Life moves pretty fast in the NFL, and nowhere is this more apparent than with the NFC's last two Super Bowl winners. The Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers look nothing like the teams that were recent champs, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
The teams met in Week 9 a year ago, back when both were still looking like playoff teams. The Bucs actually made the playoffs, though they weren't there for long. In any case, their lineups in that game were a whole lot different from right now.
Tables below show the teams' offensive and defensive starters for that game, and what's transpired with those players since. (Some of the players listed as UFAs -- unrestricted free agents -- have signed with other teams, while some remain unsigned.) The Rams Defense is particularly gutted, with Aaron Donald, Ernest Jones and what's going to be a whole of new faces.
| L.A. Rams | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Status | 2023 |
| Offense | ||
| QB Matthew Stafford | ||
| RB Darrell Henderson | cut | unsigned |
| LT Joe Noteboom | ||
| LG David Edwards | UFA | Buffalo |
| C Brian Allen | ||
| RG Coleman Shelton | ||
| RT Rob Havenstein | ||
| WR Cooper Kupp | ||
| WR Van Jefferson | ||
| WR Allen Robinson | cut/trade? | |
| TE Tyler Higbee | ||
| PK Matt Gay | UFA | Indianapolis |
| Defense | ||
| DT Aaron Donald | ||
| DE A'Shawn Robinson | UFA | unsigned |
| DE Greg Gaines | UFA | Tampa Bay |
| OLB Leonard Floyd | cut | unsigned |
| ILB Ernest Jones | ||
| ILB Bobby Wagner | cut | Seattle |
| OLB Justin Hollins | UFA | Green Bay |
| CB Jalen Ramsey | traded | Miami |
| CB Troy Hill | UFA | unsigned |
| FS Nick Scott | UFA | Cincinnati |
| SS Taylor Rapp | UFA | Buffalo |
The Bucs haven't lost quite as much on the defensive side of the ball; it's their offense that looks most suspect. But not the same team defensively, either.
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Player | Status | 2023 |
| Offense | ||
| QB Tom Brady | retired | |
| RB Leonard Fournette | cut | unsigned |
| LT Donovan Smith | cut | unsigned |
| LG Nick Leverett | ||
| C Robert Hainsey | ||
| RG Shaq Mason | traded | Houston |
| RT Tristan Wirfs | ||
| WR Mike Evans | ||
| WR Chris Godwin | ||
| TE Cameron Brate | cut | unsigned |
| TE Cade Otton | ||
| PK Ryan Succop | cut | unsigned |
| Defense | ||
| NT Vita Vea | ||
| DE Akiem Hicks | UFA | unsigned |
| DE William Gholston | UFA | unsigned |
| OLB Shaq Barrett | Achilles | |
| OLB Joe Tyron-Shoyinka | ||
| ILB Lavonte David | ||
| ILB Devin White | ||
| CB Jamel Dean | ||
| CB Carlton Davis | ||
| CB Sean Murphy-Bunting | UFA | Tennessee |
| S Mike Edwards | UFA | Kansas City |
| S Keanu Neal | UFA | Pittsburgh |
It's weird putting together fantasy defense rankings and not including the Rams or Bucs in them, but that's what I think we're looking at this season.
--Andy Richardson