With the Los Angeles Rams rookies in the building and vets now joining them on the practice field, training camp is right around the corner. 90 players will enter camp and play in the three preseason games, but only 53 will make the final roster, with an additional 16 on the practice squad.
Now, let’s take a look at my projected 53 man roster pre-training camp.
Quarterback (2)
Matthew Stafford
John Wolford
It might be surprising to see the Rams keeping two quarterbacks after Bryce Perkins made the roster last season. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rams kept three, but am going to go with two for now.
Running Back (4)
Cam Akers
Darrell Henderson
Kyren Williams
Jake Funk
Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, and Kyren Williams are locks to make the roster. My feel is that the Rams will keep four running backs. Jake Funk is on the bubble and with his value on special team, he gets the edge over Buddy Howell, Raymond Calais, and Xavier Jones.
Tight End (3)
Tyler Higbee
Brycen Hopkins
Kendall Blanton
Three tight ends isn’t a lot, but the Rams don’t have a lot of depth here. I do expect the Rams to put effort into developing undrafted free agents Jamal Pettigrew or Roger Carter. Still, it seems more likely that they end up on the practice squad. Higbee is still the guy here while Blanton showed what he’s capable of last season. While Brycen Hopkins hadn’t seen the field, he stepped up in the Super Bowl.
Wide Receiver (6)
Cooper Kupp
Allen Robinson
Van Jefferson
Jacob Harris
TuTu Atwell
Ben Skowronek
The one player to really keep an eye on here is Brandon Howell. I have him on the outside looking in, but it would not be surprising to see him make the final roster. The issue is, the Rams simply might not have enough spots. They have yet to sign Odell Beckham Jr. as well, but he wouldn’t count against the roster until the middle of the season.
While not the biggest fan of Skowronek, he had an impact on special teams, leading the Los Angeles Rams in special teams tackles.
Offensive Line (9)
Joe Noteboom
David Edwards
Brian Allen
Logan Bruss
Rob Havenstein
AJ Jackson
Coleman Shelton
Bobby Evans
Tremayne Anchrum
Offensive line is where things get interesting because the Rams actually have a lot of depth here. All eyes will be on Bobby Evans. He could end up being a surprise cut. With that said, I think he still makes the final roster. Jack Snyder is a name to keep an eye on. Snyder is an undrafted free agent. If he doesn’t make the roster, he’ll be a sure practice squad candidate.
Defensive Line (6)
Aaron Donald
Greg Gaines
A’Shawn Robinson
Bobby Brown
Michael Hoecht
Dion Novil
The defensive line looks very good for the Los Angeles Rams. The sixth spot will be a battle between guys like Marquise Copeland and Elijah Garcia. The top four are pretty much set in stone and the coaching staff really likes Hoecht. That final spot may come down to a pair of undrafted free agents in Dion Novil and Elijah Garcia. Novil is the guy to watch. He had 184 career tackles as a nose tackle in college.
EDGE (5)
Leonard Floyd
Terrell Lewis
Justin Hollins
Chris Garrett
Daniel Hardy
Edge is another spot that the Rams are very thin at. Leonard Floyd provides stability on one side, but Lewis and Hollins are on the other. There’s a reason the Rams traded for Von Miller last season. Hollins actually started last season well and we’ll see if he can pick up where he left off. There are some questions here. Chris Garrett is an intriguing guy to watch.
Linebacker (4)
Bobby Wagner
Ernest Jones
Travin Howard
Jake Hummel
It still feels weird writing Bobby Wagner’s name as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Yet, here we are. I have the Rams keeping just four linebackers. Jake Hummel is an undrafted free agent and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him follow a similar path as Troy Reeder.
Cornerback (5)
Jalen Ramsey
Robert Rochell
Troy Hill
David Long Jr.
Decobie Durant
David Long is a name to watch here. I’m not sure the Rams can cut him, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they do, especially if Derion Kendrick performs well. Still, it makes sense for the Rams to stash Kendrick on the possible. My guess is that he’d make it through waivers as teams are afraid of his past.
Safety (5)
Jordan Fuller
Terrell Burgess
Taylor Rapp
Nick Scott
Quentin Lake
The top four in this group are pretty much set in stone. However, Quentin Lake will be battling it out with guys like Russ Yeast and Jairon McVea. Yeast could be a surprise to make the roster as an undrafted free agent.
Special Teams (3)
Riley Dixon
Matt Gay
Matthew Orzech
There should be a lot less of a competition this year at kicker. The one competition that will draw everyone’s attention is at punter. Don’t be surprised if Cameron Dicker makes a push as the team’s punter.
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This is pretty good … the only change I would make would be Novil, that’s too many players that play NT, I would pencil in Copeland, he’s come a long ways and is the only real fill in for Donald.