BACK TO CAMP! The Rams start training camp this week after having one of the most productive off seasons in the league. Starting from the acquisitions of several Pro-Bowl caliber players to a draft focused on providing depth and most recently extending contracts for their young stars, Los Angeles is focusing on a Super Bowl run in 2018 while keeping an eye on their long term success. HC Sean McVay and GM Les Snead have put together a championship caliber team and must now have all the pieces come together and play as a cohesive unit. The fresh news from last month’s report is the contract extensions for WR Brandin Cooks and most recently, RB Todd Gurley. The basic numbers are as follows, 5 years $81 million for Cooks and 4 years $65 million for Todd. Of course there is still one question left to be answered and that is when is DT Aaron Donald going to get his extension? Donald is holding out for the second year in a row but Ram’s management is working diligently to get him signed. Let’s take a look at the current Fantasy positions heading into training camp.

QB: QB Jared Goff heads into his third year coming off a Pro Bowl season and will try to improve in his second season in McVay’s system. Goff put up solid numbers in 2017 (3,804 yards, 28 touchdowns, 7 interceptions) and has potential to be a QB1 in Fantasy Football this season. QB Sean Mannion and QB Brandon Allen will compete for the backup spot behind Goff but neither have any Fantasy value as backups.

RB: RB Todd Gurley got a well-deserved extension and is signed through the 2023 season. Todd’s contract is the richest ever for a running back and the Rams payed him based on his contributions to the team and not by the position he plays. Todd is the NFL Offensive Player of the Year and set the standard for franchise backs moving forward. I think it was a wise move for Los Angeles and Todd’s contract will look like a bargain for the team by the time it expires. Todd should also be the top pick in 2018 Fantasy Drafts. RB Malcom Brown and rookie RB John Kelly will provide depth at the running back position for the Rams. Neither is a true handcuff for Gurley.

WR: WR Brandin Cooks has yet to play a down for the Rams but was given a huge extension based on what the team expects from him in the years to come. By virtue of his contract, Cooks should be considered the Rams WR1; however, WR Robert Woods and WR Cooper Kupp will also be productive in this offense. WR Pharoh Cooper, WR Josh Reynolds, and WR Michael Thomas will compete for playing time behind the starting three. Cooper is the primary kick and punt return man and made the Pro-Bowl in 2017 as a returner. For Fantasy, you have to give Cooks the nod, but Woods and Kupp should also be drafted as WR2 or high end WR3.

TE: TE Tyler Higbee is the starter, second year TE Gerald Everett will try to improve on a decent if unspectacular rookie season, and TE Temarrick Hemingway is back from injury to compete for playing time. The tight end is supposed to play a big part in McVay’s offense so it will be interesting to see if any of these youngsters can step up. I like Higbee’s overall game but Everett and Hemingway have a lot of athletic potential.

K: PK Greg Zuerlein is back from back surgery and should be fine for 2018. Greg will be one of the most productive kickers in the NFL and Fantasy this season.

DEF: This unit had a face lift in the off season with the acquisitions of CB Aqib Talib, CB Marcus Peters, and DT Ndamukong Suh. The unit also loss some key players, most notably former captain Alec Ogletree. DC Wade Phillips feels comfortable with his players, including those who will replace the three departed starting linebackers. As soon as Defensive Player of the Year DT Aaron Donald gets his contact extension, this unit should be one of the tops in the league. LB Samson Ebukam, LB Cory Littleton, and LB Matt Longacre are currently slated to start alongside LB Mark Barron. I really like Ebukam and think he could produce as a pass rushing outside linebacker. Littleton was a special teams star his first two seasons and will get the opportunity to replace Ogletree as the defensive signal caller. Rookie LB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo will start training camp on the PUP list as he continues to recover from foot surgery. I want to see 5^th round rookie LB Micah Kiser and undrafted rookie LB Tegray Scales compete at the inside linebacker spot. Both of these players were productive college players who could develop into fine professionals. Other linebackers competing with this group are LB Bryce Hager and former Chief LB Ramik Wilson. The linebacker crew will be under a microscope during training camp as the other positions have proven starters.

Congratulations to Todd and Brandin on their new contracts. Hopefully Los Angeles takes care of Aaron soon so his holdout does not linger into preseason. The Rams are poised for a deep playoff run in 2018 and this team also has a lot of stars for Fantasy teams. The Rams have not had this much optimism since the days of Kurt Warner and the "Greatest Show on Turf" teams. Hopefully the potential is realized and this team can make a true Super Bowl run. Next month we will look at the preseason and see how the Fantasy positions shape up. Love and blessings to my family. Miss you Pops! Aloha!

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