A way-too-early Rams roster projection: Who gets in and who is left out

Complete with depth chart and practice squad

With the conclusion of the Los Angeles Rams mandatory mini-camp, L.A. wraps up their spring Organized Team Activities. The Rams 90-man roster will reconvene For Day 1 of official training camp on July 22. While it’s much too early in the process for coaches to pencil in the opening roster, there’s no time like the present for fans and sports blogger’s to speculate.

With that in mind, here’s my way-to-early roster/depth chart projections.

Quarterback (2)

Locks – Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garapollo

Practice squad – Stetson Bennett

I would expect to see the Rams bring in a camp arm for QB#4. Stafford and Garapollo only need enough throws to get sharp/in shape. Not one more. And they will need a backup in preseason games lest Bennett gets injured or implodes.

Running back (3)

Locks – Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Jarquez Hunter

Practice squad – Ronnie Rivers

Cut – Cody Schrader, Jordan Waters

Three’s plenty. You could make small case for Rivers as a special teamer, but I think I’ve got those spots covered. I liked Waters college film and as the only “big back”, he could battle for at least a PS role.

Wide receiver (6)

Locks – Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington

Battle winner – Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield

Practice squad – Britain Covey, Mario Williams

Cut – Drake Stoops, Quintez Cephus, Brennan Presley, Tru Edwards

Nothing too surprising here. I prefer Smith over Covey, think he adds more positional value than just punt returner. I really like Williams’ game, just a bit small, hopefully he will take to ST. If Covey doesn’t want a PS berth, Presley has very similar traits.

Tight end (4)

Locks – Tyler Higbee, Terrance Ferguson, Colby Parkinson

Battle winner – Davis Allen

Practice squad – Mark Redman

Cut – Alex Torres

L.A. has four pretty good tight ends, but they are all similar in play style, receiver first. I like the undrafted rookies, Redman and Torres, both are more traditional TE’s with blocking skills. I kept Redman because he’s more polished and Torres has some injuries in his past, but last year, the Rams kept two on the PS for the whole season.

Offensive line (9)

Locks – Rob Havenstein, Kevin Dotson, Coleman Shelton, Steve Avila, DJ Humphries, Beaux Limmer, Warren McClendon

Battle winners – Dylan McMahon, KT Leveston

PUP/IR – Alaric Jackson

Practice squad – AJ Arcuri, Willie Lampkin, Trey Wedig

Cut – David Quessenberry, Garrett Bowles, Ben Dooley, Justin Dedich

The Rams are flush with interior players, but thin at the bookends with the instability around AJax. I rostered McClendon as backup tackle, Limmer as backup guard, McMahon backs up the pivot, and Leveston as the swing G/T.

Special teams (3)

Locks – Josh Karty, Ethan Evans, Alex Ward

Only injury would hold back this solid trio.

Cornerback (5)

Locks – Darius Williams, Cobie Durant, Ahkello Witherspoon, Emmanuel Forbes

Battle winner – Josh Wallace

Practice squad – Shaun Jolly, AJ Green

Cut – Charles Woods, Cam Lampkin, Derion Kedrick

Update: Rams re-sign Derion Kendrick. Doesn’t move my needle, I would think he’s still on the bubble. Wallace was a major ST contributor and had more defensive snaps (154) than most realize before a minor injury scuttled his momentum. The Rams seem to like keeping Jolly around (entering 4th year) and AJ Green impressed in OTAs. The ST play/experience of Woods bump either one of them.

Safety (5)

Locks – Quentin Lake, Kamren Curl, Kamren Kinchens, Jaylen McCollough

Battle winner – Nate Valcarcel

Practice squad – Malik Dixon-Williams

Cut – Tanner Ingle

Returning all four primary safeties has to be a good thing, hopefully they can improve on their overall missed tackle rate. Valcarcel gets on because of his athletic traits and hustle, plus he’s a true free safety.

Linebacker (5)

Locks – Omar Speights, Nate Landman, Chris Paul, Shaun Dolac,

Battle winner – Troy Reeder

Practice squad – Tony Fields, Elias Neal

L.A. could cobble a decent rotation out this grouping. Landman is known as a run-stopper and has been drawing good reviews in OTAs, Speights was serviceable as a rookie and should show improvement, Paul could the most well-rounded, and Dolac will play like his hair’s on fire. I have Reeder making the 53, but could be limited to ST.

Edge (5)

Locks – Jared Verse, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart

Battle winners – Brennan Jackson, Nick Hampton

Practice squad – Keir Thomas

Cut – Jamil Muhammad, Josh Pearcy

A high pair to draw to in this unit, but there are questions behind Verse and Young. If Stewart can make the jump as a rookie, nerves will be settled, Hard to get a read on Jackson and Hampton. Jackson fought soft tissue woes most of his rookie season, delaying real development and Hampton enters his third pro season, mostly on ST. Thomas may be the best football player, but he’s a 4-3 defensive end, just not mobile enough for today’s standup edge play.

Defensive line (6)

Locks – Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Braden Fiske, Ty Hamilton

Battle winners – Tyler Davis, Larrell Murchison

Practice squad – Desjuan Johnson, Bill Norton

Cut – Jack Heflin, Da’Jon Terry, Decarius Hawthorne

A solid deep rotation, now that a couple of run-stuffers have been added to the mix. It will interesting how Chris Shula formulates packages and Giff Smith sets up the rotation. It’s a numbers game for Desjuan Johnson, who has over 100 backup snaps in each of the past two years.

Projected training camp depth chart

Offense

QB – Stafford, Garappolo, Bennett

RB – K.Williams, Corum, Hunter, Rivers, Schrader, Waters

XWR – Adams, Whittington, Cephus, Edwards

YWR – Nacua, Mumpfield, M.Williams, Stoops

ZWR – Atwell, Smith, Covey, Presley

TE – Higbee, Parkinson, Ferguson, Allen, Redman, Torres

RT – Havenstein, McClendon, Wedig

RG – Dotson, Limmer, Bowles

C – Shelton, McMahon, Lampkin

LG – Avila, Leveston, Dedich, Dooley

LT – Humphries, Quessenberry, Arcuri

Defense

DT – Turner, Davis, Johnson, Hawthorne

NT – Ford, Hamilton, Norton,

DT- Fiske, Murchison, Heflin, Terry

OLB/E – Young, Hampton, Muhammd, Pearcy

DE/E – Verse, Stewart, Jackson, Thomas

MLB – Landman, Speights, Reeder, Neal

WLB – Paul, Dolac, Fields,

FS – Kinchens, Valcarcel

SS – Curl, McCollough, Ingle, Dixon-Williams

Star – Lake, Wallace, Jolly

CB – D. Williams, Forbes, Kendrick, Woods

CB – Durant, Witherspoon, Green, Lampkin

Special teams

K – Josh Karty

P – Ethan Evans

LS – Alex Ward

Physically Unable to Perform

RT – Alaric Jackson

Conclusions

Since both Sean McVay and Les Snead have mentioned how much they like the roster and how few openings there will be, I don’t expect many surprises, unless injuries force wholesale moves. Even with the mystery at left tackle, the roster appears to be incrementally improved and deeper, but still cohesive with last year.

Which players would you exchange? What units need to be upgraded over the summer? Can you identify any surprise players? Faves?