Following their preseason-ending 19-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Saturday in Cleveland, the Rams must turn their attention to Tuesday’s roster cut-down deadline. And as they whittle their numbers down to 53, the coaching staff will have to make different decisions than in years past.
There hasn’t been much change to pecking orders during training camp. The Rams who ran with the first- and second-team offense or defense in July are the same who are running with those units around the corner from September.
So the real question ahead of cut-down is roster distribution. If the top 60 players on the roster right now are clear, then how many from each position group do you want to keep?
“It’s challenging and usually where the differences are made in those conversations is, what is their role on special teams? That’s how guys get a chance to get a jersey in a lot of instances,” head coach Sean McVay said, adding it does feel like there are more of those decisions to make this year than most. “I think we’ve got some depth at certain positions where maybe you’d say, when you’re just buttoning up or when you’re really looking at how you project your numbers and ideally how you allocate them.”
And in Saturday’s game, special teams might have been the differentiator for a player securing a last-minute roster spot. Here’s a look at our 53-man roster projection for the Rams:
Quarterbacks (3)
Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garoppolo, Stetson Bennett IV
The Rams had to decide on whether to keep a third quarterback for a second year in a row. After Bennett’s preseason and Stafford’s back saga, keeping three was the clear choice.
Running back (3)
Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Jarquez Hunter
The Rams kept four running backs on their roster last year, but utilized only three on their 48-man, game-day roster each week. So with the number crunches later on in this projection, the guess here is the Rams cut Ronnie Rivers and Cody Schrader and hope they can sign one to their practice squad.
Wide receiver (6)
Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith, Konata Mumpfield
This group has been pretty much set in stone since Smith’s preseason opener solidified that he can do a lot more than just return punts.
Tight end (4)
Tyler Higbee, Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, Terrance Ferguson
It became pretty clear early on in camp that the Rams intended to keep all four of these tight ends. Parkinson and Allen’s ability to contribute on special teams, plus the idea of a true tight end rotation, makes it easy to justify.
Offensive line (10)
Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein, D.J. Humphries, Warren McClendon, Beaux Limmer, Justin Dedich, David Quessenberry
This is an extra lineman kept compared to this time last year, but last year’s injury parade at offensive line is reason enough to keep 10. The number might shrink before Week 1, but with the outside chance that Jackson’s blood clots aren’t cleared before the opener, keeping an extra tackle makes sense.
Defensive line (6)
Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Poona Ford, Tyler Davis, Ty Hamilton, Larrell Murchison
This is a very deep room, and the decision will likely come down to Murchison or Desjuan Johnson. But the Rams might have tipped their hands by dressing Johnson against Cleveland and not Murchison.
Outside linebacker (4)
Jared Verse, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart, Nick Hampton
This would leave Brennan Jackson on the outside looking in a year after being a fifth-round pick. But Hampton has had the better training camp and roster spots are running thin.
Inside linebacker (4)
Omar Speights, Nate Landman, Chris Paul Jr., Shaun Dolac
Dolac beats out the veteran Troy Reeder here. The Rams might choose the linebacker they know in Reeder, but Dolac might provide the higher long-term ceiling.
Cornerback (5)
Ahkello Witherspoon, Darious Williams, Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes, Josh Wallace
The two defensive back rooms were the most difficult to suss out. After a strong performance by a particular safety in the preseason finale (more on him in a second), the Rams keep five cornerbacks, with Wallace able to move up to safety when needed.
Safety (5)
Quentin Lake, Kam Curl, Kam Kinchens, Jaylen McCollough, Tanner Ingle
Ingle very likely won the final roster spot up for grabs Saturday in Cleveland. McVay himself spoke about the violence Ingle plays with on the broadcast, earning the nickname “The Human Missile,” and Ingle proved McVay right live in the moment. He delivered four or five crackling hits against the Browns, including one on special teams. And that ability to play with that level of speed and impact should make him a valuable member of the Rams’ 48-man, game-day roster.
Specialists (3)
Josh Karty, Alex Ward, Ethan Evans
Never any doubt about (or competition for) any of these guys.