roster

I wonder who is out when Bailey comes back. Is it as linear as Pettis?

Especially with Hill’s touch being able to hit guys in stride (the one thing that Bradford struggled with more than anything else) plays to Given’s strength much more than Pettis’. Couple that with Kendricks and Bayer being reliable as TEs and the need for Pettis becomes less.

Also, Bailey, Austin, Quick and Britt are all much more reliable than last year…significantly so, actually. I expect the drops to decrease substantially. I imagine Bradford to be sitting at home wondering a little bit, “where was that last year, guys?”

Rams roster moves may not be done
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11155/rams-roster-moves-may-not-be-done

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams trimmed their roster to the initial 53 players on Saturday afternoon. Not the final roster, the initial roster.

That’s an important distinction to make at this time of year with rosters in flux all over the league. Rams coach Jeff Fisher didn’t hesitate Saturday to mention that his roster could look much different soon enough.

“We got to 53 (players), as everybody else has,” Fisher said Saturday. “I can’t say that we’re done. We’re no different than any other team in the league. We’re going to watch the wire and see if it’s at all possible for us to upgrade our football team over the next couple of days.”

In looking at the roster, there are a couple of positions that stand out as places where the Rams could tweak. Since starting quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a season-ending ACL injury against Cleveland, Fisher has been open about the team’s interest in potentially adding a quarterback to provide depth behind Shaun Hill.

As it stands, only Austin Davis remains on the roster behind Hill after the Rams released rookie Garrett Gilbert. The Rams have carried just two quarterbacks at times in two years under Fisher but Davis has never taken a snap in a regular-season game.

Fisher again mentioned the Rams have not engaged in any trade discussions for a quarterback but that they would keep all of their options open as they scour the market.

“Well we’ve gone into most games with two quarterbacks on the active roster,” Fisher said. “We have one on practice squad here and there. That’s not an issue. The quarterback position is a position that we’re going to address, that we’re going to monitor. We’ll get the list (of cuts) and we’ll see what’s out there. I’m sure there’ll be workouts and tryouts and a potential to do some things at the position but right now as I said a couple of days ago, we’re not going to overreact. We’re going to apply patience to this situation.”

It would also stand to reason that the Rams will take a closer look at linebackers who come available. They only have five for now, which is at least one fewer than they normally carry. They don’t have to add a sixth but the only backups are second-year players Ray Ray Armstrong and Daren Bates, neither of whom has played much other than special teams.

As for where corresponding roster moves could come from, tight end would seem a logical place to start. The Rams have five on the roster, including youngsters Justice Cunningham and Alex Bayer.

“It’s probably heavy at the position,” Fisher said. “But it shows you what both Alex and Justice have been able to do and contribute. Again, there’s going to be some movement on the roster. We’ve felt like this year’s roster going in may be heavy here and there. We’ve got an additional spot, unfortunately, because (WR Stedman Bailey) ‘Sted’ won’t be with us for four weeks so you can go heavy here or there.”

Rams roster breakdown: offense
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/11175/rams-roster-breakdown-offense-2

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams have their initial 53-man roster in place and they are now in full preparation mode for Sunday’s season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Coach Jeff Fisher made it clear the roster could still have some tweaks, but for now let’s take a look at how the roster looks. We will start with the offense and offer the defense a little later.

Quarterback (2) Shaun Hill, Austin Davis

Fisher has repeatedly said the Rams will be patient in their search for more help at this position, but he means it when he says he is committed to Hill as the starter. Davis has extensive knowledge of the offense and should stick around because of it, but there is still a need to find a veteran who has some playing experience to add more depth. Whether the Rams can find such a player remains to be seen, but don’t be surprised if it comes a little later when contracts aren’t guaranteed.

Running back (5) Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham, Tre Mason, Trey Watts, Chase Reynolds

Once again, the Rams opted to go heavy at running back after Watts impressed enough during the preseason and training camp to win a roster spot. A legitimate argument could even be made that Watts outplayed Mason when given the opportunity. Stacy looks to remain the starter, but don’t be surprised if Cunningham gets his share of chances.

Tight end (5) Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey, Justice Cunningham, Alex Bayer

What looked to be a battle for a fourth roster spot between Bayer and Cunningham turned out to be an opportunity for the Rams to keep five. Cunningham is a talented blocker and Bayer showed some pass-catching prowess, making the choice between the two a difficult one. With the Rams down to five at receiver, they were able to keep both players. But that might not be a permanent setup. If the Rams can find help at spots like quarterback or linebacker, this is a spot where the corresponding move could come.

Wide receiver (5) Kenny Britt, Brian Quick, Tavon Austin, Chris Givens, Austin Pettis

Receiver Stedman Bailey is suspended the first four games for violation of the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. The Rams have an exemption for Bailey, but he will be on this roster when that suspension ends. When that time comes, the Rams will have to make a move to free a spot, but it would be a bit of a surprise if it came at the expense of one of the other wideouts. It was no surprise the Rams opted not to keep a sixth wideout in the interim.

Offensive line (9) Jake Long, Rodger Saffold, Scott Wells, Davin Joseph, Joe Barksdale, Greg Robinson, Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones, Mike Person

This group is a little lighter than last year, but it offers more versatility. The starting five have plenty of experience and potential, but amongst the four backups, only Barnes offers any real game experience and even that is limited to four starts at the end of last season. Robinson, Jones and Person offer the ability to play multiple spots, but Jones is likely still at least a few weeks from returning from back surgery.

—————-

Rams roster breakdown: Defense
By Nick Wagoner

[espn.go.com]

EARTH CITY, Mo. — The St. Louis Rams have their initial 53-man roster in place, and they are now in full preparation mode for Sunday’s season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Coach Jeff Fisher made it clear the roster could still have some tweaks, but for now let’s take a look at how the roster looks. Earlier, we started with the offense . Now, let’s take a look at the defense and special teams.

Defensive line (9) Chris Long, Robert Quinn, William Hayes, Eugene Sims, Michael Brockers, Kendall Langford, Aaron Donald, Alex Carrington, Ethan Westbrooks

The deepest collection of talent on the team and perhaps the best line in the league, this group has a little bit of everything. The Rams kept nine in 2013 and it was no surprise when they did so again this week.

Linebacker (5) James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Ray-Ray Armstrong, Daren Bates

This is the thinnest position on the defense and it would not surprise if the Rams looked to add more help, particularly if they can find a veteran with some experience. Because offenses around the league regularly play with three or four receivers, the Rams will be in sub packages quite a bit which means the need for help here isn’t urgent. But a single injury of any note would certainly change that.

Cornerback (6) Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner, Brandon McGee, E.J. Gaines, Marcus Roberson

Johnson’s sprained MCL will cost him four to six weeks and forced the Rams’ hand to keep an additional body that likely came in the form of Roberson. McGee has an ankle injury which has cost him time in the preseason. Joyner projects to stay as the nickelback, with Jenkins starting in one spot on the outside. The interesting battle in the short term is who gets the nod to start opposite Jenkins. McGee has a little more experience but if he’s not fully healthy, Gaines could get the first chance.

Safety (4) T.J. McDonald, Rodney McLeod, Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis

Instead of the five the team has carried in the past, the Rams are going with these four for right now. Alexander and Davis will be key special teams contributors right away, but neither offers any meaningful playing experience in the league as depth behind the starters.

Specialists (3) Johnny Hekker, Greg Zuerlein, Jake McQuaide

This trio should be together for the long haul.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/teams/roster/STL/st-louis-rams
This link seems have the most up to date information on rosters. fwiw

They have numbers for all the players. Cunningham got an Injury Settlement. I assume he is no longer a Ram.

Zac Stacy is listed as the starting running back, which is to be expected. But Benny Cunningham is No. 2 and outperformed Stacy in the preseason.

Did Cunningham really outperform Stacy, or are we just looking at stats that meant little to nothing? Stacy is better, of course he’s getting the bulk of the carries. I think the more important questions is whether Tre Mason sees the field. I liked Watts better than both Cunningham and Mason.

Dak wrote:

Zac Stacy is listed as the starting running back, which is to be expected. But Benny Cunningham is No. 2 and outperformed Stacy in the preseason.

Did Cunningham really outperform Stacy, or are we just looking at stats that meant little to nothing? Stacy is better, of course he’s getting the bulk of the carries. I think the more important questions is whether Tre Mason sees the field. I liked Watts better than both Cunningham and Mason.

Yeah, I would have Trey active and Tre inactive.