2016 Los Angeles Rams 53-Man Roster Projection: Training Camp Week 3

Time for this week’s 53-man roster projection. Here was last week’s for reference.

QB

(2015: 3 kept on initial 53-man roster, 2014: 2, 2013: 2)

2016 projection: 3

In: Jared Goff, Case Keenum, Sean Mannion

Out: Dylan Thompson

Change from last projection: N/A

Hard to see this changing. Perhaps there’s an argument to just keep two, but that would be pretty risky with just seven NFL regular season snaps between Goff and Mannion combined and Case Keenum...well, being Case Keenum.

RB

(2015: 5, 2014: 5, 2013: 4)

2016 projection: 4

In: Todd Gurley, Benny Cunningham, Chase Reynolds, Malcolm Brown

Out: Aaron Green, Tre Mason, Terrence Magee

Change from last projection: N/A

I’m still rolling with this group. If anything, Brown’s early playing time on Saturday at least confirmed he’d be the next man up on the depth chart as of today. The question is if Aaron Green could leapfrog someone in front of him...and if that person might be Chase Reynolds who offers the least of any of the running backs at the position.

WR

(2015: 6, 2014: 5, 2013: 5)

2016 projection: 6

In: Tavon Austin, Kenny Britt, Bradley Marquez, Pharoh Cooper, Mike Thomas, Brian Quick

Out: Nelson Spruce, Duke Williams, Marquez North, Paul McRoberts, Austin Hill, David Richards

Change from last projection: N/A

This one’s getting tight.

With Nelson Spruce balling out in the second half on Saturday, he’s got to be the top option among those left out. The question is if he can provide similar supremacy once he moves up the depth chart a bit. Remember that Spruce was excelling against members of the Dallas Cowboys’ secondary most of whom won’t make their 2016 53-man roster. The real key is to see how he performs against opposition that will.

And, because of course, things are made more difficult by the knee sprain he picked up which will keep him out for a bit...

But if he’s able to make it back for the third preseason game and has a similar performance, it’s gonna be really hard to keep him out...

TE/FB

(2015: 3, 2014: 5, 2013: 4)

2016 projection: 3

In: Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey, Tyler Higbee

Out: Temarrick Hemingway, Zach Laskey, Justice Cunningham, Benson Browne, Jake Stoneburner

Change from last projection: N/A

Yes, Higbee had a hell of a game too. Do the Rams entertain going past the main trio for any reason? Can Hemingway or anyone else offer special teams support?

OL

(2015: 10, 2014: 9, 2013: 10)

2016 projection: 10

In: Tim Barnes, Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal, Rob Havenstein, Garrett Reynolds, Demetrius Rhaney, Greg Robinson, Rodger Saffold, Cody Wichmann, Darrell Williams

Out: Isaiah Battle, Eric Kush, David Arkin, Brian Folkerts, Pace Murphy, Jordan Swindle

Change from last projection: N/A

Hard Knocks definitely built Kush a fan following, but it’s tough to see if that’s going to translate to any push on the depth chart.

And Isaiah Battle is a de facto fifth-round pick from this year’s draft...is he going to make the team this year if he can’t get on the field in the preseason?

DL

(2015: 8, 2014: 10, 2013: 9)

2016 projection: 9

In: Michael Brockers, Aaron Donald, William Hayes, Robert Quinn, Eugene Sims, Ethan Westbrooks, Quinton Coples, Dominique Easley, Cam Thomas

Out: Matt Longacre, Ian Seau, Morgan Fox, Louis Trinca-Pasat, Zach Colvin

Change from last projection: N/A

Longacre and Seau certainly helped themselves on Saturday.

LB

(2015: 6, 2014: 5, 2013: 6)

2016 projection: 5

In: Alec Ogletree, Akeem Ayers, Bryce Hager, Cameron Lynch, Nicholas Grigsby

Out: Josh Forrest, Brandon Chubb, Darreon Herring, Cory Littleton

No longer on roster: Zack Hodges, Matthew Wells, Kache Palacio

Change from last projection: N/A

This might be the toughest group to parse, especially if QB Sean Mannion is going to play so well against third-string defenses that the Rams’ D doesn’t get a ton of snaps to help evaluate this battle...

CB

(2015: 4, 2014: 6, 2013: 5)

2016 projection: 5

In: Trumaine Johnson, E.J. Gaines, Lamarcus Joyner, Marcus Roberson, Coty Sensabaugh

Out: Troy Hill, Michael Jordan, Jabriel Washington

No longer on roster: Melvin White

Change from last projection: N/A

Man, did the Rams’ secondary struggle against Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and that early offense...Was that enough to open the door a crack at CB though?

S

(2015: 5, 2014: 4, 2013: 5)

2016 projection: 5

In: T.J. McDonald, Mark Barron, Maurice Alexander, Cody Davis, Christian Bryant

Out: Jordan Lomax, Rohan Gaines, Jordan Kovacs, Michael Caputo

No longer on roster: Brian Randolph

Change from last projection: N/A

We know the depth here is primed for special teams work (see: Davis & Bryant). With Reynolds now lost for the year on a knee injury, who will benefit the most from the additional opportunity via more snaps?

ST

(2015: 3, 2014: 3, 2013: 3)

2016 projection: 3

In: Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide

Out: Taylor Bertolet, Jeff Overbaugh

Change from last projection: N/A

Yeah, no.

Bubble Watch

Close calls: RB Aaron Green, WR Duke Williams, WR Nelson Spruce, TE Temarrick Hemingway, OT Isaiah Battle, OL Eric Kush, DE Matt Longacre, LB Josh Forrest, LB Brandon Chubbs, Jordan Lomax, S Rohan Gaines

Trimmed a bit of the bubble watch based on Saturday’s showing, something QBKlass is tracking in greater depth every week. Essentially, I’m trying to narrow this group down to the guys who will make the initial set of roster cuts that will get us from 90 down to 75 but won’t make the 53-man for Week 1. Granted there aren’t 22 names here, but I’m looking more for #54-65 than #65-75.

Overall, no changes yet, but that’s because I’m hesitant to flip a depth chart up based on a single preseason game. A second performance in the right (or for some guys, wrong) direction will be more telling than a single game.

Remember, Duke Williams was blowing up training camp leading into the Rams-Cowboys game. He finished with a single four-yard catch. Meanwhile, Paul McRoberts, who was on the tip of nobody’s tongue, grabbed three receptions for 24 yards.

This third week of training camp, along with the Rams’ second preseason game at home against the Kansas City Chiefs, might just tell us more than what we’ve seen so far by confirming (or not) what we learned this weekend.