5 lessons 49ers can learn from Super Bowl champion Rams
By Peter Panacy
49ers Super Bowl lesson No. 4: Going ‘all in’ can get you a Super Bowl
The Rams and Bengals both took two vastly different routes to get to Super Bowl LVI.
Cincinnati, a two-win team two years ago, took the organic approach and built primarily through the NFL Draft, onboarding Joe Burrow in 2020 as the No. 1 overall pick and then subsequently grabbing wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase with its following first-round selection in 2021.
Worked out pretty well, right?
Los Angeles, meanwhile, didn’t value first- or even second-round picks the same way, instead choosing to use draft capital to acquire quarterback Matthew Stafford last offseason and then Von Miller prior to the NFL trade deadline.
The latter went “all in” for 2021, essentially arguing for a “Super Bowl or bust” campaign, and the end result speaks to what approach worked… this time.
San Francisco has a player core that can win right now, built largely through the draft and including 2021 rookie quarterback Trey Lance.
For the all-in crowd, though, the notion of trying to add a potentially wanting-to-come-out-of-retirement quarterback like Tom Brady might signal a very Rams-like approach for 2022.
How would the 49ers want to approach that potential lesson and takeaway might be a hot topic for the offseason.