Rams have 12 new Week 1 starters this season

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Rams have 12 new Week 1 starters this season


Cameron DaSilva
September 10, 2021 5:00 am PT

Change is a part of the NFL and the Rams’ starting lineup experienced a lot of that this offseason. Whether because of free-agent losses, offseason acquisitions or injuries this summer, the Rams will have a lot of new faces atop the depth chart this week against the Bears who weren’t starters in Week 1 last year.

Here are 12 players who are projected to start on Sunday night that did not start in Week 1 against the Cowboys last season.

1
QB Matthew Stafford

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There’s no bigger change on the Rams’ roster than the one at quarterback. Stafford takes over for Jared Goff, who was the starter for the last four-plus years in Los Angeles. Stafford comes in with high expectations now that he has an offensive-minded coach in Sean McVay, looking like an MVP candidate in this offense.

The Rams hope this switch at quarterback leads to season-long and playoff success under Stafford, who enters his 13th NFL season and first with the Rams. All eyes will be on No. 9 this year as he attempts to win his first playoff game and potentially go on a deep run in the postseason.


2
RB Darrell Henderson Jr.

(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Cam Akers got the start as a rookie in Week 1 last season, rushing for 39 yards on 14 carries against Dallas. He would’ve been the opening day starter again this season if not for a torn Achilles suffered before camp, which opens the door for Henderson to handle the RB1 spot.

Henderson started 11 games last season and got plenty of work while Akers was out, so he’s not new to the offense. Just new as a Week 1 starter.


3
WR Van Jefferson/DeSean Jackson

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We don’t have an exact idea of who will be the No. 3 receiver this season, but regardless, it’ll be a new face replacing Josh Reynolds. Jefferson is likely to get more playing time than Jackson, who the Rams are going to be smart with workload-wise, but they’ll both get opportunities to contribute on offense.

Hopefully the combination of these two creates more big plays than Reynolds did last season because the Rams could use some added explosiveness on offense.

4
C Brian Allen

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Austin Blythe elected to sign with the Chiefs in free agency after the Rams let him walk, which now leads to a change at center. Blythe started in Week 1 last season, but he’ll be replaced by 2019 starter Brian Allen.

Allen will face a tough test immediately with the Bears’ defensive line coming to town, so we’ll learn quickly how much he has improved as a blocker – if at all.

5
LG David Edwards

(AP Photo/Brett Carlsen)

Edwards started most of the year in 2020 but if you’ll remember, it was Joseph Noteboom starting at left guard in the opener. Once Noteboom got hurt early in the season, Edwards stepped in and never lost the job.

He’ll remain the Week 1 starter next to Andrew Whitworth, while Noteboom will be on the bench as the swing tackle.


6
DE A’Shawn Robinson

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

In addition to trading Goff to the Lions, the Rams also shipped Michael Brockers to Detroit in a separate deal. It’s the first time Aaron Donald and Brockers won’t be on the same team in the NFL, breaking up what was a fantastic pairing since 2014.

Robinson steps in as the starting defensive end after being a free-agent signee last year. He’s slimmed down and improved his agility, which makes him a nice fit at 5-technique next to Sebastian Joseph-Day. Robinson began last season on the non-football injury list and missed eight games.


7
OLB Justin Hollins

(AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)

Samson Ebukam was one of several departures on defense this offseason and although he didn’t play a ton of snaps opposite Leonard Floyd, he did still get the start in Week 1.

Now, Hollins is expected to be the starter at right outside linebacker. He’ll be in a rotation with Terrell Lewis and Chris Garrett, so it’ll be interesting to see how much each guy plays out of the gate.

8
ILB Kenny Young

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Young was the No. 2 linebacker last season and made six starts, but his role will grow this year. He’ll be the primary inside linebacker in place of Micah Kiser, with Troy Reeder also getting plenty of reps when the Rams are in their base defense.

Young impressed the coaching staff in training camp and appears to be much improved from last season, which is huge for a Rams defense that struggled at linebacker in 2020.

9
CB David Long Jr.

(AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

Out is Troy Hill and taking his place is Long, a former third-round pick from 2019. He has some experience with 24 games played in two years, but this will be his biggest opportunity yet.

Long will be the nickel back so probably he won’t be on the field when the Rams are in their base 3-4 front, but that’s not terribly often. He’ll cover the slot and play outside when Raheem Morris moves his guys around. Long is a critical player in the secondary this year.

10
S Taylor Rapp/Terrell Burgess

(AP Photo/Kelvin Kuo)

Rapp is expected to be the starter next to Jordan Fuller but Burgess will also play a bunch of snaps at safety and possibly in a nickel role covering the slot. The player they’re replacing, of course, is John Johnson.

Fuller takes over as the play caller but Rapp and Burgess will be important players next to him no matter what defensive package they’re in. Burgess’ versatility should be on display in Week 1 and throughout the season.

11
K Matt Gay

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Sam Sloman was the Week 1 kicker for the Rams. Then Kai Forbath got a shot. Then finally, they landed on Gay, who was their steadiest and most reliable kicker.

He’s entrenched as the starter this season with no other kicker on the roster or practice squad, so his leash should be a little bit longer than Sloman’s was last year.

12
LS Matthew Orzech

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It’s not a huge change but Orzech is taking over as the long snapper after Jake McQuaide opted to reunite with John Fassel and Greg Zuerlein in Dallas by signing with the Cowboys. McQuaide was the Rams’ long snapper for the last 10 years, made two Pro Bowls and never missed a game, so he was a steady presence for a decade.