“No one's gonna hand-deliver you these trophies” - Tom Brady applauds Rams' construction of Super Bowl 2022 roster
The Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl LVI champions after defeating Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Los Angeles general manager Les Snead made certain to leave no stone unturned when filling his roster with players in a win-now situation for the team.
Everyone can appreciate a GM going all out in an effort to capture that elusive Super Bowl trophy... especially seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady.
"You know, as you're just trying to find the right mix of guys," the recently retired quarterback said on the Let's Go podcast, "and the right team with the right attitude, with the right desire and determination to get over the hump. And I think Matt [Stafford] found that in the Rams, and they found that in Matt. Matt was a very talented quarterback and he went to a very competitive organization... You have Aaron Donald there and you have Jalen Ramsey. And I know those guys are great competitors. You have Sean McVay who’s a great young coach. And then they bring in, in the same year, they bring in Odell [Beckham Jr]."
Brady knows a thing or two about roster construction as he helped the Buccaneers acquire Antonio Brown (for better or for worse), Rob Gronkowski, Richard Sherman and Leonard Fournette.
He continued with his statement:
"You know, they go all in with Odell... and he has a great first quarter and a half of that game. And they go in and they trade for Von Miller. And it was just, I really believe in it. You got to go for it... no one's gonna hand-deliver you these trophies. I think so many people in the NFL think that their time will come."
The GOAT continued to speak on what he believes it takes for a franchise such as the Rams to get the job done and remain competitive:
"And the reality is you got to make it. You got to make it happen. You got to go out there and you got to do whatever it takes to get the job done and to put yourself in a position to win Super Bowls. Because these things are really hard to earn. You can't buy them, you got to go earn them."
The seven-time Super Bowl champion also knows a thing or two about the effort required to have a team that can compete consistently at the highest level. He ended his statement with the following:
"And when you watch the Rams approach, they could go the other way, but it's not for lack of effort. That's an organization that's determined to go out there and win Super Bowls. And I have a lot of respect for that."
Will the Los Angeles Rams repeat as champions next season?
To become an NFL champion is one thing. To win it again the very next year is a completely different animal. The last team in the league to win back-to-back NFL Super Bowls was the New England Patriots (led by a young Tom Brady), who after becoming champions in 2003 repeated their achievement in 2004.
It's a difficult but not impossible feat to pull off. Los Angeles will have their core players returning in Aaron Donald, Matthew Stafford, Jalen Ramsey and Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp. But there are concerns with free agents such as linebacker Von Miller and receiver Odell Beckham, who suffered a torn ACL during the big game.
#Rams WR Odell Beckham Jr is believed to have torn his ACL in last night’s Super Bowl win, source said. That means a long road of recovery for the free agent, who has a challenge to be ready for 2022. Beckham had 2 catches for 52 yards, 1 TD and 1 moonwalk before the injury.
The @NFLGameDay Notebook with @MikeGarafolo and @TomPelissero: The #Rams and QB Matthew Stafford are expected to focus on an extension after the season; Jared Goff enters a prove-it year for the #Lions; #Rams star Von Miller is expected to fully explore free agency. https://t.co/wLNcRTN1b2
Los Angeles head coach Sean McVay did a masterful job utilizing the personnel on his team in the best way possible.
Of course, the job was made easier thanks to GM Les Snead and the front office purchasing the right ingredients to make a satisfying meal which culminated in a Super Bowl win.
With questions surrounding Miller, Beckham, offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth (who is 40 years old) and starting receiver Robert Woods, who has been out with a torn ACL since a Week 9 practice, a betting man (or woman) should play it safe and take the field to win next year's Super Bowl.