Rams Overlooked in 'Stingiest' Defense Rankings?

LA improved its defensive personnel this offseason, but was it enough to put the Rams in position to repeat?

Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay has become known as one of the league's top offensive minds during his time in the NFL. 

Even if defense isn't his specialty, the Rams have had some of the league's best defensive players over the years, including stars like defensive tackle Aaron Donald, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and, more recently, longtime Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner. 

But despite winning Super Bowl LVI in February, LA's defense was statistically average under first-year coordinator Raheem Morris. On a per-game basis, the Rams allowed the 16th-most offensive yards (344.9) and the 11th-most passing yards (241.7). General manager Les Snead made a clear attempt at addressing this lack of defensive production in the secondary by selecting multiple defensive backs in the 2022 draft.

Still, with Donald, Leonard Floyd and Von Miller up front on defense, the Rams allowed the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game (103.2). LA clearly had an edge where it mattered in the trenches.

Yardbarker recently released its list of the "stingiest" defenses headed into the 2022-23 season and has the Rams ranked at No. 11. It might seem odd to some that the defending champs don't crack the top 10, but it's a respectable spot given the team's inability to be consistent in all areas on that side of the ball last season. 

Here's what Yardbarker had to say:

Aaron Donald has an argument as the best interior pass rusher ever, and the Rams defense has consistently been ferocious rushing the passer during his career. Even with the cap concerns caused by employing Donald and Jalen Ramsey, the Rams managed to add Bobby Wagner and Troy Hill during the offseason. They will miss Von Miller and could get old quickly without many draft picks, but there's reason to expect stability as long as Donald is playing so well.

But what exactly does "stingy" mean in this circumstance?

A quick internet search will show that stingy is defined as being "unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous." 

By re-signing Donald, adding Wagner and returning a defensive front that includes Floyd and Ernest Jones, the Rams have a boatload of talent that figures to be "ungenerous" to opposing offenses any given week.

The season will show if the Rams can truly be stingy, but the defensive personnel surely looks the part. 

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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