Rams Roster: Fast 40+ LA Rams roster roundup, TE Christian Sims (#23)

While you may not have listed tight end as a strong need for the LA Rams roster in the 2023 offseason, the position drew plenty of interest from the Rams' front office. Ultimately, the LA Rams opted to reinforce the position via trade (TE Hunter Long), via the 2023 NFL Draft (TE Davis Allen), and finally by signing undrafted free agent Christian Sims.

A quick summary

When compared to other tight ends on the LA Rams roster, you may not envision Christian Sims as being a player who competes at the same position. And in some ways, you are correct. Bowling Green tight end/fullback Christian Sims stands 6-foot-2 and weighs 239 pounds. He is not a typical tight end in the sense that he lines up on the outside shoulder of the offensive tackle. He is a throwback to the flanker-type receiver.

He is not a large-framed tight end but specializes in route running and catching passes. That means he must work on his blocking throughout training camp.

What I don't like about this signing

The LA Rams have a lot going on in terms of getting so many rookies trained simultaneously throughtout training camp. And that is simply to get the basics down. Will the Rams coaching staff truly have the bandwidth to deviate from their basic offensive plays to create the type of offense that is best suited to feature a player with Christian Sims' skills? Or perhaps even more importantly, can the coaches refine Sims to more of a traditional tight end? Or do the Rams even have a fullback role for Sims to fill this season?

What I like about this signing

While the alignment of what rookie TE Christian Sims can do to what the LA Rams may need him to do may be a bit off-kilter right now, there is no denying that Sims can catch passes. Right now, the LA Rams are racing against the clock to determine who, if any, tight ends on the roster have what it takes to fulfill the starting tight end role if the team does not extend starter Tyler Higbee.

While Sims may not be the answer, if he develops quickly, he could be part of the answer.

Christian Sims was productive in his last two seasons at Bowling Green. But I think that his college production merely scratched the surface.

What I love about this signing

Whether it pans out or not, I love the fact that the Rams front office does not rely solely upon a cookie cutter approach when it comes to signing college free agents after the draft. It could very well be that while he does not crack the lineup as a tight end, the athleticism that Christian Sims brings could make him a valuable contributor on special teams.

And I am always going to sit up and pay attention to Reese Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy whenever he touts the NFL potential of a college prospect.

If the LA Rams want to get creative with their offensive plays and formations, what better way to do so than to add a player to this offense who can line up practically at any skill position besides quarterback and make an impact? Is this the fullback we've been hoping for for the past six seasons? I've been disappointed far to often to rely on that, but even the remote chance of one is enough to make this all very exciting.

What are his chances of making the roster?

I don't foresee Sims making the LA Rams 53-man roster, simply because he will need to change or the Rams offense will need to change to make that happen. But I believe that there is a better than even odds that he will be signed to the team's practice squad. He has the athleticism and offensive potential to be a contributor in the future.