https://t.co/hZ5TcdJAHh pic.twitter.com/4N0thoVqTy

— Rams Tapes 🥶 (@RamsTapes) September 2, 2023

Zooey wrote:

Zooey wrote:

Zooey I don’t know what I did here but apparently I meant to quote you and reply and instead edited your post. I forget what the original message you wrote was. I am now replacing whatever in the F it was I did with this message. Sorry about that, I am not usually this clumsy and ham handed.

I said something about the possibility that the last game with the Broncos may have affected his rating significantly, and judging by the score, I don’t think Bennett was singularly bad in that game. Looked like a team effort in Terribleness. I maybe said something else, too, but I don’t remember. Maybe some bromide like “Let’s wait and see,” so something. Oh, no, it was something about how the Rams must think he still has potential, but something about Colt McCoy being available, and we will see if the Rams think more highly of Bennett than McCoy.

Again, my apologies. I must have hit edit somehow instead of quote.

Sometimes, brain not work good.

😬 pic.twitter.com/qYtrzcfoj5

— JimEverett.eth (@Jim_Everett) August 31, 2023

Meet the Captains. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/bX5QwXKp8A

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) August 31, 2023

Zooey wrote:

One of those TEs or OL could take a spot for himself as a kick returner.

Or for that matter, as a kicker.

From https://theramswire.usatoday.com/lists/rams-pff-grades-best-and-worst-performers-from-2023-preseason/?taid=64eeccd898b0c40001332c9c&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter

Pro Football Focus has graded every Rams player who took a snap in the preseason this summer and we’ve broken them down by the top 10 and bottom 10 on offense and defense.

Top 10 offense

RB Ronnie Rivers: 78.0
WR Austin Trammell: 72.7
G Tremayne Anchrum Jr.: 70.8
WR Puka Nacua: 70.3
LT Alaric Jackson: 70.1
G Sean Maginn: 69.9
WR Braxton Burmeister: 68.4
WR Tyler Johnson: 66.2
OT A.J. Arcuri: 65.0
TE Nikola Kalinic: 63.9

Rivers was certainly the star of the preseason for the Rams, performing well in all three games and leading the offense with a 78.0 grade. It’s good to see a trio of projected starters near the top, too: Anchrum, Nacua and Jackson.

Johnson did his best to impress the coaching staff this preseason in hopes of making the 53-man roster, but we don’t yet know if it was enough to land him a spot on the team this season.

The rest of the players in the top 10 are expected to be cut this week despite playing somewhat well this preseason.

Top 10 defense

(AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

DT Desjuan Johnson: 78.6
DE Jonah Williams: 78.1
CB Tre Tomlinson: 76.0
S John Johnson III: 75.7
S Tanner Ingle: 70.0
S Quentin Lake: 69.2
CB Cameron McCutcheon: 68.7
S Quindell Johnson: 68.7
NT Bobby Brown III: 66.6
OLB Michael Hoecht: 65.0

Johnson was a seventh-round pick by the Rams this year and although he could have a hard time making the team, he put some good things on tape in the preseason. Williams was also a standout player on the defensive line, as was projected starter Bobby Brown III.

Hoecht failed to record a single pressure and had a pass-rush grade of 50.0 but he was good against the run, which helped his grade.

Tomlinson, John Johnson, Ingle, Lake, McCutcheon and Quindell Johnson all stood out on defense. It unfortunately wasn’t enough for Ingle, who was cut on Monday, and McCutcheon is also expected to be waived. Quindell Johnson is a wild card at safety.

Top Takeaways from Sean McVay’s press conference on initial 53-man roster for 2023: Logan Bruss, kicker position, and more

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/top-takeaways-sean-mcvay-press-conference-initial-53-man-roster-logan-bruss

Rams head coach Sean McVay held a video conference with local media Tuesday afternoon after the team released its initial 53-man roster for the 2023 season, discussing the decision to waive offensive lineman Logan Bruss, how they’re approaching the kicker position after waiving Tanner Brown, young players who will contribute right away, and more.

Here are the details on those key takeaways and others from the conversation:

Bruss return a possibility

The decision to waive former 2021 third-round draft pick Logan Bruss was one based not only on how the Rams truly embraced competition across their young roster, according to McVay. At the same time, it doesn’t bring any sort of finality to their working relationship.

“We just had an open mind with competition at every single spot, and we felt like the 10 guys that we kept did a good job of kind of earning those spots, obviously with (offensive lineman) Kevin Dotson being a late add, he has a body of work and a resume,” McVay said. “Logan somebody is somebody that we still want to be able to continue to work with. Hopefully we’ll be able to get him back on the practice squad.”

Yes, there will eventually be a kicker on the roster

One of the other biggest developments from the initial 53-man roster was the roster not having a kicker, as rookie Tanner Brown was among the 36 players waived to get down to 53.

McVay wanted to keep the direction they’re taking internal. Still, he promised they will have a kicker for Week 1 against the Seahawks in Seattle.

“I’d like to keep some of the things specific to exactly which direction we’re going in-house, just because it can’t be official or anything like that right now,” McVay said. “So you will certainly know, as soon as some of those moves become official, once we’re able to do that. But we will carry a kicker going into Seattle on the 10th.”

Avila, Young, Turner and Nacua expected to make immediate impact, but McVay hopeful it’s not just them from this year’s draft class

When it comes to young players who will be counted on to make an immediate impact, the four names that came to mind for McVay were offensive lineman Steve Avila, outside linebacker Byron Young, nose tackle Kobie Turner and wide receiver Puka Nacua.

McVay is also hopeful it’s not just those four that fall into that category from this year’s draft class.

“Those are guys that come to mind as guys that we count on being immediate contributors for us, who have earned the right to be those types of immediate contributors,” McVay said. “And it certainly isn’t exclusive to those guys. (I) think (punter) Ethan Evans and (long snapper) Alex Ward, even when you’re looking at rookie punter, rookie long snapper, have done a really good job. But those four that I mentioned are the guys that really have kind of shown that they’ve earned a role, they’ve earned the right to be big-time factors right away, and we’re hoping that’s just the start of what we’re talking about with that class in particular.”

Mathis expected to go on Injured Reserve

Rookie outside linebacker Ochaun Mathis, who tweaked his knee early in training camp, will likely go Injured Reserve, per McVay.

In order for a player to receive an IR return designation, they must be on the 53-man roster beyond the cut deadline, which likely explains why Mathis was on the initial 53. Had Mathis been placed on IR prior to the cut deadline, he would not have been eligible to return this season.

McVay said Mathis will be the only player that will “fall under that bucket” of going onto Injured Reserve shortly after being on the initial 53-man roster.

Waiver order is below. Rams are 6th. pic.twitter.com/ZgvRaM2BzS

— Rams Brothers (@RamsBrothers) August 29, 2023

Rodrigue, from: https://theathletic.com/4813893/2023/08/28/rams-joe-noteboom-stetson-bennett/?source=emp_shared_article

Joe Noteboom

As Noteboom walked out of the training room for his interview, his face still dripped with sweat from his first day back at practice as the team tapers him into a full workload. He also wore a large brace wrapped tightly around his left shoulder and chest. Noteboom missed both sets of joint practices with the Las Vegas Raiders and Denver Broncos earlier this month after suffering what he says is a minor upper body soft-tissue injury (hence the protective brace).

“It was something really small, kind of a maintenance thing,” he said. “They just wanted to be cautious and not make it a longer thing than it is. But I feel great, 100 percent now.”

Noteboom will be competing at right guard now that he’s back on the field. While he was injured, part of his work on the side of the field with athletic trainers included movement drills specific to the footwork he’ll need to adjust for at that position — not only because Noteboom is switching from tackle to guard, but also from left tackle (he also has played some left guard) to right guard.

External speculation has swirled around Noteboom, in part because head coach Sean McVay did not disclose the nature of his injury but also because the Rams traded for Pittsburgh Steelers guard Kevin Dotson this week. Some have questioned whether the Rams were trying to trade him (although it is unlikely that McVay would have even publicly mentioned a new injury at all if that were the case, since teams aren’t required to report them to the NFL this time of year). A league source said Sunday that the Rams view the Dotson addition as a boost to their depth.

“I want to be a great player for this team, and for these coaches,” he said. “I have the utmost respect for Sean and all the coaches here. Matthew (Stafford), Cooper (Kupp) and AD (Aaron Donald). Just what they do, I want to be on that level and be the best I can be, for them and for this team — and take a step forward in that aspect.”

While Noteboom is still building into a full practice workload, Monday marked the first time the Rams’ possible starting offensive line practiced together since the start of training camp. If Noteboom does get the starting right guard job, the offensive line will feature Alaric Jackson at left tackle (Noteboom had competed with Jackson there through most of camp), rookie Steve Avila at left guard, Coleman Shelton at center, Noteboom, and Rob Havenstein at right tackle.

wv wrote:

The kind of solid vet depth he provides could save Matthew Stafford from getting himself all Bulgerized.   w v

I gather that when you say Stafford shouldn’t get Bulgerized, that means that he should not be a lazy non-performer who doesn’t care about the team or the game since he got his new contract, and instead blames his poor play on team injuries, which is just making excuses because all teams have injuries. Also, there’s nothing wrong with Zygmunt.

…