A Vinny piece on our 53-man roster...

Rams set 53-man roster, but changes are likely before opener

Vincent Bonsignore

[theathletic.com] ... re-opener/

While Saturday seemed like the end game for a roster process that began months ago, it also represented the beginning of a dizzying 48-hour period that will ultimately determine the Rams’ regular-season roster.

Yes, the Rams trimmed from 89 players to 53 ahead of the NFL’s deadline. But no, the roster they submitted won’t necessarily be the one they take to Charlotte next weekend for their season opener against the Carolina Panthers. In fact, good chance it won’t be.

The final edition depends on whether they submit any waiver-wire claims beginning Sunday – and are awarded any of the players they put claims on – and who among the players they waived Saturday clears waivers and is eligible to be re-signed.

“Not quite done yet,” is how Rams general manager Les Snead explained it.

Said head coach Sean McVay: “What I’ve begun to learn over the last three years especially is, there’s some nuances, there’s some layers and a lot of that is specific to not only opening week but projecting, ‘How do you give looks? How do you balance out a lot of different things that you want to do personnel-wise in a given game plan?’ There’s a lot of factors in it.”

That said, the bulk of the work is done. And save for tinkering that will go between now and Monday, when the Rams earnestly begin preparations for the Panthers, they have a pretty good idea who they will take to North Carolina.

Here is a breakdown of what the roster looks like right now:

Quarterbacks (2)
Jared Goff, Blake Bortles

The Rams’ regular-season quarterback room essentially was set months ago, the only real question being whether Brandon Allen and John Wolford would push for consideration on the practice squad. Both were cut, as expected, with the consensus opinion being that Wolford will be invited back to the practice squad should he clear waivers.

Goff did not take a preseason snap for the second straight year, but based on his work during training camp and the four joint practices against the Raiders and Chargers, he appears poised to take another step forward. In Bortles, the former Jacksonville Jaguars starter, Goff finally has a backup with experience. As a result, the Rams are in a much better position to deal with an injury to Goff, a luxury they didn’t really have the last two seasons.

Running backs (3)
Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson

Word to the wise: It would be premature to etch this group in stone, as the Rams have some balls in the air at running back. Depending on how they fall, this room could look a bit different in a few days. Chances are, they will add another running back.

Gurley and Brown are set as the top two backs and for now, it will be Brown picking up whatever slack remains from the load-management program Gurley is on. The Rams are intent on protecting Gurley’s knee for the long haul of the 16-game schedule and, just as importantly, the postseason. It means a likely reduction of his carries and snap counts, and Brown is expected to soak them up. That said, the Rams drafted Henderson with the idea of getting him on the field as soon as possible, so expect a role that features his playmaking ability as a runner and pass-catcher. Initially, anyway, he will be a change of pace to Gurley.

Receivers (7)
Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds, Mike Thomas, JoJo Natson, Nsimba Webster

As at a few other positions, the preseason played a big role in guiding the Rams’ decision-making at wide receiver. By not playing their starters, they gave more opportunities for Thomas to re-establish himself as a viable contributor and Webster, an undrafted free agent from Eastern Washington, to flash a varied skill set that immediately caught the Rams’ eyes. As a result, they were compelled to load up at wide receiver by keeping seven on the 53-man roster to even further lengthen one of the best groups in the NFL. Cooks, Woods and Kupp are as good as any trio in the league and Reynolds is capable of starting on just about any other team in the league. That’s as good as it gets, anywhere.

Tight ends (3)
Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Johnny Mundt

No big surprise here after Romello Brocker, Keenan Brown and Kendall Blanton – three rookie free agents brought in to create competition – did not distinguish themselves during training camp and the preseason. In this case, though, the status quo is not a bad deal as Higbee has grown into a reliable blocker and pass-catcher and Everett appears on the cusp of an even bigger role. In Everett’s case, his numbers thus far are more a product of how the Rams deploy and utilize him than anything he has or hasn’t done. And you get the feeling he can be a breakout candidate if they simply look his way more often. Mundt’s value is his blocking and special-teams play.

Offensive linemen (8)
LT Andrew Whitworth, LG Joe Noteboom, C Brian Allen, RG Austin Blythe, RT Rob Havenstein, T David Edwards, T Bobby Evans, C/G/T Jamil Demby (plus suspended G/C Aaron Neary)

The Rams’ decision not to play first-year starters Noteboom and Allen during the preseason was a strong indication they were happy with their progress as replacements for veterans Rodger Saffold and John Sullivan, respectively. Now it’s up to the two second-year linemen to justify that faith. Their acclimation on an otherwise experienced offensive line will play a big role in shaping the Rams’ offensive fate. We can talk all we want about the progress of Goff and the electricity of Gurley and the versatility and production of Cooks, Woods and Kupp, but it all starts with the offensive line. It’s no coincidence that the Rams scoring the most points in the NFL over the last two years coincided with their offensive line grading out as one of the best in the league. The Rams sat Edwards, Demby and Evans against the Texans in the fourth preseason game, so it’s no shock they survived the final cut as the primary backups. Their lack of experience is glaring, though, and it would not be a shock if the Rams took a more experienced lineman off the waiver wire. Neary suffered a fractured ankle in Week 3 of the preseason and had been set to serve a four-game suspension to start the season.

Defensive linemen (7)
Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Greg Gaines, Tanzel Smart, Morgan Fox, Justin Lawler

The Rams have some flexibility here because Lawler’s foot injury could might land him on the injured-reserve list. That would open a roster spot, perhaps to be used at a different position. Had Lawler been put on IR on Saturday, he would have been declared out for the whole season. Moving forward, and depending on his recovery timeline, he could land on a less restrictive injured list and be able to return at some point this year.

Joseph-Day appears to have held off Gaines, a rookie, for the base-defense nose tackle position alongside Donald and Brockers. But Gaines should forge a role for himself before long. Fox has played well as a rotational rusher after missing all of last year with a knee injury, a job he will carry into the regular season.

The big surprise here is the combination of Smart re-emerging on the Rams’ radar and Fox coming back strong off his knee injury, which squeezed John Franklin-Myers off the roster. The second-year situational pass rusher played effectively last year, but he didn’t take that the necessary step forward from year one to year two and lost his roster footing as a result.

Outside linebackers (5)
Dante Fowler Jr., Clay Matthews III, Samson Ebukam, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Natrez Patrick

The addition of Matthews and the emergence of Okoronkwo and Patrick throughout the preseason leaves the Rams with the potential for a deep, versatile group of pass rushers and creates options moving forward. Okoronkwo and Patrick flashed throughout the preseason and appear to have bright futures. For now, they will wait in the wings, perhaps as eventual replacements depending on what the Rams do after this season with Fowler, who is playing on a one-year contract. As it relates to this year, Fowler, Matthews and Ebukam form an intriguing trio, and given Wade Phillips’ ability to create advantageous matchup for his pass rushers, they should be active and productive.

Inside linebackers (4)
Cory Littleton, Bryce Hager, Travin Howard, Troy Reeder

Hager assumed the starting job opposite Littleton after Micah Kiser suffered a serious pectoral injury that will sideline him for the whole year. But keep an eye on Howard, whose athletic ability, power and sideline-to-sideline playmaking ability could get him on the field sooner than later. In fact, Howard could push for a starting role at some point this year. Littleton is set on the other side, and is in line for a big pay raise. The surprise here is Reeder, an undrafted free agent who kept getting better and better, both as a linebacker and special-teams ace, and eventually beat out fellow rookie Dakota Allen for a roster spot. Allen impressed the coaches and is a strong candidate to return as a practice-squad player.

Cornerbacks (6)
Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Troy Hill, David Long Jr., Darious Williams

The Rams knew throughout training camp they would face tough decisions at cornerback because a number of players stood out beyond the four-man base of Talib, Peters, Robey-Coleman and Hill. It made for an enviable dilemma but set up the certainty that a good player or two would get cut. Ultimately, they opted to keep Williams over Kevin Peterson, who flashed throughout camp and preseason and has a future in the NFL somewhere.

From top to bottom, this group has as good an argument as any to be the best in the NFL, especially if Long, a rookie from Michigan, continues to get better as expected.

Safeties (5)
Eric Weddle, John Johnson, Taylor Rapp, Marqui Christian, Nick Scott

Weddle and Johnson are as talented as any duo in the NFL, and Christian is one of the most underrated rotational players in the league. Rapp, a rookie from Washington, is sort of a combination of all three. Combined, they give Phillips a bunch of schematic options, ranging from the back end of the defense to the line of scrimmage. Given the package and situation, don’t be surprised to see three safeties on the field. Although Scott might not see much time as a positional player this year, the rookie is already a valued special-teams player and is expected to contribute in that area immediately.

Special teams (3)
P Johnny Hekker, K Greg Zuerlein, LS Jake McQuaide

For the fourth straight year, the Rams go into the regular season with arguably the best special-teams group in the NFL.