4 Rams in danger of losing their roster spots to other players after Week 7

With any young roster, the risk of players losing their spots on the team is always present. But with the LA Rams roster, the fact that the team is not meeting expectations while needing to create open slots to welcome back injured players who are ready to resume their football careers amplifies that fact. At 2-4, this team needs to show signs of improvement instantly.

And so, you can expect some changes to be made.

Professional football is built on the concept of competition. But competition between teams is only part of the matter. You see, the strength of the team, and the decisions over who earns a slot on the team's roster, is built upon the competition that begins in OTAs, through the preseason. It's those competitive drills, practices, and the coaches' assessments from those drills, that lends the bases to form so many concurrent and important decisions about so many players' careers.

Is it a perfect system? No, not at all. There is no feasible means to ensure that every player on a 90-man roster gets identical opportunities to showcase their talents. And yet, it's the flawed method that adds so much drama and uncertainty.

But the uncertainty does not come solely from the players. The coaches, the ultimate judges of competitive sports in terms of roster decisions, bring their own set of variables. Perhaps a new coach has a new philosophy or strategy that he wants to see represented in his players. Perhaps the team's entire coaching staff wants to emphasize new characteristics that may or may not have been needed in the past. Whatever the case, the team is often subject to changing players to fit the current needs of the roster.

So let's peer into the future of the LA Rams roster, and scry the potential future moves that may be triggered by player performance up to and including Week 7.

(4) - IOL Logan Bruss

Veteran IOL Logan Bruss was replaced by undrafted rookie IOL Justin Dedich in Week 7, and Dedich had a respectable debut. So well did Dedich play, that the question now becomes: How long will the team stand behind Logan Bruss? After all, while Bruss was the top rookie selected by the team in the 2022 NFL Draft, he was chosen by former OL Coach Kevin Carberry. That makes a difference because having stuck with Bruss for two seasons while he attempted to recover from a serious injury sustained in his rookie season, the parameters for the position have changed.

The team clearly is emphasizing size and power on the offensive line right now, and the team has also shown renewed emphasis and focus on the group in the past two seasons. In two years, the front office has added veterans Kevin Dotson and Jonah Jackson, while shoring up the depth by adding Steve Avila, Beaux Limmer, K.T. Leveston, Warren McClendon, Justin Dedich, and even signed a promising rookie from the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad by the name of Dylan McMahon.

The competition for roster slots has been so fierce, that the Rams lost a very promising young offensive lineman Zach Thomas, who was signed to the New England Patriots roster. Thomas had a superb preseason, and his release was a mild surprise. He seemed to outplay Logan Bruss, but the team stuck with Bruss in the hopes that this might be the year when he finally turned potential into production.

While the team has stayed with Bruss while he rehabbed and tried to return to his optimal football-playing form, he has fallen short in 30+ months. The Rams may not move on from him instantly, but he is certainly an option for release as the team scrambles to find roster slots for healthy players. And his on-field performance so far warranted a change.

Nobody is rooting against him. But right now, he is not on par with other NFL offensive lineman. Does he need more time? Perhaps. But time with this team appears to be running out.

(3) - Veteran WR Demarcus Robinson

He was the hero of 2023, arriving and giving this offense a boost that contributed to a phenomenal winning streak. But the receptions are much tougher to come for Demarcus Robinson in 2024, now that he is covered by the opposing defense's best defensive backs. And at a time when the team needs better production from all receivers, it's clear that Robinson is struggling.

In 2023, Robinson did not even see targets in the offense until Week 9. Surprisingly, he was one of the team's most effective scorers, putting up a touchdown in the first four consecutive games in December to aid the team to an impressive 7-1 late season rally and playoff run. But this season, as one of the primary receivers remaining for the team who is healthy, his production has nosedived.

So far in six games, Robinson has only hauled in 13 of 26 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. That is a bit disappointing, as he was able to haul in 66.7 percent of his passes last season. And his 39 targets in 2023 turned into 26 receptions, 371 yards, and four touchdowns. That level of production would certainly have made a difference this year, as the team has fallen short in three of the four losses by one score.

It's not as though Robinson is getting rotated out of games. He has played 352 offensive snaps so far, nearly matching the 396 offensive snaps that he enjoyed last year. But Robinson needs the umbrella of competing alongside more proficient receivers who draw coverages from the best defensive backs. In those scenarios, Robinson is more likely to flourish.

While I wouldn't part ways with Robinson on any Fantasy Football team rosters just yet, I would monitor his performance in Week 8 closely. The Rams anticipate Cooper Kupp's return to face the Minnesota Vikings. If Kupp does play, then Robinson may play much better as the second or third receiving option. But if not, the team could begin to look elsewhere.

(2) - Rookie RB Cody Schrader

He was claimed off waivers by the San Francisco 49ers, forcing the LA Rams to create room on the team's 53-man roster. But so far, rookie running back Cody Schraeder has been a frequent flyer on the team's inactive list for game day. And with the team sitting on four running backs, and struggling to find enough work for even two of them, Schrader's status is unlikely to change anytime soon.

And that begs the question, why did the Rams claim Schrader to begin with?

If the plan was some form of NFL espionage, then it certainly bore fruit. After all, the lone victory before the Week 6 BYE came at the expense of the San Francisco 49ers. And it was that win that is proving to be rather fortuitous, as the Rams are 2-4, and the NFC West Division is currently led by the Seattle Seahawks at 4-3. So the team, though struggling, remains within striking distance of winning the division.

But the Rams roster construction simply does not match what the team attempts to do on game day. And it's that out-of-alignment factor that has prompted me to question if GM Les Snead and HC Sean McVay are on the same page. No, I am not suggesting that there is some form of contentious relationship between the two amiable decision-makers in the Rams organization. I'm simply pointing out that the optimal strategy for the team is to load up on players to ensure adequate depth and rotational options for football games.

At times, this team has carried four running backs and played just one, while carrying just five healthy wide receivers, while routinely sending three onto the football field on any given offensive snap of the football. That seems like a waste of resources.

Cody Schrader fits what has become a very specific type of running back as the preference to make the Rams roster. He stands 5-foot-9 and weighs 214 pounds. As such, he is the biggest running back on the team's roster, outweighing teammate Blake Corum by four pounds. And yet, he has yet to see a single snap, whether on offense or on special teams.

Too many players will be returning to the roster in the weeks ahead. WIth the team's current distribution of snaps, there is little to no reason to keep Schrader on the active roster.

(1) - Veteran DB Tre'Davious White

I was as guilty as anyone in my optimistic assessment of the team signing former Buffalo Bills All-Pro DB Tre'Davious White. While White was coming off two consecutive and very serious injuries, his career had never had a season without at least one interception and allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete even 60 percent of passes thrown to his receiver.

Until this season, that is.

Making matters far worse is the fact that White allowed four touchdown receptions to his receiver in four games. Historically, he had never allowed more than four touchdowns for an entire season. In fact, in 66 games in his career prior to this season, out of 343 targets, he had only allowed nine touchdowns.

So yes, he's been struggling.

He has been struggling so much that since the team reactivated DB Darious Williams, White has been a healthy scratch. His name has appeared on the inactive list in both Week 5 and 7. And as it now stands, I don't think that will change anytime soon.

You see, undrafted rookie defensive back Jaylen McCollough out of Tennessee has been getting an increasing number of defensive snaps in this secondary. And by all rights, he is the player that the team hoped they got with Tre'Davious White. You see, out of 45 defensive snaps, this guy has already picked off three passes.

One of which was a pick-six.

What is insane about this is the fact that Jaylen McCollough is leading the Rams in interceptions comfortably. His three interceptions is two more than the next player in that category. And he has only played 45 defensive snaps all season.

While White and McCollough may not play identical positions on paper, the defense can work around that fact by starting Darious Williams and Cobie Durant on the corners, Kamren Curl and Quentin Lake at safety, and using Jaylen McCollough in the slot DB role. After all, McCollough has only allowed 50 percent of passes targeting his receiver to find their mark.

As of right now, the most likely scenario for this team is to waive or trade Tre'Davious White and sign former Rams DB Ahkello Witherspoon off the practice squad. White has simply not shown enough to get defensive snaps this season. That is reason enough to lose a roster spot.

As always, thanks for reading.

More Rams news and analysis