LA Rams LB competition heating up at training camp after all

The other guys

Right now the active 53-man roster will likely include all four players we discussed above. While that will be the expected number, there are 16 practice squad spots up for grabs. How do the Rams look at the linebacker position for that squad? Well, the Rams carried one linebacker on the  10-man practice squad roster.

Rookie linebacker Clay Johnston was drafted by the LA Rams in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-1 227-pound inside linebacker from the University of Baylor was a defensive leader for the Baylor Bears.  When he gets his bearings and is on the field, he can deliver everything the Rams need in an inside linebacker. But getting him to that point may take time.  He is getting a lot of camera time during HBO Hard Knocks: LA so far.

One thing that jumps off the screen is that Johnston plays at very high energy. And he knows how to play the position.

Undrafted players fighting to be noticed

Undrafted rookie Christian Rozeboom is a very intriguing player. He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs in at 230-pounds. He is another solid player from a smaller football program at South Dakota State University, and his production during his college years was very impressive, where he racked up 475 tackles, eight interceptions, six sacks, and 16 passes defended. While we did find a report indicating that Rozeboom got reps with the 1’s and 2’s, there was no follow up to indicate how he did. His background is solid, and hopefully, the team gives him enough opportunities to give him a fair shake.

Undrafted rookie Bryan London II is another very intriguing player. He stands 6-foot-2 and weighs in at 232-pounds.  He hails out of the Texas State University football program and was another incredibly productive college player. He accounted for 460 tackles, one sack, 12 passes defended, and one interception. So far, any information about Bryan London in the Rams training camp is few and far between. That’s not to say that he isn’t making plays and getting noticed.

it’s simply a fact that the Rams practices have limited windows into the daily sessions, and recaps can only report on so much. Most of the reporting out of camp will feature receivers and defensive backs, as they are more noticeable plays. Today will feature the scrimmage at SoFi Stadium. Hopefully, we’ll have more to say about that later today.