Rams 53-man roster: Does LA have enough tackles and defensive backs?
· Yahoo Sports
The Los Angeles Rams may boast one of the best rosters in professional football history on paper.
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But margins are extremely thin in the NFL. For every position of strength—like the defensive line with Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald, and others—there is somewhere where LA is hoping people don’t notice just how thin they are running.
I spy two places that are concerning and could grow even more so should attrition strike: offensive tackle and defensive back.
The Rams effectively turned in a roster with three tackles and almost no reserve secondary players. It’s not a nitpick—it’s a reality.
Alaric Jackson is still awaiting word from the league that he’s in the clear. Until then, a suspension will linger over his head. David Quessenberry is the next man up at left tackle. That probably isn’t good enough. Rookie Keagen Trost will miss at least the first four games of the season.
On the defensive side, the Rams have truly cut out all fat. There’s nothing left at safety or corner.
Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie are entrenched as starters. McDuffie could play often in the slot, which means Rams fans will probably see more of Emmannuel Forbes on the outside than they realize. Josh Wallace also made the cut but hasn’t played outside much over his tenure in Los Angeles.
At safety behind Kamren Curl, Kamren Kinchens, and Quentin Lake is only Jaylen McCollough. McCollough isn’t really a backup—he’s someone who carved out a decent role as a situational contributor a year ago.
Running skinny at these positions is a direct relationship to keeping seven receivers, five tight ends, and three quarterbacks. WR#7, TE#5, nor QB#3 are going to keep Matthew Stafford upright or help protect a lead into the playoffs. These are luxuries.
We’ve read this book before. 2022 brought intense attrition starting with the offensive line. Stafford shortly followed when the Rams couldn’t block a soul. Before we knew it, half the roster was prematurely calling it a season.
Did the Rams not learn their lesson? A weakened secondary would make a great sequel, although it runs the risk of ending the same way.