The return of football for the Los Angeles Rams is right around the corner as the team begins training camp on Saturday. Rookies and veterans will report a few days ahead of time, gearing up for yet another week of camp.
With the season rapidly approaching, we’ve projected the 53-man roster ahead of training camp. There are a few changes from our last edition, which came immediately after minicamp and OTAs.
Quarterback (2)
Jared Goff
Blake Bortles
The Rams could make room for a third quarterback, but there’s little to no reason to go that route. Unless Bortles gets hurt or completely flops in the preseason, he’s going to be Goff’s backup. Get used to reading that if you haven’t already.
Running back (4)
Todd Gurley
Malcolm Brown
Darrell Henderson
John Kelly
It’s pretty safe to say Gurley, Brown and Henderson will be locks to make the 53-man roster. The Rams have five running backs capable of making the team with John Kelly and Justin Davis being the other two. The last spot on the depth chart will come down to a camp battle between Kelly and Davis.
Wide receiver (5)
Brandin Cooks
Robert Woods
Cooper Kupp
Josh Reynolds
JoJo Natson
KhaDarel Hodge gets dropped from this projection in favor of a fourth tight end, which might seem illogical. However, the Rams are so talented at wide receiver that they don’t need much help beyond the top four wideouts; they rarely use five-wide sets, either. Natson offers more on special teams than Hodge.
Tight end (4)
Gerald Everett
Tyler Higbee
Johnny Mundt
Keenen Brown
It will obviously be difficult for Brown to make the team, given the number of players the Rams have at tight end. But his athleticism is intriguing and could earn him a spot on the roster. Mundt could be in danger of losing his spot to one of the undrafted tight ends.
Offensive line (8)
Andrew Whitworth
Rob Havenstein
Austin Blythe
Joseph Noteboom
Brian Allen
Bobby Evans
David Edwards
Jamil Demby
No changes here, especially with Aaron Neary’s recent suspension. He’ll have a really tough time making the team and bumping one of the young backups off the roster. There’s plenty of versatility between Evans, Edwards and Demby to cover all five backup spots.
Defensive line (6)
Aaron Donald
Michael Brockers
Greg Gaines
John Franklin-Myers
Sebastian Joseph-Day
Morgan Fox
This is a largely unproven group outside of Donald and Brockers. That makes it tough to project who will make the team, but it’s also a position group with a lot of potential. Gaines and Joseph-Day will duke it out at nose tackle, while Franklin-Myers and Fox could fight for reps at defensive end in place of Brockers.
Outside linebacker (6)
Dante Fowler Jr.
Clay Matthews
Samson Ebukam
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Trevon Young
Josh Carraway
The Rams will take all the help they can get at outside linebacker. Fowler should get the most snaps of anyone at OLB, and Matthew is probably going to split time between the inside and outside positions. Ebukam and Okoronkwo have a lot of potential, but also a lot to prove. Young and Carraway are two of the last players to make the team in this projection.
Inside linebacker (5)
Cory Littleton
Micah Kiser
Dakota Allen
Bryce Hager
Travin Howard
Howard is a similar player to Mark Barron, who’s now with the Steelers. He can play safety or linebacker, which gives the Rams some flexibility. Allen and Hager will have to contribute on special teams to make the 53-man squad and remain backups at inside linebacker.
Cornerback (6)
Marcus Peters
Aqib Talib
Nickell Robey-Coleman
David Long
Troy Hill
Kevin Peterson
Dominique Hatfield would be the next guy up in this group, but numbers leave him on the outside looking in. It’s one of the Rams’ strongest positions, led by three quality starters. Long will find playing time in sub-packages and Hill brings experience in the event of an injury.
Safety (4)
John Johnson
Eric Weddle
Taylor Rapp
Nick Scott
There are surprise cuts and trades every year, and Marqui Christian could be someone on the move before the season begins. With Rapp coming in, keeping Christian might feel redundant. Flipping him for a late-round pick might be a possibility. Scott will prove too good on special teams to cut, while his speed makes him worth working at safety, too.
Special teams (3)
Greg Zuerlein
Johnny Hekker
Jake McQuaide
Arguably the best special teams unit in the NFL returns for another season together.
