5 must-have keys to find at LA Rams final scrimmage
By Bret Stuter
5 must-have keys to find in the last LA Rams scrimmage at SoFi Stadium as training camp draws to a close
The LA Rams will take to the field one move time for their second scrimmage tomorrow, August 29, 2020. While the logistics are a simulation, at best, of what the Rams might experience in a preseason game, the exercise is vital for the team. This is the closest event to a real game simulation that the players will experience. And for those rookies who do not make the final roster cuts scheduled for September 5, 2020, this will be the closest they get to an NFL game this year.
The Rams will suit up and play once more in an empty SoFi Stadium. That, unfortunately, will resemble the stadium on opening night, when there will be no fans in the stands. While that may not be the case all season, it certainly does disappoint from the perspective of how impressive the stadium is for football.
The last scrimmage already? Wow, time is flying by.
Roster reductions
In one week, on Saturday, September 5, 2020, all NFL teams must reduce their rosters to 53 players no later than 1:00 pm PT. The Rams current roster is at 80 players, so that equates to 27 pink slips. Of course, the practice squad roster this year is set to 16 players, and four of those slots are protected. That means, unlike normal practice squad players, no team can sign those four to a contract to play for them.
There is a lot of work to do until the Rams are ready to make those roster decisions. And Saturday’s scrimmage will likely carry a lot of weight in who the Rams decide to keep for 2020. For all that we know about the upper 30 or so players destined to make this roster, the team must still determine the outcome of bubble players. The roster must not simply be built upon the most talented players, but some determination must be spent on which positions need to develop 2021 players. The Rams will need to decide how they proceed with NT A’Shawn Robinson and RB Darrell Henderson, neither player currently scheduled to scrimmage.