As the Rams head to the halfway point of their preseason schedule and their fourth week overall in training camp, more and more focus is shifting to the final 53-man roster they will take to Oakland to open the regular season on Sept. 10 against the Raiders. Teams face a 4 p.m. ET deadline on Sept. 1 to cut their rosters from 90 to 53. One day later, they can begin assembling their 10-player practice squads.
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While the Rams have some absurdly easy decisions to make at certain positions on offense, the Aaron Donald holdout, injuries to defensive tackle Dominique Easley and rookie outside linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and stiff competition for jobs at inside and outside linebacker make the defense much more complicated.
Easley and Okoronkwo have been on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list since the beginning of camp as Easley recovers from his season-ending knee injury in 2017 and Okoronkwo rehabs from a broken foot sustained in OTAs. The Rams hope to get both back before the end of camp, although one or both situations could linger beyond the Sept. 1 cutdown. And therein lies the rub, as players who begin the regular season on the PUP list are ineligible to play until after the sixth week of the season.
Can the Rams afford to devote one or two roster spots to players who might not be physically ready to play the first two weeks of the season in the hope they can return before the six-week mark? Or do they sacrifice either player for six weeks even though they might be ready to play after three weeks? It’s a tough decision to be sure, and it adds a bit of uncertainty to an already complicated process.
One way or another, general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay have to get it figured out. The good news for Snead and McVay is that we are here to lend a helping hand.
So without further adieu, here is our first crack at figuring out the Rams’ 53-man roster.
QUARTERBACK
The Rams have four quarterbacks in camp, and while they could keep three as they did for most of last year, it’s not unreasonable to think they might manipulate the third spot to maintain flexibility elsewhere. At least initially. As a result, third-stringer Brandon Allen could be a cut candidate.
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Obviously, Goff is a lock, and while there is hope Mannion can at least be adequate if pressed into duty, he hasn’t given the Rams much confidence in three years on the job. He has three more weeks to give them clarity, but if Mannion struggles like he did in the preseason opener, don’t be surprised if the Rams kick the tires on a more established veteran backup like Teddy Bridgewater or Robert Griffin III.
RUNNING BACK
Todd Gurley
John Kelly
Justin Davis
It gets a little dicey behind Gurley, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year. But in a good way. Veteran Malcolm Brown has been a dependable backup the last couple of years, and the Rams could play it safe by bringing him back.
But Kelly and Davis have been impressive in training camp, and both bring particular skill sets that collectively make them ideal backups. Davis is a pure runner who, given touches, has game-breaking ability. Kelly, a rookie from Tennessee, adds a run-and-catch element that could make him an ideal third-down back when Gurley needs a blow.
WIDE RECEIVER
Cooper Kupp
Pharoh Cooper
The Rams will essentially bring back their entire wide receiver group from 2017, with one notable exception. Cooks — a proven, dependable, productive veteran — replaces Sammy Watkins and brings a nuance and understanding of the position and the offense that Watkins never seemed to develop.
The upgrade of Cooks adds to an explosive group led by Woods and Kupp and up-and-coming backups in Reynolds, Thomas and Cooper. While rookies Steven Mitchell and Kendal Thompson have shown flashes of their talent in camp, neither appears to be in serious running for an active roster spot. Both are practice-squad candidates along with JoJo Natson.
TIGHT END
Temarrick Hemingway
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This spot is subject to change depending on the status of Everett’s left shoulder, which has kept him out of practice for more than a week. If, as the Rams hope, he’s ready to go to start the season, this unit is fairly cut and dry. Everett is being counted on to emerge as a more consistent threat in his second year, while Higbee is due for a major step forward after two seasons in which he left catches and production on the field. He has all the tools to be a downfield and red-zone threat. Now Higbee has to put it all together.
Hemingway missed all of last year with a foot injury, and while the 6-foot-5, 246-pounder passes the eyeball test, he’s been inconsistent holding onto the ball in camp and seems to have just one operating gear. The Rams need him to ratchet it up more in consistency and urgency, but they don’t have anyone on the roster who can push him for that final spot. So the Rams could look outside their building for help once teams begin making their cuts.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Center
John Sullivan
Guard
*Jamon Brown
Jamil Demby
Austin Blythe
Tackle
Andrew Whitworth
Joseph Noteboom
The starting unit is set, although Brown, the first-string right guard, was suspended for the first two games after violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He will not count against the 53-man roster those first two weeks. Blythe is the odds-on favorite to replace Brown in the starting line up alongside Havenstein, Whitworth, Sullivan and Saffold.
The Rams are high on rookies Noteboom, Demby and Allen, as all three have shown they could be serviceable replacements in case of injury. The trio also has long-range potential as the team looks to develop eventual replacements for Whitworth and Sullivan.
With so much positional versatility, the Rams might gamble by carrying nine linemen at some point this season, which could leave veteran Darrell Williams vulnerable.
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DEFENSIVE LINE
Ndamukong Suh
Aaron Donald
Ethan Westbrooks
Dominique Easley
The Rams hope Easley is healthy enough to start the season, but even if he’s merely close, they could keep him on the active roster with the hope he’ll return sooner than the six-week marker for players starting the season on the PUP list. If so, Joseph-Day, a rookie from Rutgers, could nudge out second-year defensive tackle Tanzel Smart for a spot.
Of course, all of this is predicated on Donald ending his contract holdout, preferably after signing a new long-term deal. If so, the combination of Donald, Brockers and Suh with Westbrooks and eventually Easley in reserve is as lethal as it gets.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Trevon Young
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
Ejuan Price
Matt Longacre
There is tremendous uncertainty in this unit. Ebukam is a first-year starter in just his second season, and Longacre, the expected starter opposite him, is dealing with a biceps injury in addition to recovering from offseason back surgery. To make matters worse, Okoronkwo, a highly-regarded rookie from Oklahoma, is rehabbing from a broken foot.
If both Longacre and Okoronkwo are good to go, the Rams will have a much easier time with cutdowns. If not, they may have to get creative. If that’s the case, keep an eye on rookies Justin Lawler, Marcus Martin and Brian Womac. Young and Franklin-Meyers have both had strong camps and could be candidates for situational playing time sooner rather than later.
INSIDE LINEBACKER
Mark Barron
Ramik Wilson
Tegray Scales
Bryce Hager
Barron is the lone holdover from last year and is likely to play alongside Littleton with Wilson offering spot duty behind both. Scales and Kiser, a pair of rookies, have had their moments with Scales getting plenty of reps with the second unit lately. The Rams seem to like both a great deal.
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That could put veteran Bryce Hager in a vulnerable spot. Depending on how things shake out after Jamon Brown returns from suspension and more clarity develops with some of the Rams’ injured defenders, Hager could be a surprise cut candidate.
CORNERBACK
Aqib Talib
Dominique Hatfield
Sam Shields
The Rams are dynamic at starting cornerback, with Peters and Talib forming as suffocating a pair of press cover and turnover machines as there is in the NFL. Behind them, Robey-Coleman, Hill, Hatfield and Sam Shields offer dependability and production.
Shields, who missed nearly all of the last two seasons with concussion issues, could be a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year if he can regain most of his Pro Bowl form. Hatfield was in a precarious spot, but a season-ending knee injury to Kevin Peterson probably solidified his spot.
SAFETY
Marqui Christian
Blake Countess
Joyner and Johnson III are one of the most dynamic young safety tandems in the league, and there is dependability behind them in Christian and Countess. Joyner can slide down to cornerback if needed, so there is versatility, too. This group appears fairly set, with no big surprises expected.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker
Punter
Long snapper
Jake McQuade
(Top photo of Sean McVay by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)