Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams announced their 53-man roster on Tuesday and their 16-man practice squad on Wednesday. There was some controversy given that the Rams cut their fifth-round pick in linebacker Chris Paul Jr. With that said, it was a strong reminder of what the team values on this version of the Rams roster. Let’s jump into my 10 takeaways.
There has been some uncertainty when it comes to the Week 1 availability of Alaric Jackson. While head coach Sean McVay has remained positive, he also hasn’t put any sort of timeline on Jackson. With that said, Jackson landed on the 53-man roster rather than starting the year in injured reserve. Even if Jackson doesn’t play Week 1, it would be a strong guess that he would be available within the first four weeks.
At the very least, Jackson landing on the 53-man roster is a positive thing for the Rams as they prepare for their Week 1 matchup against the Houston Texans. We’ll see how well Jackson plays when he returns to action, but for the first time this offseason, the Rams seem to have some answers at the left tackle position.
All offseason, the Rams have approached the roster with the mindset of valuing experience and raising the floor at certain positions. That was the case at center when the Rams brought back Coleman Shelton. Shelton may not have the same ceiling as Limmer, but the floor is much higher.
The Rams also valued experience at tackle with their depth. Instead of keeping KT Leveston, the Rams traded him to the Cleveland Browns for a 2028 late-round pick. As tackle depth, especially on the left side, the Rams kept DJ Humphries and David Quessenberry. This is also a reason why the Rams kept Troy Reeder at linebacker.
There has been a lot of discussion about the Rams letting go of what was effectively their fourth linebacker. While it’s disappointing that Chris Paul Jr. was released after having high expectations, it’s clear that it wasn’t a fit. The Rams didn’t even opt to bring him back on the practice squad. With that said, this was never a decision between Troy Reeder and Chris Paul Jr. This was more of Paul Jr. or Shaun Dolac. At the end of the day, it was Dolac that beat out the fifth round pick for a roster spot and will likely play a role on special teams.
That doesn’t make it less disappointing, but it’s the fact of the situation. While many would like to see Reeder gone, he is the most experienced player in the Rams defense. He’s not starting, but the Rams value that experienced depth. If needed in a pinch, Reeder brings that experience much more than another rookie. From the outside and with just a two preseason game sample, it can’t be definitively said that...
