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https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/09/06/nfl-los-angeles-rams-roster-grade-position-2018/
Grading every position on the Rams roster in 2018
By: Cameron DaSilva
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Rams have one of the best rosters in the NFL heading into 2018, particularly after re-tooling and revamping many parts of the depth chart.
With the regular season upon us, we’ve decided to grade every position on the 53-man roster, from quarterback to special teams.
Quarterback: B
Even though he made the Pro Bowl last season, and even though he posted a passer rating above 100, Goff hasn’t yet cemented his spot among the NFL’s elite – among the “A” class quarterbacks. He’s well on his way to reaching that plateau after throwing 28 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, but he’s just not there yet. This season could be the one where he takes a massive step forward and becomes one of the best passers in the NFL.
This group’s grade takes a hit because of the lack of talent behind Goff, too. Sean Mannion and Brandon Allen offer very little as backups, giving fans and the coaching staff very little confidence if Goff were to go down.
Running back: A+
Gurley proved any remaining doubters wrong last season after a rough 2016 campaign, leading the league in yards from scrimmage and touchdowns. He’s established as one of the three or four best backs in the NFL, which earns the Rams’ backfield an A+ grade on its own. Gurley can catch passes out of the backfield, line up as a wide receiver, carry the ball 25 times a game. Oh, and he didn’t miss a single block in pass protection last year.
Behind Gurley are Malcolm Brown, John Kelly and Justin Davis. They each offer their own skill sets, but Kelly is the best of the bunch. He should be RB2 by season’s end and could have a significant impact this year.
Wide receiver: A-
The Rams may not have a dominant No. 1 receiver like DeAndre Hopkins, Antonio Brown or Julio Jones, but the group as a whole is one of the best in the NFL. Brandin Cooks will be a big upgrade over Sammy Watkins, while Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp will both be good for 60-plus catches and 700 yards each.
Few teams are as set at the top of their wide receiver depth chart the way the Rams are, but they also have good backups in Josh Reynolds, Mike Thomas and Pharoh Cooper. Cooks still has to show he’s worth the big contract he just signed, but even if he doesn’t produce at an elite level, the Rams’ other receivers will step up.
Tight end: C+
The only weak link on offense is at tight end. Tyler Higbee could be poised for a breakout season, as might Gerald Everett, but neither has established himself as a true No. 1 tight end. Everett’s shoulder injury set him back quite a bit this offseason, putting a hold on his potential breakout season.
With Watkins gone, Higbee and Everett could both become go-to red zone weapons for Goff. They’re the only big-bodied receivers not named Josh Reynolds and Goff could take advantage of their size in the tight quarters around the end zone.
Offensive line: A-
Andrew Whitworth isn’t as good as he once was, but he still plays at a very high level given his age. Rodger Saffold might be the Rams’ best offensive lineman despite not getting much credit as such, proving to be an outstanding run blocker last season.
At center, John Sullivan continues to plug along as a veteran leader in the middle of the offense, helping Goff with pre-snap signals and reads at the line. Jamon Brown is the weakest lineman on the team, but he’ll be swapped out for Austin Blythe the first two weeks of the season and isn’t guaranteed to get his job back when he returns from suspension.
Rob Havenstein is freshly signed to an extension, earning the trust of the front office and coaching staff as a quality right tackle.
As for the backups, they’re filled with rookies Joseph Noteboom will be the swing tackle, Jamil Demby can play just about any position and Brian Allen will back up Sullivan at center. This is a deep group with long-term potential.
Defensive line: A+
Good luck finding a better defensive line than the Rams’. Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh will come together at each tackle spot to generate pressure from the interior, giving the Rams arguably the best tandem in the league. At defensive end, Michael Brockers often goes overlooked but is consistently a force against the run and pass.
The Rams probably don’t have as much depth as they would like, but John Franklin-Myers and Sebastian Joseph-Day are both rookies, while Ethan Westbrooks had a standout preseason. Their starters alone make this one of the best defensive lines in the league, be it a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.
Inside linebacker: C+
As good as Los Angeles is in the middle of its front, the second level isn’t quite as strong. Mark Barron and Cory Littleton will be the staring inside linebackers, which should concern some fans given Barron’s durability questions and Littleton’s inexperience. If they can both progress and step up, the Rams’ defense will be substantially better against the run than it was in 2017.
Micah Kiser, Ramik Wilson and Bryce Hager are solid insurance policies as backups and could find themselves starting at some point this season. There are a lot of just average players in this group, but at least the Rams have solid depth to work with.
Outside linebacker: C
Few people outside of Los Angeles even know who Samson Ebukam and Matt Longacre are, but they’ll be the Rams’ starting outside linebackers. Ebukam has a boatload of potential with his athleticism and speed on the edge, but he didn’t record a single sack in the preseason despite being used heavily.
Longacre battled a biceps injury during camp and the preseason and has had durability issues in the past, so there’s a good chance he won’t be able to start all 16 games. The Rams’ backups don’t offer much, either. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is on the PUP list, Trevon Young and Justin Lawler are unproven rookies and Dominique Easley is just now trying to transition to outside linebacker from defensive tackle.
Cornerback: A
The cornerback group has a similar feel to the defensive line in the way that it’s loaded with talent. Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib join forces after offseason trades, while Nickell Robey-Coleman will continue to man the slot. That’s as good as a trio gets at cornerback, assuming everyone stays healthy and plays up to standards.
Sam Shields and Troy Hill will be the primary backups despite being capable of starting for a bunch of other teams in the NFL. That’s how stacked the Rams’ secondary is.
Safety: A-
Even though some may not know the names of Lamarcus Joyner and John Johnson, don’t let their lack of star power lead you to believe the Rams are weak at safety. Joyner and Johnson can hold up against any safety tandem in the league right now despite them only having one season together in the secondary.
They can each play free or strong safety, cover receivers in the slot and lay the wood on ball carriers. Really, there’s nothing they can’t do, which is why they were both graded as top-15 safeties by PFF last season.
Marqui Christian is a hybrid safety-linebacker while Blake Countess can also play safety, but neither are players you want starting on defense.
Special teams: A+
From kicker to long snapper, the Rams are loaded on special teams. All four players on this unit made the Pro Bowl last season – Johnny Hekker, Greg Zuerlein, Pharoh Cooper and Jake McQuaide – proving to be arguably the best special teams group in the league. This unit remains completely intact for 2018.
Grading every position on the Rams roster in 2018
By: Cameron DaSilva
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Rams have one of the best rosters in the NFL heading into 2018, particularly after re-tooling and revamping many parts of the depth chart.
With the regular season upon us, we’ve decided to grade every position on the 53-man roster, from quarterback to special teams.
Quarterback: B
Even though he made the Pro Bowl last season, and even though he posted a passer rating above 100, Goff hasn’t yet cemented his spot among the NFL’s elite – among the “A” class quarterbacks. He’s well on his way to reaching that plateau after throwing 28 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, but he’s just not there yet. This season could be the one where he takes a massive step forward and becomes one of the best passers in the NFL.
This group’s grade takes a hit because of the lack of talent behind Goff, too. Sean Mannion and Brandon Allen offer very little as backups, giving fans and the coaching staff very little confidence if Goff were to go down.
Running back: A+
Gurley proved any remaining doubters wrong last season after a rough 2016 campaign, leading the league in yards from scrimmage and touchdowns. He’s established as one of the three or four best backs in the NFL, which earns the Rams’ backfield an A+ grade on its own. Gurley can catch passes out of the backfield, line up as a wide receiver, carry the ball 25 times a game. Oh, and he didn’t miss a single block in pass protection last year.
Behind Gurley are Malcolm Brown, John Kelly and Justin Davis. They each offer their own skill sets, but Kelly is the best of the bunch. He should be RB2 by season’s end and could have a significant impact this year.
Wide receiver: A-
The Rams may not have a dominant No. 1 receiver like DeAndre Hopkins, Antonio Brown or Julio Jones, but the group as a whole is one of the best in the NFL. Brandin Cooks will be a big upgrade over Sammy Watkins, while Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp will both be good for 60-plus catches and 700 yards each.
Few teams are as set at the top of their wide receiver depth chart the way the Rams are, but they also have good backups in Josh Reynolds, Mike Thomas and Pharoh Cooper. Cooks still has to show he’s worth the big contract he just signed, but even if he doesn’t produce at an elite level, the Rams’ other receivers will step up.
Tight end: C+
The only weak link on offense is at tight end. Tyler Higbee could be poised for a breakout season, as might Gerald Everett, but neither has established himself as a true No. 1 tight end. Everett’s shoulder injury set him back quite a bit this offseason, putting a hold on his potential breakout season.
With Watkins gone, Higbee and Everett could both become go-to red zone weapons for Goff. They’re the only big-bodied receivers not named Josh Reynolds and Goff could take advantage of their size in the tight quarters around the end zone.
Offensive line: A-
Andrew Whitworth isn’t as good as he once was, but he still plays at a very high level given his age. Rodger Saffold might be the Rams’ best offensive lineman despite not getting much credit as such, proving to be an outstanding run blocker last season.
At center, John Sullivan continues to plug along as a veteran leader in the middle of the offense, helping Goff with pre-snap signals and reads at the line. Jamon Brown is the weakest lineman on the team, but he’ll be swapped out for Austin Blythe the first two weeks of the season and isn’t guaranteed to get his job back when he returns from suspension.
Rob Havenstein is freshly signed to an extension, earning the trust of the front office and coaching staff as a quality right tackle.
As for the backups, they’re filled with rookies Joseph Noteboom will be the swing tackle, Jamil Demby can play just about any position and Brian Allen will back up Sullivan at center. This is a deep group with long-term potential.
Defensive line: A+
Good luck finding a better defensive line than the Rams’. Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh will come together at each tackle spot to generate pressure from the interior, giving the Rams arguably the best tandem in the league. At defensive end, Michael Brockers often goes overlooked but is consistently a force against the run and pass.
The Rams probably don’t have as much depth as they would like, but John Franklin-Myers and Sebastian Joseph-Day are both rookies, while Ethan Westbrooks had a standout preseason. Their starters alone make this one of the best defensive lines in the league, be it a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme.
Inside linebacker: C+
As good as Los Angeles is in the middle of its front, the second level isn’t quite as strong. Mark Barron and Cory Littleton will be the staring inside linebackers, which should concern some fans given Barron’s durability questions and Littleton’s inexperience. If they can both progress and step up, the Rams’ defense will be substantially better against the run than it was in 2017.
Micah Kiser, Ramik Wilson and Bryce Hager are solid insurance policies as backups and could find themselves starting at some point this season. There are a lot of just average players in this group, but at least the Rams have solid depth to work with.
Outside linebacker: C
Few people outside of Los Angeles even know who Samson Ebukam and Matt Longacre are, but they’ll be the Rams’ starting outside linebackers. Ebukam has a boatload of potential with his athleticism and speed on the edge, but he didn’t record a single sack in the preseason despite being used heavily.
Longacre battled a biceps injury during camp and the preseason and has had durability issues in the past, so there’s a good chance he won’t be able to start all 16 games. The Rams’ backups don’t offer much, either. Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is on the PUP list, Trevon Young and Justin Lawler are unproven rookies and Dominique Easley is just now trying to transition to outside linebacker from defensive tackle.
Cornerback: A
The cornerback group has a similar feel to the defensive line in the way that it’s loaded with talent. Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib join forces after offseason trades, while Nickell Robey-Coleman will continue to man the slot. That’s as good as a trio gets at cornerback, assuming everyone stays healthy and plays up to standards.
Sam Shields and Troy Hill will be the primary backups despite being capable of starting for a bunch of other teams in the NFL. That’s how stacked the Rams’ secondary is.
Safety: A-
Even though some may not know the names of Lamarcus Joyner and John Johnson, don’t let their lack of star power lead you to believe the Rams are weak at safety. Joyner and Johnson can hold up against any safety tandem in the league right now despite them only having one season together in the secondary.
They can each play free or strong safety, cover receivers in the slot and lay the wood on ball carriers. Really, there’s nothing they can’t do, which is why they were both graded as top-15 safeties by PFF last season.
Marqui Christian is a hybrid safety-linebacker while Blake Countess can also play safety, but neither are players you want starting on defense.
Special teams: A+
From kicker to long snapper, the Rams are loaded on special teams. All four players on this unit made the Pro Bowl last season – Johnny Hekker, Greg Zuerlein, Pharoh Cooper and Jake McQuaide – proving to be arguably the best special teams group in the league. This unit remains completely intact for 2018.
