Pre-draft meeting with TE Roger Carter: LA Rams got their guy

The LA Rams were not exactly publishing their pre-draft meetings this year. Unlike prior seasons with two dozen such meetings leaked, the 2022 pre-draft meetings that were publicly leaked numbered just nine. Either the LA Rams were holding the lid tight on leaking their meetings, or the LA Rams were holding the lid tighter on their meetings.

But there was one player who was intriguing enough for the LA Rams to meet with, one with whom the word did get out. He was a very intriguing small school prospect, not just from his college football program, but from the way he was used in that offense.  The LA Rams signed 17 undrafted rookies, then waived five, and finally re-signed four. One player who was involved in the Rams roster gyration was that player who they had met with before the draft. His name is Roger Carter, and here is a bit more about him.

So let’s get to the basic pro-day stuff first. He ran his pro day on March 24, 2022, and the results were published by his representation: TRI Sport Agency.

Now, what makes this guy so intriguing? Well, the fact is that he is emerging from college as a versatile offensive weapon who was positioned practically anywhere in the offensive formation was a nice start. Carter had been so effective for Georgia State, that his position coach TE Coach Josh Stepp, has been promoted to offensive coordinator.

You can thank Roger Carter for that. Not only has Carter been a highly efficient pas catcher, but his role as blocker had helped the Georgia St. offense to rush 226.4 yards per game, the second-best per game running total in school history.

While he will have some work to climb the depth chart for the LA Rams offense, his ability to perform anywhere in an offensive formation is a huge advantage over his teammates. And he is perfectly sized to be a big back or a small tight end who can block.

Do the LA Rams need to develop more offensive tricks for the 2022 NFL season? Of course. With so many teams adopting Rams’ strategies, the Rams will need to continue to innovate for this year. While Carter, whose initial NFL training camp will be a huge undertaking to learn the LA Rams offense as is, he has the potential to fit a nice niche role for the offense. And he could amplify his rookie value to the team by performing a special team role as well.

Roger Carter met with the LA Rams before the NFL Draft. He has been signed, released, and then re-signed. What we don’t know is just how much of that college uniqueness will translate into the NFL.

But if any team can convert college versatility into an NFL weapon, I’m confident that the LA Rams can. This may not happen overnight, or even in time for the opening kickoff of the 2022 NFL season. But Roger Carter is not just another camp body. He brings a wealth of unique talents that align perfectly with what the LA Rams want in their offense.

Now, it’s just a matter of patience while the Rams coaching staff unlocks all that potential.