning the Super Bowl.
10:39They didn't end up
10:39going to the Super Bowl.
10:41Are they a team
10:43that's going to need
10:43to be dealt with?
10:44Absolutely.
10:45But the NFL
10:48every single Sunday night
10:50sometimes it feels like
10:52is a whole new entity
10:54as opposed to what it was
10:56when we woke up
10:57Sunday morning
10:58because massive injuries
11:00take place
11:01or there are
11:02the surprising teams
11:03and then there's
11:04the teams
11:04that we just can't
11:05figure out
11:05why they're not
11:06playing better.
11:07The Niners have been
11:08that team before.
11:09They've been both
11:09of those teams before.
11:10Right.
11:11When Garoppolo's group
11:13went to the Super Bowl
11:15people thought that team
11:16was going to win
11:16five games
11:18and I think
11:19they won 13
11:20and went to the Super Bowl.
11:22And that is,
11:23I mean you mentioned
11:23week to week
11:24and that is the nature
11:25of the NFL
11:26and that's why we love it.
11:27You can be
11:28better than a team.
11:29For example,
11:30the Rams last year
11:31they were better
11:32than the 49ers
11:34on paper
11:34and really on the field
11:36as well
11:36but you went down there
11:38on a Thursday night
11:39and I was telling Grandy
11:40this last week
11:41when you were gone
11:41I got on Barton
11:42and I was like
11:43okay I can't wait
11:44to get through the tunnel
11:45and so I can pop out
11:46and actually
11:47you know follow the game
11:48and by the time
11:48I got to West Oakland
11:49the Niners were up
11:5014 to nothing.
11:51It's like wait what?
11:52And then they held on
11:53for dear life
11:54they made a couple of J's
11:55and they beat a Ram team
11:56that was better
11:57quote unquote
11:58than the Niners.
11:59No question.
11:59No question about it.