Rams' depth chart is starting to clear up

Rams' depth chart is starting to clear up

Alden Gonzalez

LOS ANGELES -- The dust has (mostly) settled.

The draft is over, undrafted free agents have been signed, and the Los Angeles Rams did a little bit of roster maintenance in recent days, parting ways with offensive lineman David Arkin and claiming nose tackle Mike Purcell. Their roster sits at 88 players, two shy of the offseason limit. And OTAs are now only 18 days away.

With that in mind, here's a position-by-position look at where the Rams' depth chart stands.

Quarterback: The path is clear for Jared Goff. The 2016 No. 1 overall pick is the starter and Sean Mannion, a third-round pick in 2015, is his backup. The Rams never really planned on signing a veteran quarterback, even as insurance, because they want to see what they have in their two young signal-callers. Aaron Murray, a former Georgia teammate of Todd Gurley who was a fifth-round pick by the Chiefs in 2014, is third string at the moment.

Running back/fullback: All eyes in the fantasy football world will be on whether Gurley can bounce back, after being the top running back in many drafts and then finishing with the NFL's second-fewest yards per carry. Gurley should have a more productive season on the ground -- it can't be worse, right? -- but his targets may suffer with free-agent addition Lance Dunbar taking on a pass-catching role similar to what Chris Thompson was for coach Sean McVay in Washington. Malcolm Brown, who previously impressed Jeff Fisher's staff, could see some third-down carries. Don't be surprised to see a fullback on the field at times, either Zach Laskey or 2017 sixth-round pick Sam Rogers. One lingering question: What about Cory Harkey, a run-blocking fullback and tight end who has also been a key locker room presence? He seemingly has to prove himself to this new staff.

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[www.espn.com]