2023 question: Does a finally healthy Matthew Stafford equal a healthy Rams offense?
He played through right elbow tendinitis, suffered a concussion and missed the final seven games of the 2022 season because of a spinal bruise.
But Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, 35, appeared raring to go Monday when the Rams began their offseason program in Thousand Oaks.
“I’m not 25,” a grinning Stafford said during a news conference, “but I definitely feel good.”
It is a stark contrast to last offseason, when the sore elbow precluded Stafford from throwing passes and limited his participation during training camp.
Once the season began, Stafford and the offense looked nothing like the group that helped the Rams win Super Bowl LVI the previous season. A season-opening rout by the Buffalo Bills sent the Rams spiraling to a 5-12 finish.
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Stafford passed for only 10 touchdowns against eight interceptions as the Rams produced the worst performance by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history.
Coach Sean McVay said last month that Stafford would have “no limitations” during offseason workouts.
That was welcome news for Stafford, who is the only quarterback on the roster as he begins preparing for his 15th NFL season.
“We handed the ball off on every play or whatever,” he said of last offseason. “I didn’t throw all offseason — that’s kind of frustrating for a guy that likes to do that.
“So it’s kind of nice that I’ll be able to go out there and have a much more normal offseason experience and be able to be out there and do what I love to do.”
Unlike previous offseasons under McVay, the Rams have been quiet in terms of trading for or signing new players.
Instead, they released high-profile players such as linebacker Bobby Wagner and edge rusher Leonard Floyd, traded star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, and let a parade of free agents depart to save money and build a stockpile of compensatory draft picks.
Although McVay and Rams executives have struggled to find a term for their approach, it clearly has been a retreat from their usual mode of operation.
“I’ve been doing this going on 15 years now and been a part of all sorts of offseasons … some that were quiet like this that turned into really good years,” Stafford said, adding, “For me, it’s just: ‘OK, who do we have in the building? Let’s go to work with those guys. Let’s enjoy it. Let’s find a way to get better.’ ”
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The offseason workout program is voluntary, and no live-contact drills are permitted. The first phase, which lasts two weeks, consists of meetings, conditioning and rehabilitation for players coming off injuries. During the three-week second phase, individual and group on-field workouts are permitted along with walk-throughs. In the final four weeks, teams can hold 10 organized team activity workouts.
The Rams are scheduled to conclude their program with a mandatory minicamp June 13-15.
Stafford said he has been throwing with receivers. He jokingly referenced a popular automated device when he said he’s “not probably a human Jugs machine like I used to be but can still get it out there and throw it around a bunch.”
It will be a process, he said.
“I definitely feel like I can go out there and compete and do everything I want to do, which is fun and exciting for me,” he said.
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Stafford is not the only offensive star returning from an injury. Cooper Kupp is coming off ankle surgery, and fellow wide receiver Allen Robinson is on the way back from foot surgery. The Rams have tried to trade Robinson but have not found a partner. A deal is not expected to occur until after the NFL draft or until another team loses a receiver because of injury.
The Rams exiled and then attempted to trade running back Cam Akers last season, but he returned and rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the last three games.
Did he expect to still be with the Rams for the start of offseason workouts?
“Based on how everything played out, yeah,” he said. “I had no different expectations of where I was going to be. I knew I was going to be here. ... Who knows what the future holds, but I’m where my feet are. It’s always good to be where your feet are. That’s where we are today.”
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