The Rams open their season on the road against Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Sept. 10, then host the San Francisco 49ers in the home opener at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 17. This will be the first time in four years that the Rams start the regular season on the road.

Highlights of the Rams’ 17-game slate include a rematch of Super Bowl LVI in Cincinnati on ESPN’s “Monday Night Football” in Week 3 (Sept. 25) and a home regular-season finale on Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football” against the New Orleans Saints in Week 16 (Dec. 21).

The Rams will host the NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in a Week 5 clash on Oct. 8.

In Week 8, the Rams visit the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 29 and then take on the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 9 (Nov. 5) before a bye week.

The Rams have two potential harsh weather games in the final month – Dec. 10 at Baltimore and Dec. 31 at the New York Giants.

The Rams finish the regular season on the road at San Francisco in Week 18 in early January. The Rams’ opponents’ winning percentage last season was .533, the ninth-highest in the NFL.

In the preseason, the Rams will host the Chargers on Aug. 12 and the Las Vegas Raiders on Aug. 19 before facing the Broncos on Aug. 26 in Denver.

2023 RAMS SCHEDULE

Sept. 10 – at Seattle, 1:25 p.m.

Sept. 17 – vs. San Francisco, 1:05 p.m.

Sept. 25 – at Cincinnati, 5:15 p.m. (MNF)

Oct. 1 – at Indianapolis, 10 a.m.

Oct. 8 – vs. Philadelphia, 1:05 p.m.

Oct. 15 – vs. Arizona, 1:25 p.m.

Oct. 22 – vs. Pittsburgh, 1:05 p.m.

Oct. 29 – at Dallas, 10 a.m.

Nov. 5 – at Green Bay, 10 a.m.

Nov. 12 – BYE

Nov. 19 – vs. Seattle, 1:25 p.m.

Nov. 26 – at Arizona, 1:05 p.m.

Dec. 3 – vs. Cleveland, 1:25 p.m.

Dec. 10 – at Baltimore, 10 a.m.

Dec. 17 – vs. Washington, 1:05 p.m.

Dec. 21 – vs. New Orleans, 5:15 p.m. (Thurs.)

Dec. 31 – at New York Giants, 10 a.m.

Jan. 6 or 7 – at San Francisco, TBA

Patrick Mahomes and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will kick off the NFL season against the upstart Detroit Lions in a matchup of high-powered offenses and will host Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles in a Super Bowl rematch on “Monday Night Football” in Week 11.

Aaron Rodgers will make his New York Jets debut in the first Monday night game of the season against the Buffalo Bills and later faces the Miami Dolphins in the NFL’s first Black Friday game on Nov. 24.

Thanks to Rodgers’ arrival in the Big Apple, the Jets will have six nationally televised games, including their first Sunday night game since 2011 when they take on the Chiefs on Oct. 1. That will be the first Mahomes-Rodgers matchup.

“It’s not going to be monotonous with all the 1 o’clock games we’re used to,” Jets coach Robert Saleh said on NFL Network.

Coming off their second championship in four seasons, the Chiefs will host the Lions on Sept. 7 on “Thursday Night Football.” The Lions finished 9-8 last season after a 1-6 start and knocked Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers out of the playoffs with a 20-16 victory at Lambeau Field in the final regular-season game.

Mahomes, the two-time NFL MVP, led the Chiefs to a 38-35 comeback win over the Eagles in the Super Bowl. The teams will battle at Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 20.

Fans will get their first look at Rodgers in his new green-and-white No. 8 Jets jersey when New York hosts Josh Allen and the Bills in an AFC East matchup on Sept. 11.

The NFL released the full schedule for its 104th season on Thursday night after revealing five international games and several others earlier in the day and Wednesday.

Other highlights include a rematch of the NFC championship game in Week 13 and a rematch of the AFC title game in Week 17. Hurts and the Eagles will host the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 3. The Chiefs will host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on New Year’s Eve.

The Eagles knocked quarterback Brock Purdy out of the conference title game on their way to a dominant 31-7 win. Purdy had elbow surgery in the offseason, but he should be ready by the time the teams meet again.

The Thanksgiving tripleheader features three division games. It begins with Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers visiting the Lions. The Dallas Cowboys then host the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks host the 49ers in prime time.

Mahomes and the Chiefs will host AFC West rival Las Vegas in the early game of the Christmas Day tripleheader. The Eagles will host the New York Giants in one of 14 playoff rematches on the 2023 schedule. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens wrap up Christmas action in San Francisco.

The New England Patriots also announced that seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady will be honored at the team’s home opener against the Eagles on Sept. 10. Brady, who led the Patriots to six Super Bowl titles, retired in February after spending the last three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced that Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars will become the first NFL team to play two international games in the same season when they spend back-to-back weeks in London.

The Jaguars will host the Atlanta Falcons at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 1 and visit the Bills at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 8. The Jaguars were set to play two designated home games in London in 2020 but the pandemic canceled those plans.

The Tennessee Titans will host the Baltimore Ravens at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Oct. 15. The Chiefs will host the Dolphins in Germany at Eintracht Frankfurt Stadium on Nov. 5. The Patriots will host the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 12, also in Frankfurt.

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, the first two picks in the draft, are scheduled to meet in Week 8 when the Carolina Panthers host the Houston Texans.

There will be three Monday night doubleheaders in Weeks 2, 3, and 14.

The Eagles have the toughest strength of schedule based on last year’s standings. Their opponents had a .566 winning percentage in 2022. The Falcons, who play in the lowly NFC South, have the easiest schedule with an opponents’ winning percentage of .417.

The NFL’s 18-week, 272-game regular-season schedule concludes with 16 division games in Week 18, including two on Saturday, Jan. 6.

It comes just over a year since the NFL was warned by a coalition of six attorneys general to take “swift action” to improve conditions for female employees.

In a statement Thursday, the attorneys general of New York and California said the joint investigation will “examine the workplace culture of the NFL and allegations made by former employees, including potential violations of federal and state pay equity laws and anti-discrimination laws.” It said the NFL has offices in New York and California with more than 1,000 employees.

The Attorneys General on Thursday issued subpoenas to the NFL seeking relevant information, the statement said.

CNN has contacted the NFL for comment regarding the investigation.

“No person should ever have to endure harassment, discrimination, or objectification in the workplace,” said NY Attorney General James. “No matter how powerful or influential, no institution is above the law, and we will ensure the NFL is held accountable.”

“California will not tolerate any form of discrimination,” California Attorney General Bonta said. “We have serious concerns about the NFL’s role in creating an extremely hostile and detrimental work environment. No company is too big or popular to avoid being held responsible for their actions.”

Attorneys General James and Bonita cited a New York Times report from February 2022, which detailed more than 30 former female employees alleging gender discrimination and retaliation after they had filed complaints with the NFL’s human resources division.

The Times reported at the time: “They described a stifling, deeply ingrained corporate culture that demoralized some female employees, drove some to quit in frustration and left many feeling brushed aside.”

In April 2022, Attorney General James led a coalition of six attorneys general in sending a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to express their concerns and to call on the league to address allegations of workplace inequity. Roughly 37% of the 1,100 employees at the NFL are women and 30% are people of color, the letter noted, according to CNN’s reporting.

In a statement to CNN at the time, the NFL said it shares “the commitment of the attorneys general to ensuring that all of our workplaces — including the league office and 32 clubs — are diverse, inclusive and free from discrimination and harassment.”

NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy told CNN in April 2022 that the organization had “made great strides” over the years but acknowledged that it, like many organizations, “has more work to do.”

The attorneys general said Thursday: “Reports that the NFL has not taken sufficient effective steps to prevent discrimination, harassment and retaliation from occurring in the workplace persist.”

The statement added: “Attorney General James and Attorney General Bonta are exercising their legal authority to seek information from the NFL regarding allegations of gender pay disparities in compensation, harassment, and gender and race discrimination.”

The-CNN-Wire & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Georgia’s two-time national championship-winning quarterback was selected by the Rams in the fourth round of the NFL draft on Saturday, uniting him with coach Sean McVay and fellow former Bulldogs signal-caller Matthew Stafford on the West Coast.

The 25-year-old Bennett’s unlikely route from junior college to the pinnacle of collegiate success has been well documented, but the NFL worthiness of the quirky quarterback known as “The Mailman” has been hotly debated for years. The Rams clearly believe in the 5-foot-11 passer with a proven knack for winning and making big throws in big games, even if his measurable talents don’t match other prospects.

“I love competing against the best, and it helps when you’ve got the best on your team,” Bennett said. “I think we do, not that I know that much. But obviously, if you’ve won a Super Bowl in the past few years, you know what you’re doing. I’m excited to learn. It’s an honor that those coaches and GM thought enough of me to pick me, and now it’s my job to go and get better every day.”

Bennett is the first quarterback drafted by the Rams since McVay became their head coach in 2017. He will join Stafford, the Super Bowl winner who is under contract for the next four seasons.

Bennett met Stafford for the first time at the College Football Playoff championship game at SoFi Stadium last January, but he grew up watching Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and their fellow Bulldogs. Bennett remained a fan of Stafford after he landed with the Detroit Lions.

“Everybody is watching Calvin Johnson highlights on YouTube, and he was the one throwing to him,” Bennett said. “He’s obviously extremely smart. He’s one of the most talented quarterbacks that’s ever played the game, and he’s tough as nails. I’m excited to just go in there, be quiet, take notes and learn.”

Picking Bennett in the fourth round was a reach in many draft prognostications, but the Rams clearly didn’t want to lose out: Three more quarterbacks were drafted in the 12 picks after they grabbed Bennett.

Los Angeles hadn’t drafted a quarterback since trading up to get Jared Goff with the No. 1 overall pick in 2016.

The Rams’ two backup quarterbacks last season – John Wolford and Bryce Perkins – both struggled behind a poor offensive line after Stafford was injured. Los Angeles turned in desperation to waiver-wire pickup Baker Mayfield, who beat the Raiders two days after joining the team and eventually started the final five games.

Bennett is headed back to SoFi, where he won his second national championship by leading the Bulldogs’ 65-7 victory over TCU in January. He had a typically crisp, productive game in his collegiate finale in Inglewood, passing for 304 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions while rushing for 39 yards and two more scores.

Bennett also will be a teammate of Horned Frogs guard Steve Avila, the Rams’ second-round selection.

The Rams wound up with 11 selections Saturday. In other Day 3 picks:

Fifth round

The Rams used the first of four fifth-round picks on Appalachian State outside linebacker Nick Hampton. The two-time All-Sun Belt Conference honoree is a bit undersized for the edge at 6-foot-2 and 236 pounds, but his high-motor play led to 9.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three forced fumbles last season.

The Rams later wound up with back-to-back picks. The first went to Georgia tackle Warren McClendon Jr., a  three-year starter at right tackle for the two-time national champions. The 6-4, 306-pound All-SEC first-teamer started all 14 games last season. The second pick was 6-6, 245-pound Clemson tight end Davis Allen. The All-ACC third-teamer and team captain recorded 39 receptions for 443 yards and 5 touchdowns last season.

Two picks later, the Rams selected BYU wide receiver Puka Nacua, who was the only FBS player to run for 5 touchdowns and catch 5 touchdowns last season. The 6-2, 201-pounder, who transferred to BYU from Washington after the 2020 season, led the Cougars in receptions in each of his two years, finishing with 91 catches for 1,430 yards.

Sixth round

The Rams began the round by taking TCU cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson. Despite being undersized at 5-8 and 178 pounds, the nephew of former Chargers great LaDainian Tomlinson had a tremendous 2022 season, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back and being named a first-team Associated Press All-American with a team-high three interceptions, 15 pass breakups and 50 tackles.

Seven picks later, they took 6-5, 250-pound edge rusher Ochaun Mathis, a four-year starter at TCU and then Nebraska. They also traded up for the 38th pick in the round to draft another former TCU player. Ole Miss running back Zach Evans ran for 936 rushing yards on 144 carries for 6.5 yards per carry, which led the SEC and ranked No. 10 in the country.

Seventh round

With the sixth pick of the round, the Rams selected Wingate punter Ethan Evans. The NCAA Division II All-American averaged 45.7 yards per punt last season and had 30 punts of 50 yards or more.

Eleven picks later, the choice was Oklahoma State safety Jason Taylor II, an All-Big 12 honoree who had a team-high with 99 tackles and was fourth in the FBS with 80 solo tackles.

The Rams ended the day with the final choice, giving 259th overall pick Toledo defensive end Desjuan Johnson the unofficial term of Mr. Irrelevant. The three-time All-MAC selection is 6-2 and 285 pounds with deceptive quickness, which helped him tally 16.5 tackles for loss last season.

2023 Rams draft

2 (5) – OG Steve Avila, TCU

3 (14) – DE Byron Young, Tennessee

3 (26) – DT Kobie Turner, Wake Forest

4 (26) – QB Stetson Bennett, Georgia

5 (27) – OLB Nick Hampton, Appalachian State

5 (40) – OT Warren McClendon Jr., Georgia

5 (41) – TE Davis Allen, Clemson

5 (43) – WR Puka Nacua, BYU

6 (5) – CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson

6 (12) – DE Ochaun Mathis, Nebraska

6 (38) – RB Zach Evans, Ole Miss

7 (6) – P Ethan Evans, Wingate

7 (17) – S Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma State

7 (42) – DE Desjuan Johnson, Toledo

SCNG staff contributed to this story.

“‘Just make sure they care,’” Snead said.

The Rams took that to heart in drafting TCU guard Steve Avila in the second round and two defensive players in the third round of the NFL draft on Friday night to address glaring needs on both lines of scrimmage.

“There was definitely an intent that we could definitely take offensive line, interior D-line, outside linebacker type help. But we let the board kind of dictate when we took, when we traded back, things like that,” Snead said.

No position group had more to do with the Rams’ dismal defense of their Super Bowl title than an offensive line decimated by injuries last season, using 13 different starting combinations with only right tackle Rob Havenstein playing in every game.

Avila, who was taken with the 36th overall pick, played every position except left tackle during his five seasons with the Horned Frogs. He earned consensus All-America honors at left guard as a redshirt senior in 2022.

“I couldn’t really tell you where the versatility comes from,” Avila said in a video teleconference from Fort Worth, Texas. “I know it started right when I got to college because that whole year I was playing right tackle for the scout team. … It’s great, you know, for an organization that can have an offensive lineman that can move around, and I take very much pride in doing so.”

A key piece up front during TCU’s unexpected run to the College Football Playoff title game, which it lost to Georgia, Avila did not allow a sack during his last two seasons in college.

McVay said the Rams valued Avila’s versatility, which was highlighted after a change in the coaching staff going into his final season at TCU, and could see him contributing at center or either guard position.

“We want to be able to create competition on this roster,” McVay said. “We’ll see how that unfolds, but want to be able to have enough guys that can snap the football. But, yeah, I think he can play any of those interior spots.”

By taking Tennessee outside linebacker Byron Young and Wake Forest defensive tackle Kobie Turner in the third round, there was a clear emphasis on generating more negative plays from a unit in transition.

After years of relying on stars like cornerback Jalen Ramsey and outside linebacker Leonard Floyd, Snead hopes the defense can return to previous heights with an influx of grit.

Young, the 77th overall pick, was an effective pass rusher in college, getting 12½ sacks and 23½ tackles for loss in 24 FBS games.

“The guy was working at Dollar General to make it go,” Snead said. “But he loved football, and he found a way to walk on at, what, a military school in Georgia. And here we are, drafted.”

Turner, selected 89th overall, went from walk-on to all-conference performer at Richmond before joining the Demon Deacons as a sixth-year senior. While he lacks the typical mass of an interior defender, the 24-year-old showed a knack for creating negative plays.

“Kobie is one of those guys, too,” Snead said. “He said, ‘I did a lot at Richmond, I’m gonna try to make it at the next level.’ … When you watch him play, there’s no plays off.”

The Rams did not have a first-round pick because of a January 2021 trade with Detroit for quarterback Matthew Stafford, who directed the win in Super Bowl LVI in their home stadium.

So, what is there tangible to discuss in the run-up to Thursday night’s draft in Kansas City?

The Chargers have the 21st pick. Most of the mock drafts seem convinced it will be used on defensive help or another target for Justin Herbert. And the last we heard, General Manager Tom Telesco was noncommittal about whether he was going to lug the surfboard that seems to be his lucky draft talisman to the team’s draft party Thursday at the Westfield Century City Atrium.

“I haven’t even thought about that yet,” Telesco said at his pre-draft availability earlier in the week. “I’ve been pretty busy.”

The surfboard made its first appearance during the 2020 proceedings amid the pandemic, when Telesco was working from home and the team-branded board appeared over his shoulder while he was interviewed after picking Herbert with the No. 6 pick overall after the Miami Dolphins had selected Tua Tagovailoa at No. 5. With that success in mind, the board made it to the draft room at the Chargers’ Costa Mesa facility in 2021 and to their draft party at SoFi Stadium last April, both of which have been bountiful drafts.

We’re guessing it’ll somehow find its way to Century City, where the war room will be set up and Telesco and Coach Brandon Staley will be available after Thursday night’s pick is announced.

As for the Rams? They’ve again secured a house to use as their draft “lab,” this time in Tarzana. The 10,000-square foot residence includes a movie theater, putting green, pool, outdoor bar and fire pit, and given that the Rams will be idle on Day 1 barring an unexpected (read: shocking) trade that gets them back into the first round, those amenities might be useful.

The Rams also have a huge gap between their third-round pick, No. 77, and their fifth-round selection, No. 167. They have 11 picks all told, four compensatory selections for the losses of free agents, and all but three come in the final three rounds.

“I think a lot of people on our staff would love for us to at some point move back to cover some of that gap,” General Manager Les Snead said this week. “It’s always a beneficial option based on accumulating more picks, maybe filling that gap. But you can always trade up too from the fifth round into those gaps so there’s many ways to accomplish that.

“And at the end of the day, it’s going to be, ‘Hey, when we get on the clock is there a trade partner? Is there not? Is there a player in that moment that we really feel good about and we want to make a Ram.”

The dilemma: The Rams could be in the market for a quarterback, which sounds funny considering that Matthew Stafford won them a Super Bowl two seasons ago and appears to be back to full health. But Stafford is also 35 and has 14 seasons of tread on his tires. Snead is daring enough to try to get into the first round, but daring enough to trade a batch of future first-round picks to get a shot at, say, former Rancho Cucamonga High and Ohio State standout C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson, or Kentucky’s Will Levis?

Forget Alabama’s Bryce Young, the former Mater Dei High standout who is expected to be the No. 1 selection. Carolina spent plenty to get that pick – specifically, sending wide receiver D.J. Moore, two first-round picks and two second-rounders to Chicago – and the only way the Rams could wrest that away might be to trade Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, and two or three future No. 1’s to the Panthers. Better, maybe, to wait a year and take a run at USC’s Caleb Williams next spring when they’ll have their own first-rounder to spend?

For the Chargers’ Telesco and his staff, at 21 there are options.

A survey of 35 mock drafts – out of, what, hundreds of lists that professional and amateur draft geeks have compiled and will be revising right up to Thursday night’s first pick – revealed a little bit of consensus. Twelve different players were listed as probable/potential/bear-with-me-because-I’m-guessing picks, and Boston College wide receiver Zay Flowers (9), USC’s Jordan Addison (6), and tight ends Dalton Kincaid of Utah and Michael Mayer of Notre Dame (5 apiece) were on the most lists. Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (3) was the only other player listed more than once.

As to the suggestion that the Chargers might be looking at additional running back help while Austin Ekeler’s trade request plays out, Telesco said at his pre-draft briefing that Ekeler’s situation wouldn’t change the team’s approach. Part of that likely goes back to the idea that running backs – even high-production ones – are replaceable in today’s NFL. And part of it is the idea that some players need a year or two to find their footing, as Ekeler once did.

“We had Joshua Kelley and Larry Rountree (III) here, then we drafted Isaiah Spiller last year,” Telesco said. “Isaiah kind of fits in the category of players from previous drafts having to step up and fill needs.

“Typically, like in this year’s draft, not a lot of these guys are going to come in and (immediately) fill a need. When you look at the draft, when you draft players in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth round, people think that they are going to come in and immediately fill a need. You hope that they come in and earn a role. But you’re really looking for players from previous draft classes to rise up, (for safety) JT Woods, (defensive back) Ja’Sir Taylor, Isaiah Spiller and some other guys, have those guys step into roles. We think that it’s a pretty good room right now, so I wouldn’t necessarily look at it like that.”

It’s worth noting that Kelley was a fourth-round pick in 2020, Rountree a sixth-rounder in ’21 and Spiller a fourth-rounder in 2022. In other words, for Telesco and particularly the Rams’ Snead, the real work will occur Friday and Saturday and the report card likely won’t be filled out until two to three years down the road.

Bottom line, given that strange things can happen in any draft? Be ready. (And, in Telesco’s case, bring the surfboard.)

jalexander@scng.com

To remain remotely competitive this fall, the Rams will rely heavily on an old friend they’ve taken a bit for granted: The draft.

After years of a bold, swashbuckling approach to building a championship team, the Rams made no dramatic personnel additions and lost numerous key veterans this spring – up to 17 starters and specialists as of the week before the draft, depending on the final results of free agency.

Finally low on draft capital and salary cap room after using it aggressively for the entirety of their return tenure in Los Angeles, the Rams are fully remodeling their roster around Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp.

With no room or inclination to sign any veteran free agents, the Rams apparently expect the majority of their personnel losses to be filled by acquisitions in the draft. To reset their payroll, the Rams say they need more players on rookie contracts, which means everybody chosen with their 11 picks will have a strong opportunity to play early and often for Coach Sean McVay.

“What the big picture is this year, different than probably the past five years for us, we definitely have to engineer a healthier (salary) cap situation,” Snead said earlier in the offseason. “Our DNA is to attack. Hit the gas. We’re going to hit the brakes a little bit. That does not change how we’re going to approach the season, how we’re going to approach the day-to-day, but it will definitely change how we approach constructing the roster.”

The Rams still have to take it easy on Thursday of draft week, as usual for a team that hasn’t made a first-round selection since grabbing quarterback Jared Goff in 2016. The Rams’ first pick Friday is the 36th overall, which is the highest selection they have made since Goff arrived.

And the Rams will be open to almost anything on draft day.

The top six players on last season’s defense by snap count are gone, while the Rams added nothing except backup tight end Hunter Long to their offensive roster. The Rams also don’t have a kicker, a punter, a long snapper or a kick returner.

PICK ’EM

The Rams traded their first-round pick to Detroit to get Stafford, but they kept their own second-round pick and third-round pick for a change this year, and they’re getting a compensatory pick in the third for trading Jalen Ramsey. The rest of their picks are 167th overall and higher, which means they’ll have to hit on some long shots.

NEEDS

Every level of the defense needs replenishment with the departures of Ramsey, both starting safeties, star linebacker Bobby Wagner, edge rusher Leonard Floyd and defensive line starters Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson (a free agent). None of those departures has yet been addressed.

The Rams also have done nothing to improve an offensive line that allowed Stafford to be sacked 29 times in nine games before he was sidelined for the season with an apparent concussion and a bruised spinal cord.

Third-round pick Logan Bruss will be ready to contribute after an injury kept him out for all of his rookie year but the Rams need more linemen – and better linemen.

The Rams likely need another receiver to play alongside Kupp, Van Jefferson and Tutu Atwell after trading Allen Robinson to Pittsburgh and losing Brandon Powell to Minnesota.

It’s probably time for the team to draft a backup quarterback after being forced to plug in waiver-wire acquisition Baker Mayfield last season after Stafford was injured.

Drafting a kicker in the late rounds seems to be a consideration as well after allowing Matt Gay to walk.

DON’T NEED

Stafford is set as their starting quarterback and Tyler Higbee is back at tight end, but the Rams could use depth at practically every position, not to mention starters on the defense.

RECENT HISTORY

The Rams’ past few drafts are not encouraging for fans who hope Snead can find immediate impact players, particularly in the lower rounds. Backup cornerback Cobie Durant was the only one of last season’s eight draft picks to make an impact in 2022, while linebacker Ernest Jones and seventh-round backup receiver Ben Skowronek are the biggest contributors from the 2021 class.

The 2020 draft class included Cam Akers, Jefferson and once-and-future starting safety Jordan Fuller, but also had costly third-round misses Terrell Lewis and Terrell Burgess.

FIRST PICK

The Rams’ second-round pick is high enough to get an immediate contributor. They are thought to be looking at the likes of Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison, South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith, Georgia cornerback Kelee Ringo and a slew of edge rushers including Kansas State’s Felix Anudike-Uzomah.

What might they not do, what with all the holes on their roster?

Two years ago, Rams GM Les Snead celebrated at the team’s Super Bowl victory parade with a profane T-shirt that read “[Blank] Them Picks” after building a championship team by jettisoning future picks for star players. No one could question the philosophy based on the results.

Yet now, mere months following the Rams’ forgettable 5-12 season, the more appropriate attire this week might read “Hoard Them Picks.” The Rams have 11 of them going into this year’s draft, albeit not their first-rounder. That belongs to the Detroit Lions, the final chip in the January 2021 blockbuster deal to acquire quarterback Matthew Stafford, and it sits at a lofty No. 6 overall.

The Rams didn’t make any splashy moves in the offseason, discounting all the players to whom they said goodbye largely as a result of the salary cap – both to get under it for the 2023 season and to clear space for 2024.

Traded away was star cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Cut was edge rusher Leonard Floyd. Also gone are linebacker Bobby Wagner, defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, nose tackle Greg Gaines and safeties Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp. The Rams also lost key pieces on offense in quarterback Baker Mayfield, recently traded wide receiver Allen Robinson, guard David Edwards and kicker Matt Gay.

According to Snead, this is not a rebuild as much as it is a remodel. Barring a trade, that starts in earnest early in the second round Friday.

In reviewing 12 mock drafts, here are some players – many on the defensive side of the ball – whose names are coming up as potential fits for the Rams with their 36th overall pick … and stay tuned for a fascinating proposal at the end:

Keion White, DE, Georgia Tech

The Rams are in search of someone who can contribute right away, especially after letting Floyd and his team-high nine sacks go in order to reduce payroll.

Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN:  “At 6-5, 285 pounds, White is a nice fit as an end in L.A.’s 3-4 defense. He played both tackle and end in college, putting up 7.5 sacks last season.”

Matt Miller, ESPN: “The Rams currently have two street free agents projected to start at defensive end and must add multiple pass-rushers in this draft. White is game-ready and could move throughout the defensive line in Raheem Morris’ scheme.”

Cam Mellor, Pro Football Network: “The Los Angeles Rams need more than just a handful of players in the 2023 NFL Draft, and with Keion White, they get a versatile defensive lineman with the ability to line up from inside to out.”

Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Edge, Kansas State

The 6-3, 255-pound Anudike-Uzomah could be the answer on the edge after his eight sacks and 11 tackles for loss earned him Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Jordan Reid, ESPN: “Anudike-Uzomah is a scheme-versatile prospect with a quick first step. He also has enough hand power to be a consistent edge setter against the run.”

Gilbert Manzano, Sports Illustrated: “Anudike-Uzomah doesn’t have a quick get-off at the line of scrimmage, but he makes up for that with his polished pass-rush moves and relentless motor for reaching the quarterback.”

Will McDonald IV, Edge, Iowa State

The three-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, at 6-3 and 239 pounds, recorded an athletically freakish 11-foot broad jump at the NFL draft combine.

Dane Brugler, The Athletic: “McDonald is more toolsy than seasoned and might never become the sum of his parts, but his natural length, flexibility and explosiveness are an enticing combination.”

BJ Ojulari, Edge, LSU

This one comes with a twist, as a trade down 10 spots with the New England Patriots allows the Rams to still nab a dynamic and versatile 6-2, 248-pound pass rusher.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com: “He ascended to first-team All-SEC status in 2022, starting 11 games (58 tackles, 8.5 for loss with 5.5 sacks) and missing two early-season games with a knee injury.”

Drew Sanders, Edge/LB, Arkansas

The 6-4, 235-pound All-American showed he can be a force off the edge, where he racked up five sacks and 14 QB pressures.

Doug Farrar, Touchdown Wire: “If Sanders can get the hang of the nuances of the linebacker position over the next couple of seasons to add to all his existing attributes, he could be a true one-of-one player in the league.”

Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

The defensive standout for the two-time national champion Georgia Bulldogs offers size (6-2, 207) and athleticism after running a blistering 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL draft combine.

Todd McShay, ESPN: “The Rams are on the board here for the first time, and after they dealt away Jalen Ramsey, there’s a gaping hole at cornerback. Ringo has speed for days, but he still has to work on his recognition skills in coverage.”

Clark Phillips III, CB, Utah

Some knock this La Habra High product for his size (5-9, 184) and moderate speed (4.51 in the 40), but he was a unanimous All-American and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 for a reason.

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News: “Phillips was very productive in college and fits Raheem Morris’ scheme well for a smaller cover man.”

Tyler Steen, OT/G, Alabama

Hark, an offensive player! Maybe not a bad idea if the Rams wish to keep QB Matthew Stafford upright and healthy. The 6-6, 321-pounder started his college career as a defensive tackle at Vanderbilt and ended it as a left tackle for the Crimson Tide

Walter Cherepinsky, WalterFootball.com: “Tyler Steen did a great job on Bryce Young’s blind side after transferring from Vanderbilt.”

Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee

Last but definitely not least is this doozy. The Rams could get younger at quarterback by trading up, in this instance moving up eight spots for Cincinnati’s 28th overall pick by using one of their extra third-round picks. Already 25, the 6-foot-3, 217-pound Hooker, who has been sneaking into the first round of some mock drafts, is recovering from a torn ACL and would have a season to absorb knowledge.

Cody Benjamin, CBS Sports: “After trying but failing to shop Matthew Stafford as part of their veteran purge, what if the Rams get a head start on their inevitable QB reset by moving up with the Bengals (and ahead of the Saints) to swipe Hooker, who could sit and learn behind Stafford – and under Sean McVay – in 2023?”

ESPN’s Adam Schefter, who broke the news of the potential trade, reported Tuesday that the Rams will pay Robinson $10.25 million of his salary for the 2023 season and Pittsburgh will pay the remaining $5 million. The teams will swap seventh-round picks, the Rams receiving the 234th overall selection for their 251st pick.

The move comes 13 months after the Rams signed Robinson to a three-year, $46.5 million deal that was expected to bolster their passing attack.

Instead, the Rams and Robinson never seemed to mesh. Robinson had 33 catches for 339 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games. He suffered a stress fracture in his foot late in the season and missed the final six games after undergoing surgery.

With the trade, leading the Rams’ wide receivers room would be Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson after injury-plagued 2022 seasons.

Kupp followed his spectacular 2021 campaign, in which he led the league in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, by suffering a season-ending high ankle sprain in Week 10. He finished with 75 receptions for 812 yards and six TDs. Jefferson missed the first seven games of the 2022 season with a knee injury and recorded 24 catches for 369 yards and three TDs.

After that, the Rams have Ben Skowronek (39 catches for 376 yards), TuTu Atwell (18 catches for 298 yards and 1 TD) and sparsely used Austin Trammell and Lance McCutcheon.

The Rams, coming off a 5-12 season, could target wide receivers in the draft, which starts April 27. While they do have 11 picks in the draft, they are without a first-rounder – their eventual No. 6 overall pick was part of the package to acquire Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford in January 2021.

The Rams’ first selection is scheduled to come in the second round (36th overall), followed by two in the third round – their own pick at 69th overall and the 77th overall pick acquired last month when they sent star defensive back Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins.

SEATTLE — Bobby Wagner is headed back to the Seattle Seahawks to rejoin the team with which he became one of the top linebackers in the NFL.

The team announced Wagner’s return Saturday night, filling a major need on Seattle’s remodeled defense. It’s a one-year contract, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce terms.

“BOBBY. IS. BACK,” the Seahawks posted on their Twitter account. “We’ve agreed to terms with the future Hall of Famer.”

Seattle teammates Quandre Diggs and Tyler Lockett first broke the news on Twitter, and NFL Network and ESPN said the deal was worth up to $7 million.

“Glad to be back in Seattle! It means a lot to be able to come back!” Wagner tweeted.

Wagner spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Seahawks after being selected in the second round of the 2012 draft by Seattle. He became a six-time first-team All-Pro selection during his tenure in Seattle, where he was regularly regarded as one of the best middle linebackers in the league.

Wagner was released by Seattle just over a year ago in a salary cap move. Wagner was due nearly $17 million and Seattle wanted to give Jordyn Brooks the opportunity to step into the middle linebacker role

But Brooks suffered a torn ACL late last season and is expected to miss a significant chunk of the 2023 season. Seattle signed Devin Bush to a one-year deal earlier in free agency, but still needed additional answers.

Enter Wagner, who was a second-team All-Pro selection last season playing for his hometown Rams. Wagner started all 17 games and had 140 tackles for the Rams, but was let go by the Rams earlier this offseason with Los Angeles entering a rebuild phase.

The Ontario Colony High alumnus is the latest addition to what will be a significantly altered defense in Seattle. The Seahawks have already signed Bush, defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones and Jarran Reed, and safety Julian Love as part of their offseason makeover.