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NFL: How all of the championship contenders were built

By Sayre Bedinger

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 13: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots and Rob Gronkowski #87 react during the third quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 13: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots and Rob Gronkowski #87 react during the third quarter in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Gillette Stadium on January 13, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 23: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates a sack in the second half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – DECEMBER 23: Aaron Donald #99 of the Los Angeles Rams celebrates a sack in the second half of the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on December 23, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Rams

Head coach: Sean McVay (2017)
General manager: Les Snead (2012)

25 and under: 27
FA: 15
Trade: 5
NFL Draft: 25
CFA: 8
Active cap: $158.6M (Highest among final four)
Players on IR: 8

The Rams’ roster construction is fascinating.

They have the youngest roster left in the playoffs with the most players age 25 and under, yet the Rams have the highest payroll of any of the teams left this year.

As a matter of fact, their active payroll is the second-highest of any team in the NFL (Vikings have the highest).

The Rams’ roster construction is quite similar to their coaching staff construction. Both the roster and the coaching staff have the perfect marriage of youth and experience, starting with McVay (the NFL’s youngest head coach) and Wade Phillips (one of the oldest coordinators in the league) along with special teams coordinator John Fassel who served as the interim head coach of the Rams in 2016 before McVay was ultimately hired.

Les Snead’s ability to put this roster together into a contender in short order is a testament to his eye for talent and strong usage of cash and salary cap space. The Rams have locked their foundation in for the foreseeable future with Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Aaron Donald, and a number of other key players on second contracts already.

Jared Goff will be the next big contract for the Rams.

But their combination of youth and veterans on this roster is impressive. The Rams have such a young core offensively, but the glue that really holds things together is left tackle Andrew Whitworth, the 37-year old ageless wonder.

The Rams also brought in 33-year old center John Sullivan a couple of years ago after he spent the first seven years of his NFL career in Minnesota followed by one year in Washington with McVay.

Ndamukong Suh, the team’s biggest offseason acquisition in 2018, brought a veteran presence to the defensive line and Aqib Talib was acquired via trade from Denver at the age of 32.

Snead also made the move this past offseason to trade for Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Marcus Peters, and has proven over the course of the past three years to be one of the most aggressive general managers in the NFL when it comes to the NFL Draft, free agency, or trade market.

Snead deserves a ton of credit also for buying what Sean McVay was selling when hiring a 30-year old coach had never been done before and he was just coming off of the Jeff Fisher era.

The Rams boast the most draft picks of any team left in postseason contention, and have another key piece of their roster in Cooper Kupp on injured reserve.

Next. Latest 2019 NFL mock draft. dark

This team is set up very well now and going into the future.

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