Early buzz over 6 rookies has Rams fans begging for more in OTAs

The Los Angeles Rams are preparing for the 2025 NFL season. So what can fans do to stay occupied and engaged while the coaches and players are busily conducting the toughest part of the season? Why plenty, naturally.

In OTAs, we may only get snippets and still images of guys playing in t-shirts and shorts, but it's the start of the NFL careers for rookies who are trying to grasp every concept and nuance as soon as it is thrown at them. Some rookies get it quickly. Other rookies need time, patience, and plenty of reps to get there.

For fans, the disparity can be misinterpreted. Unless a guy is going lights out as soon as he shows up to his first OTAs, some fans wonder why he is not keeping up with the rest of the group. But it comes down to the luck of the draw, the number of repetitions, and that instant chemistry that a rookie makes with his coaches and teammates.

Football is competitive. And time is linear. Someone has to be first in drills. Someone has to suit up to play with the first string. Someone is going to catch passes from Matthew Stafford, while another is going to catch passes from Stetson Bennett. The players who get to work with Stafford most in OTAs and training camp will jump to the front of the line. The players who work with Bennett most in OTAs are already on the roster bubble.

But don't fret.

Rookie WR Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith were so comfortable with Bennett in OTAs and training camp that they looked completely NFL-ready in preseason games. So there are multiple ways to earn a roster spot for this team.

Keep in mind that OTAs and training camp have many purposes. This is the opportunity for everyone on the roster to learn the playbook, and then go out and execute those plays to the best of their ability. But it's also about instantly assessing players and upside. So it starts from the introductions in the first classroom. And it carries over to every day and drill of practice.

While it may seem like a slow segment of the NFL season right now, we are pivoting from building rosters and revealing schedules to making proper introductions to all of the new faces that have joined the Rams roster. So, as OTAs are underway, let's take a moment and give everyone a small taste of what these new faces bring to the team for 2025.