Les Snead shows off significant Rams roster strategy to discerning fans delight

The recent flurry of roster moves by the Los Angeles Rams may have gone unnoticed by many fans. After all, if you trace the comings and goings, the team merely undid previous roster moves to clear a slot to activate a player from injured reserve. But if that's where you stop, read on. You may have missed the true significance of these savvy moves.

There is more than meets the eye here. The team continues to keep a fine eye on the team's performance, and on sustaining adequate performance. So general manager Les Snead has his work cut out for him at this time of year. But he is forever up to the task. Just follow the trail of breadcrumbs dropped with the latest roster moves.

After recording a pair of quarterback sacks against the Carolina Panthers, LA's pass rush fell silent. The return of Nick Hampton to the edge rotation should help out significantly. He will allow defensive coordinator Chris Shula to keep his primary pass rushers - Jared Verse and Byron Young - fresh for the duration of the game.

Meanwhile, the return of Alex Johnson restores the last defensive back to the practice squad, which was released in a series of roster moves to accommodate the return of injured players to the roster.

Rams already signing players to reserve future contracts too

The team is wisely beginning to lay the foundation for the 2026 NFL season. Snead and company have already signed two promising young players to Reserve/Future contracts in offensive lineman Wyatt Bowles and wide receiver Mario Williams.

Bowles earned a roster spot with a spectacular performance in the preseason, but lost out to the numbers game. He had been released several times to clear the way for specific position needs, but he always finds his way back to the Horns.

Mario Williams is another young prospect who lost out to the numbers game. He was shed to clear space to add veteran offensive linemen Mike McAlister and John Leglue. The team kept his contact information and has reclaimed him for the 2026 Rams roster. We'll read the tea leaves on that later.

Now let's turn to the official injury report.

The official Rams injury report is another wellspring of optimism. The team has cleared all but backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (back) and defensive end / outside linebacker Desjuan Johnson (illness) for Sunday's icebox thriller against the Chicago Bears.

That means that wide receiver Jordan Whittington, a physical player and one of the few special team stars, will be back. And earlier concerns regarding nose tackle Poona Ford seem to have subsided.

At this time of year, the news is welcome indeed. No team is without a laundry list of bumps and bruises this time of year. Thankfully, the team has avoided significant injuries as it travels to face the Bears.

And as always, thanks for reading.