Time is ticking for players to prove themselves one last time before roster cuts next week, with only the preseason finale remaining on Saturday night. The Rams will visit the Broncos at Mile High Stadium this weekend after practicing twice with Sean Payton’s squad, giving bubble players and fringe starters another opportunity to showcase their talent.
This may not be a big game for the Rams as a team, but for several players there’s a lot riding on this performance in Denver.
Here are eight players who could use a strong showing in this final preseason game.
1
OLB Nick Hampton
Hampton hasn’t made much noise this preseason, much like the rest of the Rams’ other edge rushers. But now would be a great time for him to put together a strong performance against Denver. The Rams need someone to step up behind Michael Hoecht and Byron Young, and they’d love if it were the rookie Hampton. He has just one pressure and no QB hits in 31 pass-rush snaps this preseason.
2
DT Desjuan Johnson
Johnson is fighting for a roster spot as Mr. Irrelevant and as of now, it looks like he’s on the wrong side of the roster bubble. The defensive line is pretty open, with only Aaron Donald seemingly locked in as a starter, so Johnson has a chance to at least be a backup, but his quiet preseason isn’t helping his case.
3
WR Tyler Johnson
Johnson is competing with Demarcus Robinson and Lance McCutcheon for one of the final roster spots at wide receiver and while he’s been the Rams’ most productive player thus far, he hasn’t yet solidified a place on the roster. He’ll need to continue developing chemistry with Stetson Bennett on offense Saturday night to improve his chances of making the team over Robinson and other wideouts competing for snaps.
4
WR Lance McCutcheon
If there was ever a time for McCutcheon to turn in a preseason performance like the one he had last year, it’s now. He’s been invisible this preseason and it’s likely going to cost him a roster spot unless he dominates on Saturday night. The Rams could use his size and catch radius at wide receiver, but they’re likely to stash him on the practice squad instead and let him develop for another year, knowing Robinson and Johnson are more prepared to contribute now.
5
DE Marquise Copeland
Copeland is battling Earnest Brown IV for the starting spot at defensive line and while he’s not in danger of being cut, he could use a strong game on Saturday. He has just one pressure in two games and has a run defense grade of 46.6, according to PFF. The Rams are hoping he can help replace A’Shawn Robinson opposite Aaron Donald but at the moment, they’re seriously lacking proven talent up front.
6
OLB Daniel Hardy
Hardy has rushed the quarterback 24 times this preseason but he only has one single pressure, which he turned into a sack. He was expected to be the Rams’ third edge rusher behind Hoecht and Young but he hasn’t looked like a fringe starter this summer. Hardy has some potential at outside linebacker but he has yet to show it very often in the preseason.
7
CB Shaun Jolly
Jolly has gotten reps with the second-team defense as the nickel corner behind Cobie Durant, and he’s even played some snaps with the starters in practice depending on the rotation in the slot. He didn’t play particularly well in his preseason debut last week, allowing two catches on two targets, but he still has a good chance to make the team as the sixth cornerback. He just has to earn it over the likes of Jordan Jones and Timarcus Davis.
8
RB Zach Evans
Evans is slotted behind Ronnie Rivers as the fourth running back on the depth chart, which means he’s competing with Royce Freeman. It’s highly unlikely that the Rams will keep all five running backs and while I doubt they cut the rookie Evans, he needs to show a bit more in this preseason finale to secure his roster spot. The talent is there but adjusting to the speed of the NFL is something he has to do.
