Rob Havenstein and 10 Rams who have plenty to prove in their contract year

(10) - A.J. Arcuri - OT

Third time is the charm? Or is it three strikes and you're out? However else you may backup offensive tackle A.J. Arcuri, one thing is certain. It's now or never for the offensive tackle out of Michigan State. Selected in Round 7 of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 261st overall pick, Arcuri was the second offensive lineman selected by the team in that draft.

The team had already parted ways with several members of the 2022 draft class, including IOL Logan Bruss, defensive end Daniel Hardy, and defensive back Russ Yeast. Arcuri was the last rookie selected in 2022, and is up against it this season.

He had a very promising preseason, but he was horrific in the regular season.

Arcuri has another shot to make things right, both for the Rams depth chart and the future of his own NFL career. But it won't be handed any gifts. He won't be anointed to a contract extension. He has to earn it, and that makes the 2025 Rams training camp vital to his plans.

Arcuri has an uphill battle with the Rams. The coaching staff already prepared Warren McClendon Jr. to assume the swing-tackle role this season. And the team signed a very intriguing rookie in Indiana OT rookie prospect Troy Wedig to develop. Time is not up for A.J. Arcuri just yet, but it's running out.

(9) - Derion Kendrick - DB

While this is the fourth NFL season for Rams defensive back Derion Kendrick, 2025 is a very important year for him for several reasons. For starters, this is the fourth and final year for Kendrick on his rookie contract, which typically means that it's now or never to show up in a big way for the team in terms of box scores and individual statistics.

But it's more than that for Kendrick. He was injured and lost for all of the 2024 NFL season. As is often the case, the team had to restock the roster to play on without him. Now that Kendrick is returning from injury, he has to prove himself to be worthy of carving out a role for himself in the secondary rotation. That will not be easy.

Kendrick has been inconsistent in his Rams track record so far, and that has frustrated fans who seek consistency and reliability in the secondary. The thing is, with the arrival of former Washington Commanders cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, the Rams suddenly have Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, Cobie Durant, and Forbes actively competing for limited defensive snaps.

Much like Arcuri, Kendrick is not out of the running by any means. But the odds are stacked against him. Even as he is trying to return from a serious injury, the competition has escalated. Worse yet, the team knows that Kendrick is in Year 4 of a four-year contract.

Kendrick is 6-foot-0 and weighs 199 pounds. He must give the secondary excellent pass coverage, drastically improve his missed tackles from 2023 (a missed tackle rate of 18.3 percent), create turnovers and shut the door on allowing touchdown passes. It's quite the ask. But to pry an extension out of the Rams, he cannot aim for anything less.