4 Rams who may already be guaranteed cuts before preseason finale vs. Texans

The LA Rams coaching staff is in full-fledged assessment mode right now, Just days from the NFL deadline to trim the roster to 53 players, the team has to begin to weigh out not only the contributions and potential of individual players, but the overall balance of the roster. It's a delicate balancing act, not only from the perspective of what is, but also from an eye to what will be.

In the end, roster cuts are not only limited to the talent exhibited by that player, but by the talent of other players at that position, and elsewhere on the roster. If the Rams typically carry X number of players at a position, then anyone on the depth chart at the X+1 or lower ranking runs the unenviable risk of being released by the team.

Or, as in the case of the Rams' talented group of offensive linemen, combined with early minor injuries to three starters, the team may be forced to carry an abundance of players at that position as insurance for the uncertainty of a 17-game regular season. Decisions at this point may feel like a temporary matter. But the reality of cutting a player who may be coveted elsewhere is that the decision becomes permanent instantly. Any player released from the Rams roster is automatically at risk of being claimed by another team that is not nearly as deep or talented at that position.

And therein lies the rub. Players released, whether intended to be re-signed to the team's practice squad or not, may vanish forever. So all of the investment of draft picks, patience, coaching, and mentoring in hopes of developing a player who will claim a roster spot for the team in the future, is nothing more than a charitable gift to some NFL competitor. At least, that is how the mechanics of the roster trimming process works out.

Ultimately, the Rams have a lot on the line. Investing in so many young players, 24 drafted players in the past two seasons, means that the coaching staff must have a solid understanding of each player's upside, despite working with them for a limited amount of time.

They will take their time. But here are four players who, by they history with the team and preseason performances, may already find that their roster bubble has popped. Here are four such surprise players: