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As we enter week four of the preseason, the Los Angeles Rams have multiple spots up for grab on the 53-man roster.
Let’s take a look below at some of the storylines to follow:
Quarterback
Brandon Allen has had spurts of solid play and some not-so-good. Can he prove worthy of potentially jumping Sean Mannion on the depth chart tonight? Can he earn a roster spot? How will undrafted free agent QB Luis Perez perform?
Watch out for both Allen and Perez to duke it out for a practice squad spot, though Allen may have bigger visions of sticking on the 53-man roster.
Wide Receiver
I presume the top-five spots are secured with Brandin Cooks, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Pharoh Cooper, and Josh Reynolds. That leaves multiple guys vying for spots, including third-year WR Mike Thomas, preseason stud KhaDarel Hodge, and long shots in Steven Mitchell Jr, Jojo Natson, and Fred Brown.
My best guess is Hodge performs well enough for the Rams to consider a roster spot for him, and he likely edges out Thomas for the WR6 spot.
Inside Linebacker
Three spots are likely locked up here with Mark Barron, Cory Littleton, and Micah Kiser fulfilling those. That leaves veterans in Bryce Hager and Ramik Wilson, battling with rookies Tegray Scales and Travin Howard.
There’s a ton of talent at the ILB position, and all four battling for spots have a real shot to land on the roster or the practice squad (rookies).
Does anyone separate themselves tonight?
Outside Linebacker
Samson Ebukam and Matt Longacre are the penciled-in starters here, with Ejuan Price and Justin Lawler looking like players primed for a role too. What can recently moved Dominique Easley do at this spot?
Can Trevon Young or Ryan Davis prove worthy of a roster spot? Or is Young destined for the practice squad with a ton of young players at the position already?
Safety
The top-four spots are all locked in, in my opinion. Don’t expect to see Lamarcus Joyner and John Johnson III tonight. Backups Blake Countess and Marqui Christian have both proved to be spot-starter worthy and are highly valued on special teams. That leaves undrafted rookie free agents Steven Parker, Isaiah Johnson, Afolabi Laguda, and Nate Holley.