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Rams roster breakdown
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1583386-st-louis-rams-roster-breakdown
The St. Louis Rams cut their roster to 53 players on Saturday afternoon. Here's a quick look at some of the surprises and how it breaks down by position group.
The St. Louis Rams had a couple surprises with their roster cuts to get down to the mandated 53 players, but here’s how the roster shakes out for now.
QUARTERBACKS (3)
Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion
The Rams liked what they saw from Foles enough to sign him to a two-year contract extension before the start of preseason games. Keenum, who was re-acquired from the Houston Texans for a seventh-round pick, beat out Austin Davis for the backup spot. Mannion didn’t do much to impress during the preseason, but the rookie third-rounder is a developmental project for the future.
RUNNING BACKS (8)
Tre Mason, Todd Gurley, Benny Cunningham, Isaiah Pead, Chase Reynolds
Mason is coming off a debut season that saw him finish second among rookies in rushing yards, but he’s already slowed by a hamstring issue that has affect him twice throughout training camp and the preseason. Gurley won’t be ready for a few weeks, but there are high hopes that the rookie first-round pick can be an impact player at some point. Cunningham carved out a nice role for himself last year as a third-down back, pass catcher and kick returner. Pead is back after missing last season with a knee injury and the 2012 second-round pick impressed in the final preseason games. Reynolds is a special teams standout who has yet to record a rushing attempt in the regular season.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6)
Kenny Britt, Brian Quick, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens, Bradley Marquez
Britt’s first season with the Rams went about as well as it could have as he finished with a career-high in catches. Quick was having a breakout season when it ended abruptly in the seventh game with a separated shoulder and torn rotator cuff. Austin showed off his athleticism with two explosive plays this preseason, but will he see the ball often enough to make an impact this season? Bailey may have the best hands on the team, but has yet to carve out a consistent role. Givens was the Rams’ best receiver in the preseason and had two long touchdown catches. He’s been a forgotten guy the past few years, but the team needs a deep-ball threat like him to stretch defenses.
Marquez, an undrafted rookie from Texas Tech, was a surprise inclusion on the 53-man roster but showed some skill in camp.
TIGHT ENDS (3)
Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey
Cook, Kendricks and Harkey all have established roles on the team and Cook and Kendricks both have big contracts. The Rams had youngsters Alex Bayer and Justice Cunningham on the 75-man roster, but cut both of them. It wouldn’t be surprising to see one of them on the practice squad with the potential for a return to the active roster.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10)
Rodger Saffold, Greg Robinson, Jamon Brown, Tim Barnes, Rob Havenstein, Demetrius Rhaney, Andrew Donnal, Garrett Reynolds, Cody Wichmann, Darrell Williams
The Rams kept 10 offensive linemen, including five rookies, after investing five draft picks on the offensive line this spring and summer. The surprise was them keeping Williams, an undrafted rookie, instead of supplemental fifth-round pick Isaiah Battle. The Rams gave up a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft to pick Battle and said they would develop him. But then they kept Williams instead. The other surprise was the release of Barrett Jones, who was competing with Barnes and Rhaney for the starting center spot.
DEFENSIVE LINE (8)
Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, Chris Long, Michael Brockers, William Hayes, Nick Fairley, Eugene Sims, Ethan Westbrooks
There weren’t any real surprises here in what should be one of the strongest position groups in the league, led by Pro Bowlers Quinn and Donald. Westbrooks impressed a year ago as an undrafted free agent and won a spot here over rookie seventh-round pick Martin Ifedi and undrafted rookies Louis Trinca-Pasat and Matt Longacre. Trinca-Pasat and Longacre both had impressive moments in the preseason, however.
LINEBACKERS (6)
James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree, Akeem Ayers, Daren Bates, Bryce Hager, Cameron Lynch
Laurinaitis and free agent signee Ayers are the veterans of this group. Ogletree has a chance to become one of the better outside linebackers in the league if he can cut down on missed tackles and mistakes. Bates is a special teams standout who is currently recovering from a knee injury. The Rams kept rookie seventh-round pick Hager and undrafted rookie Lynch over former two-year starter Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Marshall McFadden, who spent time on the active roster last season. It’s possible the Rams could bring back either player at some point if they don’t sign elsewhere.
CORNERBACKS (4)
Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner, Marcus Roberson
The Rams don’t have a lot of depth here after the season-ending injury to E.J. Gaines, but they have two starters with experience in Jenkins and Johnson and a pair of promising second-year players in Joyner and Roberson.
SAFETIES (5)
T.J. McDonald, Rodney McLeod, Mark Barron, Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis
The Rams went with more safeties than cornerbacks, in part because Barron and Alexander can play roles like slot cornerbacks in sub packages. They released youngsters, Christian Bryant and Jacob Hagen, but either player could return as a member of the practice squad.
SPECIALISTS (3)
Johnny Hekker, Greg Zuerlein, Jake McQuaide
The Rams didn’t make any changes to this group. Hekker is one of the best punters in the game and paid as such with his lucrative contract extension. Zuerlein is going into the final year of his rookie deal looking to sh
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1583386-st-louis-rams-roster-breakdown
The St. Louis Rams cut their roster to 53 players on Saturday afternoon. Here's a quick look at some of the surprises and how it breaks down by position group.
The St. Louis Rams had a couple surprises with their roster cuts to get down to the mandated 53 players, but here’s how the roster shakes out for now.
QUARTERBACKS (3)
Nick Foles, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion
The Rams liked what they saw from Foles enough to sign him to a two-year contract extension before the start of preseason games. Keenum, who was re-acquired from the Houston Texans for a seventh-round pick, beat out Austin Davis for the backup spot. Mannion didn’t do much to impress during the preseason, but the rookie third-rounder is a developmental project for the future.
RUNNING BACKS (8)
Tre Mason, Todd Gurley, Benny Cunningham, Isaiah Pead, Chase Reynolds
Mason is coming off a debut season that saw him finish second among rookies in rushing yards, but he’s already slowed by a hamstring issue that has affect him twice throughout training camp and the preseason. Gurley won’t be ready for a few weeks, but there are high hopes that the rookie first-round pick can be an impact player at some point. Cunningham carved out a nice role for himself last year as a third-down back, pass catcher and kick returner. Pead is back after missing last season with a knee injury and the 2012 second-round pick impressed in the final preseason games. Reynolds is a special teams standout who has yet to record a rushing attempt in the regular season.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6)
Kenny Britt, Brian Quick, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Chris Givens, Bradley Marquez
Britt’s first season with the Rams went about as well as it could have as he finished with a career-high in catches. Quick was having a breakout season when it ended abruptly in the seventh game with a separated shoulder and torn rotator cuff. Austin showed off his athleticism with two explosive plays this preseason, but will he see the ball often enough to make an impact this season? Bailey may have the best hands on the team, but has yet to carve out a consistent role. Givens was the Rams’ best receiver in the preseason and had two long touchdown catches. He’s been a forgotten guy the past few years, but the team needs a deep-ball threat like him to stretch defenses.
Marquez, an undrafted rookie from Texas Tech, was a surprise inclusion on the 53-man roster but showed some skill in camp.
TIGHT ENDS (3)
Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey
Cook, Kendricks and Harkey all have established roles on the team and Cook and Kendricks both have big contracts. The Rams had youngsters Alex Bayer and Justice Cunningham on the 75-man roster, but cut both of them. It wouldn’t be surprising to see one of them on the practice squad with the potential for a return to the active roster.
OFFENSIVE LINE (10)
Rodger Saffold, Greg Robinson, Jamon Brown, Tim Barnes, Rob Havenstein, Demetrius Rhaney, Andrew Donnal, Garrett Reynolds, Cody Wichmann, Darrell Williams
The Rams kept 10 offensive linemen, including five rookies, after investing five draft picks on the offensive line this spring and summer. The surprise was them keeping Williams, an undrafted rookie, instead of supplemental fifth-round pick Isaiah Battle. The Rams gave up a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft to pick Battle and said they would develop him. But then they kept Williams instead. The other surprise was the release of Barrett Jones, who was competing with Barnes and Rhaney for the starting center spot.
DEFENSIVE LINE (8)
Robert Quinn, Aaron Donald, Chris Long, Michael Brockers, William Hayes, Nick Fairley, Eugene Sims, Ethan Westbrooks
There weren’t any real surprises here in what should be one of the strongest position groups in the league, led by Pro Bowlers Quinn and Donald. Westbrooks impressed a year ago as an undrafted free agent and won a spot here over rookie seventh-round pick Martin Ifedi and undrafted rookies Louis Trinca-Pasat and Matt Longacre. Trinca-Pasat and Longacre both had impressive moments in the preseason, however.
LINEBACKERS (6)
James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree, Akeem Ayers, Daren Bates, Bryce Hager, Cameron Lynch
Laurinaitis and free agent signee Ayers are the veterans of this group. Ogletree has a chance to become one of the better outside linebackers in the league if he can cut down on missed tackles and mistakes. Bates is a special teams standout who is currently recovering from a knee injury. The Rams kept rookie seventh-round pick Hager and undrafted rookie Lynch over former two-year starter Jo-Lonn Dunbar and Marshall McFadden, who spent time on the active roster last season. It’s possible the Rams could bring back either player at some point if they don’t sign elsewhere.
CORNERBACKS (4)
Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner, Marcus Roberson
The Rams don’t have a lot of depth here after the season-ending injury to E.J. Gaines, but they have two starters with experience in Jenkins and Johnson and a pair of promising second-year players in Joyner and Roberson.
SAFETIES (5)
T.J. McDonald, Rodney McLeod, Mark Barron, Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis
The Rams went with more safeties than cornerbacks, in part because Barron and Alexander can play roles like slot cornerbacks in sub packages. They released youngsters, Christian Bryant and Jacob Hagen, but either player could return as a member of the practice squad.
SPECIALISTS (3)
Johnny Hekker, Greg Zuerlein, Jake McQuaide
The Rams didn’t make any changes to this group. Hekker is one of the best punters in the game and paid as such with his lucrative contract extension. Zuerlein is going into the final year of his rookie deal looking to sh
