Turf Show Times
Much like every team in the NFL, the Los Angeles Rams must get their roster down from 90 to 53 on Tuesday. Every year there tends to be a surprise cut or two and this season will be no different. Here are five potential Rams names to watch on cutdown day.
Many would be shocked, but not surprised if the Rams released Nick Hampton. He’s been hurt much of his first two seasons in the NFL and didn’t stand out one way or the other in the preseason. Hampton brings experience as someone who has been on the team the last two years. Outside of that, it’s hard to say what separates himself from the other edge players in the group. At the end of the day, the Rams will probably keep Hampton, but he’s someone that everyone will be watching on cutdown day.
Murchison was brought back in the offseason because of his experience and run-stopping ability. However, the Rams saw an unexpected jump from Ty Davis this offseason. The question then becomes, does keeping Murchison hold back what the Rams have in Davis? The Rams struggled to stop the run at times last year and Murchison was part of that. The Rams also drafted Ty Hamilton who is more of a run-stopping defensive tackle as well. It made sense for the Rams to bring back Murchison when they did, but keeping him readily available on the practice squad might make the most sense initially.
The Rams just drafted Brennan Jackson last season to be a potential Michael Hoecht replacement. Jackson played in seven games in 2024, but only 20 snaps on defense outside the Week 18 game against the Seahawks Jackson was drafted in the fifth round. It’s hard to say that the Rams made a bad pick, but something went wrong if a fifth-round pick is getting cut after just one season. Jackson could be kept as a fifth edge rusher, but they may be able to keep and develop him on the practice squad.
Chris Paul Jr. was considered a draft steal in the fifth round, but found himself playing late in the fourth quarter in the preseason finale against the Browns. That’s never a good sign. A case could be made that the Rams were simply trying to get Paul some experience after spending some of the offseason injured. With that said, while Terrance Ferguson played, he only played the first half. If the Rams cut Paul, many would be upset and there’s a chance that he would get claimed by another team. At the same time, the Rams seemed to find a gem in Shaun Dolac.
Mumpfield didn’t play at all in the third preseason game and likely has a spot on the roster. However, Brennan Presley had a great preseason and there will be a lot of...
