LA Rams' first wave of Rams roster cuts focus on the great debate: Production or potential?

The LA Rams have fired their first salvo of cuts to trim the Rams roster to the NFL imposed limit of 53 players before the deadline that occurs on Tuesday, August 29, at 1:00 pm PT. When that time arrives, the Rams will need to comply with both the number or players on the roster, and the 2023 NFL Salary cap for those 53 players.

Per Spotrac.com, the Rams are at a deficit of (-8.3 million), but per overthecap.com, the Rams are at a surplus of $10.1 million. Because it's the NFL roster cutdown period, the truth is that neither is correct. The number of changes to the Rams roster is dwarfed by the number of changes impacting the entire NFL right now. And so, it will take some time for the numbers to reflect today's roster changes. Such as?

14 players were waived from the Rams roster today, with many more to go:

So who are they? Well, this first wave was a blend of players who either lacked current production or had limits to their upside. That is always a difficult debate, as it involves solving the chicken or the egg paradox. Did players who did not produce simply fail with their opportunities? Or did they fail from a lack of opportunities?

Perhaps it's best to leave that up to the Rams coaching staff to sort out.

Player Name - Position Played

1. DEFENSE (8 waived, 1 injury waiver)
2. Richard LeCounte - DB
3. Jordan Jones - DB
4. Timarcus Davis - DB
5. Tyon Davis - DB
6. Vincent Gray - DB
7. Tanner Ingle - S
8. Taron Vincent - DT
9. Kalechi Anyalebechi - LB
10. OFFENSE (6 waived)
11. Braxton Burmeister - WR
12. Tyler Hudson - WR
13. Lance McCutcheon - WR
14. Sean McGinn - IOL -
15. Camren McDonald - TE
16. Christian Sims - TE
17. Injury Waivers
18. (WAIVED, Injured) Ryan Smenda - ILB

For the most part, there are no shocking surprises here. One player released from the Rams roster that is a mild surprise is wide receiver Lance McCutcheon. McCutcheon was a prolific receiver for the team when targeted, and he was tremendously popular with fans due to his strong work ethic.

This is absolutely the hardest part of the season. After all, the Rams still have an estimated 22 players to release, more if the Rams claim anyone off the waiver wire list. And if you check out the Rams depth chart (the latest cuts are reflected), the team's next wave of cuts will hurt even more.

On a brighter note, some of the Rams strategy this offseason is beginning to make sense. The Rams have been vying for the best 53-player all along, and their recent trade for IOL Kevin Dotson and some savvy waiver claims to bolster the Rams' depth at weaker positional groups could end up being a chess board move among 31 checkerboard players.

After all, it's really not who has the best 90-man roster who wins in the NFL. Rather, it's who can sustain the best 53-man roster.