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.

— Showed more technique than you see from a lot of rookie edge guys with much bigger names

— Went to Ferris State, and who gives a damn? This guy is a PLAYER. Titans made out like banditos here. pic.twitter.com/O3kLuhTIFh

— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) August 28, 2023

Rams acquire OG Kevin Dotson from Steelers: How injuries factored into trade

Mark Kaboly and Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/4811143/2023/08/27/rams-steelers-kevin-dotson-trade/

The Los Angeles Rams acquired offensive guard Kevin Dotson from the Pittsburgh Steelers, the teams announced Sunday. Here’s what you need to know:

The Steelers receive the Rams’ 2024 fourth-round pick and 2025 fifth-round pick while Los Angeles receives Pittsburgh’s 2024 fifth-round pick and 2025 sixth-round pick.
Pittsburgh drafted Dotson in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Dotson started 30 of his 39 career games in Pittsburgh.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Why this makes sense for Los Angeles

Even though Dotson has 30 games worth of starting experience for the Steelers, including 17 games last season, I’m told Los Angeles considers this to be a depth move for their offensive line. Dotson has played some at both guard spots.

The Rams’ offensive line seems mostly solidified…with the pesky exception of right guard. Joe Noteboom, who Los Angeles extended on a three-year, $40 million contract in 2022, is expected to compete for the starting right guard job when he returns from an injury coaches say is unrelated to the Achilles tear he suffered in 2022.

Noteboom was initially competing at left tackle, but was moved to a rotation at right guard with Tremayne Anchrum with a few days left in the Rams’ Irvine, Calif. camp before suffering the undisclosed injury. — Rodrigue

How many offensive linemen will the Rams keep?

With Dotson expected to fill a depth role, larger questions remain about how many offensive linemen the Rams will keep on their roster. They recently moved last year’s third-round pick, Logan Bruss, out of right guard and back to his natural tackle spot, but his play has fluctuated there in practices and games.

Bruss and rookie fifth-round pick Warren McClendon are now training as reserve swing tackles, while Anchrum could be a swing depth player at guard if he loses the position battle to Noteboom. They also have a two-deep at center, but veteran Brian Allen does not also play guard while starter Coleman Shelton does. — Rodrigue

Why Pittsburgh moved on

It made all the sense in the world for the Steelers to move on from Dotson, who was a draft darling three years ago. It was just a matter of what kind of compensation they could get for him. With Isaac Seumalo signed in free agency to start at left guard, Nate Herbig brought in as a free agent in March to play swing guard and Dotson being in the final year of his rookie deal and set to earn $2.75 million, it was pretty much an expected move.

The only twist was Herbig had missed the past two weeks with a shoulder injury but Mike Tomlin said Saturday that he wasn’t concerned with that. — Kaboly

How injuries factored into trade

There is only so much Tomlin and the Steelers deal with injuries before cutting ties. Dotson was at that point. He got hurt in each of his first three years and was nursing a shoulder and ankle injury this preseason. To his credit, he played every snap last year as he battled through nagging injuries.

Dotson was the physical guard they wanted but the inconsistency ultimately was his biggest issue. Dotson committed 12 penalties a year ago including four false starts and four holding calls that frustrated Pittsburgh. The transaction could mean the Steelers keep the much-maligned former third-round pick Kendrick Green on the initial 53.

wv wrote:

Yeah, i dunno what to think of Bennett. Has McVay ever developed a young QB, and not then screwed them up? I mean, he developed Goff, but then, ya know. w v

Depends on whether you attribute Kirk Cousins’ development to McVay being the Washington OC. That could also go to the head coach, Jay Gruden.  Gruden became the HC in 2014, and that;s the year Cousins emerges as a starter.

We know about Goff. McV clearly got impatient with him and didn’t handle that well, starting in 2019.

wv wrote:

To state the obvious, That has to be one of the worst preseason performances in Ram history. I have no idea if it ‘means’ anything. It doesnt lower my expectations for this season. My expectations are that, barring key injuries, the Rams will compete for the last WildCard spot. Hover somewhere around .500. Like most teams. w v

The big disappointment was watching Bennett fall apart. He had some promise in game 1 then regressed.

In terms of the defense, they weren’t playing Donald, Jones, Fuller, or Durant. I expect them to be a little better with those guys playing. I don’t expect a top 10 defense though.

Predicting the Rams’ 53-man roster ahead of this week’s cutdowns

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/4808834/2023/08/27/la-rams-53-man-roster-projection-final/?source=emp_shared_article

The Los Angeles Rams are finally through their preseason, and all eyes turn to roster cutdowns. They have to be at 53 players by 1 p.m. PT on Tuesday.

Below is my best shot at predicting their 53-man roster. Keep in mind: As the Rams are so tight against the salary cap this year, some depth veteran players could be cut (so their full salary isn’t guaranteed) and then brought back after Week 1. Further, the initial 53-man roster often goes through additional churn in the first couple of weeks of the season.

Unlike other projections I do through the year, this is reflective of what I believe the depth chart will look like as well:

Quarterbacks (2)
Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett

It would be ideal for the Rams to be able to keep just two spots on their initial 53-man roster for quarterbacks. Brett Rypien, currently the No. 3 quarterback in Los Angeles, could be a reasonable emergency option but in a best-case scenario the Rams are able to stash someone on their practice squad.

Bennett played very poorly in Saturday’s loss to Denver. He threw two interceptions in less than two quarters, before he was pulled and Rypien replaced him (Rypien didn’t play all that great either). But it’s important to remember that the Rams evaluate every player’s entire body of work in practices, meetings and games and not just the latter.

Offensive linemen (9)
Alaric Jackson, Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Joe Noteboom, Rob Havenstein, Tremayne Anchrum (RG/LG), Brian Allen, Logan Bruss (RT/LT), Warren McClendon (RT/LT)

Actually, Bruss is a little bit of a wild card here. He is a 2022 third-round pick, but still relearning how to play tackle in the NFL after the Rams initially tried him out of position at guard and then he suffered a season-ending injury in the 2022 preseason. It might be harder to sneak through a third-rounder than, say, a second-year seventh-rounder such as AJ Arcuri. Let me be clear, I think the Rams should keep Arcuri. But much about this cut day is reflective of balancing the math and guessing on waivers/practice squad.

As I have been reporting and writing for a couple of weeks (and general manager Les Snead all but confirmed on the Rams-affiliated broadcast Saturday night), the Rams are currently planning to try Noteboom out at right guard when he’s healthy.

Tight ends (4)
Tyler Higbee, Brycen Hopkins, Hunter Long, Davis Allen

Look at that, the Rams suddenly have depth at tight end after Long came off PUP on Saturday. Keeping four tight ends is a rarity for head coach Sean McVay, but I can’t see them cutting either Long or Allen. The fact that all four players can be mismatches in the pass game helps with their receiver numbers.

Running backs (4)
Cam Akers, Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers, Zach Evans

Akers and Williams had outstanding camps. Rivers impressed enough to keep an advantage over Evans on the depth chart, for now, and was a bright spot in the preseason games. Rivers can also return kicks and punts. While Evans has seemed like a fringe player so far this preseason, he’s also a draft pick and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rams are more focused on his second-year development than what he can do in 2023.

Wide receivers (6)
Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Puka Nacua, Ben Skowronek, Demarcus Robinson

Atwell and Nacua could eventually be considered WR3 and WR3B. Robinson had an outstanding first few weeks of camp, but didn’t finish the preseason as strongly as Tyler Johnson (or so it appeared), but he can also be an emergency option for Jefferson because of his ability as an X receiver and he can line up in other spots as well. I do think they’ll eventually bring Johnson (or if it’s the other way around, Robinson) back after their initial 53-man is established. Skowronek gives them depth at all of the receiving spots and will probably be a core special teamer, even though his role in the offense seems to have diminished. Nacua and Williams (the running back) can return punts but I wouldn’t totally rule out the Rams surprising us and keeping one additional receiver for this job. In my projection, the numbers balance better with this group I have listed.

Defensive linemen (6)
Aaron Donald, Kobie Turner, Jonah Williams, Bobby Brown III, Earnest Brown IV, Marquise Copeland

OK, this group is tougher to figure out than you’d think — in large part because they are one of the biggest areas of concern on the roster and I would think that the front office scours the waiver wire for veteran support. Rookie Desjuan Johnson could also be an under-the-radar addition and really popped Saturday night against the Broncos in the second quarter (but he also may be very returnable to the practice squad, through waivers). It seemed apparent that Larrell Murchison and Copeland were competing for one of the final spots because they both played deep into the game. Johnson looked better than both of them during Saturday’s game, so the question becomes more about the types of skill sets required on the defensive line and general roster math.

Outside linebackers (5)
Byron Young, Michael Hoecht, Daniel Hardy, Nick Hampton, Ochaun Mathis*

Mathis (knee) could potentially start the season on injured reserve with a return-to-play designation, but in order to do so he has to make the initial 53-man roster. Depending on how Mathis’ situation shakes out, Keir Thomas or Zach VanValkenburg may end up getting a spot. This is also a position at which the Rams will likely be paying attention to other teams’ cuts.

Inside linebackers (3)
Ernest Jones, Christian Rozeboom, Jake Hummel

The last spots for linebackers and safeties get tricky because these players must also contribute on special teams. Rozeboom and Hummel both play special teams, so this math may work out.

If the Rams keep four inside linebackers, I can see DeAndre Square (who wore the green dot to open Saturday night’s game) making the roster, especially for special teams. Square wore the green dot in the Rams’ final preseason game, so that makes me believe he might have an edge if the Rams keep four.

Three inside linebackers seems thin, but remember, safety Quentin Lake has been playing a ton of dime linebacker through training camp. That seems relevant to each respective position count.

Safeties (5)
Jordan Fuller, Russ Yeast, John Johnson III, Quentin Lake, Jason Taylor II

The Rams could totally keep more than five safeties, especially for special teams, and if they do I think Tanner Ingle and Quindell Johnson are strong candidates. Taylor has been working through a psoas injury, so this is something to monitor.

Cornerbacks (6)
Cobie Durant, Ahkello Witherspoon, Derion Kendrick, Tre Tomlinson, Shaun Jolly, Robert Rochell

Jolly can play the “Star” position and the Rams really need depth there (they are even training a couple of safeties for the role).

I have been really impressed with undrafted free agent Cam McCutcheon, who has the length they are generally lacking at cornerback and who has demonstrated he is a willing tackler as well as a developing outside cornerback. Rochell had an opportunity to seize command of an outside spot when Kendrick was recovering from a hamstring injury but his play has continued to fluctuate. Still, he can play on special teams and has made a couple of solid plays there in practice. We’ll see how this group shakes out, and I have Rochell still listed here because of his general experience and his special teams ability.

Specialists (3)
Ethan Evans, Tanner Brown, Alex Ward

When the punter is the silver lining of the preseason, that’s … something.