Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams wrapped up the preseason on Saturday with a 19-17 loss to the Cleveland Browns. When Joe Thomas mentioned that undrafted free agent Adin Huntington had “whispers of Aaron Donald”, I knew it was time for the preseason to be over. While the Browns played their starters for the first quarter, the Rams played many that won’t make the roster come cutdowns. Here are five takeaways from the Rams’ preseason finale.
It’s pretty clear at this point that the Rams coaching staff likes what they’ve seen from undrafted free agent Shaun Dolac at linebacker. Dolac dressed, but didn’t play, which should be a good sign for Dolac to make the roster. It’s possible that the Rams were trying to hide Dolac to get him onto the practice squad. However, Dolac has been taking practice snaps with the ‘ones’ during practice. It makes sense to keep Dolac for depth, even if he is a special teams contributor as a rookie.
The Rams may not have invested much at the linebacker position this offseason, but they potentially found some gems. Nate Landman has impressed this summer as a cheap free agent signing. That’s not to mention Chris Paul Jr., who was drafted in the fifth round. Paul was playing late in the fourth quarter, but that was likely to get the rookie experience. Additionally, Dolac may have been one of the better undrafted free agent signings after the draft.
The Rams got their first look at Terrance Ferguson as the rookie tight end made his debut against the Browns. It was odd to play Ferguson on Saturday given that the Rams didn’t play Stetson Bennett. Instead, it was Dresser Winn throwing the ball for the offense. However, Ferguson has spent much of training camp injured and it’s clear the Rams wanted to get Ferguson some live-game reps.
Ferguson finished with two receptions for 48 yards, including a 33-yard grab on a slot fade. With both Adams and Ferguson in the offense, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Rams utilize the slot fade heavily this season. It wasn’t a lot, but it was good to see the Rams rookie get involved.
If there is an undrafted free agent that the Rams may worry about losing during roster cuts, it may be Brennan Presley. Presley has had a fantastic preseason, but the Rams simply don’t have the space to keep him on the 53-man roster. On Saturday, the undrafted free agent wide receiver finished with three receptions for 51 yards. The Rams also utilized him on multiple jet sweeps and Presley showed off his quickness. He ended with three carries for 23 yards.
The Rams have developed this type of wide receiver in the past. Brandon Powell was an example a few years ago and Xavier Smith is in the current mold. With Tutu...
