Rams tweets etc. … 8/15 – 8/18

Great tape from Trost on the right side, definitely a great addition to this team and hoping the hamstring doesn’t keep him out to long https://t.co/fd8fB6txdo

— HoldenCantor (@HoldenCantor) August 16, 2026

Does your NFL team have a top-10 ranked defensive line going into 2026? 👀

If not, where did your team end up? ⬇️https://t.co/hU4A0t8hcf pic.twitter.com/9utjz7ukNR

— PFF (@PFF) August 18, 2026

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from PFF, 2026 NFL defensive line rankings: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-defensive-line-rankings-2026?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=dhtwitter&utm_content=app.dashsocial.com%2Fpro-football-focus%2Flibrary%2Fmedia%2F710350215

1. Los Angeles Rams

The Rams fielded the NFL’s second-highest-graded defensive line last season, then added the best player from the only unit that ranked ahead of them by trading for edge defender Myles Garrett. Garrett joins fellow edge defender Byron Young and interior defensive lineman Kobie Turner, giving Los Angeles a trio that combined for 227 pressures last season.

note: according to PRF stats, as a team the Rams had 180 pressures in 2025, which ranked 4th. Denver ranked 1st with 213. And the 227 number above doesn’t include Fiske, Ford, and Stewart. If you include their 2025 pressures, the Rams total would be 261.

Nate Atkins, from https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7504060/2026/08/18/rams-mailbag-puka-nacua-wide-receivers/?unlocked_article_code=1.6VA.8iAI.mrSujcWmgSqs&source=emp_shared_article&smid=ta-ios-share

Who’s your guess for WR3 after training camp? Is it gonna be by committee or one of the tight ends? —

Has Konata Mumpfield shown any improvement in the offseason? Between him, Jordan Whittington and CJ Daniels, is there a race for WR3? Or does someone clearly lead? —

ATKINS: I continue to believe the No. 3 receiver role will be a committee approach. That’s a reality of the players they have, but also of the situation they created. If the Rams wanted something more, I think they would have gone after a higher-octane receiver either in free agency, trades or the draft.

Last year’s experience with Tutu Atwell becoming a non-factor on a $10 million deal was a lesson in how quickly that role can disappear, especially with the shift to three-tight end sets, and they realize that many decorated receivers won’t gladly sign up for that kind of reduced role.

I see a couple of clear hierarchies along the way: Mumpfield is the backup on the perimeter if Davante Adams were to get injured, and Whittington is the backup in an inside-outside role if Nacua were to get hurt. When they’re both healthy, I think we’ll see specialized roles that play out as a committee. Whittington and Xavier Smith offer some yards-after-catch ability in different ways, and will be active on game days because of their special teams roles, provided Smith wins the punt return job.

The tight ends should be a committee in their own right, with increased use of three-tight end sets now that it’s a full-season approach rather than a midseason shift. But I believe Terrance Ferguson will emerge from that group as the player worthy of an every-week, game-planned role. The best version of this offense will have Ferguson leading the tight ends in catches and yards, and finishing third on the team in both categories behind Adams and Nacua.

Is the lack of a deep threat, field-stretching, speed-burner receiver a significant shortcoming? —

ATKINS: In many offenses, I would say it is, as I’m a big believer that perimeter speed works to lighten boxes and provides the ultimate payoff in the best play-action moments. But last year’s Rams showed they can lead the league in scoring despite not having that true speed element in their pass-catching tree.

It’s a worthy conversation this year regarding potential regression, because that often comes for units that finish No. 1. It could become a bigger need if Adams, who turns 34 in December, were to miss more time or show any decline. The Rams are big on evolving to avoid complacency, and I’ve noticed such a focus on the pieces they have adding an extra speed element to their games: Nacua has slimmed down noticeably this offseason, Blake Corum and Kyren Williams have turned up the offseason workouts to build speed, and Ferguson also trimmed some body fat.

They know they can’t count on every play design and, in particular, the three-tight end approach to catch the league as off-guard as they did last year. And the playoffs reinforced the need for more explosive plays.

Without a prototypical outside burner, the hope is that the explosion comes more often in the middle of the field, with Ferguson stretching the seams against heavier personnel and Williams and Corum working the “stiff ankle” approaches they’ve spent the offseason building to break more chunk runs.

This offense probably doesn’t have a player who will take it 70 yards on a single play very often, but they want to own the 15-plus-yard plays while remaining an elite red zone team with the presence of play action out of three-tight end sets and with how unguardable Adams is in short areas as the single receiver on the field