This Rams starter may have just lost his job before camp even begins

The Los Angeles Rams may have finished atop the NFC West Division in 2024, but the team is nowhere near 'complete' in terms of what it wants to do versus what it did. Success does not happen to NFL teams that open the season with a record of 1-4. Nor does success fall to teams whose offense ranks 15th in the NFL in yards gained, and 20th in points scored.

The Rams defense was no better, ranking 26th in terms of yards allowed, while surrendering 22.7 points per game, ranking the defense no better than 17th in the NFL. So, the belief that the Rams simply have to suit up and try again is a bit . . . simplistic. This is a team that retooled its roster throughout the entirety of the 2024 NFL season. As such, the team that competed in the NFL Playoffs was a new iteration of the team that faced the Detroit Lions in Week 1.

The problem is that the Rams injuries cycled rapidly through the roster, forcing the team to make-do with staring lineups that changed drastically week-to-week. The Rams were foced to start veteran DB Tre'Davius White in the first four games of the season. But he turned out to be so bad that he was benched after those four weeks, and was traded away in November 2024.

Likewise, the Rams offensive line was shredded by early season injuries, forcing the team to start longtime backup IOL Logan Bruss. Bruss started at left guard for three games for the Rams, but he was inept in a starting role. He was also released in November 2024.

The Rams 2024 season is littered with evidence of trying out players who simply did not work out. On the offensive line, the team trialed swing tackle Joe Noteboom, and veteran interior offensive lineman Jonah Jackson. On defense, the team tried to make a combination of veterans Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom work. Reeder fell to injury and Rozeboom signed elsewhere Troy Reeder re-signed with the Rams as an insurance policy, but evidence suggests that he will not be a starting inside linebacker in 2025. He may not even make the team.

Why not check out this informative article about the Rams tight end position: Why LA Rams must find their next franchise tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft

That transformation continues into the 2025 NFL season for the Rams roster, accelerated by a sneaky good rookie draft that did not rival the previous two draft classes in terms of quantity of picks. But the Rams front office flexed its confidence a bit by emerging with six quality rookies to compete for playing time, and veterans who returned this season with larger roles in their sights may be shocked at how difficult that goal has become.