Every NFL team set its 53-man roster on Tuesday, but just about every team’s roster will change at some point between now and the start of the regular season. With waiver claims, practice squad construction, trades and free-agent signings still happening, there are plenty of moves still to be made.
The Rams made their necessary cuts and moves to get down to 53 players, making some difficult decisions in the process. From surprising cuts like Jacob Harris and Chris Garrett to three undrafted rookies making the team, there were plenty of notable moves made.
Here’s a breakdown of what we learned from the Rams’ initial 53-man roster.
1
Rams are very thin at tight end
One thing that stands out when glancing at the roster is the lack of depth at tight end. They only kept two players at that position: Tyler Higbee and Brycen Hopkins. Higbee is a consistent and reliable tight end, but Hopkins has one career catch in the regular season and has barely played.
The decision to release Kendall Blanton looks even more surprising now that the Rams only kept two tight ends, but I’m sure they have a plan – whether it’s keeping Roger Carter and/or Jared Pinkney on the practice squad, or adding a free agent/waived player.
2
Coaches love Bryce Perkins
Not all teams keep three quarterbacks. Certainly not all teams with an established veteran starter. But the Rams decided to roster three passers, including Perkins. It’s a sign of how highly the coaching staff and front office view him despite knowing he’ll probably never play in a regular-season game this year.
He can’t be too far behind John Wolford as a backup quarterback, and his athleticism makes him a valuable scout team player when the Rams face the likes of Trey Lance, Kyler Murray and Josh Allen. It’s clear the Rams believed he would’ve been claimed off waivers had they cut him.
3
Only one (healthy) drafted rookie gets cut
A.J. Arcuri was a seventh-round pick out of Michigan State, and he was never viewed as a lock to make the team – not at a position that already had so much depth. Ultimately, the Rams waived Arcuri, opting instead to keep Bobby Evans, Tremayne Anchrum Jr. and A.J. Jackson as their backup offensive linemen.
That could have to do with the position flexibility that Evans and Anchrum have shown. Acruri is almost exclusively an offensive tackle, whereas Evans and Anchrum have experience at both tackle and guard.
Logan Bruss is another 2022 draftee who didn’t make the team, but only because he landed on IR.
4
Three undrafted rookies make it
Even as talented and deep as the Rams’ roster has been all offseason, three undrafted rookies still managed to make the team. Lance McCutcheon, Jake Hummel and Keir Thomas all landed on the 53-man roster, a testament to the job done by the Rams’ scouting department to find those players after the draft concluded.
Thomas could contribute early as the No. 3 OLB, while McCutcheon and Hummel will get a chance to work on special teams initially. McCutcheon probably has the highest ceiling of the three and could become a starter down the road.
5
Versatility is key on O-line
The Rams only kept eight offensive linemen, which isn’t a huge number considering five will be starting. The aforementioned backups (Evans, Jackson and Anchrum) all have position versatility, which undoubtedly helped their case for making the team.
Evans can play guard or tackle, as can Anchrum. Jackson is mostly seen as a tackle, but the Rams moved him around in the preseason, too, giving him a chance to show his ability at guard. When you have linemen who can play four different positions, it makes keeping fewer players possible.
6
Question marks at outside linebacker
The Rams rostered five outside linebackers, but only four are healthy; Daniel Hardy is going to be placed on injured reserve and miss at least four games. Leonard Floyd will be one starter, and either Terrell Lewis or Justin Hollins will be the other, leaving Keir Thomas as the fourth outside linebacker.
Lewis and Hollins have both been injured over the last two years, so if one of them were to go down, it would leave Thomas as a primary backup. The Rams need to add some help at this position, and they probably will once Hardy goes on IR. But there won’t be a Von Miller out there to save this pass-rushing unit.
7
No surprises at cornerback or safety
Cornerback and safety were two of the easiest positions to project, particularly the former. Six corners made it, and those six players were all expected to make the 53-man roster from the start of training camp. Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill and David Long Jr. will likely be the starters, with Robert Rochell, Derion Kendrick and Cobie Durant backing them up.
At safety, it’ll be Jordan Fuller, Taylor Rapp and Nick Scott getting the bulk of the snaps this season, but the Rams also have Terrell Burgess and rookie Russ Yeast backing them up. Quentin Lake’s knee injury made the decision at safety a little bit easier, but he could return from PUP after four games.
The secondary has a lot of young talent, which is a great sign moving forward.
8
Still many moves to come
By no means is this the way the roster will look in four weeks or even four days. This is only the start of things, with several moves still to come. Hardy will go on injured reserve, the Rams will sign someone to take his place and they’ll build out their 16-man practice squad. There are also waiver claims still to come and dozens of free agents available who could potentially be targets for the Rams.
A move still could come at tight end, too. So while the Rams’ 53-man roster is set, it’s still a very fluid situation.
