Who Hasn’t Played In Rams Preseason?

Under Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams have a very clear agenda with how to use the preseason, which is to rest most of the players who will make the final 53-man roster and to play the guys who won’t. With some exceptions this year, like giving Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson reps at quarterback, that’s exactly what McVay is doing again and some of the guys who are resting won’t make some fans happy to hear.

Players like Ronnie Rivers, Xavier Smith, and out of the blue, Zech McPhearson. If these numbers are any indication, then 37 players on the Rams have sat out both games in entirety, whereas another five were given a break in Week 2 against the Saints, seemingly putting McVay at roughly 42 players who have already made the team.

And that does not include the three special teamers, the two quarterbacks, or L.A.’s two day two rookies who are locks for the 53-man roster. Suddenly all these preseason, training camp names like “Wesley Bailey” and “Jordan Waters” are being thrown around recklessly, as if the Rams will have a final roster with 80 players on it.

The numbers don’t add up:

If 42 players are sitting and another seven (at least) are locks, that could only leave four more names to make the roster.

Now there are ways to “fudge” the numbers and potential looming suspensions for two starters could change the math slightly, but anyone who says that every single preseason darling will make the roster — or even more than one of them — is not doing the legwork to actually explain how they came to that conclusion without also making corresponding moves to get rid of players. Whether that be someone who is now a “must-keep” like Bennett or being light on numbers somewhere that you don’t want to be light, like offensive line depth.

So I ran the numbers for those people specifically, allowing them to actually look at the roster and explain themselves.

Offense: 18

QB (1) – Matthew Stafford

RB (3) – Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Ronnie Rivers

WR (4) – Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield

TE (4) – Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee, Davis Allen, Terrance Ferguson

OL (6) – AJ Jackson, Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton, Kevin Dotson, Warren McClendon, David Quessenberry

Week 2 changes:

Xavier Smith sat out Week 2, indicating that as expected he will return as a punt returner and depth option at receiver after totaling over 300 yards last season.

Defense: 19

DL (4) – Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis

EDGE (3) – Myles Garrett, Byron Young, Josaiah Stewart

LB (4) – Nate Landman, Omar Speights, Grant Stuard, Shaun Dolac

CB (5) – Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson, Quentin Lake, Emmanuel Forbes, Josh Wallace

S (3) – Kamren Kinchens, Kam Curl, Jaylen McCullough

Week 2 changes:

At least three players moved to the sidelines were Desjuan Johnson, Ty Hamilton, and surprisingly Zech McPhearson, who stood out in the first preseason game and is also one of the team’s best known special teams assets.

Special Teams: 3

Total: 40

Including special teams on top of the 37 players who have not suited up at all in the preseason, that only leaves 13 spots on L.A.’s final roster, many of which are still already spoken for even if they did play the last two weeks.

Remaining 13 slots:

Offense(+8)

QB (2) – Stetson Bennett, Ty Simpson

OL (4+) – A.J. Arcuri, Dylan McMahon, Keagen Trost, Beaux Limmer

WR (1+) – Xavier Smith (PR)

TE (1) – Max Klare

These numbers are obvious and when included in our previous total, take L.A.’s offensive counting up to 26 players on offense. That’s already at least the limit of players the Rams can keep on offense, with a caveat.

If Jackson and Nacua are suspended, the Rams will be able to keep two additional players at final cuts. Those players could be ones who play their same position, although in Nacua’s case it seems unnecessary.

Defense (+3)

DL (1+) – Ty Hamilton

EDGE (1+) – Desjuan Johnson

CB/Special Teams – Zech McPhearson

Defensively, there are considerably more openings, although you’d have to think the majority come in a light front-seven. Hamilton and Johnson are almost certainly on the 53, bringing the total number of defensive linemen and edges from seven to nine.

It’s not as clear that McPhearson was held out because he made the roster, although zero injuries have been reported and he does fit the need on special teams. There’s a reason to believe he’s on the roster.

The next-lightest position on the defense is safety, where a competition is brewing between Nick Andersen, Alex Cook, Tanner Ingle, and Nate Valcarcel.

One of they key tiebreakers here, as will be the case for the rest of the roster, is special teams value. It is difficult, however, to gauge how the Rams value their coverage players because most of these guys don’t have much (or any) NFL experience here. What have they done in practice and preseason to earn it?

That’s maybe something that could only be revealed on Thursday based on who is sitting against the L.A. Chargers, if not afterwards.

Still, let’s change the numbers again by adding in these 10 names to the final roster, but not McPhearson just yet.

Total On Roster: 50

Remaining Open Spots: 3

The Rams would now have 26 players on offense, 21 players on defense, and 3 players on special teams, for a total of 50 players on the roster and one side of the ball obviously lagging behind the other in terms of numbers.

The Rams would need to keep at least one more safety (we think):

I don’t know who, so let’s just say Alex Cook as a reward for his 100-yard interception. It is also believed that with his experience at the University of Washington, the UFL, and some NFL experience, that Cook has good value as a special teams contributor.

Done. The Rams keep Cook because they need another safety.

That leaves two spots and edge is also looking a little light with four names.

A lot of people will say Wesley Bailey here because he was dominant against a third-string tackle for the Saints, and sure that would be fine. Nobody’s really going to complain if Bailey makes the roster.

However, the Rams signed Tomon Fox specifically because he’s a special teamer with a solid reputation there. Keeping Fox over other names would upset a lot of fans, but so did keeping Troy Reeder (L.A.’s leading special teamer in snaps last season) once upon a many times.

What we do know is that Bailey played a lot of snaps on Saturday and deep into the game (48 snaps) and Fox was used less often (28 snaps), which could mean nothing. Or something. Another clue we’ll wait to find out on Thursday.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you choose Bailey or I choose Fox, it’s sensible for the Rams to keep another edge. But then there’s the McPhearson problem.

He was held out in Week 2 and he’s a special teamer. The Rams have five cornerbacks now, they could keep six.

The Rams keep McPhearson, that leaves one spot open.

It is at this point that you could go in any direction you want, but offensive lineman Austin Blaske may offer the most in terms of versatility to play all the offensive line positions and need given that Jackson could be suspended to start the season.

Blaske played an incredible 78 snaps on Saturday. Indication that he’s going to get cut unless McVay really loved what he saw? Maybe. But it would make sense that if Jackson is suspended, someone like Blaske makes the team, especially if Trost is also still injured by then.

If Jackson is suspended, then the roster spot opens up anyway. If he’s not, should the Rams keep Blaske because of Trost’s injury?

So this is where you could fit in Wesley Bailey if you wanted to, but without the suspension noted just yet, the Rams may keep Blaske instead. Let’s just say Austin Blaske without even mentioning suspensions yet.

If the Rams keep Blaske, that’s now 53 players.

The limit!

Who was left off?

Not only do we have 37 players on the roster who are just straight up not playing in the preseason, we also know that the three special teamers are locks for the roster. That leaves 13 spots, and of those, we know that at least three of them were sat in Week 2 for likely making the roster (Hamilton, Johnson, Smith), two of them are quarterbacks who everyone is saying will make the roster, and two of them were day two picks who are locks to make the roster.

That means you have to subtract seven players from the remaining 13 slots immediately.

Of the open six roster spots, there’s an obvious and unavoidable need to still keep at least three more offensive lineman, which immediately cuts your free spots in half.

The three who I chose were Alex Cook, Tomon Fox, and Austin Blaske.

But your three could be totally different.

Here are some notable players who there simply wasn’t any space left to keep:

• CB Cam Lampkin
• OLB Wesley Bailey
• OLB/ST Tomon Fox
• RB Dean Connors
• RB Jarquez Hunter
• WR C.J. Daniels
• DT Tim Keenan
• WR Brennan Presley
• CB AZ Hamilton
• LB Eli Neal
• LB Nik Hill-Green
• S Nick Andersen
• DL Larrell Murchison
• G Wyatt Bowles
• WR Tyler Scott
• WR Alex Bachman
• G Bill Murray
• TE Mark Redman
• TE Dan Villari
• RB Jordan Waters
• DT Payton Zdroik
• DT Bill Norton

That’s not ALL the players remaining on the roster, but it is most of them. And most of these names have been talked about a lot in the preseason, sometimes as “locks” to make the roster.

That’s clearly not what the head coach of the team is indicating at all, however.

These are preseason players, for the most part. Preseason.

Instead it seems like there’s a tendency for some people to throw out names like “Well, there’s just no way this guy gets cut” without actually doing the legwork to explain how he will make the roster without someone else being cut. Without running the numbers for themselves.

It’s one thing to say that you’re going to keep one or two names from this list, like Hunter and Bailey, but often it’s seven or eight of these names that magically make a 53-man roster that doesn’t have more than three or four legitimately available job openings for a wild card. Maybe not even that many.

The Caveat

A Puka Nacua suspension would be terrible news for Week 1, although it could allow the Rams to keep a receiver on the final roster and then sneak him onto the practice squad later.

An A.J. Jackson suspension would likely be longer because it’s his second offense, and would definitely necessitate keeping another offensive lineman, someone like Blaske.

A stint on the injury list, like say for Trost if his situation gets worse, would also necessitate moving around numbers. But again, only on the offensive line. It wouldn’t help Lampkin or Bailey make the roster.

So how do you keep all these preseason superstars? The short answer is: You don’t.

Unless the team starts making moves that all of a sudden many fans don’t want to see, like cutting Stetson Bennett. Or moves that you wish would happen but soon will accept won’t happen, like cutting Ronnie Rivers or Xavier Smith. There’s absolutely no indication or reason to believe that’s why they’re sitting out.

Instead, fans will have to start making the same tough decision that McVay has to make. You can’t keep all of these preseason darlings. You’re lucky to keep more than one.

Who do you keep? Who do you lose?

The key to the answer isn’t a good preseason. It’s a “no preseason”.