6 surprise omissions from LA Rams first depth chart

Summary

How else can you explain the decision to have four veterans, all with expiring contracts, compete with a rookie for a starting spot? Jones is new to the NFL, to the team, to the coaches, and to the players. But placing him fifth in a field of seven places the team at risk in a year.  The Rams cannot afford to retain six offensive linemen and four inside linebackers while simultaneously trying to re-sign Darious Williams, Sebastian Joseph Day, Matt Gay, and other veterans with expiring contracts.

Funds are limited. The Rams need to be a bit smarter.

Things can change. Things must change between now and the final roster cuts. The team added a bevy of rookies to bolster coverage and return units on special teams. Right now, if the decision were made according to the historic number of slots retained at each position, no rookie or UDFA player would make this Rams roster.

There are three preseason games remaining. But by the LA Rams head coach Sean McVay, the preseason games are meant for guys on the bubble, to force the team to reconsider cutting them in favor of another player. It’s a competition meant for players who want to make the team because the decision over who starts for the team has already been decided.

Suddenly, the gun has sounded, albeit silently, and the race is on for each and every player who heard his name called in the 2021 NFL Draft or added to the roster shortly thereafter to be fighting now for what appears to be a spot on either the roster or the practice squad. If you wondered what the impact would be on the Rams going forward might be over losing so many positional coaches this year may lead to? This is our first indication.

A team that had constructed a competitive team out of developing younger talented players who had less experience but less cost seems to have changed their approach. This year’s team may be far less patient to work with younger players to restock the roster. Risky? You bet. The Rams don’t have the available funds to upgrade the roster with more experience. And they apparently haven’t prioritized the abundant athleticism that the team was so key to draft this year.