5 positions the LA Rams will ultimately address via 2020 UDFA

The LA Rams appear to be content with the current roster as is heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. Here are 5 positions the Rams will ultimately address via 2020 UFDAs

The LA Rams need help at many places right now. Too many for a six-pick NFL Draft.  That’s concerning a lot of fans right now, particularly those who have followed the exit of each contributor.  Some fans simply watch the headlines, shake their head when a familiar Rams player signs elsewhere, and go about their lives.

But there are those who have tracked the Rams decisions to walk away from role players like CB Nickell Robey-Coleman, S Marqui Christian, and DE Morgan Fox. These fans notice something far more subtle, and perhaps far more concerning, about this Rams team. The pipeline for future stars, those players were were “paying their dues” to earn playing time, are suddenly no longer in the queue for the Rams.

Meanwhile, as the LA Rams try to find the money to sign players to reload the roster, the roster is not filling up. Other team rosters are adding players now, players in the second more-reasonably-priced wave of free agents. But the Rams need to account for re-signing Austin Blythe and adding A’Shawn Robinson and Leonard Floyd.  The Rams have no kicker, are far too shallow at many positions, and the team hasn’t shown any interest in taking the necessary steps to help free up salary cap space.  Stalemate.

The emergency parachute to all of this is the period of time immediately following the NFL Draft. The candy-scramble of NFL teams to sign NFL-caliber talent in the free-for-all which has become the trademark of the undrafted free agency period. Recently, the Rams have tapped that UDFA pool of talent very effectively. They’ll need to do even better in 2020.

Position 5 – Special team players

The Rams will not come close to filling the 90 man roster with six picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. The hugest impact upon the team right now with the “as is” roster is the fact that the team has lost so many contributors to special teams.

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The path of most players in their NFL careers after selection by an NFL team is contributing to the team’s special teams. Kickoff and punt coverages, kickoff and punt returns, and field goal units are all prime landing spots for those players who have not yet earned playing time at their positions but have speed, strength, agility, and athleticism.  Oftentimes, it’s critical for the development of those younger players to get the “feel of the game” as they observe from the bench while the offense or defense takes the field.

Right now, the Rams special teams need players. Lots and lots of players. As the team is initially loading up a 90-man roster, not a 55-man roster, the Rams need to add more than a dozen players who can contribute to special teams this year.

The 2020 NFL Draft has plenty of talent. With restrictions on visiting and interviewing prospects, many NFL teams will be handicapped this year.  The Rams have been actively scouting and recruiting smaller schools and lesser-known players out of the necessity of choosing at 52 for their first pick. Look for the Rams to shop heavily for linebackers, tight ends, fast skill players, and of course, players for the trenches in the undrafted free agent market.

Position 4 – Kicker

Right now, hopes are fading rapidly for the LA Rams to find enough money remaining to sign kicker Greg Zuerlein. But the coaches may be on the fence on this one.  After all, Zuerlein’s best year happened in 2017, when he was deadly accurate at 95 percent.  Since that career-high, he’s declined for the past two consecutive years, to an unimpressive 2019 72.0 percent accuracy.

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On FantasyFootballers.com, Zuerlein ranked 30th in the NFL for accuracy in 2019. That was in his contract year and played a role in the Rams just missing the 2019 NFL Playoffs. So with new special teams coordinator John Bonamego on board, the Rams may be as willing to move on as the arrival of new running back coach Thomas Brown signaled the Rams willing to release running back Todd Gurley.

The new kicker is not drafted very often in the NFL.  More often, the team signs two kickers as undrafted free agents, and then allow training camp competition to determine who stays on the team’s roster. There are a number of kickers who will likely fall out of the NFL Draft.

The Rams could hope that Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship falls out of the draft. His longest kick was 55 yards, but he was also 82 percent accurate in 2019. Georgia Southern kicker Tyler Bass was 91 percent accurate in 2018, but only 71.5 percent accurate in 2019. Finally, Stanford kicker Jet Toner is from the LA Rams backyard. He was only 75 percent accurate in 2019. His accuracy was 93 percent in 2018. He was never asked to kick exceptionally long field goals, so he would need to prove his distance for the Rams in training camp.

Position 3- Defensive depth

At first, I was tempted to call out the lack of defensive starters on the roster today. In theory, the Rams will need rotational players at virtually all positions on defense.  The more I ponder the LA Rams’ current situation, the more persuaded I am to believe the 2020 NFL Draft will be all about defense.  Starters on defense, to be precise.

The Rams have some significant holes in the defense. While the exit of OLB Clay Matthews and DE Michael Brockers has been addressed with the addition of OLB Leonard Floyd and DL A’Shawn Robinson, the team has no clear pass rusher off the edge, nor interior linebackers who are obvious replacements for either inside linebacker Cory Littleton or inside linebacker Bryce Hager.  As a matter of fact, our latest mock draft 4.0 finds some huge “gets” for the LA Rams in 2020, landing arguably four starters, and two players who could start next season.

But if the draft does not find depth for the team, then where will the team find the developmental players to fill in for injured players in 2020? The Rams are very shallow on the defensive line, linebackers, and defensive backfield without support from this year’s draft class.

There are standouts on many draft boards ranked prospects outside of the 255 draft pick which I view as day three prospects. Which means the opposite is true, and that many players I see as outside of my top 255 are likely are their day three prospects.  While the buzz continues about the 2020 NFL Draft class for quarterbacks, wide receiver and running backs continue, the Rams will salivate over some of the defenders who fall out of the draft class.

Position 2 – Offensive depth

With the Rams seemingly cash-strapped, the Rams may be shopping for backups at quarterback, running back, tight end, and yes, even wide receiver. In fact, toss in offensive linemen for good measure and you’ve got the shopping list for the undrafted free agents for the team in 2020.

Oregon State quarterback Jake Luton stands 6-foot-7 and is projected by many to fall out of the draft. So too is 5-foot-11 Washington speedster running back Salvon Ahmed.  Michigan OT Jon Runyan is projected to low-priority UDFA. Oregon State tight end Noah Togiai is a projected UDFA, as is Missouri’s interior offensive lineman Yasir Durant.

Each of these players, and many more like them, could fill a need for depth all across the Rams offense.  That is not to say that these players will start ever. But they could into the future if given time, coaching, and opportunity. And for 2020, they fill holes on special teams, on the practice field, and even the team’s 2020 practice squad.

The Rams are too shallow for training camp and preseason right now. And there is not a lot of money to sign many players from free agency unless the team takes additional steps. Unfortunately, the entire business of meeting players is off the table for now. So the NFL will be handicapped.

Position 1- Fullback

The LA Rams want to move in the direction of fullback for this offense. But with so many defections on defense, and with a need to back up left tackle Andrew Whitworth, the LA Rams are left with no other alternatives than to consider a fullback or two via the ranks of undrafted free agents. A fullback will give the Rams far more options on offense and will give Darrell Henderson a bodyguard as he attempts to take over for Gurley.

That should not be impossible, as there are many options at the fullback position. Unfortunately, the Rams will not be the only team shopping for big backs.  Other NFL teams will likely weigh into the same market.  The Rams have navigated such hurdles before at other positions in previous years, so the team has an excellent chance of finding an impact player this year as well.

Nevada’s Kellen Moore will likely not appear on many NFL teams’ lists, but the 5-foot-11 240-pound running back/fullback would be a solid choice as a UDFA.  Boston College A.J. Dillon has been projected as a running back and may not fall out of the draft for the Rams. But at a reported 6-foot-0 and 247 pounds, he would be worth a look if he does fall.  Another solid prospect is 6-foot-2 255-pounder Kelvin Smith, out of North Texas. He is worth a roll of the dice not only as a fullback but as a special teams contributor.