4 LA Rams players who could be cut after the 2023 NFL Draft

Another defensive back

While I have been an advocate for the LA Rams to find some way to unlock the potential that the Rams front office perceived in defensive back Robert Rochell, the fact that he has not yet delivered means that he is skating on thin ice already for the 2023 NFL season. And with a salary of $1.2 million for just 26 defensive snaps, Rochell hasn't delivered just yet.

Do I understand the problem? Not even remotely. Robert Rochell is a 6-foot-2 195-pound defensive back who showed enough promise in NCAA competition to be chosen by a rather discerning Rams front office. Unfortunately, like many of the recently added young prospects, his development seems to have become an afterthought for the team who simply had enough defensive back depth to bypass him in growing his role with the team.

An unfortunate numbers game

In 2021, he played 234 defensive snaps and actually earned five starts on a rather impressive Super Bowl-winning team. In 2022, I find it hard to believe that he could not earn more than 26 defensive snaps on a 5-12 team, whose defense was nearly as riddled with injuries as the team's offensive line. But this is not a cause-and-effect analysis as much as it simply draws the logical conclusion from Rochell's unexpected regression.

The fact that Robert Rochell remains on the Rams roster is nothing short of a surprise. Was he as bad as his lack of use would lead you to believe? Or was he simply one more young rookie who fell into the Tutu Atwell eddy on the Rams roster. A spot where his lack of opportunity simply became the feedback for denying him any opportunities?

I like Robert Rochell, and believe that in the right environment, he could become a steady contributor if not an NFL starter. But if the Rams have already given up on him, then he risks being buried on the Rams roster by a new crop of rookie defensive backs. Should that happen, his days on the Rams roster may be numbered.