Sean McVay and Les Snead will have some difficult decisions to make before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, which is when the Rams must get their roster down to 53 players. While the roster isn’t as rich with talent as it has been in recent years, there are plenty of talented players who proved themselves deserving of a spot on the team this summer.
Unfortunately, not all of them can make the regular-season roster, which is what makes this process so tough.
On our latest 53-man roster projection, we felt the pain of having to cut some promising young players. Here are the seven toughest cuts from that prediction, including three players with the last name Johnson and three drafted rookies.
1
S Jason Taylor II
The Rams’ safety group is deep and full of young talent, and that includes seventh-rounder Jason Taylor II. He missed the final two preseason games with soft-tissue injuries and he didn’t necessarily flash in the one game he did play, which could put him on the wrong side of the roster bubble. If his current psoas injury is severe enough, he could be another player who starts the year on IR, but he would need to make the team first.
Taylor should be the fifth safety on the roster right now, meaning he’ll make the team if the Rams keep five safeties, but they could go with just four after signing John Johnson III.
2
WR Tyler Johnson
Johnson is squarely on the roster bubble heading into final cuts but assuming he’s behind Demarcus Robinson as the seventh receiver, the Rams may not have room for him on the roster. Johnson was the Rams’ most productive receiver this preseason but he doesn’t have the experience in this offense or the blocking ability that Ben Skowronek has, and his ceiling is lower than Robinson’s.
If Johnson misses the cut this week, it won’t be by very much.
3
DT Desjuan Johnson
Johnson made this cut even tougher when he put together an awesome performance against the Broncos in the preseason finale. He finished second on the team with five pressures this preseason, with four of those coming on Saturday night, and his overall defensive grade of 78.6 in the preseason was the best on the team, according to PFF. But he didn’t flash enough in the first two games and still needs time to develop as a seventh-round rookie. He’s a perfect practice squad candidate.
4
OT A.J. Arcuri
Arcuri was a seventh-round pick in 2022 and while he does have some upside, the Rams just have too much offensive line depth – especially after the addition of Kevin Dotson on Sunday. With Joe Noteboom, Warren McClendon, Alaric Jackson and even Logan Bruss all being able to play tackle, Arcuri could have a hard time making the team this year. A year on the practice squad while Los Angeles figures out its plan at left tackle wouldn’t be a bad thing for Arcuri because at 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, he has the frame of an NFL tackle.
5
S Quindell Johnson
Like Desjuan Johnson, Quindell Johnson also made a strong statement in the preseason finale by leading the team with eight tackles, recording one sack and breaking up a pass to prevent a touchdown. He had the seventh-best PFF grade of any Rams defender this preseason, with a team-high 87.4 tackling grade, too. He could also be a special teams contributor if he makes the 53-man roster, or if he lands on the practice squad, he’s someone the Rams could call up for safety depth.
6
OLB Ochaun Mathis
Mathis could still make the team and then be placed on injured reserve as he recovers from his knee injury, but I couldn’t keep him on the 53-man squad after he missed the entire preseason. As a sixth-round rookie with some upside and juice on the edge, he’ll be a tough player to cut, but the Rams need guys who can contribute now and Mathis simply hasn’t been available.
Don’t be surprised if the Rams keep him, put him on IR and then sign someone to take his place at outside linebacker in the interim.
7
S Tanner Ingle
Ingle didn’t get many snaps this preseason, only playing 29 total in three games, but he made the most of them. He had a sack and two tackles and seemed to be around the ball when he was on the field. Ingle also stood out in training camp with some solid play, which the coaching staff will put stock in, too. In addition to being a promising player on defense, Ingle could be a valuable special teams contributor, as well.
