Rams’ roster brings continuity everywhere except QB, offensive line

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/20827/rams-roster-brings-continuity-everywhere-except-quarterback-and-offensive-line

Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Here’s a player-by-player look at the St. Louis Rams’ 53-man roster:

Quarterback (3)

Nick Foles: The Rams are banking on Foles to stay healthy, take care of the ball and connect on the occasional deep ball as they hope he can help them take the next step back to a winning record and the postseason.

Case Keenum: After a full offseason with the team, Keenum is up to speed on the offense and will get the first opportunity should something happen to Foles.

Sean Mannion: This will essentially be a redshirt year for Mannion, who has some work to do to be ready to contribute at the NFL level.

Running back (5)

Todd Gurley: When Gurley returns from a knee injury, he’ll need some time to get acclimated to contact before taking on the larger workload that will be expected of the No. 10 overall pick.

Tre Mason: Until Gurley gets back, it’s Mason’s job to carry the load and keep the offense moving.

Benny Cunningham: Still the team’s best pass protecting back, Cunningham is also an underrated option in short-yardage and goal-line situations as well as a solid pass-catcher.

Isaiah Pead: Still here after three lost seasons because he can contribute on special teams and Trey Watts is suspended.

Chase Reynolds: Special-teams leader will continue in that role.

Tight end (3)

Jared Cook: The Rams are hoping for more from Cook now that Foles is in place, and Foles seemed to look for him in the red zone during camp quite a bit.

Lance Kendricks: Both the team and Kendricks have discussed an expanded role in the passing game for him, but either way, his versatility will have him on the field more often than not.

Cory Harkey: Like Kendricks, Harkey brings positional versatility and will be on the field a lot. As a de facto fullback, Harkey will be integral to the team’s efforts to bolster the running game.

Wide receiver (6)

Kenny Britt: The most experienced receiver in the group had an up-and-down camp and preseason but will be one of Foles’ top targets, especially when it comes to going deep.

Brian Quick: An impressive recovery from a devastating shoulder injury has Quick poised to reclaim his role as the team’s top pass-catcher after he showed signs of a breakthrough in the first half of 2014.

Tavon Austin: Once again, the Rams have touted Austin as a unique weapon they will exploit in the offense, but whether they have the creativity to do it consistently remains to be seen.

Stedman Bailey: The steady Bailey could find himself playing in the slot on a more consistent basis this year and should push for more snaps as the season wears on and he develops rapport with Foles.

Chris Givens: Still the team’s best deep threat because of his speed, Givens looks like he could enjoy a renaissance in 2015.

Bradley Marquez: Made the roster primarily for special-teams purposes, a role he’ll maintain barring injuries in front of him.

Offensive line (10)

Greg Robinson: One of the most important players on the roster, Robinson must take a step forward this year so the Rams can protect the three inexperienced starters on the line.

Jamon Brown: Of the unknowns on the line, Brown looks like the player best poised to find his footing early in the season.

Tim Barnes: Coach Jeff Fisher said a decision on a starting center will be made this week but Barnes appears to be the front-runner, if for no other reason than he’s the only one on the roster with any starting experience (four games).

Rodger Saffold: Upon his return from a shoulder ailment, Saffold is expected to move to right guard where he played his best ball at the end of 2013.

Rob Havenstein: The rookie right tackle should be fine in the run game, but the Rams will need him to improve his footwork and bend in pass protection and/or send plenty of help his way.

Garrett Reynolds: The primary backup on the line, Reynolds can fill in anywhere but center.

Demetrius Rhaney: The other contender for the starting center job, Rhaney impressed at guard in the preseason and is right there with Reynolds as primary backups on the line.

Cody Wichmann: A calf injury kept Wichmann out of most of the preseason and camp, but he earned high marks when he returned as a pure guard.

Darrell Williams: As the fourth tackle on the roster, Williams won’t be expected to play much right away, but he won a roster spot with a solid camp.

Andrew Donnal: Donnal showed the versatility to play inside and out, making him a sort of understudy to Reynolds in the meantime.

Defensive line (8)

Chris Long: The leader of the defensive line, Long enters an important season as he bounces back from an injury and carries a big cap number in 2016.

Robert Quinn: Unsatisfied with the 10.5 sacks and Pro Bowl trip he had last year, Quinn is expecting bigger numbers this time around.

Aaron Donald: Already one of the best at his position, Donald’s encore season could be better than his award-winning rookie year if for no other reason than he’ll be starting from Day 1.

Michael Brockers: After dealing with a shoulder issue in camp, Brockers is the man the Rams are counting on to do the dirty work, taking on multiple blockers and stopping the run.

Nick Fairley: A quiet preseason means Fairley must get untracked early, as he plays on just a one-year deal.

Ethan Westbrooks: In the team’s efforts to develop at this position for the future, Westbrooks figures to get more chances at end and tackle this year.

William Hayes: Still a solid backup to Long, Hayes is a top run defender and still offers a little push as a pass-rusher.

Eugene Sims: Like Hayes, Sims is entering a contract year but brings similar versatility and skills to the table.

Linebacker (6)

James Laurinaitis: The smart, steady leader of the defense, Laurinaitis is the one who makes it all go.

Alec Ogletree: Expectations for a breakout season surround Ogletree, as he’s 10 pounds lighter and focused on the details more than simply relying on his athleticism as he has in the past.

Akeem Ayers: The free-agent acquisition will start at strongside linebacker and find himself used in a variety of ways by defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Daren Bates: The heart and soul of the special-teams units, Bates will have to overcome a knee injury before he contributes this year.

Cameron Lynch: Will be expected to help on special teams right away.

Bryce Hager: Also will be a core special-teams player but also could be first option off the bench in the event of injury to a starter.

Cornerback (4)

Janoris Jenkins: A contract year for Jenkins has him poised for bigger and better things if he can cut down on the mental mistakes that have plagued him in the past.

Trumaine Johnson: Without E.J. Gaines, Johnson won the starting job opposite Jenkins by default. Now he has to be more consistent as he, too, enters a contract year.

Lamarcus Joyner: The Rams still have high hopes that Joyner can be their nickel corner, but he remains a work in progress as he works on his ability to handle the mental side of the position.

Marcus Roberson: Will be first up should any injuries to the first three appear, but the Rams believe his potential could turn into production if need be.

Safety (5)

T.J. McDonald: Much like Ogletree, the Rams are expecting big things from McDonald in 2015 after he closed last year with a flourish.

Rodney McLeod: Yet another member of the secondary entering a contract year, McLeod also must limit the mistakes he made a year ago that led to big plays for the other side.

Mark Barron: The Rams will use Barron in a variety of ways, including as a de facto linebacker in the dime, and he could even be the first to step in should an injury hit at outside linebacker.

Cody Davis: Special teams remains Davis’ primary function, but he had a good enough preseason that he could play if McLeod has injury issues.

Maurice Alexander: An up-and-down preseason that closed with an up but Alexander’s role will likely be limited to special teams for now.

Specialists (3)

Greg Zuerlein: The kicker seeks more consistency in 2015, particularly on grass surfaces.

Johnny Hekker: Still one of the best punters in the game.

Jake McQuaide: See Hekker and plug in “long-snapper’ for the word ‘punter.’

I didn’t see anything but mediocrity and ill discipline. What I saw fit very well with a 3+ year track record he has coaching my team. It always looks the same, game after game, season after season. And it is losing, undisciplined, uncompetitive football. That’s what he coaches, at least in StL.

Okay. That’s just not the picture I get when I look though. I see the things you don’t like, but I don’t see exclusively that in this pre-season or across the last 3 years. I saw them get it more together this summer, playing the Colts and Chiefs better in spite of a young line, and in terms of the previous seasons, my feeling last year was that if they just had a starting qb they would have won more games and be thought of as having turned the corner. Well, I don’t think Foles is as good as an upright Bradford can be, but he is good enough—a starting caliber qb and much better than Clemens, Davis, and Hill.

So I am eager for the season and I see them as having a winning record this year in spite of a line that as green as a seasick schoolgirl. I think they will be up and down on offense but I like where they’re going. My “buy in” with this team started with the 2 games against SF in 2012. Nobody gave them a chance in those games but they banged out an unlikely overtime tie and an unlikely overtime win against the NFC champion that year. Since then, the only thing, to me, which has kept them from turning the corner is injuries to Bradford and the OL.

It’s just honestly how I see it.

A lot of things you don’t like, I don’t like either, but then, there were a lot of things I didn’t like about the 2000/2001 Martz Rams either.

I just look forward to the season. Even in losses I keep my eyes on the things that tell me (and maybe it’s just me) that they have the ingredients to become a contender. I see that stuff, it’s there. So I am just a “glass half full plus a centimeter more than half” kinda guy.

And it does come from watching, and in my mind, from being realistic. It’s honest. Doesn’t mean it’s going to be wholly right, but still.

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InvaderRam wrote:

one thing that gives me hope. seattle’s oline situation supposedly isn’t the best right now and they’ll be missing some key personnel on defense. so hopefully the rams are catching them at the right time.

Rams played them tough at home three years in a row. They won in 2012, then came close to beating them in 2013 even with Clemens at qb, and then won in 2014 even with Davis at qb. Rams just match up with Seattle.

Zooey wrote:

I would have LOVED to see them add a Timmerman, or some vet capable of nailing down a position on this young, young line. But without a specific name of a guy, this kind of armchair GMing drives me crazy. “They should have got somebody to play X really well!”

Great. Who?

I agree with that and add this. In terms of how they worked the cap, they could either add a vet lineman or extend Foles. I doubt they could do both.

In terms of what they spent in free agency, Fairley was just a swap for Foles. They added Ayers, but he was a modest 3 M a year. More importantly, they extended Kendricks.

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wv wrote:

Still no Chancellor

There’s talk of the Giants trying to trade for KC.

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LB Dunbar, C Jones among Rams roster cuts

JIM THOMAS

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/lb-dunbar-c-jones-among-rams-roster-cuts/article_9225b7af-3b78-52f4-b381-fd7cb729304e.html

Last year at this time, Rams roster cutdown weekend drew national attention because of Michael Sam’s bid to become the first openly-gay player to make an NFL roster. Sam, the former University of Missouri star, was beaten out by Ethan Westbrooks as things turned out.

Things weren’t nearly as dramatic this time at Rams Park, but as always there were a couple of surprises as the team reached the regular season roster limit of 53 players.

First and foremost in terms of surprises was the release of veteran linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, a good run defender and emotional presence on defense. Another surprise was the release of center Barrett Jones, a heralded college player at Alabama who went from competing for a starting job to out of a job.

It was no surprise, however, that quarterback Austin Davis was released despite the fact that he started eight games a year ago, winning three, and posting back-to-back 300-plus yard passing games against Dallas and Philadelphia.

The Rams kept three undrafted rookies: offensive tackle Darrell Williams, wide receiver Bradley Marquez, and linebacker Cameron Lynch. Only one member of the 2015 draft class was cut, seventh-round defensive end Martin Ifedi of Memphis.
After using a 2016 fifth-round pick on Isaiah Battle in the NFL’s supplemental draft in July, the Rams cut the offensive tackle from Clemson.

The defense is filled with familiar faces. Nineteen of the team’s 23 defensive players were on the 2014 season-ending roster, including seven of eight defensive linemen, and all nine members of the secondary.

The only newcomers on defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ unit are tackle Nick Fairley, and linebackers Akeem Ayers, Bryce Hager, and Lynch. Fairley and Ayers were free-agent pickups; Hager is seventh-round pick from Baylor.

On offense, four of the five running backs, five of the six wide receivers, and all three tight ends to make the 2015 roster were on the team in 2014. The only newcomers to crack those groups were running back Todd Gurley and Marquez at wide receiver.

But none of the three quarterbacks on the 2015 squad where with the team on the season-ending roster in 2014. Starter Nick Foles was acquired in the Sam Bradford trade with Philadelphia and No. 3 Sean Mannion was drafted in the third round.
(Second-stringer Case Keenum spent part of last season on the Rams’ practice squad and active roster, but finished the season with the Houston Texans.)

The biggest makeover came on the offensive line where six of the 10 players on the 53-man roster are new. And five of those six are rookies: Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal, Cody Wichmann, and Williams. The other newcomer is free-agent pickup Garrett Reynolds.

While commonly referred to as the “final 53,” what has taken place over the weekend at Rams Park and all around the NFL is really the “first 53.” Coach Jeff Fisher indicated that there could be some additional roster tweaking before the Sept. 13 regular-season opener against Seattle.

Tight end and cornerback could be areas where the Rams are looking for help. The Rams kept only three tight ends _ Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks and Corey Harkey – and Harkey lines up more in the backfield at fullback than he does at tight end.

Two tight ends were cut over the weekend, Alex Bayer and Justice Cunningham. A year ago, Bayer made the opening-day roster after leading the Rams in preseason catches (10) and finishing second in reception yards (135).

But he was slowed by a foot injury and subsequent surgery just before the start of the OTA practice sessions in June and wasn’t as productive this preseason.
As for cornerback the Rams only have four on the roster at the moment in Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner, and Marcus Roberson. Most teams carry at least five corners.

Surprisingly, Fisher held a press conference at 4 p.m., or one-hour after the NFL deadline to reach the 53-man roster limit. But he declined to announce the team’s roster cuts or comment about any roster cuts already reported upon by the media.
The Rams didn’t announce their roster cuts until nearly 7 p.m. Saturday, or nearly four hours after the league deadline to turn in those moves.

So the small group of reporters who gathered for the press conference were unable to ask about the release of 21 players over the weekend, including Davis, Jones, and Dunbar.

Three years ago, Dunbar finished second on the squad with a career-high 157 tackles, and also established career highs in sacks (4 ½) and interceptions (two).
But he was released prior to the 2013 season after being suspended four games by the NFL for violating league policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He was re-signed Oct. 1, and played in the final 12 games of the season, starting 10 times. He played in 15 games last year, once again starting 10 games.

Dunbar lost his starting job to Ayers this year, nonetheless his release was puzzling considering the team’s lack of depth and experience behind the starters. In addition, Dunbar had a modest cap number of $1.345 million this year, and the Rams already were about $4.5 million under the cap.

At quarterback, Davis became expendable in the Rams’ eyes once they traded a seventh-round pick for Keenum in March. He was given very little opportunity to show anything in the preseason, appearing in only one series in each of the four games. Thursday against Kansas City, all he did was hand off the football to running backs – eight times.

Meanwhile at center, Jones came to the Rams as a fourth-round draft pick in 2013 but was slowed by injury in each of his first two NFL seasons, appearing in only 10 games total. In the three-way battle for center this year, he was beaten out by Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney.

BTW, how much 2015 cap space do they have after cutting Davis and Dunbar? That’s another couple M, right?

Ian Rapoport ‏@RapSheet

A team that claims #Rams supp pick OT Isaiah Battle has to pay $80k in bonus guarantees. STL split up SB into multiple bonuses after cutdown.