DOWNTOWN RAMS PODCAST · JAKE ELLENBOGEN & ALEXIS KRAFT

Ep.593: Have the Rams done ENOUGH to bring the LOMBARDI back HOME in 2026?

March 19, 2026·1 hr 24 min·6 clips

Jake claims the Rams' only real need is a third wide receiver to complement their star-studded offense.

1. Downtown Rams, a Los Angeles Rams podcast, returns from a post-season break in episode 593 to review what the franchise has done in the 2026 offseason following an NFC Championship loss to the Seattle Seahawks. 2. Host Alexis Kraft and co-host Jake Ellenbogen lead the discussion, with Jake providing most of the scouting and analytical framework throughout. 3. The episode's central argument is that the Rams addressed their one catastrophic weakness — the secondary — in under a week and now have only one true remaining need: a reliable wide receiver 3. 4. The Rams traded for Trent McDuffie from the Kansas City Chiefs for what Jake describes as a reasonable cost, then signed him to an extension making him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. 5. Within the same week, the Rams signed McDuffie's former Kansas City teammate Jalen Watson at corner, giving them a complementary 6-foot-2 cornerback to handle bigger receivers opposite McDuffie. 6. Jake explains the specific defensive traits the Rams require at cornerback: a quick downhill trigger for run and screen game, reliable tackling, and physical finishing — criteria both McDuffie and Watson meet. 7. Jake draws an explicit comparison to how the Rams evaluated Jared Goff's Super Bowl window in 2020, saying this is how management now views the team: a nearly complete roster that needed one missing piece to compete for a title. 8. Kobe Durant, who had six interceptions including three in the playoffs, is cited as a player both hosts feel was unfairly let go as a CB3 or CB4. 9. Jake argues that Tariq Woolen — a name widely discussed before the signing — was never the answer due to a 22% missed tackle rate and a recent critical mental lapse on a penalty. 10. Wide receiver 3 is Jake's single remaining need, and he supports the claim with a historical example: Josh Reynolds stepping up in the 2019 NFC Championship game against the Saints when Cooper Cup was unavailable. 11. Jake says Marcus Robinson playing over Kanahea Mumfield may have directly cost the Rams the 2025 championship, framing wide receiver 3 depth as potentially the margin between winning and losing the Super Bowl. 12. Juwan Jennings is both hosts' preferred free agent option, while Jake also discusses Brandon Aiyuk and shares insider information from Jesse at FCS Round Table suggesting the 49ers have buyer's remorse on Aiyuk's deal. 13. Jake raises Dontavion Wicks of the Green Bay Packers as a trade candidate, calling him an outstanding separator buried behind an overcrowded receiver room, and Troy Franklin of the Denver Broncos as another target. 14. A.J. Brown is reported to be off the board for the Rams due to injury concerns, which Jake says also makes Jordan Tyson — who has torn his ACL, MCL, and PCL in college — a riskier pick at 13. 15. The draft debate centers on pick 13: Makai Lemon versus Jordan Tyson versus tight end Kenyon Sadiq, with Jake explaining he can't trust Lemon as a blocker or outside route runner based on college tape. 16. Jake's concern about Lemon specifically involves putting him in the slot, which would displace Puka Nakua from his best role in the middle of the field. 17. Both hosts say they prefer Kenyon Sadiq over Tyson at 13 due to Tyson's extensive injury history, though they acknowledge Sadiq as a tight end raises roster management questions given Tyler Higby's re-signing. 18. The episode has a collaborative, analytical tone with both hosts openly debating and sometimes disagreeing — Jake's scouting-heavy framework sometimes contrasting with Alexis's more roster-construction focus. 19. Long-time Rams fans following both the offseason and the upcoming draft will find the most value, particularly listeners who want a scouting-informed breakdown of the receiver and corner decisions. 20. Casual NFL fans or those without a strong interest in the Rams specifically will likely find the episode too detailed and insider-focused for sustained engagement.

As heard by us

A loose Rams offseason reset with real draft logic and a few detours.

Downtown Rams returns from a short break with a clear offseason brief: what the Rams have done, what still needs to happen in free agency, and how the draft picture shifts as the roster settles.

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Want the Rams offseason argued out loud, not flattened into a headline?

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