What priority will the Rams put on roster moves?

Mapping out the depth chart in advance of free agency and the draft

Although Los Angeles Rams General Manager Les Snead is paying lip service to taking a break before tackling big decisions, the truth is that the L.A. braintrust is hard at work. The personnel office recently added 13 players and the scouting department is in full swing with pre-draft showcase college all-star workouts and games.

Building out an NFL roster is a year-round task. The decisions now at hand are identifying weak areas and creating a a plan to upgrade them within the boundaries of the available salary cap space and draft capital.

While it is still very early in the offseason process, the NFL Combine, opening of free agency, and NFL Draft are just ahead. Here’s a look at the current roster and some moves the Rams could incorporate. Projected starters are in bold and the year they become a free agent are in parentheses.

Quarterback

Matthew Stafford (27), Stetson Bennett (27)

It would be prudent to consider life after Stafford, but amidst all the drama of possible retirement, re-working the contract, and skill decline, one thing stands out to me. I don’t see a truly viable upgrade. Where the Rams could get better is the backup role, they have cast their lot with Bennett and he’s yet to show he’s ready for the big stage.

The move: Even though Staff’s decline is obvious, it’s not precipitous. All I see are sideways moves (at best) in free agency and the draft. Spend the money on a experienced backup as an insurance policy and if they get a feel for a young developmental prospect, add him.

Running back

Kyren Williams (26), Blake Corum (28), Cody Schrader (27)

The biggest news is that it appears the Rams are going to extend/re-up Williams. Fans can debate whether or not they agree. If there is a major problem with this unit, it’s that they’re all pretty much the same play style. Corum and Schrader are also low-slung, vision, and short-area quickness backs who lack a breakaway gear. Simply no change of pace out of the backfield or for the offense as a whole.

The move: Draft another play style. Whether it be a bruiser, speedster, or receiver. Don’t fool around in free agency, this is deep class for running backs and differing styles can be had from top picks to the undrafted. Make the Rams offense more multiple.

Wide receiver

Puka Nacua (27), Cooper Kupp (27), Jordan Whittington (28), Xavier Smith (26), Quintez Cephus (27), Drake Stoops (27)

Now that torch has officially passed to Nacua for WR#1, will the current WR#2 be around come training camp? As much as I’d like to see the Rams work out something with Kupp, it’s within the realm of possibility this unit needs a complete offseason overhaul. Whittington has game, but is unproven over a long stretch. Smith can always lean on his return abilities. Cephus is a contested-catch guy, but slow afoot and Stoops is likely working towards a coaching gig.

The move: Might be the best place to use that Round 1 pick. Size and speed are never out of fashion, but later in the draft there are some sleepers of different play styles and physical traits. If you are going with grinders at running back, the receiver corps needs to be able to make explosive plays.

Tight end

Tyler Higbee (26), Colby Parkinson (26), Davis Allen (27)

While 2025 sets up well, the unit needs an infusion going forward. In his final contract year, Higbee should be in good shape and back fully. But in 2026 at age 34 and after being beaten on for 10 seasons, is a new contract in the Rams best interest? Although Parkinson is fine as TE#2, the likely reality is that’s his ceiling. Allen seems to have regressed from his promising rookie year. There were some injury woes, but he played more snaps as a sophomore with less production.

The move: Bring in two or three late-rounders or UDFAs. This draft has some options in that area. If they don’t measure up, there plenty of free agent retreads in their mid/late-20’s that could be serviceable as one-year rentals.

Offensive line

Rob Havenstein (26), Kevin Dotson (27), Jonah Jackson (27), Steve Avila (27), Warren McClendon (27), Beaux Limmer (28), KT Leveston (28), Justin Dedich (26), AJ Arcuri (27)

A tale of two spaces. The Rams have a good base group on the interior with Dotson, Avila, Jackson and Limmer. Dedich really needs to work on play strength. The Rams must like Leveston, who can play both inside and out. He struggled with injury throughout his rookie year, yet was never exposed to the vagaries of the waiver wire.

Stepping outside on the exterior, things get iffy. Hav will be 33 and is in the final year of his deal. He’s been both a solid player and value for years. To re-sign him, what does that deal look like? Are the nine missed games over the past two seasons just bad luck or the signs of wear and tear on an aging vet? The blindside is wide open. McClendon likely slips into the swing tackle role. Arcuri is back for his fourth go-round.

The move: Re-sign Alaric Jackson at left tackle and draft another. Since free agency looks a bit thin, if you bring back AJax, grabbing a big developmental right tackle would be the right move.

Special teams

Ethan Evans (27), Josh Karty (28), Alex Ward (26)

The move: Re-sign Ward and leave this group to grow together.

Defensive line

Kobie Turner (27), Braden Fiske (28), Tyler Davis (28), Desjuan Johnson (27), Jack Heflin (27), David Olajiga (27)

Certainly a piece missing here, a middle-clogging run stopper. Turner and Fiske are solid pillars to build around and Davis saw action in 18 of 19 games. Johnson didn’t see a huge upgrade in play over his rookie year, which could put him on the bubble while expectations for Heflin and Olajiga should be low.

The move: Loved the Rams 2024 rotation on the front line. Replenish this unit with two hits, a veteran from free agency and a traits-based youngster from the draft. Make mass and run-stopping a strong consideration on both, the unit is already stocked with some good pass rushers.

Edge

Jared Verse (29), Byron Young (27), Nick Hampton (27), Brennan Jackson (28), Keir Thomas (26)

Feels good to have a talent like Verse locked in for a handful of seasons and Young has delivered strong ROI on his Round 3 risk. Maybe the Rams want to re-up Michael Hoecht, if not E#3 could become sort of a rotation between Hampton, Jackson and Thomas until one breaks out.

The move: This may be a spot to stand fast for a year, unless someone extraordinary falls into grasp. With two solid starters, five edge players is enough. As a backup, you might want to bring in an inexpensive veteran presence via free agency

Off-ball linebacker

Omar Speights (27), Tony Fields (27), Elias Neal (27)

Speights brought an aggressive attitude and made some splash plays. The Rams have been miserly at linebacker, except for the Bobby Wagner move, and installing another undrafted rookie like Speights would be in form with the past. Fields and Neal cannot be relied on to offer much support.

The move: L.A. could bring back Christian Rozeboom, likely at a good price, and keep the status quo, but I would prefer to see a mid/late round draft flyer on a safety/linebacker hybrid. The Rams already use a lot of nickel and dime player groupings, subbing out a ‘backer, so it would be about trying to find the right mix for run fits (smaller linebacker) and pass coverage (bigger safety). There’s a handful of these types in both the draft and free agency that would appear to fit into what the Rams do on defense.

Safety

Kamren Curl (26), Quentin Lake (26), Kamren Kinchens (28), Jaylen McCollough (27), Tanner Ingle (27)

This unit would appear to be stocked full, but Curl and Lake are in the last year of their deals. As rookies, Kinchens and McCollough both received a good amount of work, showed improvement as the season wore on, and have potential. Ingle enters his third season in L.A. and hasn’t been promoted off the practice squad.

The move: What this unit lacks is a true free safety, a fast, loose-hipped ballhawk. It may be just as important to the overall coverage as a top cornerback. All the four returnees are better closer to the line of scrimmage. Some of the pursuit angles and missed tackles might not be such a problem if they aren’t coming downhill from a high shell.

Cornerback

Darious Williams (27), Cobie Durant (26), Emmanuel Forbes (27), Derion Kendrick (26), Tre Hodges-Tomlinson (27), Shaun Jolly (27), AJ Green (26), Josh Wallace (27), Cam Lampkin (27), Charles Woods (27)

That’s a big group, so far. Hope it’s not like the circus, where a little car pulls up and clown after clown comes crawling out. From a distance, Williams and Durant appear a decent pair to draw to, but looking closer, Williams will be 32 and regressed last season, while Durant is in the final year of his rookie deal. With NFL wide receivers trending bigger, is having both starting corners under six feet tall a wise thing?

After the Top 2, the questions really start. Forbes has a Round 1 draft pedigree and plus traits, but is looking for a fresh start. Although Kendrick, Hodges-Tomlinson, and Jolly are well-known to Rams fans, it’s not as starting grade players. Green, Wallace, Lampkin, and Woods are all undrafted.

The move: Draft some size and speed, if the Rams continue to play more man, it’s a necessity. This class has decent depth, still good selections at #90 or #100.

Putting needs into priority

Plenty of possible combinations. Three things to keep in mind, according to estimates from overthecap.com, the Rams will have about $38.3mil in cap space to build out the roster, they currently have 55 players under contract, and will make seven draft picks, #26, #90, #100, #126, #192, #197, and #203.

1. LT – Re-signing Alaric Jackson would be the simplest solution to alleviate this need
2. WR#2 – It’s simple, the offense needs more playmakers
3. NT – Filling this role with a run-stopper lessens the need for a top linebacker
4. CB#3 – Could just as easily be considered CB#1 and the top priority
5. S#4 – Let fans see what a rangy free safety would add. Might be just as important as a CB.
6. RT – Prepare for life after Rob Havenstein
7. RB#3 – Same as #2, find an open-field homerun hitter
8. LB#2 -A DL presence to slow opposing blockers might allow L.A. to remain miserly here
9. TE#4 – Not a feature of the offense, bring in a plus blocker for package work
10. QB#2 – If Stafford goes down, a veteran backup is the Rams only chance to salvage things
11. E#3 – Minor additions only, if at all
12. ST – Good to go

What’s your priority?