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What’s left for the L.A. Rams in the 2018 NFL offseason?

Kelvin Kuo / Associated Press

The Los Angeles Rams made a number of key moves to turn themselves into a Super Bowl contender in 2018. Defensively, the Rams are much improved. Offensively, the team has its No. 1 wide receiver. Still, the job isn’t done yet. There are still some work to be done for the Rams to complete a successful offseason.

Find a resolution to the Aaron Donald saga

The Aaron Donald saga is repeating itself once again in 2018. With voluntary offseason workouts starting on April 16, the Rams are once again without him there. While far from unprecedented, this is starting to show a similar pattern to what Donald did last offseason. In 2017, Donald held out of mandatory minicamp and training camp while seeking a better contract on his rookie deal.

Donald made $1.7 million in 2017 and is expected to make $6.8 million this season. Donald is seeking a long-term contract somewhere in the $20 million range. If the Rams are serious about trying to avoid any drama with Donald in contract negotiations, Les Snead and the front office must be proactive and take care of the best defensive player in the NFL.

Find some depth at the linebacker position

With all of the moves the Rams made at upgrading the defensive line and cornerback positions, the one position the team has suffered in the past few days is at linebacker. Defensive captain Alec Ogletree now makes his residence in Big Apple for the Giants. Robert Quinn now plays in South Beach for the Dolphins, and Connor Barwin remains unsigned. That means holdovers like Matt Longacre and Samson Ebukam will have to step up at OLB. Ramik Wilson will definitely be help at ILB, but the Rams are still light at LB.

Get some OL help in the NFL draft

The Rams “won” the 2018 offseason with all of the moves they made. The team is stacked on defense, and the front office’s priority heading into the draft is finding some depth for their offense, more particularly on the offensive line. Andrew Whitworth and John Sullivan were amazing in 2017, but it is risky to bank on those two players staying healthy all season. With Whitworth 36 years old and Sullivan starting to head towards the end at 32, adding depth to the offensive line may be the most critical to the Rams success in 2018.

Sources: Gary Klein, L.A. Times, Alden Gonzalez ESPN.com, NFL.com

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