Training camp is about three weeks away for the Los Angeles Rams, which means the competition is about to heat up in Irvine. When they finally get on the field and put on the pads, we’ll get a good sense of which players are standing out for the right (and wrong) reasons.
Leading up to camp, there are a lot of players currently on the roster bubble. They’ll need to play well in practice and the preseason in order to make the 53-man roster in September.
We’ve highlighted one player at each position who’s on the roster bubble heading into training camp this summer.
Quarterback: Brett Rypien
It seems likely that the Rams will only keep two quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, so long as they feel comfortable enough with Stetson Bennett as the No. 2 option. That leaves Rypien and Dresser Winn on the outside looking in.
It’s assumed that Winn won’t make the team as an undrafted rookie but Rypien could still have a shot if Bennett struggles at all. Heading into camp, Rypien will be squarely on the roster bubble with a lot of work to do.
Running back: Sony Michel
The Rams signed Michel last month, and did so somewhat unexpectedly. He was ineffective last year with the Chargers (36 carries, 106 yards) and certainly won’t unseat Cam Akers as the starter this season – not if the Rams want to create explosive plays on the ground.
He’s also not better than Kyren Williams at this point, and Zach Evans has a better chance of making the team because he’s a rookie. If the Rams only keep three running backs, which is a real possibility, Michel could be without a spot on the team.
Wide receiver: Lance McCutcheon
The Rams have a lot to sort through at wide receiver, especially after signing Demarcus Robinson and Tyler Johnson as free agents. They could immediately be slotted ahead of McCutcheon on the depth chart, slightly behind Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell.
None of these players is guaranteed a roster spot in 2023 but McCutcheon, in particular, could struggle to carve out a role for himself. As a former undrafted rookie, the odds have already been against him and now he’s competing with two veterans who have contributed with other teams.
Tight end: Brycen Hopkins
Tyler Higbee will be the starter and if we’re basing the No. 2 spot on experience, Hopkins would be the obvious candidate. However, the Rams aren’t picking their TE2 based on that. Hunter Long should almost be assured a spot on the roster after being acquired in the Jalen Ramsey trade, and rookie Davis Allen was a fifth-round pick so he’s unlikely to be cut.
Hopkins could be the odd-man out if the Rams go with just three tight ends. He should make the team but he’s not a lock just yet, especially if Long and Allen stand out in L.A. While it would be easy to pick rookie Christian Sims here, we’ll go out on a little more of a limb and say Hopkins.
Offensive line: A.J. Arcuri
Arcuri was a seventh-round pick last year and managed to make the team but there’s even more competition along the offensive line now. Warren McClendon Jr. offers greater position flexibility than Arcuri, and both Joe Noteboom and Alaric Jackson will be healthy again in 2023.
Guard is deeper than tackle but Arcuri will need to earn his roster spot this year by proving he can play the left and right side at a starter level if he’s ever needed.
Defensive line: Earnest Brown IV
Brown was shockingly cut by the Rams as a fifth-round rookie in 2021, but he made his way back on the team through the practice squad and eventually the offseason roster this year. This is his best opportunity to contribute, given the Rams’ offseason departures in free agency, but Brown has a lot of work to do.
He’s not the biggest D-lineman and is almost exclusively a defensive end in the Rams’ scheme, so he has an uphill climb – especially following the selections of Kobie Turner and Desjuan Johnson.
Outside linebacker: Keir Thomas
Thomas is part of an edge rusher group that lacks experience and proven talent. That actually gives him a chance to contribute in 2023 but with three rookies joining the team via the draft, he has a few first-team pass rushers to beat out – including Ochaun Mathis and Nick Hampton.
Daniel Hardy could potentially be on the roster bubble this summer, too, but his odds seem better than Thomas’ to make the team.
Inside linebacker: Jake Hummel
Ernest Jones and Christian Rozeboom are likely to be the top two linebackers in the middle of the defense, with Hummel and a handful of other undrafted rookies also competing to be the No. 3 linebacker. Hummel will have to prove himself on special teams in order to make the team because that’s where he’ll get the most snaps, not on defense.
Cornerback: Shaun Jolly
The Ahkello Witherspoon signing may have complicated things for Robert Rochell, but I still think he’ll make the team. Jolly, on the other hand, is mostly a slot defense and will be competing with Cobie Durant and Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson at that spot.
Raheem Morris mentioned Jolly as someone who could assume the “star” role left by Jalen Ramsey but he’s by no means a lock to make the 53-man roster.
Safety: Richard LeCounte III
We can assume that Jordan Fuller, Quentin Lake and Russ Yeast will all make the team as the top three safeties. Jason Taylor II should also make the team as a rookie. Four safeties is plenty for the Rams this year, but they could keep as many as six.
LeCounte will need to hold off Quindell Johnson, Rashad Torrence II and other undrafted rookies if he’s going to make the team. That’s easier said than done, though.
