Rams Roster: Five Non-Starters Who Increased Their Stock In Preseason Game 1

The St. Louis Rams were embarrassed on Sunday. It's only preseason, but losing a game by over 30 points is never what you want to see. Most of the Rams played poorly and the team seems to lack overall chemistry. Despite the Rams being entirely dysfunctional today, there were players who showed flashes.

A review of them after the jump.

1. Isaiah Pead

Isaiah Pead looked as advertised. He looks bouncy when he runs with all the slight jukes. His speed allowed him to get outside on some plays where Steven Jackson isn't able to. He did have issues holding onto the ball which is a huge concern, but overall Pead showed flashes of what he brings to this offense.

2. Austin Davis

Davis played the entire second half for the Rams after Sam Bradford and Kellen Clemens handled the first. Tom Brandstater didn't play, which tells you how much of a chance he has to make the team. Davis looked very poised for a undrafted rookie and he made good decisions. He showed off a nice arm, but he is still a work in progress.

3. Austin Pettis

Pettis finished the day with 3 catches for 25 yards, but he still made his mark. On two occasions he made pure hands catches on tough throws over the middle. Drops were his issue last season, but today he showed signs of returning to the Boise St form he once had.

4. Jermelle Cudjo

The Rams know who will be starting on the defensive line this year, but behind Quinn, Brockers, Langford and Long is a logjam of many players. Cudjo made his case to be in the rotation this year. He had a sack on a play where Craig Dahl completly missed the QB on a blitz, but more importantly, he was great against the run today. He was commanding double teams from the Colts 2nd string offensive line. Cudjo won't get penetration consistently (like Michael Brockers) but he is able to hold the point of attack to allow LBs to clean up.

5. Chris Givens

Givens may have only had one catch for 13 yards, but he showed off his speed. He was able to draw a pass interference early in the game and was able to get over the top of the defense a couple of times. He had a drop on the five yard line, but it would have been a spectacular catch. No other WR on the roster, that can stay healthy at least, is as good of a deep threat as Givens. He has a specific role to play with the Rams now, but it will be interesting to see if his role can evolve to something more over the next few weeks of preseason.