Analysis: Rams offense position-by-position breakdown for 2020

For the Rams to be Super Bowl contenders again, they must reverse last year’s decline in the offense, which saw the running game hobbled, the line battered and Sean McVay’s magic figured out by opposing coaches.

Do they have the tools to do it? Probably. This season? That’s the real question.

It will require fast contributions from their prize rookie running back, improvement from the young guards, and ingenuity from McVay and new offensive coordinator and quarterback whisperer Kevin O’Connell.

Here’s a look at the Rams’ offense heading into the 2020 regular season, which opens Sunday night at SoFi Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys:

Quarterbacks: Jared Goff, John Wolford

Goff passed more often but less efficiently in the season after the Rams’ Super Bowl run. It wasn’t all his fault, and his strong finish was encouraging.

Entering his fifth season as the Rams’ starter, Goff looks more mobile, sounds more confident, and seems to be benefiting from working with O’Connell, the former San Diego State star and NFL backup quarterback.

The always-mobile Wolford, taking over from Blake Bortles as Goff’s backup, has no NFL experience above the Rams’ practice squad last season but did little wrong in scrimmages.

Undrafted rookie Bryce Perkins is this year’s practice-squad quarterback and would step in if Goff or Wolford got hurt or — as must be considered now — sick.

Running backs: Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Malcolm Brown, Xavier Jones

McVay and new running backs coach Thomas Brown say nobody has grabbed the No. 1 ballcarrier role yet, not Akers, the second-round draft pick from Florida State, Henderson, last year’s third-rounder, nor Malcolm Brown, who backed up Todd Gurley.

That means the Rams are likely to start the season with a three-back “rotation” or running-back-by-committee, but hope Akers progresses quickly and becomes their back of the present as well as the future.

With Gurley hobbled but playing (he was released in March), the Rams sank from third in the league in rushing in 2018 to 26th in 2019. Improving on Gurley’s 3.8 yards a carry is doable.

Wide receivers: Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds, Van Jefferson, Nsimba Webster, Trishton Jackson

Woods and Kupp could end up the Rams’ best receiver tandem since Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt in the Greatest Show on Turf era in St. Louis.

By trading away the pricey Brandin Cooks, the Rams risked losing the deep threat that cleared routes for Kupp and Woods. Josh Reynolds, an experienced backup, will try to fill Cooks’ role as the third receiver.

Jefferson will push Reynolds for playing time after the late-second-round pick from Florida emerged as the young star of training camp, running the polished routes the Rams hoped to see from the son of long-time NFL receiver and position coach Shawn Jefferson.

Webster will return punts and kicks.

Tight ends: Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Johnny Mundt, Brycen Hopkins

Higbee clicked with Goff last December to have one of the great months ever for a tight end. When Everett is healthy, the Rams have a powerful combo in its prime for the two-tight-end sets that McVay likes.

The fact that four tight ends made the 53-man active roster indicates more multi-tight-end formations to come.

Hopkins, a fourth-rounder from Purdue, is in the Higbee mold.

Offensive line: Andrew Whitworth, Rob Havenstein, Austin Blythe, Joe Noteboom, Austin Corbett, Bobby Evans, David Edwards, Brian Allen, Coleman Shelton, Tremayne Anchrum

Keeping 10 offensive linemen, of whom eight started at least one game last season, means the Rams plan to exploit their depth in this unit, general manager Les Snead said.

Injuries and inexperience made last season a trial by fire for the linemen in between veteran tackles Whitworth and Havenstein. The line settled down toward the end of the season and, despite its low overall ratings, allowed the fewest sacks in the league.

The Rams are counting on Blythe (center), Noteboom (left guard) and Corbett (right guard) to benefit from that seasoning and justify the decision not to bring in reinforcements.

Coming Thursday: Analysis of the Rams’ defense.