Top 10 NFL Rosters Since 2000: Where Do Rams Rank After Aaron Donald’s Return?

Vince Young anointed the Philadelphia Eagles the NFL’s “Dream Team” during training camp before the start of the 2011 season. Young — then serving as a backup quarterback — put a hex on head coach Andy Reid and his team’s Super Bowl aspirations, as the stacked Philadelphia squad that included Pro Bowlers in quarterback Michael Vick, running back LeSean McCoy, wide receiver DeSean Jackson, defensive end Jason Babin and cornerbacks Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie fell woefully short of meeting the hype, starting the year 4-8 and finishing out of the playoffs at 8-8. Well, the Los Angeles Rams are this year’s version of that group. The Rams became the heavy favorites to win the Super Bowl after making a trade for Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett in June. And they got even more loaded on Sunday, with future Hall of Famer and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald coming out of retirement to join Garrett on L.A.’s loaded defense. With those high expectations in mind, we take a closer look at the 10 most loaded rosters since 2000. In our evaluation, winning matters here, but also the talent level of some of the more prominent players on each roster. In a game they were considered slight underdogs, the Eagles made quick work of Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs to earn head coach Nick Sirianni’s first Super Bowl win. Jalen Hurts outplayed Mahomes, taking home Super Bowl MVP honors. Saquon Barkley had one of the best years by a runner in league history, topping the 2,000-yard mark during the regular season. The Eagles fielded one of the best offensive lines in the league, led by offensive tackle Lane Johnson. Philadelphia finished with six players reaching the Pro Bowl and a 14-3 record, tied for the most wins in franchise history during the regular season. Philadelphia defeated teams by an average of 14 points a game, including clocking the Chiefs by 18 in a Super Bowl that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated. Tom Brady moved on from New England to join innovative offensive head coach Bruce Arians in Tampa Bay in free agency, and the change to a warmer climate paid off for the GOAT. Rob Gronkowski came out of retirement and joined his close friend in Brady with the Bucs. Tampa Bay also added running back Leonard Fournette and receiver Antonio Brown in free agency. That group joined an already talented Tampa Bay roster that included Mike Evans, Tristan Wirfs, Chris Godwin, Antoine Winfield Jr., Devin White, Lavonte David, Shaquill Barrett, Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul and Ronald Jones II. At 11-5, the Bucs earned an NFC wild-card berth, winning two out of three games on the road and ultimately becoming the first team to win the Lombardi Trophy in their home stadium. Tampa Bay kept the Kansas City Chiefs from repeating as Super Bowl champs with a lopsided, 31-9 victory. Speaking of Kansas City, Mahomes and the Chiefs broke through and won the first Super Bowl for Reid, slotting in here at No. 8. I chose this group because it includes Mahomes, Travis Kelce, four-time first-team All-Pro Tyreek Hill and Chris Jones all playing at an elite level in the prime of their careers. All four players made the Pro Bowl this season and remain on Hall of Fame trajectories late in their careers. I also liked the balance of this group, which ranked in the top 10 in total offense and total defense. Mahomes showed his clutch gene in the playoffs. Mahomes’ clutch performances included comeback wins in all three postseason contests, which included overcoming a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl. The Colts rode one of the most prolific offenses in league history to the team’s lone Super Bowl victory with head coach Tony Dungy. Led by Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne, the Colts finished second in the league in points scored, second in total passing yards and third in total yards. To go along with that potent offense, Indianapolis was buoyed by a hammer of a hitter at safety in Bob Sanders and perhaps the best edge rusher duo in the NFL with Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney, giving the Colts a pair of the best closers in the league for a team that usually led in most of their games. Kicker Adam Vinatieri, Manning, Harrison and Freeney are in the Hall of Fame, while Wayne and Mathis have been finalists. It’s hard to pick just one roster for New England because the Patriots had so many dominant teams under head coach Bill Belichick, but this group stands out because they finished one game away from perfection. They would’ve been the first team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins to finish the regular season and playoffs with an undefeated record. But, of course, Eli Manning earned his first one of two Super Bowl victories and Super Bowl MVP honors over Tom Brady that year. Still, with Brady, Hall of Famer Randy Moss and Wes Welker, the Patriots were a juggernaut on offense, averaging a league-leading 37 points per game and scoring on 53% of their drives. And the defense also held its own, led by linebacker Teddy Bruschi, nose tackle Vince Wilfork, Mike Vrabel, Asante Samuel and Hall of Famer Richard Seymour. The Giants squeaked into the postseason at 10-6, but made a magical playoff run led by their defense to win the Super Bowl. But the talent was always on the roster, as New York started the following season as the defending Super Bowl champs with a 10-1 record. Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, linebacker Antonio Pierce, Osi Umenyiora and cornerback Sam Madison served as the catalysts on defense. Offensively, Manning engineered an offense that included Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer, Jeremy Shockey, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw. The Rams have four potential Hall of Famers in Myles Garrett, Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams and Donald. Led by one of the best offensive minds in the game in head coach Sean McVay, the Rams have put together one of the most balanced offenses in the league, with Puka Nacua and Adams outside, and the one-two punch of Kyren Williams and Blake Corum in the backfield. The 38-year-old Stafford is protected by two top-notch guards in Steven Avilla and Kevin Dotson. But with the addition of Myles Garrett, along with cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson this offseason, Los Angeles now has a defense that, in terms of talent, matches the offense. And expect general manager Les Snead, the author of “F’ Those Picks,’ to make a move at the trade deadline to improve this roster even more, trading premium picks for premium players if there’s a void on this already loaded roster. Created by defensive-minded head coach Pete Carroll, Seattle’s Legion of Boom defense led the Seahawks to the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory. Middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, trash-talking cornerback Richard Sherman, defensive linemen Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril and Brandon Mebane, and safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor anchored the defense. Marshawn Lynch served as the engine on offense, while quarterback Russell Wilson proved clutch at the end of games, with Carroll creating a positive mindset for this group to flourish. Wagner and Sherman are a good bet to make the Hall of Fame, while Wilson will be in the conversation. The Ravens had one of the best defenses in league history, led by charismatic linebacker Ray Lewis. During their run to the Super Bowl, the Ravens held opponents to a league-low 10.3 points per game. Rod Woodson, Shannon Sharpe, Jonathan Ogden and Lewis all reached the Hall of Fame. Chris McCallister, Rob Burnett and Sam Adams were other key contributors to an all-time defense. Offensively, Trent Dilfer took over for an ineffective Tony Banks midseason to efficiently guide the offense, and head coach Brian Billick leaned on young bruising running back Jamal Lewis to carry that group, controlling the clock and limiting turnovers. The Ravens were dominant, beating every team in the postseason by double digits, including a 34-7 victory over the Giants in the Super Bowl. The Bucs had, in my opinion, the most dominant defense of the decade, with four Hall of Famers on that side of the ball in Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber, Derrick Brooks and John Lynch. A fifth, pass rusher Simeon Rice, has also been a semifinalist for the Hall of Fame. Tampa Bay’s defense was coached by legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, whose coaching tree includes Pete Carroll, Mike Tomlin, Gus Bradley and Raheem Morris. Head coach Jon Gruden handled the offense, with game manager Brad Johnson, running back Michael Pittman and receiver Keyshawn Johnson scoring enough points for this defensive-led team to win it all for the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory. Gruden’s brother Jay Gruden, Rich Bisaccia, Rod Marinelli, Tomlin and Morris all went on to be head coaches in the NFL. Jeremy Bates served as an offensive coordinator at different stops in the league and Joe Barry served as a defensive coordinator at several NFL stops. Honorable mentions: 2016 New England Patriots, 2009 New Orleans Saints, 2012 San Francisco 49ers, 2004 New England Patriots, 2015 Denver Broncos.