3 biggest surprises from the initial 53-man LA Rams roster that have shocked fans

Okay, the initial 53-man LA Rams roster has been set, and now we have the arduous task of unpacking what has been said, what hasn't been said but should have been, and what has been said but shouldn't have been. Unlike many seasons in the past, the Rams' most recent 72-hour period leading into the NFL roster cut deadline seemed to be more about the latest Rams rumors than roster adjustments.

Let's just place this all into perspective. The LA Rams defense has gone through a dramatic transformation in the past two seasons. This is no longer a team trying to forge a new path without All-Pro DT Aaron Donald. The defense is moving on from former DC Raheem Morris. This team is now moving on from defensive play-caller ILB Ernest Jones. And an overlying factor on top of everything else is the fact that the team is home to a significant number of rookies. Many were undrafted, on top of the robust 2024 NFL Draft class.

The team is clearly eager to field a 'new look' defense. It's that willingness to embrace change that paved the way to not only embrace 2024 post-Aaron Donald, but the team will now be rolling with new faces in almost all key defensive roles.

Was that all part of the plan? It's hard to say. We do know that without the successes of rookies Kobie Turner and Byron Young in 2023, none of the wholesale changes to the defense in 2024 would be possible. But it was their phenomenal success, both standing atop all rookies in 2023 in quarterback sacks, Turner with 9.0 and Young with 8.0 quarterback sacks for the season.

It was that surge of production that kept the team competitive in 2023, even powering the second half of the season winning streak that catapulted this team into the 2024 NFL Playoffs. This season, the team is hoping for similar results from a new rookie class that includes even more pass rushers, linebackers, run stuffers, and ball-hawking defensive backs.