Here’s oldnotdead...
There has been much speculation as to what offense will be rolled out this year with the addition of O'Connell as OC. I've always contended that the base offensive philosophy (i.e. scheme won't change). It makes no sense to change the entire offensive scheme when the breakdown last year had more to do with poor execution than the actual play design.
I think we will continue to see McVay layer his 3 WRs with his RBs and TEs as his secondary and dump off options. IMO the WRs have been upgraded with the addition of Jefferson who brings speed, outstanding route execution, and the length missing in Cooks to the position. I do think we will likely see more throws to the RBs this year. People tend to overlook how good Gurley was as a receiver. In Henderson and Akers, the Rams have two good receivers out of the backfield. I don't believe that McVay's offensive scheme was stale as some contend. What I saw was a fundamental breakdown in the offensive execution by both the o-line and the RBs in the run game and by Reynolds trying to fill in for an oft-injured Cooks.
What will change will be the reliance upon the outside zone run attack as their primary run scheme. Last year towards the end of the season it was obvious they tried to switch to more inside zone and gap blocking in their run game. The problem was it was plainly obvious by the lack of consistent execution that the scheme was not one practiced during the offseason. Both the o-line and the RBs at many times seemed confused. I think it will be addressed this year and as such both the RBs and o-line will perform better.
But that aside the base offense we saw run to perfection during the 2018 regular season will still be in place this year. Each year McVay implements "wrinkles" in that offense to keep the defense guessing. But I see them continuing to use the 11 personnel as their base offensive set. The Niners ran the old school power gap run attack last year. I see the Ram's running their version of an inside gap scheme in their attack. Instead of a lead blocker, they probably will use the 11 personnel to lighten the box by one. The Rams can still use a TE as a pulling blocker at the POA, something Hopkins did in college. In most versions of an inside run attack the center must be able to execute second level blocking which has always been one of Blythe's weaknesses. It's why picking the o-line starters especially in who plays where will be crucial to the success of the o-line.
I look at this roster and I see huge upgrades across the board over the 2018 roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball. I think Staley will be more aggressive than Wade but in all fairness, Staley has a better more versatile unit. The d-line is as good or better than the 2018 version. I think Robinson is an upgrade over Suh in terms of consistency of effort, but he's a wrecking ball inside as well. Floyd at JACK is as good of a pass rusher as Fowler with the added benefit he can occasionally drop into coverage allowing Ebukam to rush, increasing the difficulty in blocking for the o-line.
The secondary with Ramsey and Long are far better than Talib and Peters. The safeties with the addition of Rapp are much improved. Their NCB and dime situation is upgraded with Burgess and Williams. This secondary won't be limited to the predictable zone schemes employed by Wade. All the CBs can play man coverage with the exception of Hill.
This team with good coaching has no excuses as long as they stay basically healthy. The only thing that worries me are COVID 19 losses during the season. The Rams have better depth this year than in previous years but even they can only absorb just so many player losses. The biggest worry is at QB. I still say the Rams should trade for Rosen who is a perfect fit for this offense and will solve their QB depth problem for years. That aside I expect to see a team that can dominate on both sides of the ball. All it will take is consistent execution, i.e. good coaching.
