LA Rams News: 10 players unlikely to see LA Rams training camp

LA Rams News: 10 players unlikely to see LA Rams training camp

LA Rams News: 10 players unlikely to see LA Rams training camp
by Bret Stuter 29 seconds ago

LA Rams News: latest reports suggest 80 players attend training camp

The LA Rams are already in the process of paring down their roster. Why so soon? Well, the latest reports indicate that NFL team rosters will be limited to only 80 players able to enter training camp. From the current roster of 90, that means 10 players will likely be given their release before they ever set foot in training camp. For many teams, that will not be much of an impact, as they had enough activity in free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft to achieve that 80 player limit already.

But the LA Rams signed 22 rookies after the draft. Those 22 players all hoped for a chance to earn a spot on the team’s roster. For 10 of those players, the dream ends before they ever get a chance to wear the team jersey on the practice field. Due to unusual circumstances, very talented players fell out of the NFL draft this year. Defensive backs, wide receivers, and running backs were particularly deep, and those positions have historically been very difficult to fill on many NFL team rosters. So now it will come to whether an NFL team stays with marginal talent from a year ago, hoping for some improvement, or an unknown rookie thought to have a higher ceiling.

Stop the Action! CUT!

What criteria can the team use on players that they haven’t truly witnessed before? That’s a very good question. After all, the Rams have historically done very well in selecting undrafted players. So well, that a strong percentage of undrafted players eventually make the roster. That’s unlikely this year, as the current terms also indicate no preseason games

Ten may not seem like a very large number until you focus those cuts upon specific positions. The team could get two spots freed up if they could choose their 2020 kicker, but that is unlikely to happen before training camp. Meanwhile, I cannot envision the team making significant cuts at positions with no clear starters, which means the team will stay deep at offensive line, linebacker, and wide receiver.

Roster readjustments possible

The Rams starting defensive line plus reserves on the defensive line are well-entrenched, so cuts of up to four players from that area will not hurt the roster. The team may opt for up to two players as PUP status (physically unable to perform). Wide receivers/return specialists are particularly deep, so two players from those ranks will likely happen. And defensive backs are solid at starter and rotational players, so another two. Who might the players be who are release? We’ll be sharing that in a future article. Also, do not be surprised if the Rams use this opportunity to add a center or linebacker the ranks.

Finally, the team may use this opportunity to part with some more expensive rotational players if upgrades or less expensive options can be signed from the waiver wires of other NFL teams. That could be a huge plus for a team seeking a rebound in 2020. With a week from training camp, NFL teams will certainly be scrambling now to refit the roster to the lower roster ceiling. But a team like the LA Rams can use this turn of events to their advantage.