For some Rams players, the 2023 season is a make-or-break one. Either their contracts are expiring soon or their play simply hasn’t been good enough, but regardless of the situation, they’ll need to step up this year in order to remain with the team beyond the 2023 campaign.
We’ve identified six players who are entering a pivotal season in their careers, four of whom are projected to be starters. Atop the list are two second-rounders from 2020, Cam Akers and Van Jefferson, who are entering the final seasons of their rookie contracts.
1
RB Cam Akers
Akers’ career has been up and down to this point, to say the least. He was solid as a rookie, tore his Achilles before his second season and went from being benched to finishing last season with three straight 100-yard games. Akers has had chances to be a true No. 1 back with the Rams but he hasn’t yet capitalized on those opportunities.
This could be his last chance to do so.
Akers is in the fourth and final year of his rookie contract and if he struggles again, the Rams are unlikely to bring him back. His future in Los Angeles depends entirely on how he plays this year, especially without Darrell Henderson Jr. lurking behind him.
2
WR Van Jefferson
Jefferson is in a similar position as Akers. He’s in the fourth and final year of his contract and while he’s been productive at times, he hasn’t topped 802 yards receiving in a season and only has 10 career touchdowns in three seasons. For a second-round pick, those numbers aren’t exactly eye-popping.
This season, Jefferson will be the No. 2 receiver behind Cooper Kupp and he could even be the top option if Kupp misses time to start the year. If Jefferson can’t put up 900-plus yards this year when the Rams are expected to throw the ball a lot to make up for their defense, he may not land a very big contract next year.
3
WR Tutu Atwell
Yes, Atwell improved last year and showed flashes of being a playmaker, but let’s be honest: 298 yards on 18 receptions in two seasons is far from good enough – especially for a former second-round pick.
Another season with underwhelming numbers could create a decision for the Rams to make in the offseason. Do they bring back Atwell in hopes that he finally takes the next step in 2024? Or do they cut ties before his fourth season like they did with Logan Bruss this year?
Up to this point, Atwell has been a major disappointment for the Rams. As a projected starter this season, hopefully he can turn a corner and actually contribute in a significant way in 2023.
4
OL Joe Noteboom
Noteboom was already facing a make-or-break season in 2023 before being demoted to a backup role this summer. Now that he isn’t projected to be a starter, his chances of remaining with the Rams beyond this season got even slimmer.
Despite being the team’s highest-paid lineman, Noteboom is expected to start the year on the bench as a backup to Alaric Jackson at left tackle and Tremayne Anchrum Jr. at right guard. The Rams could still need him at some point this year and if he’s called upon, he’ll have to play at a much higher level than he did at the beginning of last year and this offseason.
Otherwise, there’s a very good chance he’ll be on the chopping block next offseason.
5
C Brian Allen
Like Noteboom, Allen came into the offseason as one of the team’s priciest linemen. Yet, he’s expected to be the backup center behind Coleman Shelton. That’s not the way the Rams hoped things would play out after they paid Allen last offseason, but they’re starting their five best players regardless of salary.
Allen is still signed through 2024 but he’s going to be tough to keep around if he can’t beat out Shelton at center at some point this year or next. Allen may already have one foot out the door but the Rams don’t have another good option at backup center so they’re going to keep him around for the foreseeable future.
6
NT Bobby Brown III
Brown isn’t under the same pressure that some of the aforementioned players are because he was a fourth-rounder in 2021, but he’s done almost nothing in the regular season since being drafted. He played 10 games as a rookie and nine last year, but he has just nine total tackles and not a single QB hit.
Brown is listed as a co-starter with Kobie Turner at nose tackle so he’s not guaranteed to play the amount of snaps that Greg Gaines did. However, he’ll need to be a productive player on early downs when teams are likely to run it. As the Rams’ biggest lineman, Brown is a key part of the defensive front. Another down year could result in him being cut.
