Lance McCutcheon was the story of the preseason for the Los Angeles Rams, breaking out in a big way by leading the league in receiving yards over the course of the three games. He built a strong connection with Bryce Perkins, who like McCutcheon, also made the 53-man roster.
As exciting as it was to see McCutcheon’s name on the list of players who made the team, fans should temper their expectations for him as a rookie. After all, he is the seventh receiver on the depth chart.
Rams GM Les Snead told reporters that while Jake Hummel and Keir Thomas could be active on game days, McCutcheon probably won’t be this season – and it could be more of a redshirt year for him.
“Jake’s someone who’s gonna be on our 48-man roster,” Snead said. “Lance is someone who probably will not be on the 48-man roster, but definitely made our 53. Keir is a player who has a chance to be active on game day. All three of those players carved out a role, whether it was Hummel on special teams, whether it was Keir as a fourth OLB, whether it was Lance as somewhat of a redshirt future prospect.”
The Rams have a ton of wide receiver depth, from Cooper Kupp down to McCutcheon. Kupp, Allen Robinson and Van Jefferson will get the bulk of the targets and opportunities when healthy, while Ben Skowronek and Tutu Atwell could get some reps as backups. There’s also Brandon Powell, who’s the primary return specialist.
The Rams couldn’t risk cutting McCutcheon and losing him on the waiver wire, especially after the attention he garnered with his standout preseason. They’d rather keep him on the team for a year and make him inactive on game days and save him for the future.
