Entering the offseason, no one believed the Los Angeles Rams would have the chance to add another All-Pro to their defensive line, let alone one who’s earned the honor three times in his career. Strangely enough, a trade with the Miami Dolphins almost pushed one onto the market in Ndamukong Suh.

His $26.1 million cap hit was always going to be a tough pill for the Dolphins to swallow this year, even before Robert Quinn and his $11.4 million arrived in Miami. Paying those two more than $37 million would have been an unwise decision, which is why the Dolphins cut ties with Suh just three years after signing him to a massive six-year, $114 million contract.

Now, Suh is with Los Angeles, pairing with fellow All-Pro Aaron Donald. They give Wade Phillips a dynamic tandem to work with up front, and when you add Michael Brockers to the mix, the Rams’ defensive line becomes one of the best in all of football.

This move is about much more than just bringing aboard an elite talent, though. It signals a massive change that has gone on over the past year or so.

If you go back to 2016, the Rams weren’t viewed as a prized free agent destination. They were in the midst of a move to Los Angeles, had a head coach stuck in neutral and didn’t exactly scream “success.”

Now, it’s just the opposite.

Sean McVay and Wade Phillips have made Los Angeles the place to be. Every player from last year’s team has spoken highly of the job McVay did in his first stint as a head coach, from holding guys accountable to taking responsibility when he made a mistake, himself.

Phillips, despite being nearly 40 years older than McVay, is somewhat of a peer to his players. Whether it’s the way he handles himself in the locker room or tweets hilariously bad puns on Twitter, players love taking the field for him.

Heck, the primary reason Aqib Talib wound up blocking a trade to the 49ers is that he wanted to play with either Phillips or Bill Belichick. That’s pretty high praise and elite company for a defensive coordinator to keep.

With Suh, Phillips undoubtedly played a huge role in luring him to Los Angeles. His scheme, despite being a 3-4 front, has many 4-3 principles to it, which certainly helped the Rams’ pitch for Suh. Although he won’t play the same position he did in Detroit and Miami – 3-technique defensive tackle – Suh can still be put in situations where he’ll be a one-gap player.

Phillips has worked with some of the best pass rushers in NFL history, from DeMarcus Ware to J.J. Watt, so he’ll certainly know how to get the most out of a guy like Suh in a new scheme. Just another box checked for a guy who had plenty of suitors with a lot of money being thrown at him.

Suh is a player who likely could’ve had his pick of the litter. The Jets were offering him big money, as were the Titans, most likely. Both teams had plenty of cap space and could’ve offered Suh much larger contracts than the Rams could have afforded, but the three-time All-Pro decided to join a team on a sharp rise with a pair of coaches that might be one of the best in the NFL.

Just a few years ago, the Rams couldn’t generate interest from any of the top free agents available. In the past year alone, they’ve landed Andrew Whitworth, John Sullivan and Robert Woods. Those may not be the biggest names, but when you couple them with this offseason’s events – Talib blocking a trade to the 49ers and Suh landing in L.A. – it’s easy to see how far the Rams have come.

When you have elite players taking discounts to play for your team, it’s usually a pretty good sign. Les Snead can sleep well tonight and for the next year or so.