12 players you may have forgotten still play for the LA Rams

(2) - S Jaylen McCollough

The chances for undrafted safety Jaylen McCollough to make the team in 2024 were not good. He was a safety who joined a Rams roster that already boasted veteran safeties Kamren Curl, Quentin Lake, John Johnson III, Russ Yeast, and drafted rookie safety Kamren Kinchens. But the 6-foot-0 202-pound rookie safety was not to be denied. He had a good training camp. He had an outstanding preseason.

McCollough played in 17 games, started one game, and suited up for 335 defensive snaps. With a limited role, he recorded 43 tackles, broke up four passes, and snagged four interceptions. One of the passes that he picked off ended up as a pick-six. He tied for the team lead with four interceptions with fellow rookie safety Kamren Kinchens.

He was a true surprise in 2024, a player who leveraged a limited role into a huge impact. Will he earn a larger role in 2025? Perhaps, but I hesitate projecting him ahead of either Kamren Curl or Kamren Kinchens. Ultimately, I can see him earning a significant rotational role in this defense. But don't hold me to it. I never saw him leading the team in interceptions in 2024. To be honest, I'm not sure anyone did.

(1) - CB Emmanuel Forbes

When the Rams claimed former Washington Commanders Round 1 selected CB Emmanuel Forbes off waivers, fans were excited about the addition. But like any player who is released, there is a component of unmet expectations behind the release. The hope is that by lowering expectations and adding new coaching techniques, Forbes will realize his NFL coverage potential.

I think that we can all agree that Forbes showing up as a solid pass coverage cornerback would be a huge boon for this secondary. But at 6-foot-0 and 180 pounds, the physicality needed to play cornerback in the NFL may be a high bar for Forbes to get over. In two seasons, Forbes has played in 22 games and started 8 games. He has been somewhat productive in getting 50 tackles, two tackles for a loss, 13 pass deflections, and even two interceptions. in two games, one start, and 52 defensive snaps for the Rams, Forbes managed to put up five tackles, missed 28.6 percent of his tackles, and allowed three of five passes to find their mark.

Of course, expectations have to be tampered with a player who was signed in December 2024.

Will participating in Rams training camp this season help him adapt to a more significant role in 2025? It won't hurt, as the Rams are bringing back all cornerbacks from last season, and the bar is not set overwhelmingly high this season.

If the team can set the clock for Emmanuel Forbes back to 2023, Forbes could be a long-term contributor in this defense. I'd love to see Forbes muscle up to about 200 pounds for this season, and have an excellent training camp. It may not happen, but it would certainly be a prerequisite to competing for a starting role in 2025.

As always, thanks for reading.

Here are more recent Rams articles that you may enjoy