The NFL offseason has been much crazier than usual. There have been numerous players changing teams, much more than recent years. And easily the biggest winer of these trades and free agent signings is the Los Angeles Rams. Although they lost wide receiver Sammy Watkins to the Kansas City Chiefs, the defense has improved tremendously. The defense was already one of the best in the league with defensive tackle Aaron Donald leading the unit. Joining him will be three of the best cornerbacks in the league, Aqib Talib, Sam Shields, and Marcus Peters, and defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. Although some of these players have off-the-field issues, I am confident that the young Rams’ coach will have the patience to make them fit into the team successfully. At their max performance, I think the Rams could win 13 or 14 games and earn the number one seed in the NFL. So what is holding them back? And how can they do this?

Even though Talib, Peters and Suh might be what NFL general managers refer to as headaches, they are all very talented players. And unlike basketball, football is not a sport where one man can carry the entire team. Football teams need to have several talented players working together. In addition to these defensive stars, the Rams also traded for Brandin Cooks, the talented wide receiver who played one year with the New England Patriots. Some people have wondered who will be the winner and loser in that trade. A lot of people question whether or not Cooks is 100% healthy. But let’s be honest. No one is 100% healthy in the NFL, especially after a full season. I predict Cooks will come back from his injury and return to being one of the top wide receivers in the league. I also believe that head coach Sean McCoy will be able to manage all of these personalities. As the young coach has shown already, he is a rising star in the league.

Last year, the Rams were second in team defense in the league, and this year, I think they will easily rise to the top spot. They have a great young quarterback in Jared Goff who is still developing after his first Pro Bowl season. They may have the top running back in the league in Todd Gurley. Call me crazy but the Los Angeles Rams are my pick to win the Super Bowl. They offense will be solid and the defense will give teams nightmares.