Which of these 7 LA Rams rookies will take a huge step forward in 2024?

VII: He's back for Round II

It seemed as though the theme for the team's starting placekicking duties in 2023 was based on the Hokey Pokey. That is, the team placed a kicker into the starting kicker role but eventually removed him due to a less-than-satisfactory performance. By year's end, the team had trialed nearly a dozen kickers, signed four different kickers to the roster, and had two different kickers kick for the team. Even with the team toggling between veteran kickers Brett Maher and Lucas Havrisik, the team began the season where it had ended.

With rookie kicker Tanner Brown as the only placekicker on the Rams roster, does that mean that the team is done searching? I don't think so. But there clearly was no incentive for the team to re-sign him to the roster, even on a Reserve/Future contract, just to give the guy something to do in the offseason.

Tanner Brown may not have won the team's kicking job in 2023, but I don't see how his return can be interpreted as anything more than a chance to earn the job for 2024. And he has the collegiate accolades and track record that could make him a dark horse candidate for the job:

If the hardest part of a rookie kicker's experience in the NFL is showing up on game day and failing, then Tanner Brown has certainly checked that box. I'm not trying to persuade anyone that he is the right guy for the job. I'm simply stating that it's clear from their actions of bring him back that the coaches and the team's front office believes he deserves a second look.