Great post and question

Quote
Rams_43
There is an article posted at Chronicles that recommends that very thing with good arguments to support it.

Rams have so many contract decisions coming up and I’m sure that they have a plan.

But it all starts with an effective OL. Even this Ram offense is crippled if we have a weak OL. So maybe it’s the first building block for Snead?

Prices have gone through the roof on virtually all positions now, so Rams inevitably will have to make excruciating decisions to let high quality players walk. At this point they simply must get the very most bang for their buck until the money runs out.

Rams are set for 2026, of course, but they’ve gotta be thinking of 2027 and beyond. And they must continue finding gems that other teams are missing in the draft, FA, and trades.

I see Dotson, Puka, and Turner as ‘must have’ extensions. Young would be great if they can find the money, too.

All others, unfortunately, are at risk because of this cap. It’s gonna be a supreme test for Ram FO to make the best decisions possible.

And I think they’ll start with Dotson.

For me, YES! We should 100% extend Dotson. He's been playing well. Fits the McVay system and loves being a Ram. As you said, the OL is the most important part of offensive success.

Having said that, I brought up in another thread how 4 of 5(?) OL will be set for FA after this year and feel we need to address it sooner rather than later.

Now, would the Rams let the season play out, win the SB and then re-evaluate the OL situation thinking it would be less important AFTER winning a SB? I could see that happening too.

It all starts in the trenches. If we cannot protect Stafford and give him time to throw, it won't matter who are WR's and TE's are. Maybe that makes extending Dotson and securing the OL more important that resigning some other players right now.

After the season, priorities will change depending on the outcome of the season. Who will get paid and who won't get paid. So right now, in an All In year, you focus on keeping this OL ready for THIS season and that might mean going out and signing another LT like Decker due to AJ's issues.

Speaking of AJ's issues, do we even want to resign him knowing his history or would it be better to sign Decker, or similar, now and just move on?

Either way, our OL situation will need to be addressed. When that happens is the big question.

---

#HelmetHornsMatter

“Well, the color is good, I like the metallic blue,” Youngblood recently said while laughing, via NFL Journal. “The horn is terrible. It looks like a ‘C.’ When I first saw it on the logo I honestly thought it was a Charger logo.

“Now when I see it on the helmet, it just isn’t a ram horn. There is no distinct curl like a mature ram horn. I don’t know how the Rams could get that wrong. That is your symbol and it has been for what? Seventy years or more? Longer than I have been alive? It’s just not us, it’s not the Rams.”---Mr. Ram Jack Youngblood