Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams practiced without Rob Havenstein for the second straight day on Thursday, but his name was not the surprise of the injury report: Tutu Atwell was limited with a hamstring injury, the type of issue that notoriously lingers for weeks and could cause the receiver to miss time if he’s not completely healed by Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Although Atwell’s $10 million season hasn’t been impactful in the stat sheet, his absence would cause some interesting decisions to have to be made by Sean McVay and would effect other offensive players on the team.
Atwell only had one catch for four yards over the first three games of the season but he caught an 88-yard touchdown against the Colts and then had two catches for 72 yards against the 49ers last Thursday. If Atwell were to miss the Ravens game, it would necessitate someone like Jordan Whittington or Xavier Smith to step up, if not Konata Mumpfield, although that seems less likely.
For the time being, it looks as though Havenstein could miss his second game in a row, but Tyler Higbee was upgraded from a DNP to a limited participation.
On defense, Omar Speights also missed his second straight practice, while Nate Landman was limited. If the Rams were. down two linebackers, it would mean serious work for the depth on that side of the ball. In any case, it seems undrafted rookie Shaun Dolac will be a key player against Baltimore.
Another key player could be guard Justin Dedich. Although Steve Avila is now fully healthy, Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur is talking as if the left guard spot is a competition moving forward, calling it “a good problem to have” when asked about his healthy return.
Should the Rams keep Avila on the bench? How big of a loss would Tutu Atwell be for the offense? Are you ready for the Dolac era?
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
