early 53-man roster projections (including VB)

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  • #102161
    Avatar photozn
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    Rams 53-man roster projection: Post-minicamp edition

    Rams 53-man roster projection: Post-minicamp edition

    The Los Angeles Rams are off until they report for training camp on July 27, giving players some time off for the summer. With spring workouts, OTAs and minicamp in the rearview mirror, it’s time for another 53-man roster projection.

    There aren’t a ton of changes from our last edition, which came immediately after the draft, but Blake Countess’ release and Morgan Fox’s position switch impacts things.

    Quarterback (2)
    Jared Goff
    Blake Bortles

    No changes here and there’s no reason to believe the Rams will carry three quarterbacks this season. Bortles is a very capable backup and unless he tanks in training camp and the preseason, he’ll be QB2 behind Goff.

    Running back (4)
    Todd Gurley
    Malcolm Brown
    Darrell Henderson
    John Kelly

    Justin Davis is the odd man out in this scenario. Gurley, Brown and Henderson are all but locks to make the team, while Kelly’s job isn’t necessarily secured yet. He still has to earn a roster spot because the Rams could carry three backs or replace him with Davis.

    Wide receiver (6)
    Brandin Cooks
    Robert Woods
    Cooper Kupp
    Josh Reynolds
    JoJo Natson
    KhaDarel Hodge

    The Rams have so much talent at their skill positions that they could probably get away with carrying just four wide receivers. They won’t go that thin, but their depth on offense is remarkable. Natson is valuable on special teams and Hodge has good potential, but either player could be bumped off by incoming rookies.

    Tight end (3)
    Gerald Everett
    Tyler Higbee
    Johnny Mundt

    Picking the No. 3 tight end is like throwing darts. Mundt is competing with a handful of undrafted rookies, all of whom could take his spot on the roster. The only potential surprise at this position would be the Rams moving on from Higbee and fully committing to Everett.

    Offensive line (8)
    Andrew Whitworth
    Rob Havenstein
    Austin Blythe
    Joseph Noteboom
    Brian Allen
    Bobby Evans
    David Edwards
    Jamil Demby

    There isn’t much wiggle room with this group. Demby has practiced at all five spots, which makes him more valuable. The two rookies should make the team based on draft pedigree, while the other five players are in line to be starters.

    Defensive line (6)

    Aaron Donald
    Michael Brockers
    Greg Gaines
    John Franklin-Myers
    Sebastian Joseph-Day
    Morgan Fox

    Fox is moving back to the defensive line, which bumps Tanzel Smart off the roster. The Rams have enough talent at nose tackle to move on from him. Gaines and Joseph-Day will compete for the starting job, while Brockers has the versatility to line up at the nose in sub-packages, allowing Fox or Franklin-Myers to get on the field.

    Outside linebacker (6)
    Dante Fowler Jr.
    Clay Matthews
    Samson Ebukam
    Ogbonnia Okoronkwo
    Trevon Young
    Josh Carraway

    Carraway is a newcomer from our last projection and is the beneficiary of Smart not making the team in this scenario. Carraway has a strong athletic profile and could make an impression on the coaches at a relatively unproven position.

    Inside linebacker (4)
    Cory Littleton
    Micah Kiser
    Dakota Allen
    Bryce Hager

    Hager’s special teams play is valuable and the Rams don’t exactly have many answers behind projected starters Littleton and Kiser. Natrez Patrick is an undrafted rookie to watch and Clay Matthews will contribute inside, too, but depth is needed at this spot.

    Cornerback (6)
    Marcus Peters
    Aqib Talib
    Nickell Robey-Coleman
    David Long
    Troy Hill
    Kevin Peterson

    Hill is locked in after signing an extension, but the Rams could opt to carry just five cornerbacks, leaving Peterson, Dominque Hatfield and others on the outside looking in. This is a talented group with a good mix of young and old.

    Safety (5)
    John Johnson
    Eric Weddle
    Taylor Rapp
    Nick Scott
    Marqui Christian

    Wade Phillips mentioned the Rams having “a lot of safeties” who can contribute and that’s proven evident by this depth chart. Scott will be a great special teams addition, while Rapp and Christian can both be hybrid linebackers in passing situations, replacing Kiser in sub-packages.

    Special teams (3)
    Greg Zuerlein
    Johnny Hekker
    Jake McQuaide

    Nothing will change here from now until at least the end of next season, barring injuries. Zuerlein could use an extension, though, as he enters the final year of his contract.

    #102162
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    Justa kwik response and thotz.

    That article has them keeping 8 OL, 6 OLB, and 6 CBs.

    I sez–no way they keep just 8 OL, and also no way they carry 6 OLB and 6 CBs.

    It’ll be 9-10 OL. 4 OLBs. And at most 4 CBs, though it’s usually 3.

    Plus…though there’s no harm in doing a roster this early, it probably has very little value as a real prediction. They have a very good list of UDFAs but right now, before they have practiced in pads, it is next to impossible to determine which UDFAs are standing out. Could be a TE, could be a couple of OL, it could be a WR, or a linebacker. Impossible to say yet.

    #102168
    Hram
    Participant

    I think it is possible that they keep only eight OL and put two or three on the practice squad. I also think it is likely they keep five cornerbacks as they have that many good ones. Could keep five outside linebackers if one or two are versatile enough to play a good bit inside if necessary.

    • This reply was modified 5 years, 6 months ago by Hram.
    #102259
    Avatar photozn
    Moderator

    Position-by-position predictions for the Rams’ season-opening 53-man roster

    Vincent Bonsignore Jun 19, 2019

    https://theathletic.com/1035166/2019/06/19/position-by-position-predictions-for-the-rams-season-opening-53-man-roster/

    The offseason is in the books and training camp awaits in the final week of July. The Rams have a deep, experienced roster, and while they face very few questions in terms of starting jobs, fitting all that talent into a 53-man roster will be a challenge.

    There will be difficult cuts, to be sure.

    With the start of camp five weeks away, I’m taking a stab at the 53-man roster for the start of the regular season.

    Quarterback
    In the mix: Jared Goff, Blake Bortles, Brandon Allen, John Wolford (rookie)

    The Rams could keep three quarterbacks, which likely would mean Allen remaining on the roster, but the experience and durability of Bortles as the backup to Goff could open a roster spot at a more pressing position.

    Who makes the cut: Goff, Bortles

    Running back
    In the mix: Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson (rookie), Justin Davis, John Kelly, Matthew Colburn (rookie)

    With so much focus on the status of Gurley’s left knee, expect the Rams to approach his usage plan quite a bit differently than they did in the first four years of his career. That means more work for Brown and, likely, a major role right out of the gate for Henderson, who could play enough to push himself into consideration for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. The drafting of Henderson likely will result in a difficult cut of either Davis or second-year back Kelly. And with Henderson assuming a role as a change-of-pace back, Kelly might be the odd man out.

    Who makes the cut: Gurley, Brown, Henderson, Davis

    Receiver
    In the mix: Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds, KhaDarel Hodge, Mike Thomas, JoJo Natson, Austin Proehl, Alex Bachman (rookie), Nsimba Webster (rookie), Jonathan Lloyd (rookie), Nsimba Webster (rookie)

    The top four receivers are set, and it’s as good a foursome as you’ll find in the NFL. It gets a bit tricky beyond that — albeit for good reasons — and it will be interesting to see who steps up to claim the final spots. The battle between Thomas and Hodge is worth monitoring. Thomas landed on injured reserve last season with a groin injury in Week 1 and never made it back to the active roster due to a numbers crunch. Now in his fourth season, Thomas still has untapped potential as a long-ball threat, but it’s time to for him to finally put it all together. If not, the Rams are more than comfortable with Hodge, who appeared in 14 games last year as a rookie, mostly on special teams. Natson’s proficiency as a punt returner increases his chances of making the team, although he doesn’t offer much as an actual receiver. If someone else emerges as a punt returner, the Rams could opt for a backup who offers more value in the pass game.

    Who makes the cut: Cooks, Woods, Kupp, Reynolds, Thomas, Natson

    Tight End
    In the mix: Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Johnny Mundt, Romello Brooker (rookie), Keenan Brown (rookie), Kendall Blanton (rookie)

    The Rams are high on the Higbee-Everett tandem and believe there is still room to grow for both of them. Everett, in particular, appears poised for a breakout year. Mundt is a valuable special-teams player and he’s a proficient blocker. He hasn’t gotten much of an opportunity to showcase his pass-game skills, but the Rams have seen enough to know he’d offer stability if called upon, so his spot appears secure. Nevertheless, the Rams added undrafted rookie free agents Brooker, Brown and Blanton to provide camp competition.

    Who makes the cut: Higbee, Everett, Mundt

    Offensive line
    In the mix: Andrew Whitworth, Rob Havenstein, Joseph Noteboom, Brian Allen, Austin Blythe, Bobby Evans (rookie), Jamil Demby, Kyle Murphy, Jeremiah Kolone, Brandon Hitner (rookie), Vitas Hrynkiewicz (rookie) Aaron Neary, Chandler Brewer (rookie), David Edwards (rookie), Matt Kaskey (rookie)

    After featuring one of the most experienced, stable lines in the NFL the last two years, the Rams now have a group in transition, as new starters are needed at center and left guard and nearly an entirely new reserve unit needs to be built. The good news is, Whitworth and Havenstein are back at left and right tackle, respectively, and Blythe is a player on the rise entering his second year at right guard. Noteboom and Allen are likely to get the nods at left guard and center, respectively, leaving backup holes to be filled. The Rams addressed the issue during the draft with the selections of tackles Edwards and Evans, and both should earn roster spots because of potential. Ideally, they’ll both spend their rookie years as development players. Demby cross-trained at guard and tackle last year as a rookie, and that versatility should benefit him come cut-down day. At this point, he’s the most likely candidate to replace Noteboom and Blythe in an injury situation, or if Noteboom has to swing to one of the tackle spots in case Havenstein or Whitworth gets hurt.

    Who makes the cut: Whitworth (T), Havenstein (T), Noteboom (G/T), Blythe (G/C), Allen (C/G), Demby (G/T), Edwards (T), Evans (T)

    Defensive Line
    In the mix: Aaron Donald, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Marquise Copeland (rookie), Tyrell Thompson (rookie), Greg Gaines (rookie), Tanzel Smart, Michael Brockers, John Franklin-Myers, Morgan Fox, Bryant Jones (rookie) Boogie Roberts (rookie)

    The odd man out here is third-year defensive tackle Tanzel Smart, who dressed for just two games last year after being on the active game-day roster for all 16 games as a rookie. Smart’s roster spot, essentially, is being taken by Gaines, a rookie nose tackle from Washington who could earn a starting job in the Rams’ base 3-4 defense, and the return of Fox, who missed all of last year with a knee injury. The Rams are also high on Joseph-Day, who could push for an interior rotation role, and Franklin-Myers, who flashed last year as a pass rusher. Also, keep in mind outside linebackers Samson Ebukam, Clay Matthews III and Justin Lawler can also drop down as defensive ends when the Rams shift out of their base defense on pass downs.

    Who makes the cut: Donald, Brockers, Gaines, Franklin-Myers, Fox, Joseph-Day

    Outside linebacker
    In the mix: Dante Fowler Jr., Samson Ebukam, Clay Matthews III, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Justin Lawler, Trevon Young, Landis Durham (rookie)

    The intrigue here centers on how much Matthews has left in the tank, whether Fowler can finally reach his full potential, what kind of improvements Ebukam can make as a second-year starter and whether Okoronkwo can push for a role as an edge pass rusher. In terms of camp battles, the final roster spots figure to come down to Okoronkwo, Lawler and Young.

    Who makes the cut: Fowler, Ebukam, Matthews, Okoronkwo, Lawler

    Inside linebacker
    In the mix: Cory Littleton, Micah Kiser, Bryce Hager, Josh Carraway, Dakota Allen (rookie), Natrez Patrick (rookie), Travin Howard, Troy Reeder (rookie), Ketner Kupp (rookie)

    Kiser is in line to replace Mark Barron alongside Littleton in the starting lineup, although Howard has a chance to play his way into a role. His roster spot — and that of Allen — will come down to a camp battle that will also include undrafted rookies Patrick and Reeder and Carraway, a free-agent pickup from Washington. Hager’s experience and special-teams proficiency creates job security.

    Who makes the cut: Littleton, Kiser, Howard, Carraway, Hager

    Cornerback
    In the mix: Marcus Peters, Troy Hill, Darious Williams, Aqib Talib, David Long, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Kevin Peterson, Dont’e Deayon, Dominique Hatfield, Ramon Richards

    No real surprises here as Long, a rookie from Michigan, earns a spot and role and Peterson, who missed all of last year with a knee injury, holds off Deayon and Williams for the last spot.

    Who makes the cut: Peters, Talib, Robey-Coleman, Hill, Long, Peterson

    Safety
    In the mix: Eric Weddle, John Johnson, Taylor Rapp (rookie), Blake Countess, Marqui Christian, Nick Scott, Steven Prater, Jake Gervase (rookie)

    The Rams might opt to keep only four safeties, but Christian and Scott both offer a ton of special-teams value and should win jobs as a result. Rapp, a rookie from Washington, could forge a rotational role out of training camp.

    Who makes the cut: Weddle, Johnson, Rapp, Christian, Scott

    Special teams
    In the mix: Johnny Hekker (punter), Greg Zuerlein (kicker), Jake McQuaide (long snapper)

    Barring injury, there won’t be any competition here.

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