Projecting Rams' depth chart for Week 1

[ROD-BOT]

Projecting Rams' depth chart for Week 1

The Rams have a lot of new faces on their roster this season.

theramswire.usatoday.com

Projecting Rams' depth chart for Week 1

The Rams have officially shifted from training camp to regular-season mode after purging their roster over the weekend. Now, they’re turning their attention to the Dallas Cowboys, their Week 1 opponent.

This upcoming week of practice will be important as the team prepares for their first game of the season, especially after having no preseason games or competitive practices against other teams in camp. The depth chart is still being sorted out and will continue to be shuffled during the season, but many of the starters are essentially set.

Here’s our projection of how the depth chart will look in Week 1 against Dallas.

Offense

Position	Starter	Backup	Reserve
QB	Jared Goff	John Wolford
RB	Cam Akers/Malcolm Brown	Darrell Henderson Jr.	Xavier Jones/Raymond Calais
WR	Josh Reynolds	Van Jefferson
WR	Robert Woods	Trishton Jackson
Slot WR	Cooper Kupp	Nsimba Webster
TE	Tyler Higbee	Gerald Everett	Johnny Mundt/Brycen Hopkins
LT	Andrew Whitworth	Bobby Evans
LG	Joe Noteboom	Tremayne Anchrum
C	Austin Blythe	Brian Allen	Coleman Shelton
RG	Austin Corbett
RT	Rob Havenstein	David Edwards

There hasn’t been much change on offense from when camp opened until now. The running back room remains a committee, headed by Akers and Brown – especially with Henderson (hamstring) still on the mend.

The offensive line is all but set with Whitworth and Havenstein at tackle, Noteboom and Corbett at guard and Blythe in the middle at center. There wasn’t much shuffling with the first-team line in camp.
Jefferson could overtake Reynolds as the No. 3 receiver as early as this week, and it’ll be worth watching the snap distribution between the wideouts in the season opener. He had an outstanding camp and proved ready for the NFL.

At tight end, Higbee remains the top dog, followed by Everett as the No. 2 guy at that position. Hopkins won’t contribute much at all, but Mundt is a great blocker and can play some fullback if needed.

Defense

Position	Starter	Backup	Reserve
DT	Aaron Donald	Eric Banks
NT	Sebastian Joseph-Day	Greg Gaines
DE	Michael Brockers	Morgan Fox
ROLB	Samson Ebukam	Ogbonnia Okoronkwo	Jachai Polite
ILB	Kenny Young	Troy Reeder
ILB	Micah Kiser	Justin Hollins
LOLB	Leonard Floyd	Terrell Lewis
LCB	Jalen Ramsey	David Long
RCB	Troy Hill
NCB	Darious Williams	Terrell Burgess
FS	John Johnson III	Jordan Fuller	Terrell Burgess
SS	Taylor Rapp	Nick Scott

The defense looks vastly different than last year’s unit. Compared to Week 1 in 2019, the Rams have eight new projected starters on that side of the ball. The secondary has undergone a major overhaul, with former starters Eric Weddle, Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Nickell Robey-Coleman all gone.

The linebacker unit is highly unproven, with Kiser and either Young or Reeder being the starters. Hollins was claimed off waivers, but he shouldn’t be expected to contribute right away.

The defensive line is missing A’Shawn Robinson, who’s on the reserve/non-football injury list. Joseph-Day will take his place at nose tackle for the time being, with Gaines rotating in, too.

Outside linebacker is pretty much set with Ebukam and Floyd, but Brandon Staley should have a deep rotation of edge rushers coming in and out of the game.

Special teams

Position	Starter	Backup
Kicker	Samuel Sloman
Punter	Johnny Hekker
Long snapper	Jake McQuaide
Punt return	Nsimba Webster	Cooper Kupp
Kick return	Raymond Calais	Darrell Henderson Jr.

Kicker, punter and long snapper are all set in stone, with Sloman being the only newcomer. He beat out Austin MacGinnis and Lirim Hajrullahu in the Rams’ camp battle, and unless he struggles mightily, he’s going to remain the kicker.

Webster is likely to handle punt return duties, though Cooper Kupp could also mix into the equation in certain situations. Calais was known for his return abilities coming out of the draft this year, and he could handle those duties right away in L.A.

 

[FaulkSF]

Might be a good idea for them to bring up one extra CB (Deayon) from PS and move T Jackson into a protected spot.

 

[fearsomefour]

A lot of big names left the Rams D after last year.
Hard to know if this translates into worst performance.
I would think not in the secondary.
Impossible to tell anything about that LB group.
One can’t even say there is a lack of depth at LB....outside of Floyd don’t know if there is one decent starter in the group.
That OL is paper thin.

 

[badnews]

So is it time to ask if Greg Gaines is a total bust or what?

 

[den-the-coach]

So is it time to ask if Greg Gaines is a total bust or what?

4th round pick so not sure you can classify him as a bust, however, SJD has improved hopefully and I'm sure Gaines is going to get plenty of playing time, but I was not that huge on Gaines as I watched several games and did not come away overly impressed, when he played at the University of Washington.

 

[Soul Surfer]

It looks like they're going to let us run with 12 men on defense as starters.

This season's going to be a cakewalk!

I'm going to buy my Super Bowl tickets now.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Might be a good idea for them to bring up one extra CB (Deayon) from PS and move T Jackson into a protected spot.

I would probably cry if we lost Daeyon.

I'm very sensitive.

 

[SeminoleRam]

It looks like they're going to let us run with 12 men on defense as starters.

This season's going to be a cakewalk!

I'm going to buy my Super Bowl tickets now.

The 3-4-5 Defense! I think it should work out very well this season for the Rams!!!

 

[Ram65]

So is it time to ask if Greg Gaines is a total bust or what?

He did ok in his rookie season. Didn't play in the first four games. He played 18% of snaps last year as a fourth-round draft pick. This could be a turning point season to see what he can become. He needs to muscle up and maybe he has. With Big A out he needs to become a solid rotational player. Expectations may have been a little high for him last year. I'm not thinking bust as he just turned 24.

 

[shovelpass]

So is it time to ask if Greg Gaines is a total bust or what?

He's about to enter his 2nd season so it's a little early to label anyone anything, and being a late 4th rounder if he's a rotational player for the rest of his career that's pretty good. I think the issue is that the draft hype and fan enthusiasm for him was so high that it created almost unrealistic expectations. He was a 4th round pick for a part time position and people were throwing the word "stud" around like he was the next Donald before he even put pads on.

 

[BonifayRam]

Appears there will be only 3 rookies working in this defense against Dallas.

Here's how I see this initial 2020 Staley defense:

LER-Floyd/ Polite/ Okoronkwo/ Lewis
LDL-Brockers/ Fox/ Copeland
NT- SJ-Day/ Gaines/ Hoecht/ Robinson
RDL-Donald/ Banks/ Williams
ROLB-Ebukam/ Hollins/ Patrick

MLB-Kiser/ Reeder/ Bituli
WILB-Young/ Rozeboom/ Moncrief/ Howard

SS-Rapp/ Fuller
CB-Ramsey/ Long/ Deayon
CB-Williams/ Hill/ McGhee
FS-JJ III/ Burgess/ Scott/ Hughes

BLUE=Practice Squad
RED=IR/Medical Issues
GREEN=Rookie

 

[Memento]

Here's how I see this initial 2020 Staley defense:

BLUE=Practice Squad
RED=IR/Medical Issues
GREEN=Rookie

LER-Floyd/ Polite/ Okoronkwo/ Lewis
LDL-Brockers/ Fox/ Copeland
NT- SJ-Day/ Gaines/ Hoecht/ Robinson
RDL-Donald/ Barnes/ Williams
ROLB-Ebukam/ Hollis/ Patrick

MLB-Kiser/ Reeder/ Bituli
WILB-Young/ Rozeboom/ Moncrief/ Howard

SS-Rapp/ Fuller
CB-Ramsey/ Long/ Deayon
CB-Williams/ Hill/ McGhee
FS-JJ III/ Burgess/ Scott/ Hughes

I can agree with that, although I think that Okoronkwo gets the nod over Polite as the second string to Floyd, for now. Also, it's Banks, not Barnes.

 

[BonifayRam]

I can agree with that, although I think that Okoronkwo gets the nod over Polite as the second string to Floyd, for now. Also, it's Banks, not Barnes.

Thanks, I fixed it.

I see Og Okoronkwo much more of a good 3 point pass rusher specialist than a starting left-wing OLB'er that will see many assignments in coverage. I see Polite as a more complete left side OLB'er with size & range to work good enough in coverage. Both are still part-timers at this time in this defense.

I am not down on Og but from what I have seen from him he is best used on passing down in the Brockers post where he will be a serious disruptor. Og plays bigger than his size in a DL, much like AD a under 280lbs DT.

 

[OnceARam]

This looks like a high-ceiling, low-floor defense. Let's hope our new boy wonder preaches gap integrity and downhill LB play. And uses Donald and Ramsey as Queen'esq chess pieces. And while we're at it, let's hope Floyd can hold an edge.

I'm expecting HUGE production out of Ebukam. He's flashed before, fingers crossed he makes the jump to above average starter.

 

[Rams43]

Appears there will be only 3 rookies working in this defense against Dallas.

Here's how I see this initial 2020 Staley defense:

LER-Floyd/ Polite/ Okoronkwo/ Lewis
LDL-Brockers/ Fox/ Copeland
NT- SJ-Day/ Gaines/ Hoecht/ Robinson
RDL-Donald/ Banks/ Williams
ROLB-Ebukam/ Hollis/ Patrick

MLB-Kiser/ Reeder/ Bituli
WILB-Young/ Rozeboom/ Moncrief/ Howard

SS-Rapp/ Fuller
CB-Ramsey/ Long/ Deayon
CB-Williams/ Hill/ McGhee
FS-JJ III/ Burgess/ Scott/ Hughes

BLUE=Practice Squad
RED=IR/Medical Issues
GREEN=Rookie

Two things, Bonifay.

First, I notice that you have Williams starting ahead of Hill. Bravo! I’m a big Williams fan, too.

The other thing is that the new player is named Justin Hollins (not Hollis). You are hardly the only one that’s been making this mistake, btw.

 

[fearsomefour]

So is it time to ask if Greg Gaines is a total bust or what?

No.
Silly question.
A fourth round pick that projects more as a plug sort of interior D Lineman than a passrusher?
Silly.
Decent production out of that fourth round pick is a guy who can come in and play a spot or two and spell the starters.
20-30 snaps a game spread across two spots.
25 tackles and 2 sacks for a season would be a solid stat line for a player/role like this.
It’s the things that don’t show in the stat line you need from rotational players....playing their responsibility well, keeping blockers off the LBs, playing with max effort when in and performing their assignments well.
Maybe Gaines can develop into a starter or a dominant player.
It’s doubtful.
But he doesn’t need to be dominant or a starter to be a great role player and justify his draft position.
Asking if a guy is a bust after one year where he did work himself into getting some snaps? Hell no.

 

[fearsomefour]

Two things, Bonifay.

First, I notice that you have Williams starting ahead of Hill. Bravo! I’m a big Williams fan, too.

The other thing is that the new player is named Justin Hollins (not Hollis). You are hardly the only one that’s been making this mistake, btw.

Yes......that’s my role in this whole

This looks like a high-ceiling, low-floor defense. Let's hope our new boy wonder preaches gap integrity and downhill LB play. And uses Donald and Ramsey as Queen'esq chess pieces. And while we're at it, let's hope Floyd can hold an edge.

I'm expecting HUGE production out of Ebukam. He's flashed before, fingers crossed he makes the jump to above average starter.

yes this year will tell a lot about Samson’s career arc.
Does gap integrity apply to Donald?
Because it hasn’t in the past.

 

[badnews]

No.
Silly question.
A fourth round pick that projects more as a plug sort of interior D Lineman than a passrusher?
Silly.
Decent production out of that fourth round pick is a guy who can come in and play a spot or two and spell the starters.
20-30 snaps a game spread across two spots.
25 tackles and 2 sacks for a season would be a solid stat line for a player/role like this.
It’s the things that don’t show in the stat line you need from rotational players....playing their responsibility well, keeping blockers off the LBs, playing with max effort when in and performing their assignments well.
Maybe Gaines can develop into a starter or a dominant player.
It’s doubtful.
But he doesn’t need to be dominant or a starter to be a great role player and justify his draft position.
Asking if a guy is a bust after one year where he did work himself into getting some snaps? Hell no.

Yeah I get it, not a bust, that's not the right phrase I should have used.

I'm not trying to hate on the player or pick, nor be unnecessarily pessimistic, I'm only wondering if there is any reason to expect him to help us much?

 

[fearsomefour]

Yeah I get it, not a bust, that's not the right phrase I should have used.

I'm not trying to hate on the player or pick, nor be unnecessarily pessimistic, I'm only wondering if there is any reason to expect him to help us much?

Gotcha.
Sure, I think so.
He improved as the year went along.
The replay of the game at Seattle that NFL Network showed a couple of times he made a couple of plays while in the rotation.
I think he can contribute absolutely.
As long as folks realize he’s not John Randle is a run stopper more than not.
A lot of players take 3 or more years to develop.