LA Rams roster solutions for 2022 open floodgates to more questions

LA Rams Roster abandoned any insurance depth

The LA Rams continue to carry players who might be poached by other teams, with no clear plan in place to involve those same players in their own plays. We have read reports about the likes of TE Brycen Hopkins (3rd season), WR Tutu Atwell (2nd season), TE/WR Jacob Harris (2nd season), and even DB Robert Rochell.

But the Rams shaved the depth at the offensive line to a thin eight players to begin the season, to four running backs, all of whom had to rehab from a significant injury within the past 12 months of the NFL season starting, and opted to just two tight ends.

I do not profess to know more than the LA Rams front office, but the experience this season suggests one of two things: Either the Rams adopt higher quality and costly versatile players who can provide a respectable showing in the case of suiting up and playing in an NFL contest, or the team ensures that the Rams roster has adequate numbers of less costly players to plug and play at one position.

Too thin, too much risk

The Rams accepted unacceptable vulnerabilities this season behind the likes of QB Matthew Stafford, WR Cooper Kupp, TE Tyler Higbee, OT Rob Havenstein, at the running back position, DL Aaron Donald, and at the OLB position. The roll-the-dice mindset is fine in the category of NFL trades, but the Rams simply not only have roster vulnerabilities up and down this team, but in many cases, the play-calling has become so rutted and regimented that there is no Plan B option.

The Rams cannot trot backup quarterback John Wolford onto the football field, ask him to throw 35+ passes, and hope to win the game. Even as the team has stressed positional versatility in the players added to the roster, the team has itself lost significant versatility, and must now have everything happen within a narrow range to succeed.

And so, how do the Rams work through all of this? In all honesty, I think the onus is upon the coaching staff. This team is not good enough to place players into roles based on loyalty, friendship, or even based on good-enough-for-government work. This team needs to strictly enforce a meritocracy, where players earn playing time. If someone struggles in a series, give the next guy a chance to compete in live action.

Of course, the Rams roster can be constructed however the team chooses. But going thin at multiple vital positions comes with a risk. Last season, the Rams beat the house. This season, the house is beating the Rams.

The Rams have lost three consecutive games. So this is more than trying to win now. This is about becoming good enough to have a chance at winning. That really should start right now.