Random Ramsdom: With emergence of Lance McCutcheon, who will be the odd man out?

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CliffJackson

In Saturday’s preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Rams found out they may have discovered a diamond in the rough. Undrafted rookie wide receiver Lance McCutcheon torched the Chargers defense, hauling in five grabs for 87 yards and two touchdowns, and he even had a two-point conversion grab on top of those numbers.

It became extremely clear that although the Rams felt like they had their receiving room set heading into 2022, that feeling has now morphed into an all out battle to make the roster for a couple of guys who may have thought they were a shoe in for a spot on the team. Right off the bat, the two receivers who I feel like may need to prove they deserve a spot over McCutcheon are 2nd year guys Jacob Harris and Ben Skowronek. The former suffered a torn ACL last season and was used strictly on special teams during the regular season, while the latter had to step into a starting role on a couple of occasions and played some solid football.

NFL: AUG 01 Los Angeles Rams Training Camp Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Imagesnone
There is a slim possibility that the Rams could end up keeping seven wide receivers on the roster, only having to part ways with one of the two guys I mentioned. However, that would come at the expense of another position, forcing the team to cut a player at a position that may need that extra depth. The tie breakers between McCutcheon, Harris, and Skowronek will come down to who has the most upside, which I believe McCutcheon does by a substantial margin, and who can contribute on special teams, which Skowronek proved he could do reliably last season.

If I had to guess, my picks to be the Rams wide receivers on the roster in week 1 against the Buffalo Bills would be Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Brandon Powell, Ben Skowronek, and Lance McCutcheon. That would leave Jacob Harris as the odd man out of this group, which would mark an unfortunate and unlucky stint with the Rams. The team would definitely try to stash him on the practice squad, but that is assuming he would clear waivers, which I think is highly unlikely given his physical traits. Another element to consider is Sean McVay’s adamance about re-signing OBJ, which would almost surely mark the end of the road for more than one receiver vying for a roster spot.