Honestly, looking back at the st louis rams roster 2015 feels like looking at a time capsule from a very specific, slightly chaotic era of football. It was the year before the big move to Los Angeles, the Edward Jones Dome was still a thing, and Jeff Fisher was doing that Jeff Fisher thing where the team seemingly lived and died by the 7-9 record. It’s wild to think that this roster featured a young Aaron Donald, a rookie Todd Gurley, and a quarterback room that was... well, let's just say it was a work in progress.
People often forget how much talent was actually simmering on that defense while the offense was basically trying to find its car keys in the dark.
The Offense: A Rookie Superstar and the QB Carousel
The headline of the st louis rams roster 2015 on the offensive side was undoubtedly Todd Gurley. Coming off an ACL injury at Georgia, there was so much talk about whether he’d be the same guy. He missed the first few games, but then he exploded. I'm talking 1,106 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in just 12 starts. He won Offensive Rookie of the Year because he was basically the only reason opposing defensive coordinators stayed up late on Saturday nights.
But man, the quarterback situation was a different story. The Rams had traded Sam Bradford to the Eagles for Nick Foles. On paper, people thought maybe Foles could replicate that 27-TD, 2-INT season he had in Philly. Spoiler: he didn't. Foles struggled hard, throwing 7 touchdowns to 10 interceptions before Jeff Fisher eventually turned to Case Keenum.
Here is how the main offensive depth chart shook out for most of that year:
- Quarterbacks: Nick Foles started 11 games, Case Keenum started 5, and Sean Mannion was the developmental rookie in the background.
- Running Backs: Gurley was the engine. Benny Cunningham and Tre Mason provided depth, though Mason’s production dipped significantly from his promising 2014 rookie run.
- Wide Receivers: Kenny Britt was the "deep threat" with 681 yards. Tavon Austin was the Swiss Army knife, catching 52 passes and rushing 52 times. He was electric but never quite became a traditional #1 receiver.
- Tight Ends: Jared Cook and Lance Kendricks. Cook had nearly 500 yards but zero touchdowns, which is a stat that still feels impossible.
- The O-Line: A lot of youth here. Greg Robinson was at Left Tackle (the former #2 overall pick), with rookies like Rob Havenstein at Right Tackle and Jamon Brown at Guard. It was a unit that paved the way for Gurley but struggled mightily in pass protection.
That Defensive Front Was Actually Terrifying
If you want to know why the st louis rams roster 2015 managed to win seven games despite a bottom-tier passing attack, look at the defensive line. This was the "Sack City" era.
Aaron Donald was in his second year and already looked like a future Hall of Famer. He put up 11 sacks as an interior lineman, which is just absurd. He wasn't alone, though. You had Robert Quinn on the edge, Michael Brockers eating up space in the middle, and William Hayes playing some of the most underrated football in the league.
The linebacker group saw a massive shift too. James Laurinaitis was the veteran leader in the middle—this was actually his final year with the team—while Alec Ogletree was showing flashes of brilliance before getting hurt. Mark Barron, originally a safety, was moved to "weakside linebacker," a move by Gregg Williams that basically saved Barron's career and revolutionized how the Rams used hybrid players.
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In the secondary, you had "Jackrabbit" Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson. Johnson actually had a monster year with 7 interceptions. It’s one of those rosters where you look at the names now and think, "How did they not win 11 games?" But then you remember the offense averaged 17.5 points per game.
The Coaching and the Move That Changed Everything
Jeff Fisher gets a lot of grief for his records, but he built a specific culture in St. Louis. The 2015 season was the peak of his "tough, defensive-minded, run-heavy" philosophy. Along with Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams, they made the Rams a team that nobody wanted to play because you knew you were going to get hit. Hard.
There was also this weird, looming cloud over the whole season. Everyone knew Stan Kroenke wanted to move the team. The st louis rams roster 2015 played their home games in an atmosphere that was half-celebration, half-funeral. They finished the season 7-9, which was quintessentially Fisher, but they swept the Seattle Seahawks—a team that was a perennial powerhouse at the time. That Week 1 overtime win against Seattle remains a highlight of that final St. Louis era.
Real Talk: Why This Roster Matters Now
If you’re a fan of the modern Rams, this 2015 roster is where the foundation was laid. You see the arrival of cornerstones like Donald and Havenstein. You see the scouting department’s ability to find talent (Les Snead was already pulling the strings).
But you also see the cautionary tale of the "bridge" quarterback. Nick Foles was a classic example of a system fit gone wrong. He didn't have the mobility or the quick-trigger release to survive behind a young, developing offensive line.
Digging Into the Details
If you’re researching this specific team for a deep dive or a jersey purchase, here are some actionable ways to appreciate that 2015 squad more:
- Watch the Week 14 Detroit Game: This was the game where Aaron Donald had 3 sacks and basically took over the stadium. It’s the blueprint for his entire career.
- Track the Special Teams: Don't sleep on Johnny Hekker and Greg Zuerlein. Hekker was an All-Pro punter that year, and in a season where the offense struggled to move the ball, his ability to flip the field was genuinely a weapon.
- Check the Draft Class: Look at how many players from the 2015 draft (Gurley, Havenstein, Jamon Brown, Sean Mannion, Cody Wichmann, Bryce Hager) actually became long-term NFL contributors. It was a very solid class despite the team's record.
The 2015 season wasn't a championship run, but for those who followed the team in St. Louis, it was a final, gritty stand by a roster that had more heart than the standings showed.
Your next move: Take a look at the 2015 NFL Draft results for the Rams to see how many of those mid-round picks ended up starting for the team during their first year back in Los Angeles.