LOS ANGELES, CA — By 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 30, all NFL teams must have their rosters cut down from 90 players, to just 53.

If you’re unfamiliar with how this time of year works in the NFL, or even what the hell a practice squad even is, here’s a quick rundown:

Once player cuts are announced, there will be players moving around as they’re picked up by other teams. If a player has been in the league less than four seasons, then the player is waived. They are then placed on the waiver wire, where teams have a previously-set pecking order in which they may claim those players.

If a player is cut who has at least four years experience, then they are simply released and allowed to negotiate and sign with whatever team they choose.

Subscribe now

This is where teams fill their practice squad roster. Each team is allowed to house 16 players on their practice squad for the season. This allows a way for teams to keep a small bank of reserve players.

Here in Los Angeles, it isn’t very difficult to finalize a roster prediction when looking at starters. Pretty much the entire slate of starters returned from last year. The trouble I had making this list was in the depth spots. Guys like Wesley Bailey and Cam Lampkin made names for themselves through the entire preseason.

But will it be enough to crack the final 53?

[For information on what Cut Day is, or how Practice Squads work, scroll to the bottom section for explanation.]

QUARTERBACKS

Starter: Matthew Stafford
2nd: Stetson Bennett
3rd: Ty Simpson

I know, surprising that Matthew is making the roster. Ha. Ha.

I do believe Ty Simpson showed a lot to make fans excited about his addition to the QB room. However, I do believe Stetson Bennett was always going to be the guy.

Stetson’s experience in McVay’s system is evident from his timing on throws. Trusting to throw guys open more often than waiting for the obvious to present itself. He’s shown plenty of arm to challenge defenses deep down the field. As well as trust in his receivers to make a play on a ball as long as you’re capable of placing it where only they can get it.

This takes nothing from Ty’s progression since arriving in April. It’s just Stetson is asked to handle more on the field right now as more of an assumed backup, while Simpson is excelling along his own separate schedule.

RUNNINGBACKS

Starter: Kyren Williams
2nd: Blake Corum
3rd: Ronnie Rivers
Practice Squad: Dean Connors

With the first two spots in the backfield firmly taken by Kyren and Blake, it’s the depth questions that the Rams have already begun answering this week.

By trading away second-year RB Jarquez Hunter, the room for depth seems to be a battle between Jordan Waters and Dean Connors. We have Connors earning a Practice Squad spot because of his ability to score as a receiver in the redzone.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Starters: Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Jordan Whittington
2nd: Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith, C.J. Daniels
Practice squad: Tutu Atwell, Brennan Pressley

The other half of that Jarquez Hunter trade involved bringing back WR Tutu Atwell just two weeks before the season starts. However, I don’t think that makes him an automatic lock to make the roster.

Let’s run down the list: Puka and Adams, duh. Whittington is their do-it-all guy they trust everywhere. Mumpfield is their reserve X-receiver (think Davante lite), and Smith is their special teams returner. That leaves rookie C.J. Daniels as the potential odd man out.

I think it’d be malpractice to try and place Daniels on the practice squad. I personally believe there’s a near-zero chance he clears waivers. If you want to develop him in L.A., he has to make the initial roster.

In this scenario, Atwell would be released (not waived), and free to sign right back with the Rams onto their practice squad.

Subscribe now

TIGHT ENDS

Starter: Colby Parkinson/Tyler Higbee/Terrance Ferguson/Davis Allen
2nd: Max Klare
Practice Squad: Mark Redman

I hope this unit stays healthy this year, it’s going to be a lot of fun to watch. I do have Klare making the roster. He was a 2nd Round pick this year, his role will look to be depth to keep a level of athletic explosiveness at tight end.

TACKLE (OT)

Starter: Alaric Jackson, Warren McClendon
2nd: Keagan Trost, David Quessenberry
Practice Squad: AJ Arcuri, Bryce Henderson

This is the one position I’m still the most nervous about. We’re still waiting on news on whether or not Alaric Jackson will face any suspension from the league for his arrest this offseason. If he were to miss time for any reason, the Rams’ current options are between an unproven rookie or a 36-year-old veteran.

Keagan Trost was drafted in April as a swing tackle option, a guy who can play at both left and right tackle. Quessenberry last saw playing time while with the Vikings in 2023-2024.

INTERIOR OL (GUARD & CENTER)

Starter: Kevin Dotson, Coleman Shelton, Steve Avila
2nd: Beaux Limmer, Dylan McMahon, Justin Dedich
(Practice Squad: Austin Blaske, Wyatt Bowles, Bill Murray)

Contrary to my feelings on the tackle depth, the interior is where I believe the true engine of the team is.

Dotson and Avila are solid returners that will be the main road-pavers in the run game. Limmer and Dedich are potentially interchangeable across both guard and center spots as depth.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Starter: Kobie Turner, Poona Ford, Braden Fiske
2nd: Ty Hamilton, Tyler Davis, Larrell Murchison
Practice Squad: T. Keenan III

Ty Hamilton has shown improvement in his anchor and leverage through the offseason. I believe he’s shown he’s firmly entrenched behind Poona. Tim Keenan is an exciting prospect and I love his tape, he’s just not as far along as Ty currently is. It’s a deep group on defense, cuts will be tough.

Subscribe now

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS/EDGE RUSHERS

Starter: Myles Garrett, Byron Young
2nd: Josaiah Stewart, Desjuan Johnson, Wesley Bailey
Practice Squad: Tomon Fox

It sucks not being able to list Keir Thomas II here. He suffered a groin injury in the preseason win over the Saints, and was placed on injured reserve and set to miss the entire season.

That may make room for Wesley to step up in his place and make the initial roster. Bailey posted ten pressures against the Saints this preseason. Hard to ignore that type of talent. If he does get listed on the practice squad, I’d imagine he’d be one of the first players snagged by another team.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS

Starter: Nate Landman, Omar Speights
2nd: Grant Stuard, Shaun Dolac
Practice Squad: Nikhai Hill-Green

I’m most excited to see what Stuard can do to revitalize the energy on special teams. However, his impact could be felt on defense as he does excel in space both in the run and pass. Dolac also makes the roster again as a main contributor on special teams.

CORNERBACKS

Starter: Trent McDuffie, Jaylen Watson
2nd: Emmanuel Forbes, Josh Wallace
Practice Squad: Al’Zillion Hamilton, Cam Lampkin, Alex Johnson

Funny how much things can change in one year for a position group. Here’s to hoping they match the hype come regular season.

I think Cam Lampkin showed a lot of playmaking ability, especially around the line of scrimmage as a blitzing option. He has a sack and run-stop against the Chargers in preseason action. I think he just misses out though because of just numbers. It’s a tight window to fit onto this roster.

For the PS, I like what Hamilton’s skillset adds to the room, and another name we look at in two years as a potential role player.

SAFETIES

Starter: Kam Curl, Quentin Lake, Kam Kinchens
2nd: Jaylen McCollough
Practice Squad: Tanner Ingle

The Rams secondary is intentionally almost positionless at times. Lake and Curl both play nearly every snap when healthy. But we might see Kinchens eat into those snaps potentially. Jaylen, better known as “Tank”, is someone you don’t want to sleep on when he’s lined up around the box.

Depending on the flow of the season. We could see this list change to maybe add one more, if needed for depth. But the depth at corner becomes an interchangeable piece at that nickel/Star position on the Rams defense.

SPECIALISTS

K: Harrison Mevis
P: Ethan Evans
LS: Joe Cardona

Specialists are people, too. We’re excited to see what the new-look special teams unit has in store for us. Harrison was nails throughout the preseason, he went 6-for-6 in field goals, and 8-for-8 in extra points.

Ethan Evans had a bad punt this last match against the Chargers. Evans has the leg strength, of course, but it’s his accuracy that has been his focus of improvement this offseason.

Loyola Marymount University — It felt like the Rams were tempting the football gods by leaving a game up to the kicking unit again. Their ticket to the NFC Championship game rested on the right foot of a kicker who was just signed 72 days prior to that freezing night in Chicago.

As the Rams field goal unit got set, the anxiety choking the fanbase in the moment seemed appropriate. They experienced losses from blocked and botched kicks that season. Now with the season on the line, it felt as though their demons were coming back to haunt them out of another win.

Looking back, I think we’d feel differently at the time if we knew more about Harrison Mevis beyond just his incredibly spectacular nickname:

“The Thiccer Kicker”

If only I knew Harrison better at the time, I would have been relaxed enough to care about finishing my beer, now warm from my focus being glued to the game. If only I knew Harrison was the same guy who nailed that 61-yard game-winner at Missouri, then calmy credits it to just “doing the little things right”.

If only, I would have sat back and looked you in the eyes as I confidently told you “Mevis is going to be money right now”.

The Rams underwent offseason changes that included hiring new special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone, signing long-snapper Joe Cardona and linebacker Grant Stuard. Yet, they opted out of signing an additional kicker. Some teams do this as a “camp leg” to reduce burning out your specialists, other times it’s competition to help search for your starter.

It seems Sean McVay is confident they’ve got their guy. Frankly, after speaking with Harrison following one training camp afternoon, I believe I understand why that confidence in Harrison is justified.

“You always have something to prove.”

So, where did Harrison’s competitive spirit evolve?

“It goes back to where I come from. I’m from a small little country town, Warsaw, Indiana. Not many guys go pro, I can say, from there.”

That humbleness is evident anytime Harrison talks with media. It’s worth noting Harrison and his brother, Andrew, earned their way to kick for NCAA Division-1 programs. Their brotherhood is where the Harrisons’ competitive DNA began to emerge.

“We would always compete against each other and kick and see whose better that day. Me being the younger brother, and him the older brother I feel like that pushed me and made me better.”

Maybe that’s why he seemed to be a perfect fit at the University of Missouri.

“I feel like I was underrecruited in college. Missouri reached out and I committed right away. And from there I’ve just always had a blue-collar chip on my shoulder. I’ve had something to prove.”

“Something to prove” is the correct description for the mindset of the 24-year-old kicker. When asked where that originated from, Harrison gave props to his alma mater, “That evolved at Missouri. That’s their thing, ‘something to prove’, and ever since then that’s kind of my motto, ‘you always have something to prove’.”

Harrison is still beloved by Missouri fans for his heroics in the clutch. For moments like teasing Florida with their own Gator Chomp after nailing a game-winner against them in 2023. That same season he set the SEC record for longest field goal, a kick that upset #15 Kansas State from 61 yards out.

“I just have always kept that chip on my shoulder. I know what I can do. I know that I can make a lot of kicks.”

For Harrison, it all goes back to his brother and Missouri for growing the competitor in him.

“There’s part of that [with Andrew]. Part of the midset at Missouri. And now its, you’re a free agent, you gotta go earn the right to go play on Sundays. That mindset’s not going to change. It’s kind of been what I’ve done throughout my career.”

“It’s kind of a me vs. me right now.”

Entering the league in 2024 as an undrafted rookie, Harrison has had to earn his keep to eventually wind up here in Los Angeles.

His first stop was with the Panthers. After being cut before the season, he opted to sign to the UFL with the Birmingham Stallions. A successful spring there got him a spot with the New York Jets, but he found himself as part of final roster cuts in August 2025.

I’ll call it almost fortuitous how the timing worked. Harrison being cut by the Jets allowed the Rams to call him up to compete with Joshua Karty for an in-season kicking competition.

“Everywhere I’ve been, I’ve had to go compete for a spot. And that’s not going to change. I’m going to keep continuing to compete for my spot. Whether it’s just me, the circumstance doesn’t change, my mindset’s the same.”

Fast forward to our conversation now, when I asked Harrison about any feelings he may have about being the assumed starting kicker, he quickly washed that away.

“I’m going to go and approach it like I’m competing with myself. I gotta be better than myself than what I was last year. That’s the goal and kind of what I’m chasing.”

By all accounts, he’s doing a damned fine job beating out his competition. Even having a new coordinator in Bubba Ventrone, Harrison casually told me, “Nothing changes for me. I’m expected to go out there and make kicks.”

He speaks as if drilling clutch kicks is easy work.

“I think the last three years I’ve had different coordinators. So, a lot of good ones. And nothing changes for me. Just going out there, do my job, and kick a ball pretty much, that’s it.”

The Rams are no stranger to finding players with unconventional paths through the league, often helping them find success here in Los Angeles. So it’s fitting that Harrison also feels like his new home is a great fit.

“It really does. You got a good group in there. Give credit to Ethan [Evans] and Joe Cardona. This offseason they’ve worked hard. I got with Ethan this offseason, got some work in. It’s a good group. I think everyone’s going to push themselves. Me as a kicker, shoot, I’m trying to compete and push myself, too. It’s been a blast.”

Classic Harrison, credit goes to your brothers before self.

With the opportunity to open the season as the Rams starting kicker, the confidence radiating off of Harrison in our conversation is infectious. I walked away from our chat thinking, “I get it now.”

I get why Les Snead and Sean McVay didn’t pull the trigger on bringing any kicking competition in during the offseason. I believe I see what they saw in Harrison during those 72 days from his first signing to his first NFL postseason game-winning kick.

He just has it.

I get why he is confident enough to embrace the nickname, Thiccer Kicker. If the results will match the skill and internal drive, Rams House will be clamoring for Thiccer Kicker merch before the year ends.

Subscribe now

Loyola Marymount University — With each passing day, highlights coming out of Rams training camp build hype around new faces like CJ Daniels and Ty Simpson. As fans are looking for any hints that validate their preseason Super Bowl aspirations, it’s exciting anytime rookies flash their potential on the practice field.

Those moments build confidence for players looking to make the final cut of this talented roster, but they don’t tell the full story.

Subscribe now

Saturday’s practice saw the Rams suited and booted in full pads. The main attraction of the day was team period, in what some veterans have referenced as sessions of “iron sharpens iron”. With Stafford under center, you get best on best where guys will either shine or shrink.

Let’s dive into some of the position group battles, and highlight some players fans have been eager to see progress from this camp:

Josaiah Stewart has looked impressive all camp

There was a series of plays during team period where I jotted notes about how dominant Josaiah was.

On one first down, he took on Terrance Ferguson’s block attempt behind the line of scrimmage. Stewart won the rep stalemating Ferguson and getting a real chance at a tackle for loss. The very next play, Stewart batted down a Stafford pass at the line of scrimmge. If this is meant to mimic Sunday action, that’s a quick 1-2 punch from the second-year linebacker forcing a potential third and long.

I’ve been quick to credit right tackle Warren McClendon for his consistency through camp thus far. Some of his toughest reps though, have come against Stewart.

On run plays away from Stewart, he isn’t settling for getting sealed off on his edge. At 6’1” 250lbs, he’s able to work low and power through with leverage to at least get involved in scrums to keep gains to a minimum.

Anytime I’ve watched Stewart get blocked by a tight end, often times I see him get either a quick win (I referenced that attempted wham block by Ferguson earlier), or work them back into the pocket to make it messy to attempt a throw from.

Subscribe now

Stewart didn’t get a lot of media or fan attention last season, but his tape shows flashes of setting strong edges and having the physical tools to contribute a lot more this season. Add in the fact Byron Young is in a contract year and managing a pre-existing knee injury, it’s encouraging to know you have a guy like Stewart who may step in and dominate in his own regard.

CJ Daniels praise is deserving, who else from the WR room are we excited about?

When rookies have such a short offseason to prepare for their first NFL action, you have to look for certain intangibles to see if they can survive as a professional.

CJ Daniels has it.

The hands are very real. His size has created mismatches versus corners, and he looks natural finding open spaces to give his quarterback a throwing window. His touchdown from Ty Simpson during Saturday’s practice was as impressive as everyone has shown online. But he’s also shown good focus as he’s surehanded balls near the sideline despite a corner trying to work through his back.

He still has much work to do in his run-blocking consistency. Another thing I noted is similar to what I felt about Konata Mumpfield last season: His overall speed might be something that could limit his ability to contribute as much as fans think he will.

Speaking of Mumpfield, he looks different than last season. When speaking to him after practice, he credits his offseason training. “Just making sure I’m taking care of my body, getting stronger, getting faster. That’s definitely something I wanted to progress in.”

Subscribe now

It’s noticed, Konata. He’s gotten in and out of cuts quicker through the first week of camp. You see a burst after the catch that wasn’t quite there yet before. With all the reps he’s gotten, he has a great understanding of “where he’s supposed to be at, and with what timing” in regards to Stafford’s progression on plays.

We’ll have a full column dedicated to just the receivers, but I’m impressed by what I’ve seen from the group collectively. Mumpfield, Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith seem to have roles they’ll be asked to contribute with all year long in support of superstars Davante Adams and Puka Nacua.

The interior offensive line could end up best in show

I’m a believer in the thought of, if a lineman is doing good, you probably won’t see their name pop up in the papers. So let’s go against that today and give credit to the trio of Steve Avila, Coleman Shelton and Kevin Dotson.

There’s lots to love about the defensive line, don’t get it twisted. They have their plays of dominance as well. But when the Rams are working their run game between the tackles, I’m seeing a lot of Dotson celebrating as they stack bodies in the trenches.

Starting with Dotson, following a strong goal line rep that saw he and Shelton push bodies into the endzone, you could see big #69 shout to the sideline with a finger in the air in celebration. He and Shelton’s combo blocking has been fun to watch as well.

One rep that highlighted the duo came against nosetackle Poona Ford.

Dotson gave a strong arm to help while Shelton worked across Poona’s face. Shelton then was able to time his hand placement and stay lower than Poona, allowing him to drive the 314lb. Ford. All the while Dotson is seamlessely working up to take the linebacker out of the play successfully.

Adding Avila to the conversation, the fun continues. On another rep I got to see Avila and Shelton combo Kobie Turner together. The duo got the best of Turner that play, not allowing him to twist or counter the double team, as they worked to wash him out into the edge defender.

Dotson himself has mentioned how much “that continuity of offensive line is probably the most important thing” helping them grow. They’ll be able to continue stacking with “higher level things” as they build that trust at camp.

Ferguson is a breakout candidate in fans’ eyes, is he meeting expectations so far?

Terrance has been high on a lot of people’s minds as a player who could take a big leap forward in his progression this season. I’ve seen some good things in camp, and also some growing pains during Saturday’s practice.

The good: He is such a problem for defenders to get a good matchup advantage against. There’s routes where he separates easily on in-breaking routes from quick corners like Emmauel Forbes. On another play I watched him get a step or two ahead of safeties down the field. When he gets a reception, he has that long stride and physical body to work through arm tackles and pick up extra yards.

He has definitely improved in his body positioning and hand placement in regards to blocking. But, I believe there’s still some work in progress in that category.

Areas still improving: His connection with Stafford will continue to hone-in through the journey towards week one. It bears reminder that Stafford missing camp last year is where all those near-misses possibly stems from. The same thing happened Saturday. Ferguson had a step on defenders down the field, and Stafford placed it just out of reach from the tight end.

On another short route, we get a drop from Ferguson. They happen. Better in practice than on Sundays is what we care about.

His blocking looks and feels better, but still not to the same impact you feel when watching Tyler Higbee.

There were two reps in particular where he had good battles with Josaiah Stewart (once in the run and pass), but ultimately it seemed ilke Stewart would strongarm his way towards the play. From just a week’s sample size, it does appear his hand placement is improved from last year. I’ve seen a strong initial engage from Ferguson on most of his reps.

Take my critique with a grain of salt. I could very well be critical on things that don’t matter ultimately in his development. He could very well be progressing right as the staff needs him to be. I can only give my observation, and hope it’s consistent with the body of work in progress for the young man.

Loyola Marymount University — Who doesn’t love the thud from shoulder pads crunching together in the a-gap? That sound signals to me that football season is closer than we think. As the Rams rolled out to their Loyola Marymount practice field, we got our first look at the backup quarterback competition under live-ish fire.

These guys still have red jerseys on, after all.

Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson got the green light in practice as the Rams continue to manage Matthew Stafford’s scheduled rest days through training camp. And everyone is eager to learn which signal-caller has the edge between the two for that coveted QB2 seat.

“But I’ve been really pleased with both of them. You can see it’s important to them. They’re intentional, their teammates like them, they’ve got good command of the huddle. A lot of positives from both those guys.”

When asked after practice about what he needs to see from either QB in this evaluation, McVay referred back to adages you hear from the team often, “I think it’s really what we ask of our team. It’s ‘Let’s stack days, let’s be present’”. The Rams head coach has a way about giving you a little something while giving you nothing really all at once.

McVay’s praise was equal parts towards Bennett and Simpson, mentioning that “it felt like both those guys had a lot of good things they they can learn from and thought they did a nice job taking what the defense gave them.”

That part looked true all day. Let’s talk about some things we took notes on for each QB:

[Note: In describing some plays, we substitute some player names with just listing their position as not to give inference to any depth chart information the Rams don’t want to share for competitive purposes.]

Stetson Bennett

“Stetson has really taken incredible strides, done a lot of good things.”- Sean McVay

Through practice, I often found myself muttering “great f***** throw”.

The third year veteran impressed a lot of people today. What I did notice through practice’s atmosphere and offensive tempo was his leadership managing the unseen things. Things like:

• Guys getting in and out of the huddle knowing what they’re doing

• Presnap cadence and is it consistency

• Tempo after the snap, not sitting and taking negative plays, take what the defense gives you

• Ability to make throws with differing velocities whether it’s over the middle or to the sidelines

My bar for what I would hope Bennett looks like at camp is Jimmy Garoppolo. This time last year, with Stafford resting his back, Jimmy came in and gave me the confidence that he could go 3-1 in the season’s opening month if asked to start the season.

From what I’m seeing so far, I am leaning towards that same feeling with Stetson. It’s just one practice, but his handling of the pocket, as well as timing with his progression after the snap felt like a veteran McVay trusts.

He established a connection early and often with his #1 target. On one completion to his right, he had to place the ball with just a touch of air to reach over a backpedaling linebacker. The receiver elevated for a comfortable first-down reception.

It was good to see #13 air it out deep as well. On one rep, he tossed a pass down the middle of the field to a sprinting Xavier Smith. Ultimately resulting in a contested incompletion by Jaylen Watson.

I’m intrigued by Stetson during playaction, especially when asked to boot outside the pocket. I hate to use the trope of “sneaky athletic”, but I admit I always seem to forget he has enough speed to make himself a threat when outside the pocket. If he has to play any time, he gives opposing defenses an extra runner to account for with every bootaction McVay calls.

To stay fair in our non-coaching assessment, there were maybe two throws we accounted for where Stetson will look to improve on.

One was a forced error from pressure in the pocket. Having a blocking jersey right up in your grill can cause an overthrow from any QB. Another was a throw underneathe in a bit of traffic to his receiver. It resulted in a bat down by Shaun Dolac. Incompletions happen, but they didn’t come from any inability to process his reads regardless of who was on defense.

Overall, solid day from Stetson. I’m encouraged that he may really make the most of his unique opportunity. At the very least, his presence in the huddle allows Stafford to rest, while giving the defenses real looks to improve themselves. That last part is critical to Sean McVay, in my opinion.

Ty Simpson

Simpson surprised me on Friday. Not because I doubted any of his capabilities, simply because I didn’t know how a first day would go for the rookie.

My biggest takeaway from watching him is: I absolutely see the first-round-worthy arm traits. The arm strength to fire passes over congested parts of the field with accuracy is a non-negotiable skill you must have in McVay’s offense. You can’t hide in this offense with throws just to the boundary.

Similar to Stetson, he has the capability to scramble and create broken plays and let his receivers work themselves open. On one play, he went through his progressions, opted to roll left. With nowhere to go, he pivoted to scrambling all the way back outside the right hashmarks, and made an accurate throw on the run and hit his tight end right in the chest.

Here are some of the positives we took away from Simpson’s day:

• Not afraid to let it rip over the intermediate part of the field, where McVay loves calling in-breaking routes

• Progresses through his multiple reads, doesn’t seem rushed but still obviously not with the same timing as the vets

• Throw on the run abilities with good accuracy

• Intangibles are there. Pocket presence, doesn’t get rushed from bullets flying around him, willing to dump it off rather than force it

Again, one day isn’t the full story. But amidst the good stuff, his negative plays are things you hope to see from any rookie QB in his first day.

Consider it getting the nerves out of the way!

On one of his first attempts, he rolled left, tried to flip his hips and get rid of the pass vs. some pressure to his checkdown tight end. The pass came out a little awkward, and was too high for his target.

On another rep, Simpson had a receiver open in the post. Simpson opted to put little air under the pass, resulting in Emmanuel Forbes with a near interception. With my memory only, I don’t think there was a safety threatening over the top. So, possibly the correct read, if he throws it over the top with enough air, he possibly scores the biggest touchdown of the day.

These little things are part of the learning process for any rookie quarterback. It’s encouraging to see him learning so quickly from spring OTAs. With every mistake, you can see Simpson’s competitive nature after each mistake.

Day two of pads at Rams training camp is set to get underway here shortly. We’ll get to see more of the rookie and veteran compete behind Stafford. Stay tuned for more analysis after practice.

Subscribe now

Loyola Marymount University — As each practice comes and goes, the intensity ramps up on the field. Coaches get a little more urgent with their position units. Receiver dial up the speed in easy-ups. Blocks get held just a bit longer. Defenders itch to lay a hit on the ballcarrier.

This is where you start to see some chippiness at NFL training camps.

Subscribe now

“We want to put our best versus best and compete and stress them in good situations and really on both sides. We know we feel like it's awesome going against our offense every single day and it's an advantage for us that we get to do that so we want to stress our guys to the most that we can.” (On what it was like having” - Sean McVay

Wednesday’s practice under the midday sun was the second camp practice for Matthew Stafford. Fans packed the bleachers for another showcase of accurately placed throws from the MVP. While there are clips circulating online of wondrous grabs by Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, they don’t tell the full story of the battle between the offense and defense.

That’s a great thing for those curious about how the defense is adjusting with their new teammates.

Let’s hit on some of our main takeaways from Wednesday’s practice:

(Reminder: We cannot speculate on where players will fall on the depth chart, injuries before coaches speak on them, or details on Rams gameplanning.)

Communication has been key between new teammates in helping unit close the gap

“A lot of the times for us is if we're in the right spot and we're communicating and everybody on the back end is on the same page, that's how you make more plays. That's how you limit explosive plays and that's how you become the unit that everybody knows we can be” - Quentin Lake

Here’s one example of the progress I felt from the backend of the defense between Monday and Wednesday’s sessions:

Wednesday: Stafford completes a no-look pass to Adams over the middle of the field. Adams leaped in stride to make the grab. To the naked eye, it’s another amazing connection. To the coach operating film review after, credit might go to inside linebacker Nate Landman for being in position to play the ball, or force a receiver to pick up his helmet off the turf.

Subscribe now

Landman ducked and ran by Adams at the point of reception, not as a “damn I mistimed that”, but seemingly out of not wanting to hurt your own guys.

I’m not calling it a hospital ball, but that same window was just a touch more open on Monday than it was on Wednesday. That’s thanks to the communication evolving between Quentin Lake and his secondary compadres.

The best way I can measure it, is if Puka and Davante had a step on the secondary on Monday, they only had maybe half a step on Wednesday. With every Adams vs. Jaylen Watson matchup, Adams would make a reception look easy, then the next one he’s losing a 50/50 fight for a near interception.

“Fortunately, we're going against one of the best offenses in the world to compete against so that stresses us a lot. A lot of good problems, but we have a lot of really smart players that we can solve them with.” - Chris Shula

When defensive coordinator Chris Shula spoke to media on Sunday, he talked about the communication from the defense allowing “a lot of clarity so they can go play fast”, and that’s exactly how it felt watching all week. Safeties were downhill on every underneathe pass, McDuffie and Watson made some deep passes a challenge for Puka, and even linebackers seem to be providing good help against the pass.

I fully expect the aggression to ramp up even more with pads today.

Something in the air is different about the special teams

“It's a new season and I'm coming in here with a clean slate for all the personnel on the roster of the guys that turned over…I think that if we can really incorporate our fundamentals in all six phases of the game for us in the kicking game, I think that we're going to have positive and really good results.” - Bubba Ventrone

Whatever Bubba Ventrone is preaching in his first offseason as the Rams special teams coordinator, it could spark results fans haven’t seen in a few years.

Subscribe now

Even the manner in which the returners are approaching their live looks is with aggressive urgency that wasn’t the same feeling I got watching last year’s camp.

Earlier in the week, Coach Ventrone was asked about competition amongst potential returners. He mentioned Xavier Smith will “keep developing” as a returner. “We’re going to keep training him. I think Kyren [Williams] is an option. We have a number of ball handlers on the roster.”

It’s good to hear about current player’s attention to developing further in the return game. The last Rams punt return touchdown was in 2021. The last kickoff return for a score was back in 2017.

Ventrone also mentioned the timeless line of “competition brings out the best in everybody”. Frankly, it’s part of the driving motivator for the players.

In speaking with both Grant Stuard (linebacker) and Harrison Mevis (kicker), both of them emphasized their own competitive approach to camp. While Stuard is looking forward to creating “momentum swing” moments through his third of the football game, Mevis is currently in a battle with himself.

The Rams didn’t sign another kicker ahead of training camp. Often you’ll see a team bring in a “camp leg” to fabricate a sense of competition to push them towards progress. After learning about how competitive Mevis has been since before joining the Rams, I am not surprised to see him as the lone kicker on the roster.

Young players stacking good days, potentially making a case to make the final roster

“The back end (secondary) and then your offensive line, you need depth at those positions because inevitably they're all going to play. - Sean McVay

Cam Lampkin and CJ Daniels have stacked multiple good days during the first block of training camp. That’s exciting for fans, whose attention to roster dependability has focused on cornerback and wide receiver depth.

On Daniels, you can start to see what maybe the Rams were drawn to in his college tape. He uses his body well to box out defenders, confident hands and his gliding stride is deceptive in routes.

Daniels has made some impressive catches when on the field with his unit. You see him in his element when making a sideline catch, or comfortably letting the ball secure itself into his grasp as he sprints down the middle of the field with defenders behind him. I do expect CJ to continue carving out a role on the team similar to how Konata Mumpfield did last season.

Cam Lampkin actually wow’d me during a few of his reps on defense. One on play, he’s at the hip of his receiver using a trail technique. He’s fast enough to stick to the receiver as his own shadow, and I notice his helmet tilted slightly downward, as though he’s watching the receiver’s lower half. Before I can jot down my next note, Cam is running the route before the receiver even finished his cut.

He’s quicker in person than I remember from last year. He’s had reps where his trail technique works well because he has the quickness to recover in a tight space.

For both of these young players, the next portion of camp with pads will tell us a lot. For Lampkin, if he can combine his quickness with the ability to remain strong while in press (or against bigger WRs), I wouldn’t be surprised to see his name tagged for depth behind McDuffie, Watson and Forbes.

Quarterback position battle still working itself out, or is it?

“You're playing against a good defense that's going to challenge you in a number of different ways. And so, I thought those guys came in and were locked into what they were doing and we'll continue to grow from it." - Nate Scheelhaase

To be honest, the way the Rams have their practices formatted, it’s challenging from our outside perspective how well the battle for QB2 is truly going.

Stetson Bennett shows flashes of his veteran presence as he is able to move from first read to his second and third, or opting to showcase his wheels at times.

Ty Simpson is building not just his comfortability with the offense, but his rapport with fellow rookies as well.

There are some mistakes made, but you want to see those when it’s an instance where Bennett is trying a new method to move a safety in coverage, or make a throw outside the pocket.

One mistake we saw on Monday came where Bennett sensed pressure, stepped up in the pocket and fired an errant pass right at Cam Lampkin for an interception. From my perspective, the INT was partly from the receiver’s stem stopping at the wrong spot in the field, combined with Bennett’s technique on his throw without set feet. Something he can easily clean up with more reps with the 1’s.

Regarding Simpson, there’s been one or two passes where you see that first-round talent flash. A strike on an in-breaking route to Konata Mumpfield earlier in the week gives you excitement. For the most part though, there hasn’t been any fireworks fans have seen from the rookie QB.

And that’s okay. This part of the year is for Simpson to learn how to even operate the huddle and create his presnap calls at the line in McVay’s system.

My belief is that we won’t get a real first look at where each quarterback is in their development until we reach the first joint practice. There, they’ll take live fire and be forced to put competing film up for coaches to make a call.

What storylines are you most interested in through the remainder of training camp? The pads go on today, and physicality will separate the practice heroes from players ready to contribute to the Super Bowl-hopeful Rams.

Loyola Marymount University — While Sunday was the first official training camp practice, it really was just an appetizer for Monday’s main course. Fans in attendance were served a four-course meal of the league’s reigning MVP wasting no time looking like, well, an MVP.

Before even diving into the day’s observation notes, I really have to hammer home how awe-inspiring it felt watching Matthew Stafford run the offense. Even for someone as talented as Stafford is, it was mindblowing watching the caliber of throws he was making from the very first play.

There are easily five throws from Stafford’s day that you could create a viral clip from. The one that caused me to realize I don’t understand football anymore, was his throw to Puka Nacua midway through team period.

With the flick of a wrist, and adjusted arm angle, Stafford layered a throw right over the hook/curl depth defenders. It was Trent McDuffie leaping in the air — I was impressed with how vertical he got — but the throw was still too tall for the defensive back. Catching the ball in stride behind him, Puka Nacua is now running with the ball as the packed bleachers of Rams fans celebrate.

That was just our biggest highlight of the day. Let’s take a quick peek under the hood of what stood out to us the most from day two:

Best vs. best is a SHOW for fans

The first day with fans in attendance means there’s always creates an electric atmosphere at Rams training camp. Superfans, families of all ages and a packed sideline of media were in attendance for the show.

And a show it was for Rams House sitting in the sun.

When team period began, we witnessed some great action when both starting units faced off. Seeing Myles Garrett and the new-look secondary square off against Stafford for the day’s “chess match” reminded you who really is the best player on this roster.

Early on, Stafford looked to Puka Nacua to get into rhythm. Shortly after, he’s hitting the superstar receiver deep down the left sideline as he separates from Jaylen Watson for a score.

The secondary was constantly in great position. It’s not like guys were just running wide open every play.

But the connection from Stafford to both Puka and Davante Adams is just on another level of comfortability at this point in their time playing together. Defenders with outstretched hands were just out of reach from passes whizzing by, with each receiver expecting each ball’s placement as they ran in stride.

Not that we needed the reminder, but it was good to see Stafford firing out the gates in year 18.

Special teams mentality has been upgraded

I know, not the greatest photo, sorry Harrison.

Over the last two days we spoke after practice with both Mevis and newcomer Grant Stuard about the special teams mentality heading into the season.

Mevis talked to us about his personal chip on his shoulder allowing him to keep a “me vs. me” competitive edge, so he can be the best version of himself to help the team win games.

Our key takeaway from Grant Stuard is him looking forward to being a tone-setter early on. Grant was speaking Rams House language as well when he told us how special teams plays are often the biggest momentum shifts any given week.

Rams fans know all about that from last year. Stuard was brought in to be a special teams ace for a unit that had it’s share of game-deciding woes.

It also sounds like the special teams unit is operating with a higher level of attention to detail and intesity under Bubba Ventrone. Will look forward to seeing more from that unit as camp continues.

Cam Lampkin having a great start to camp

Lampkin’s name has been buzzing amongst fans online for good reason.

On Sunday he made a high-flying pass breakup against Ty Simpson, on Monday he picked off an errant Stetson Bennett throw.

There’s room for spots to be earned behind Watson and McDuffie on the cornerback depth chart. If Lampkin is able to continue to stack on top of the first two days he’s excelled at, he very well could be in coversation not just to make the roster, but I think potentially a regular part of the rotation during the season.

I always have to add the caveat, they have not practiced with pads in training camp publicly yet. We’ll see if Cam can continue this hot streak once the physicality ramps up in camp.

Loyola Marymount University — I can’t begin to explain how high the vibes are out here at LMU.

Just seeing Myles Garrett in the corner of the endzone stretching in his white #95 next to Davante Adams still feels a little surreal. But it’s the reality for the Los Angeles Rams. Also one of the main reasons the atmosphere at practice has a hint of what J.B. Long called it at Rams Revealed: Potentially the most anticipated season in Rams history.

Not a long narrative here, here’s some of our notes from the day that we think you’ll care about:

• Alaric Jackson and Puka Nacua were both full participants at practice

Coach McVay addressed the media yesterday that they would be present at practice. We can confirm they were full participants.

• Stetson Bennett took the reigns today, Simpson settling in

We are taking McVay’s words at face value that this is an active quarterback competition for that second spot.

Right now, in my opinion using a very small sample size of ONE DAY, Bennett has the edge. His experience and technique working with Dave Ragone gives him the ability to keep throws on target when under pressure in the pocket.

There were two throws I recall that seemed to sail on Simpson. Could be first day of school nerves, but those tips and overthrows can be the difference between being QB2 or 3 come September.

However, it is undeniable that Simpson has arm talent like a first rounder should. When he makes the right progression, plants his feet and fires, there’s zip on the ball, accurately. One pass to Konata Mumpfield over the middle of the defense had WR coach Eric Yarber hugging Konata on the sideline after.

Comparing the tempo of practice, and sense of urgency in the huddle, Bennett operated similarly to how it seemed Jimmy G. did last season.

• MYLES GARRETT IS A RAM

The offensive line is going to become even better because of it. At least I think Warren McClendon will. On one rep we watched Myles attempt to get outside Warren’s pass protection, but the young right tackle kickstepped like his life depended on it, keeping Myles away from Stetson Bennett on the play.

Whether it was the script for the day, or the impact of having Myles on the field, the offense didn’t spend too much time in the pocket developing longer plays down the field.

Again, it’s day one, we’ll see what happens through the week.

• Defensive communication across the backend

Jaylen Watson forced an interception against Davante Adams. Down the left sideline, Adams ran a go-route, Bennett put some air under it, Watson got up and tipped the ball, in comes Kam Kinchens diving for the ball.

The defense celebrated like they got it, so we’ll take their word for it.

But the story fo the day for me was how tight the windows were all day for both QBs because of that communication.

Apart from Watson and McDuffie’s physical addition, their communication is what will cause days like today. On one rep I watched McDuffie trail his man in tight coverage, recognize the play was ending, then quickly look across the field and give a thumbs up towards Quentin Lake’s direction.

That moment alone signaled a sense of accountability coming from the defensive back group. McDuffie was quick to account for his fellow DBs being where they needto be, something that should be appreciated by fans quickly. a

• Young “Separators”

There were two receivers behind Puka and Davante that got the most action today.

Xavier Smith was targeted by Ty Simpson on occasion. On one screen pass, Simpson actually overthew Smith, but he climbed the ladder and pulled it in. The blocking was decent enough to give him a fighting chance to pick up yards with pads.

We mentioned that pass from Simpson to Konata. Konata is noticeably quicker in everything he does. Wonders worked with a full NFL offseason under his belt.

But besides those two, there weren’t many splash plays made by young WRs in day one.

Day Two will see the Rams have another late afternoon practice. Matthew Stafford is scheduled to practice, so we’ll be able to get better looks of the offense’s progression then.

Subscribe now

Loyola Marymount University — Last season, Davante Adams helped Matthew Stafford earn league MVP honors by contributing a league-leading 14 touchdowns. As he arrives for his 13th NFL training camp, he feels even more comfortable with the Rams system having that first year under his belt.

“Still some things we gotta brush up on to make sure we get up to date [on offense], but at the end of the day, there’s a different comfort level after you’ve been here so many times.”

There didn’t seem to be a steep learning curve in-season for Tae last year, but “having been here for a year now, understanding the system, knowing the plays…”, are all things the veteran thinks of when it comes to camp preparedness.

Tae took questions from media about how his body feels as the offseason ends, stating, “I still feel like I can play like when I was young.”

The difference from his younger years?

“The recovery isn’t always the same as when you’re young…just gotta do a little bit more in the between tim to make sure we reset and get back to even-keel.”

That’s great news for Rams fans. A healthy Davante Adams gives you the best chance to run the tables in the NFC West. What is also good news for those hoping he has years in horns beyond 2026, here’s what Tae had to tell the media about whether he’s thought about when he will ever retire:

“I’ve given it some thought.

It wasn’t until the last couple years, for different reasons, that you start to think about when the end is gonna come. But right now, just enjoying it.

I can’t tell you it’s gonna be after this year or after the next year, I truly don’t know. And that’s why we continue to roll.”

A priority for the team should be maintaining a healthy Davante Adams for a full 17-game load. His injury at the tail end of 2026 forced the Rams to adjust without their veteran target for a short time.

We’ll be monitoring the adjusted veteran schedule the Rams will utilize when it comes to Adams and others like Stafford.

What are your expectations for Tae this season? Let us know what you think in the comments.

Loyola Marymount University — The Los Angeles Rams are beginning to trickle into the facilities at Loyola Marymount University as they get geared up for the next few weeks of training camp. It’s finally time we have lads in pads.

Let’s take a quick peek at our own notes, and share some narratives we’ll be paying attention to while we report from the sidelines.

How involved will Kliff Kingsbury be, and how will the wrinkles installed by first-year coordinator, Nate Scheelhaase improve the offense?

Through the offseason, the Rams have brought in some new blood into the coaching staff. Former Rams players — Robert Woods and Davis Allen — inject new energy, while Bubba Ventrone was brought in to shore up the special teams. Plus, they promoted Nate Scheelhaase to offensive coordinator (1st year), so too did Jimmy Lake see an upgrade on the defensive staff.

The biggest one in my mind is Kliff Kingsbury. We haven’t gotten to peek behind the veil yet on how he’ll impact Sean McVay’s own playcalling, and possibly soft skills like time management. But we’ll be interested to see how his role helps shape this season’s team.

Regarding Scheelhaase, we know the buck stops with McVay as the ultimate playcaller. But, every offensive coordinator under McVay has left their mark with different variations of the offense. Scheelhaase was influential in 13-personnel last season, so we’ll be watching how his tenure elevates everything around the reigning MVP under center.

Which wide receiver can elevate themselves on the depth chart, and make splash plays against the starting defense?

Puka Nacua and Davante Adams are arguably the best WR-duo in the NFL. The depth chart behind those two is full of young players with exciting amounts of potential in their own roles.

It will be our most fun topic to follow throughout camp.

Rookie CJ Daniels has big-catch abilities, Jordan Whittington and Xavier Smith are now the most tenured depth receivers with special teams capabilities, and Konata Mumpfield has an underrated amount of route-running prowess.

I always think back to Puka’s rookie season, where it wasn’t Coach McVay’s plan to elevate him so quickly but his camp performance made it impossible to keep off the field.

With everyone rightfully assuming 13 personnel (having three tight ends on the field at once) will be the status quo. Can one of these young receivers throw a wrench in that plan and force their way into more snaps?

Who wins the right to backup Matthew Stafford?

To be honest, there’s a chance the QB2 competition has already been decided in private by the Rams coaching staff.

There’s more to playing quarterback than “can you make enough plays in camp” to earn a spot. The film room, relationship with the rest of the roster as a leader, and other never-seen-by-media intangibles only the team has information on.

If this is truly an open competition, then we’re definitely going to be eyes glued on the QB anytime Stetson Bennett or Ty Simpson are taking reps.

I fully expect Simpson to be taking all the snaps with the 2nd and 3rd teams, while Stetson should be handling QB2 duties to start camp. Meaning he would be running practice on days Stafford is taking rest days.

May the best gunslinger win.

Can the defense make practices impossible to script for the offensive playcallers?

Rarely do you hope to see the offense of the team you’re covering struggle. In this case, it’s because I’m interested to see how the new additions in Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson can turn defensive coordinator Chris Shula’s unit into the dominant unit.

The Rams weren’t able to put away teams at times last year, so if this newly-tooled defense can make things difficult for McVay’s high-powered offense, that should make fans feel great about the defense heading into the season.

We want to see it all come together, and not just feel good about the defense on paper.

We’ll have updates on these through training camp. To follow along, make sure to subscribe here to never miss a beat.

Santa Ana, CA — The sun shines down on the turf of Mater Dei High School, and not a cloud in sight as families begin to file into the practice field. Volunteers set up the last cones for the day’s football drills, a large hydration station is posted at the midfield logo, and Quentin Lake is walking around talking to parents and volunteers.

His trademark smile leading the way, of course.

The defensive captain for the Los Angeles Rams is a local legend around this part of town. Quentin’s name is still up in the Mater Dei locker room along with his former team captains. Lake attended UCLA before being drafted by the hometown Rams, giving him the rare opportunity to say his entire football life has been played in front of these Southern California neighborhoods.

“Four years ago when I first got into the league, I said it would be awesome for my position, where I’m at, to be able to host a camp. It’s crazy because it’s become something that I couldn’t have even imagined that it would become in terms of growth.”

Subscribe now

This past weekend marked the 4th Annual Youth Camp hosted by Quentin Lake alongside Adapt Sports, headed by Willie Martinez. With nearly 200 kids in attendance, Coach Willie and his staff focused on keeping the day fun for kids, while organized for the parents.

Ranging from K-12, the kids were divided into teams, and lead by volunteer coaches through various drills dressed-up with fun twists to keep the day light and not feel like a chore in the heat.

Quentin wasn’t the only star in attendance. Rampage, the team mascot, arrived as a surprise guest and joined in helping with drills, playing catch and adding to the memories each participant went home with.

In the truest form of football spirit, there was still competition throughout the day. At the end of the camp, coaches nominated kids from each team for the title of Ultimate Athlete. They tested throwing distance, 40-yard dashes and even took into count which player intercepted Quentin Lake during the flag football period.

Subscribe now

Following the camp’s conclusion, Quentin didn’t run off, he stuck around for nearly two hours, giving time to each family in attendance. “I could be here from literally 6am to 6pm answering anybody’s questions. Because when you think about one day out of 365 days to really influence somebody’s life, that’s nothing in my time.” True to his word, Quentin made sure each kid got a 1-on-1 moment to receive an autograph and a photo taken with the Rams star.

Quentin on giving back to the kids, “they have done so much for me”

If you haven’t followed Quentin’s career to this point, you’re missing out on one of the most genuine and kind individuals who just happens to participate in the violence that is the NFL.

“Even one day out of the week, it’s one day each year where I can be here and whether it’s autographs, questions, pictures. anything, to me I’m here for you guys. Because the fans, the kids they have done so much for me. And that’s something that I will never take forgranted.”

Quentin even took time to speak with us about his camp purpose and mindset on giving back to his community, “For me what I wanted to do with this camp is just give back. I’ve had the ability to play in the same state I grew up in. And not a lot of players can say they have done that, or are currently living out that dream.”

That dream now includes helping kids from his community who look to him as the standard of success.

Lake also feels fortunate to have the support of his alma mater with this endeavor, “Luckily I’ve got the ability to come back to a place I really grew up. Mater Dei High School is a place where I really developed and I was really able to do all the dreams that I wanted to accomplish, it really started here that was the foundation.”

“Because the fans, the kids they have done so much for me. And that’s something that I will never take forgranted.”

It wasn’t lost upon Quentin the lengths of which some families drove just to be there that day, lamenting in “the effort and energy that families take, the parents take, like someone told me they came from Vegas, someone told me they came from San Diego, yeah this might be in SoCal, but that’s not a quick drive”.

His understanding of his potential influence on the youth is evident in his thought process: “Even one day out of the week, it’s one day each year where I can be here and whether it’s autographs, questions, pictures, anything, to me I’m here for you guys.” A unique way of quantifying using his position to leave a lasting mark with just a little time spent.

In just a few minutes speaking with Quentin, you understand why you’d overhear someone in Mater Dei gear quietly mention to Quentin, “you haven’t changed a bit”. It also feels like common sense when you factor in the man who raised him is Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor inductee, his father, Carnell Lake.

Being raised by a Steel City legend, you’d think there was pressure in the Lake household when it came to sports.

“Never, never ever felt the pressure from him.”

To end the day, I asked Quentin about sharing any life lessons he still appreciates hearing from Carnell from a young age. I won’t get in the way of a son speaking highly of his father, here’s what he shared with us:

“But he always told me this, and this is something that his dad told him, ‘the cream always rises to the top’.

But also we had changed this, it’s funny, we had this acronym, which was threwe things I’ve lived by forever, it used to be ‘Preparation. Effort. Attitude’, so I was a little ‘PEA’.

And then that little ‘PEA’ turned into and ‘APE’. Now, it’s your ‘Attitude. Preparation. Effort’. Those are three things that no matter what, whether it’s football or whether it’s just being a man, you can live by. And I felt that has helped me stay locked in each and every day to continue to grow and continue to get better.”

We’ll get to see more of Quentin as a fanbase starting with training camp next week. If you are planning to attend camp, make sure to root on #37 on defense the same way he supports the future generation of football lovers.

“He’s the best leader that I’ve ever had on any sports team, on any kind of organization”. - former Miami teammate, Jaden Harris.

Los Angeles, CA — The box is stacked with nine University of Miami Hurricane defenders, all creeping towards the line of scrimmage. With cleats dug-into the turf, the defense is spring-loading itself to get a jump on what should be a 2nd down run from Pittsburgh.

Despite the box advantage for Miami, moments after the ball is snapped, Pittsburgh running back C’Bo Flemister is sprinting through the middle of the field with nothing but daylight between him and the endzone.

That 26-yard touchdown came in the fourth quarter of a blowout for the 2022 Hurricanes. A 42-16 loss that was a symbolic lowlight to bookend their season with a record of 5-7.

Subscribe now

Standing around the 23-yard-line, then-sophomore safety Kam Kinchens is watching as his ACC rivals run away from his teammates on the field, as well as the scoreboard.

The team looks to Kam as a leader, who tends to let his actions do the talking for him. But don’t let that fool you into thinking he won’t speak up when he feels it’s needed. Following the loss to Pitt, Kam used that moment to speak up and set the tone for the program moving forward:

“If you don’t want to be here, farewell, good wishes to you, hope for the best. But if you want to stay, come every day ready to grind because we don’t want this taste in our mouth again.”

When Kam was drafted, he left Miami as only the third player in school history to record double-digit interceptions since Sean Taylor. If you’re old enough like I am, you know having your accolades compared to Sean freakin’ Taylor is pretty damned good.

For Los Angeles Rams fans, their introduction to Kam has been through his ballhawking skills on the field. Kam’s talent should come as no surprise when you consider where he calls home. Some of the most talented NFL players in recent memory hail from Miami-Dade County: Santana Moss, Frank Gore, Willis McGahee, Andre Johnson, Sean Taylor, the list by itself could field a championship roster.

I don’t need to convince you that a man from “The U” is physically gifted at football. What I’m here to tell you is there’s more to the kid they used to call “JoJo” in high school. That young man is now a budding leader within one of the best run NFL organizations when it comes to culture, and his collective work could catapult him towards a very productive third season in his career.

Subscribe now

I believe the key to unlocking his potential now lies in defensive coordinator Chris Shula and new defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake. Not only in how they mold this new-look Rams defense with all the offseason additions, but also in how they empower Kam to be the type of leader he was known for in Miami.

From “Slow-jo” to potential All-Pro?

Fans with a sharp ear may have caught Quentin Lake refer to Kam as “Lil Jo” during a 2025 episode of Right on Q. Turns out, that comes from Kam’s Northwestern High head coach Max Edwards from back in 2017.

“He was slow. I used to call him ‘Slow-Jo.”

It’s funny, because the player in Kam we see today has come a long way from being teased for his lack of speed, now there’s highlights of him running back 103-yard interception returns against division rivals.

“Coming from being in Miami…that’s all we’re used to is winning. Especially me, coming from Northwestern, I know what it takes to win. I know what we need to do to win.” - Kam Kinchens, 2023

Amongst the Rams House fanbase, Kam is already recognized as a “Seahawk killer”, as he becomes a magnet to the ball when facing Seattle. These flashes of excellence are even more impressive when you consider he’s sharing the safety position with very talented veteran teammates Kam Curl and Quentin Lake.

Over the course of his first two seasons, Kam has played in all 34 possible games. In 2025, Kinchens tallied 75% of all defensive snaps, improving from his 46.1% of snaps his rookie year. That snap increase shows us that Kam has the trust of coaches Chris Shula and Jimmy Lake.

The Rams promoted Lake to his multi-title role of pass game coordinator and DBs coach after letting Aubrey Pleasant leave the team this offseason. An underrated move I think someone like Kinchens may benefit from most.

After this last weekend of official visits, the same adjectives came up over and over again when asking recruits what they thought of Lake: Aggressive. Competitive. Energetic. - RealDawgHuskies.com

Lake already has the trust of newly-signed Ram Trent McDuffie from his time coaching at the University of Washington. Lake’s development of defensive backs played a role in many of his players being drafted. His impact has already been felt with his new role, as Lake’s promotion is listed as a key factor in drawing interest from McDuffie to L.A. in the first place.

One main gripe held by most Rams fans about 2025’s defense was their dependency towards off-man coverage. At times, it felt predictable. By end of season, it felt as though there wasn’t the same cohesion between the pass rush and coverage. It’s not the style of a Sean McVay coaching staff to point fingers, but I do think it’s potentially telling that Coach Pleasant not only left the team, but is still currently not on any other team’s staff as of this writing.

So where does Kam fit into all of this?

I think Kinchens can be the true X-factor missing from the defensive secondary as a quick-change maker. Even when momentum is against the Rams, or the opponent is looking unstoppable in drives, Kam has the ability to ignore the noise and create turnovers with that Miami-Dade winning mindset.

With flexibility being the key attribute celebrated by Sean McVay when talking about his defense during OTAs, we should assume we’ll see Kam utilized uniqely to maximize his strengths.

The Rams love using their safeties as hybrid nickel corners and dime linebackers to keep offenses on their heels. With both teammates Curl and Q. Lake taking ~99%+ of defensive snaps when healthy, there’s potentially room for Kam’s share to increase from that 75% range.

The final consideration I’ve given about Kam’s potential this year, is my belief he’s simply a more explosive athlete than any other safety on this roster. His development has seemed to focus more on the mental understanding of NFL offenses through two seasons, never has he been lacking when it comes to being physical in the box or flying to break up a pass.

Just referencing one of his two interceptions vs. Sam Darnold last season, Kam’s instincts at safety make for good returns after turnovers that the defense can cash in on often this year.

All of this will depend on Kinchens’ ability to take on those multiple roles well enough to teach them to the younger players, the same way incoming freshman would look to Kam for guidance in the weight room at The U.

If Jimmy Lake’s promotion has the impact on the secondary that we expect, and Kam is allowed to flourish as a leader and playmaker, I don’t think it will come to anyone’s surprise if Kam Kinchens earns himself votes for the All-Pro team by end of season. If that comes true, it also may be a leading factor that leads the Rams deep into the postseason with a very special defensive group.

Los Angeles, CA — We learned this morning that Los Angeles Rams offensive tackle Alaric Jackson currently will not have criminal charges filed against him, per NBC4 Investigates’s report.

Subscribe now

Alaric was arrested early in June, after a call regarding a domestic dispute involving Alaric and his initial accuser. Our original report from June 9th can be found here.

According to NBC4, they were told by the LA City Attorney’s office “it does not have a criminal case filed” against Jackson. This isn’t the first news of the sort for Alaric’s case. Last week, his accuser (a woman, listed as Alaric’s pregnant ex-girlfriend) chose to rescind the temporary restraining order against him.

These two facts alone aren’t literary evidence for fans to assume Alaric was found not-guilty of any wrongdoing. That is never stated by anyone involved in the reporting. As NBC4 goes on to report that the Attorney’s Office is not closing the file yet, as “the case can be re-evaluated in the future”.

Additionally, it’s reported that Alaric will be offered alternative behavioral rehabilitating programs. Community service, classes or even restitution were listed in NBC4’s reported options at this time.

It is of this writer’s understanding that if an individual was found innocent of any crime, they wouldn’t still be in a position to serve alternative disciplinary action. We personally believe in rehabilitative measures being offered in our justice system as a more productive path when compared to incarceration in many situations. However, that should not confuse readers into believing that opting for these alternatives are a sign of innocence for said individuals.

The Rams, nor the NFL, have made any statement since their original acknowledgment of the matter on June 9th.

Subscribe now

Los Angeles, CA — Rams left tackle Alaric Jackson was scheduled for a court appearance in Los Angeles County on June 30th regarding a domestic violence dispute. According to California Post, the hearing resulted in the accuser having the court “dissolve” the temporary restraining order on Alaric that began on June 10th.

Per the report, the alleged victim is being represented by Michael A. Goldstein.

“When Bervocici asked if the woman had received ‘any pressure of any kind’ to make her decision, Goldstein responded, ‘Of course not’.”

Goldstein is reported to have told the judge that his client “never served Mr. Jackson” with the TRO. Judge Liza Bercovici then dismissed the TRO against Alaric “without prejudice”.

The accuser will retain the option to file for another restraining order in the future if needed.

Operating with the statements from the hearing from all parties as fact, as of right now there are no further details surrounding that inital restraining order being filed, or how it even came about if she didn’t serve him.

The California Post is also reporting that in the original filing of the order, the woman is identified as Alaric’s pregnant ex-girlfriend.

From what we’re able to gather, it does seem surprising at this time for the accuser to drop the TRO. In domestic violence cases, it is the duty of the legal system to ensure a victim is not being coerced by the accused party of adding any pressure in doing so.

Again, Goldstein states in a court of law that his client was not pressured whatsoever.

So what’s next for Alaric?

On June 18th, the charges against Jackson were dropped from a felony, to misdemeanor charges. In a statement to the California Post, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is still reviewing the case.

Apart from Alaric’s potential legal consequences still looming, the Rams star tackle will also undergo investigation on behalf of the NFL. As reported earlier in June, the NFL has their own system for reviewing domestic violence matters for their employees. Which gives them the ability to issue consequences to players involved in such matters regardless of legal outcomes.

We will report on hearing dates and future statements when they become available.

The Rams report to training camp on July 25th. No further comment has been attributed to the team regarding Alaric at this time.

Subscribe now

Los Angeles, CA — If you were expecting Ty Simpson to look NFL-starter ready after a few OTA underwear practices, I need to pull you for a chat.

When the Rams selected Simpson with the 13th pick back in April, a lot of fans were immediately expecting him to be the backup heading into the season. Although that may still come true, Nate Atkins of The Athletic gave us some cold water on the face from what he’s seen at Rams OTAs regarding the competition.

In a collaborative piece highlighting a topic across every team’s OTAs, Nate’s contribution focuses on the battle between Stetson Bennett and Ty Simpson for the right to backup the league’s MVP.

Subscribe now

Nate highlights a few struggles between both players, including Bennett making a “lazy out throw that Trent McDuffie picked off”, and Simpson overthrowing deep routes.

It’s this quote in particular that has gotten the most traction online:

“Neither Bennett nor Simpson were able to stand out ahead of the other in these moments…”

As expected, there are some takes from folks outside the Rams’ fan and media circle summarizing Nate’s reporting as damning for the Rams and their young QBs.

As a refresher, NFL teams just wrapped up Organized Team Activities (OTAs), a period of the offseason jokingly referred to as underwear season to some around the league. The most intense action you’ll get are spirited 7-on-7 battles, as well as some structured 11-on-11 periods. Mind you, we’re in helmets only, not pads.

“This isn’t real football until we put the pads on.”

I’m not trying to sell you the idea that OTAs aren’t important for a backup QB competition. It’s just not the only part of the offseason where a player makes strides in their development.

Subscribe now

Especially not a rooke in his third month learning Sean McVay’s offense.

Just a few weeks ago, when asked about the team’s progress during OTAs, the 10th-year head coach summarized it as “learning how to practice”. For McVay, this includes an emphasis on the “operation” and “communication” aspect of playing within his system.

Apart from said learning curve for Simpson, media should be cognizant of the rookie potentially undergoing technique changes working with QB’s coach Dave Ragone. This is based on speculation on my end, but even Stafford has undergone refinement since arriving in Los Angeles in 2021. This isn’t a statement saying something is wrong with Simpson’s form, just that it could be something the Rams are potentially tightening a few screws on early on in his career.

Even looking at some quick clips from the Rams’ social media, we can see some differences when comparing Simpson’s form to Stafford and Bennett.

I’m not making this a thing, because we don’t have all the context from practice itself. But for the sake of argument, for example, Simpson’s form is longer to develop, with the veterans’ being more compact with a snappier release.

“You're expected a lot. The quarterback runs the show here, just how I like it, but it's just making sure that you're disciplined and you're detail-oriented." - Ty Simpson

With all that in mind, we’re going to reserve our judgement on the rookie as he is balancing both the physical and mental learning curves. The same goes for Bennett as well. This will be Bennett’s fourth year under McVay, but it’s the first offseason preparing with the expectations of being Stafford’s second-in-command.

In training camp last year, Stafford was absent as he nursed his back injury. That gave then-backup Jimmy Garoppolo the green light as the defacto starter through the summer.

The evidence of the offense getting quickly into rhythm at the start of last season can be credited to Jimmy’s leadership as a dependable leader. His presence allowed the rest of the offense to gel together even without Stafford in the huddle.

That responsibility should be falling on Bennett’s shoulders today, at least for now.

Bennett has shown really bright moments in preseason play, but now the weight of a SuperBowl-hopeful team rests on his response in meeting the moment. This is the first time we’re going to see Bennett with that assumed added pressure, setting up a real make-or-break scenario for Bennett’s future as a Ram.

Anyone rushing to judge either quarerback based on OTA observations from Nate (or any other beat writer) is premature.

The real separation will be visible once the team is in training camp. The Rams will report to Loyola Marymount University in a few weeks, with July 27th being the first day of open practice to fans. We will be in attendance, with the QB2 battle squarely in our focus.

LOS ANGELES, CA — When Alaric Jackson was arrested last week on accusations of domestic battery charges, it placed the Los Angeles Rams at the front of the line in the ongoing conversation around the United States’ domestic violence crisis and the role the NFL plays.

The league has made strides since 2014 in how they address players accused in domestic violence cases, and subsequently how they enforce punishment for those found deserving following investigations. The publicity and severity of the Ray Rice case twelve years ago was the catalyst in jumpstarting those changes within what the NFL labels as their Personal Conduct Policy.

As of this writing, the Rams organization has only given the following statement:

“We are aware of the incident regarding Alaric Jackson, and we take these matters very seriously. Due to this being an ongoing legal situation, we cannot comment further at this time.”

With a police investigation onoing, we’re in the early stages of public discourse that includes fans reacting to an incomplete narrative, which does not include Jackson’s side of the story. We do have to be mindful that there is a justice system that needs to play out.

While some Rams fans are anxious to see if their SuperBowl hopes will feel ruined by too harsh a punishment for Jackson, many others have jumped to a guilty conclusion of voicing desire for him to be cut from the Rams altogether.

As we try to sort out what happens next, what we can do is look at the facts and speculate based on previous precedent set by the NFL itself. For those sensitive to reading about domestic violence matters, there are details from past cases as you continue below, as well as a closing statement of opinion on the matter.

What we know…

[TRIGGER WARNING] The claims made below are based on the accusor’s report and TRO (temporary restraining order)

Around 11 p.m. on June 8th, police responded to a call regarding a domestic dispute at a home in the San Fernando Valley. NBC Los Angeles was the first to break the news of the arrest the following morning.

Sources tell NBC4 that Jackson thought the woman was recording him with her phone and allegedly tried to take the phone out of her hand.

The initial report from NBCLA included investigators stating that the accusing woman had “scratch marks on her arms”.

Around 4 a.m. Tuesday morning, Alaric was officially booked on a felony domestic violence charge. With a $50,000 bond, Alaric was released just a few hours later.

The public digested the little information given for about 24 hours until TMZ Sports released details from a restraining order application filed on behalf of Alaric’s accusor.

From TMZ’s report, we have a more detailed accounting from the 38-year-old woman, including claims that “she pleaded with [Alaric] not to hurt her because she was pregnant.” Based on the report, it’s alleged that Alaric responded to her pleas with little regard.

"When he came back in from taking things to the car he became upset I was recording, he struggled w/ me for my phone I told he him to be careful because I’m pregnant, he said "I don't give a f***.'"

She continues by stating that she bit him as they fought over the phone. If true, then we might assume there’s two additional pieces of evidence the investigators will be looking over apart from her own physical marks: Including bite marks on Alaric, as well as the recording from her phone in question.

However, in what she states as “erratic behavior”, the alleged scuffle resulted in Alaric forcibly taking her phone and headphones, breaking them, and throwing them “over our city view yard.” As of this writing, no further comments have been made regarding the phone or any potential recording.

In providing further context to the incident, the woman alleges two previous incidents involving Alaric. The following excerpt is regarding one she claims happened earlier this year on March 7, 2026:

"[He] took all of my belongings & threw them in dumpster, took my passport, changed locks and made verbal threats of bodily harm…”

As of this writing, we don’t know if police, or the Rams/NFL, were made aware of either of those specific claims.

As a result of the incident, the woman requested a “no-contact” and “stay away” order from Alaric which was granted by a judge that Wednesday afternoon. The California Post obtained court documents listing the following details from the order:

• Alaric is not allowed within 100 yards of the woman.

• Order includes he is not allowed within 100 yards of her job, vehicle and her French bulldog

• Alaric is ordered to move out of the home in question

Per California Post, the order lasts until July 1 when the next hearing is scheduled to take place.

As the investigation from the legal system is underway, so too will the NFL be involved, as they have their protocol for when their players are undergoing domestic violence charges.

The NFL’s handling of domestic violence cases

“The NFL is not going to make a disciplinary decision just based on an allegation.”

Twelve years ago, former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice was seen on an Atlantic City elevator security camera knocking out his then-fiancee Janay Palmer with a left hook to her head. An image that most fans have never forgotten.

From that violent assault and subsequent publicity nightmare for the NFL, came changes to how the league investigates and issues consequences for it’s players’ domestic violence cases. One of those foundational changes includes Roger Goodell’s hiring of Lisa Friel as Senior Vice President of the NFL’s Special Counsel of Investigations.

Friel oversees the NFL’s own investigations regarding any player allegation that might infringe upon the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. The investigation conducted by Friel and her team are separate from any police investigation. Their team also provides resources to victims of these cases who may be in need of counseling or even temporary housing as examples.

As a reminder, Alaric is innocent until proven guilty, we can only go with the information provided to us thus far.

For players accused of domestic violence allegations specifically, the policy states the following:

“…a first violation will subject the violator to a baseline suspension without pay of six games, with possible upward or downward adjustments based on any aggravating or mitigating factors. The presence of possible aggravating factors may warrant a longer suspension. Possible aggravating factors include, but are not limited to, a prior violation of the Policy, similar misconduct before joining the NFL, violence involving a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when an act is committed against a particularly vulnerable person, such as a child, a pregnant woman…”

Here’s where it gets a little tricky trying to forecast what’s to come for Alaric’s career.

Yes, this is the first time Alaric is being accused of domestic violence. Per that guideline alone, he would be following the steps of a first-time offender. However, the policy does state that “players with a prior history of misconduct…will be subject to enhanced and/or expedited discipline, including banishment from the league with an opportunity to reapply.”

Now if you include “aggravating factors” such as the claimant is a pregnant woman, there’s a higher than 0% chance Alaric could be missing a lot more than the six-game baseline suspension.

Again, I must reiterate that this is all assuming that yes, the claims against Alaric Jackson are true.

This all depends on the investigation results conducted by Friel and the NFL. Even so, the NFL’s track record doesn’t give us any case precedent to feel confident in.

Ezekiel Elliott was accused of abuse on five separate occasions in July 2016, he served a six-game suspension. Kareem Hunt had his own video where he appears to “shove and kick” a woman in 2018, he missed eight games.

"We're going to investigate that allegation, and we have to develop sufficient evidence that what someone is saying really occurred…Zero games means we couldn't prove any allegation in those cases."

Friel is not the one responsible for issuing suspensions. Following their investigation, that is left up to Goodell and the league to issue based on those findings. Followed by an opportunity for the player, along with the NFLPA, to submit an appeal.

This is all assuming everything is done by the book on the NFL’s side of things. That includes the Rams organization.

So…what now if you’re the Rams?

This is where the researched article turns into an op-ed.

In regards to Alaric’s case, yes, we do have to allow the police and NFL complete their investigations.

However…

If, and an emphasis on if, the NFL finds evidence that he did in fact abuse a pregnant woman, with Friel concluding her investigation that he committed these accused actions, my hope is that the Rams would abide by their standards and not roster Alaric Jackson moving forward.

That would make him a first-time offender under the domestic violence column, normally subject to a six-game suspension minimum per the policy. But add in the factor of this involving a pregnant woman, and this being his second suspension for personal conduct altogether, you have enough to make an argument for him to never wear horns in Los Angeles again.

“Simply put, we have to be better. And we will.”

With just about a month before training camp, the Rams have a short window of time to comb through their short list of tackles they may like to add to the roster. Some folks have listed former Lions’ veteran Taylor Decker as an option, though he has questions revolving around a shoulder injury.

Other options would be trade candidates. The Chiefs just sent backup left tackle Wanya Morris to the Falcons just last week. Besides that, the Rams may be looking at a repeat of last year’s situation regarding the cornerback room. Where McVay will come out and say we like our guys, while putting Stafford’s blindsided trust in the hands of David Quessenberry, AJ Arcuri or rookie Keagan Trost.

I believe in rehabilitation, and second chances for certain actions.

Alaric by all accounts should be deserving of those opportunities so he can live a happy and healthy life with his loved ones.

But that should be mutually exclusive from being in the NFL.

Domestic violence is more important than how you feel about your favorite team’s record. If an individual truly cared about correcting their abusive behavior, it shouldn’t have to come with an NFL career dangling as a reward in front of their facemask.

Again, emphasis on IF the claims are true.

The debate amongst Rams fans online has already gotten into some pretty gross territory. With some fans interacting with my own reporting through social media with comments downplaying the severity of Alaric’s alleged crimes. A damning reminder of the domestic violence crisis we have here in America.

I’m unsure where some folks get the idea that any man (let alone a 6’7” 340lb. athlete) should get some kind of free pass for putting their hands on their partner. For those that truly feel that way, I pray for good health to the women in your life.

In the words of Goodell himself in September 2014, “Simply put, we have to be better. And we will.” That goes not just for the NFL and it’s culture, but for men in general.

Subscribe now

Los Angeles, CA — Sports inherently are a moment of togetherness with your fellow man. Even when sitting next to your bitter rival, you’re both participating in a longstanding agreement to participate in the game’s theatrics and indulge in the spirit of competition. You may not like the team they root for, you may not like the city they come from, but goddamn it you both LOVE the reason why you are both sitting next to eachother on that given day.

Today is one of those days.

The World Cup kicks off in a few hours and I woke up ready to get out in the city I get to call home in Los Angeles and watch Mexico kickoff against South Africa. I’m ready to be amongst people that will turn from strangers to momentary primos as we celebrate, yell and cry (hopefully not) together on a Thursday afternoon.

A day where it doesn’t matter if you’re a simple-minded Rams fan like me, a bandwagon 49ers fan, or an obnoxious Seahawks fan still drunk off the SuperBowl. Today is the start of a 39-day window of the year where we all get to put our petty bullshit aside and completely give in to that part of our shared history.

A history where sports helps heal wounds, forward progress and put revolutionary voices on the global stage for us, the people.

Let’s not beat around the bush. 2026 has been a fucking miserable year for a lot of people in the United States. I know citizens arrested by ICE, I’ve had flashbangs fired at my head, gas prices are historically high, and we’re at war in the Middle East again.

Amidst all this turmoil, hatred brews and creates friction amongst neighbors that would prefer to be friends. Some people view sports as a distraction from that real world. A moment to ignore politics and escape an evergrowing dark cloud that fills some of our minds daily.

I don’t view it that way.

I view it as a telescope into a different reality. A far away land where people of different race, class, age, identity and religion all come together wearing the same color and projecting the same emotional reaction as a collective. It’s one of the last bastions of civilization where you can experience this level of togetherness on a mass level.

So today I proudly put on my green Mexico jersey and prepare to head out the door to watch a sport whose lore and drama I know little to nothing about. But why Mexico and not the US?

Without going too deeply into my life story, I grew up in Stockton, CA and have been blessed with amazing friends, namely my best friend Miguel. We’ve been chosen brothers since we were 15. His family took me in as their own, and I think I spent more weekends at their house than I did my own throughout high school. Summers too.

If I wanted to eat at breakfast, his parents insisted I spoke Spanish. I forever thank them for that. But I didn’t appreciate pops always trying to trick me that the salsa mom made wasn’t that spicy. Mom always came in last second saying “noooooo Pierce, es pica!” She always spoke in “white-Spanish” for me as I learned.

I’m not alone in this experience. I know a lot of people that have spiritually grown up in a Mexican household one way or another. Mexican culture has given me more than I could ever ask for as a white boy. Althroughout my life, I have felt a larger cultural presence from Mexican culture than I have from the country I live in.

I’m not bashing US culture here, just telling you my personal experience. It’s why I’m writing this. Your experience is different than mine. Where we find common ground is when you and I come together for the sake of rooting on the same game, the same tournament, the same World Cup.

So I don’t care if you don’t have a deep emotional attachment to your own country, the country your parents immigrated from, or if you don’t know any of the players names. You’re rooting for the spirit of sport, and frankly, for the world to heal.

That alternate reality I mentioned before, about people putting differences aside and finding common ground in the team they love? We need that more than ever right now.

I’m not saying soccer alone will fix our economic crisis or stop the genocide in Palestine at the hands of Israel and the United States. It’s an opportunity for all of us to look our neighbor in the eye and love something with them. It’s at least the first step that individuals can take to show a better future is possible despite the state of the world.

So my advice to my fellow NFL fans reading this:

Give in.

To that urge to attend a watch party. To text your boys to come watch one of the matches with you on the couch. To that feeling you get when you think you found a player or country to root for. To loving your fellow man.

I don’t care what the reason is, find one and embrace it. Because the entire world is doing the same thing, why would you want to miss out on it?

Porque hoy todos estamos unidos. Los quiero. Quiero que todos salgamos adelante. VAMOS MEXICO! VAMOS USA! VAMOS LOS ANGELES!

Subscribe now

Los Angeles, CA — NBC Los Angeles is reporting that Rams starting left tackle Alaric Jackson was arrested late Monday night. He has been charged with felony domestic battery.

“Sources tell NBC4 that Jackson thought the woman was recording him with her phone and allegedly tried to take the phone out of her hand.”

According to the police report, Alaric was arrested just after 11 p.m., after police arrived to a home in the San Fernando Valley.

Police learned of a verbal argument involving Alaric and a woman, as well as scratches left on her arm as stated previously.

The 27 year-old is in custody with bail set at $50,000.

The Rams have not added any additional statements at this moment.

LOS ANGELES, CA — The weather is perfect, the birds are chirping, Matthew Stafford is slinging perfectly placed lasers to Puka and Davante. New teammates Jaylen Watson and Trent McDuffie look Hollywood-cool in their yellow horned helmets. Rams fans have the football gods shining on them as much as the Los Angeles sunshine.

The Rams practiced on Thursday with open doors to media. Giving us all first looks at both new and familiar faces working through Organized Team Activities (OTAs).

Here’s some of the main takeaways you may have missed during Thursday evening’s barrage of sights and sounds from the Rams practice facility.

Subscribe now

First Look at Rookies

Through the lens of beat reporters Adam Grosbard (LA Daily News) and Gary Klein (Los Angeles Times) we were able to get some good looks of rookie QB Ty Simpson warming up with the QBs. We also got to see the rookie connect with fellow draftmate CJ Daniels.

Head Coach Sean McVay was asked about what he’s seen early from Simpson:

“We haven’t been able to do enough yet…that’s really for the rookies just in general…he’s done a really good job like the rest of the class has. Just coming in, learning, getting to know his teammates.”

Puka Nacua was also about his rookie teammates, with solid praise for fellow WR Daniels:

“CJ’s come in and been great. He comes in and is asking the right questions, he’s taking notes, and when the opportunity for him to answer some of the questions in the meeting to show he’s understanding the knowledge, he’s been really great at that.”

Puka also talked up what he’s seen from Simpson so far. We all know McVay’s offense is one of the best in the league. Puka smiled and gave a chuckle when hinting at those complexities in describing how Simpson has handled the onboarding process:

“It’s. . .a lot in our offense to be able to come in and at that position to understand all the things that are going on…he has the best in the world, the reigning MVP, to go in there and ask questions and our coaching staff in that room has been great in being able to communicate in the ways he can learn.”

Puka Nacua – Contract Questions

Though some journalists did ask questions regarding his pending off-field legal situation, we will cover that situation in a later piece. For now, we’re focusing on the money and football topics.

“My job is to come up here, and to be with the guys, and go out there and compete every single day.”

When asked if he was comfortable playing in 2026 without a contract extension signed, Puka didn’t hesitate to squash that thought. “Yeah. I haven’t really thought about it. I enjoy playing football. It’s been the biggest dream come true to be able to be out here and play for this organization specifically.” He continued by highlighting how appreciative he is to play for the Rams organization.

Division foe Jaxon Smith-Njigba just reset the wide receiver market with a ~$42M annual extension earlier this offseason. With that much dough at stake, I’m hesitant to believe Puka hasn’t “really thought about” his own looming payday.

Due to a pending court case from a New Year’s Eve incident, it’s natural that reporters ask Puka what he feels is needed to show he’s worthy of such a potential deal. “Continuing in these habits and routines that I’ve established for myself this offseason…Consistency, the physicality I feel i play the game of football with. It’s something that I pride myself in. And I dont’ see that kind of changing anytime soon.

But then the ability to understand and develop as a wide receiver. I’ve been blessed to have two of the best at the wide receiver position mentor me…as much as I feel I’ve had success, there’s always room to improve.”

Stafford on extension and expectations

“Body feels good, throwing it like I know how to throw it. For someone my age, I feel pretty good”

When asked about his decision to go year-to-year with his contract extension, the decision seems to be rooted in the reality of his age and family helping make that decision:

“If I’m feeling healthy, and like I said, it’s a family decision, I can’t sit there and tell you what it’s going to look like 365 days from now, if you can, let me know…I’m doing the best I can to make sure I can play as long as I can and make sure that my family and I are all on the same page before we embark on whatever season it may be.”

Where some national media will look deeply into the Simpson pick as signs of Stafford being one foot out the door, the truth is simply put: Stafford will continue to play football as long as he physically can at a high-level.

Everything else is circumstance or irrelevant.

On paper, the Rams have earned their favored-betting odds as “way too soon” SuperBowl favorites. With the reigning MVP under center, and a retooled defense to partner with an explosive offense, the football gods truly are shining down on Rams fans right now just as much as the sunny LA weather.

Subscribe now

Los Angeles, CA — The Rams have their highest pick in the NFL Draft since Sean McVay’s tenure began in Los Angeles in 2017. Part of the offseason narrative has been fascination with how McVay and running mate general manager Les Snead will align with pick 13.

With teams reporting for OTAs (Organized Team Activities), it gave the media an opportunity to ask both McVay and Snead some draft questions. Neither is tipping their hand ahead of the draft on Thursday, but Snead did give some insight to their process in narrowing down how they decide who the right player is for them.

Here’s a quick recap of Snead’s comments on Tuesday:

ON MOVING UP IN THE FIRST ROUND

If you’re expecting groundbreaking slip-ups from Snead, sorry.

The insight is simple and grounded, though. With all the mock drafts and experts talking about how the Rams want to move up, you have to enter Thursday with a Plan M in case Plans A-L don’t work out.

Snead continued, “…a lot of times if you’re trying to move up, a team may say, ‘Yes…but we have to see who’s on the clock first”. Insinuating to the chaos that is the first round. You may have a plan and even a verbal commitment, but if one player falls further than expected, there goes that desire to trade up for your guy.

BALANCING DRAFTING FOR NEED VS. DRAFTING BASED ON FIT

One of the fun parts of the predraft process is sorting through which rookies seem to be natural fits for what Snead & McVay consider Rams-like traits. Contrary to some experts’ opinions, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Rams are going to reach for a player simply because he’s a receiver that blocks well, or a defensive lineman that’s moved up through the NCAA’s transfer portal.

We saw Beaux Limmer go from “delayed” to “immediate” in 2024. Limmer was taken in the sixth round that year, and when Jonah Jackson/Steve Avila were not working at center — plus injuries — Limmer then started deep into the playoffs.

Snead goes on to mention that yes, sometimes you do “go with a better player to a position group that has more depth, but good players play”.

That last part is important to my eyes. You stay aware of what you need, of course, but sometimes it’s as simple as taking the better football player.

ROOKIES COMING IN AND STARTING ON RAMS

One thing I’m guilty of is assuming just because a player is a first round pick, that he’s going to start for the Rams. That isn’t how they approach expectations for their rookies. Aside from absolute need due to roster depth, rookies have to come in and make it impossible for McVay to keep him on the sideline.

Puka Nacua’s rookie camp is an example of that. Taken in the 5th round, they liked the edge he gave them for depth, but Puka impressed the moment he walked in the door in Los Angeles. Earning the right to be on the field, regardless of injury to Cooper Kupp at the time.

Combined with previous comments above, it’s clear the Rams don’t go in with a grocery list of needs and pick just solely based on that. It’s a marriage of need and which football player is damned good enough to help them win games today and tomorrow.

Just because a rookie is taken in the later rounds doesn’t eliminate him from being used this season. They value a player’s ability to contribute more than what their draft position is.

Like Snead said, “good players play.”

Like I mentioned before, there’s nothing groundbreaking here. Much of it is rewording pre-existing knowledge many keen fans have known about the Rams’ draft process. It’s just good to hear it straight from one of the men making the final call on who will be wearing horns in September.

Whether they take your favorite player at pick 13, or trade back and take someone you think is a terrible fit, their track record should give fans enough reason to love any rookie they deem worthy to fly down to Los Angeles and help the team bring home another title.

Subscribe now

Los Angeles, CA — We’ve finally made it to NFL Draft week, and we still have no consensus agreement on what the Rams might do in the first round. After sifting through rumors, quotes and reports all offseason, I believe strongly in my new Rams draft theory:

The Rams will go after their favorite wide receiver in either rounds 1 or 2.

As of this writing, there are 28 reports accounting for Rams pre-draft meetings, per RamsWire. Whether that be at the combine, Pro Day attendance or official visit, meeting with a player does not always mean they love the guy. Hell, he may not even make their final draft wishlist.

Last year, the Rams drafted just one player out of the 20 they reportedly met with. Sometimes, teams may meet with rookies to validate crossing them off their big board.

But I’m looking past just the who in these meetings, and focusing on how many. Of the predraft interactions reported on, 6 of the 28 meetings show Les Snead’s team meeting with WRs. Similar to last season where 6 of 20 meetings were also with WRs. That is the most of any position in either draft.

Combine those efforts with reports of the Rams attempting to trade up to get an offensive playmaker (ex: Tetairoa Mcmillan, Matthew Golden, Tyler Warren), we have to ask one simple question: What if they’re tired of missing out on their guy?

If the threads I’m pulling on are actual evidence of their intentions, then we can try to figure out which receiver is giving Sean McVay feelings of joy.

With that in mind, we ranked each of the six WRs slated to go in the 1st round not solely on their talent, but their potential fit on the Rams. With #6 being the least-fitting, and #1 being the most desireable.

Let’s dive in, and let us know your thoughts below:

KC Concepcion

Rams fit rank: 6th of 6

Texas A&M
61 rec. | 919 yds. | 9 TD

Superpower: SUPER JUICE

POSITIVES

+ Growth from NC State to Texas A&M. He was used as a gadget player, kind of do-it-all from multiple positions. At A&M he transitioned to full receiver, and it paid off. Meaning he has even further development if met with the right receivers coach…ahem…Yarber…

+ His upside working out of the slot is undeniable. He has the juice to speed away from any defender, and such fun acceleration to watch.

+ Ability to attack DBs with good leverage to generate consistent separation, especially when working across the field. He can play outside when needed, Check out his game vs. LSU’s Mansoor Delane, the top CB in the draft.

+ His film shows a willingness to sacrifice his body over the middle of the field, even when a pass is off-target.

+ KC plays with a chip on his shoulder. His recent piece in The Player’s Tribune is an open letter to NFL GMs advertising himself as more than just his stutter, and more than just a receiver…but the best receiver in the draft. It may seem niche, but anytime a very talented player has extra ammunition to reach for as motivation during the long NFL season, it’s an added bonus.

+ The way he plays, the way he leaps for 50/50 balls, his speed and shiftiness after the catch, reminds me a lot of former Rams WR Brandin Cooks.

+ He will run away from you on special teams as well. Concepcion shows excellent vision and burst as a return specialist.

Subscribe now

NEEDS WORK IN THE NFL:

- The dropped passes are the most talked about part of his game. I haven’t been able to go back and find every dropped pass on film, but the fact he is still high on team boards despite that deficiency is telling. Plus, in my opinion, the stat alone isn’t enough context. QB accuracy, timing and offensive scheme all play into whether a receiver is going to be left out to dry over the middle, or simply asked to make grabs on deep passes that are habitually inaccurate.

Keeping accountability for a top player though, if it is a concentration issue, my hope is that in playing with an NFL-caliber QB, that completely erases that narrative from his name.

- A note from nfldraftbuzz.com regarding his blocking: “Blocking effort and technique from the slot leaves something on the table, with inconsistent positioning and patience when asked to sustain on run plays.” — This is a tough one for me. If it’s an effort thing, it almost doesn’t make sense because he seems like a selfless player. Technique? He’ll be fine with Yarbs and Robert Woods teaching him.

WHY HE’S 6TH ON OUR BOARD:

The upside is undeniable. In the right scheme, with the right teammates, KC has another level of development we haven’t yet seen, and Coach Yarber might be the one to help him fully tap into that potential. He brings an air of underdog mentality that seems to be rampant in L.A.’s locker room.

The reason he’s so low on our board is not because of his deficiencies, but McVay’s track record with slot receivers. I’d like to think that will change with the right player, but I have doubt. KC (6’0” 196lbs) is much bigger than Tutu Atwell (5’9” 165lbs). However, maybe McVay is looking to change? McVay saw a lot of success with Brandin Cooks, that could be something since some of KC’s film does remind me of him.

Rooting for KC, but I have hesitation due to McVay.

Omar Cooper Jr.

Rams fit rank: 5th of 6

Indiana
69 rec. | 937 yds. | 13 TD

Superpower: THE FLOOR IS LAVA

POSITIVES

+ Ability to win from the slot AND outside as a Z-receiver. He shows patience on longer developing plays. Gearing down, then speeding up when needed. Not rushing double-moves out of eagerness to make a big play.

+ Utility: Put him in motion, throw him a screen, or hand it to him on a jet sweep and you will see him shine. He reminds me a lot of Deebo Samuel as a runner. Just refuses to go down with arm tackles, or from the first defender’s efforts. Will generate YAC on demand.

+ Very good body control with the ball in the air. Whether it’s a twisting grab on a backshoulder throw or a leaping toe-tap game winner against Penn State, he is wildly athletic. Consistently climbs the ladder on vertical routes.

+ Unafraid of the big moments. Referencing not just the catch vs. Penn State again, but Indiana became National Champions thanks to a lot of big plays from Omar in the playoffs.

+ Really has that wiggle to him. I think defenders see his frame and assume he isn’t that quick in space. He can create quick body movements to create false steps from defenders.

+ Strong in run blocking. Very selfless player.

+ Hands. Hands hands hands hands hands. Catches the ball consistently and away from the body. Underneathe, over the middle, doesn’t matter. You trust his hands.

Subscribe now

NEEDS WORK IN THE NFL:

- Not a route “technician”, yet. He’s not a bad route runner, he just isn’t as polished as other 1st-round graded WRs. He wins a lot with his wiggle as opposed to pure football and leverage attacking. I do think that’s more of a tell on IU’s WR development than a lack of ability from Cooper. I believe one summer with Coach Yarber cleans that all up.

- Indiana’s system with Fernando Mendoza has far less reliance on underneathe choice routes than he’ll have in the NFL. Expect a learning curve for Cooper as he adjusts to learning what his NFL QB expects on different defensive coverages.

WHY HE’S 5TH ON OUR BOARD:

The guy fights, and meets the moment. I think it’s telling that Cignetti’s comments before the PSU game were backed up by Cooper Jr.’s game-winning catch. Referring back to the Rams’ failed 4th down in the NFCCG, a player like Cooper might rise to meet the moment.

He’d be a quick learner under Yarber. But, because others are more polished in their routes, I do have to give others the edge over him. One question I have: Is his skillset the math-changer McVay is looking for with their current depth chart? And though he is very capable of playing outside, that isn’t his forte as of now. That may not be the answer the Rams may want as a WR1/2 post-Davante Adams.

Makai Lemon

Rams fit rank: 4th of 6

USC
79 rec. | 1,156 yds. | 11 TD

Superpower: DAWG

POSITIVES:

• I think he’s the best in the class at recognizing defensive coverages at the snap, allowing him to make quick route decisions, or improvise to get open

• Creates an observable orbit when deployed in motion or at different positions other than slot. Defenses have to adjust quickly and account for his big playmaking abilities.

• Call him a dawg or whatever term for it, he fights on every play with or without the ball. Arm tackles mean you might be rolling out the PAT unit. Screens to teammates and run plays you’ll be in a fight with him as he blocks you through the whistle. Per Steve Smith, he’s a selfless player.

• Body positioning on contested catches allow him to make catches you think he shouldn’t be able to.

• Strong, doesn’t allow defenders to get him off track or timing while in routes, thinking of the touchdown against Michigan: Runs a corner, safety meets him at the break, Lemon stays on track and makes a contested grab.

• The first of our WRs where I think he understands leverage vs. DBs in coverage at the level of many NFL starters. Makes him a day one starter for 30 NFL teams today.

• Another guy with wiggle! Knows how a head fake, or shoudler shudder can make a linebacker false-step and blow his coverage.

• HANDS!

NEEDS WORK IN THE NFL:

- His release game against press coverage is still a work in progress. It is the part of this game that he dedicated time to the past two offseasons to improving, and it showed this year. It’s not a liability, but it’s something he will have to continue to craft if he works under Yarber & co.

- You can compare him to Amon-Ra St. Brown in many ways, including their similar strides. It’s not a super long stride (like Concepcion for example), but it may be a cap on his physical ability in terms of “long speed” (I really hate NFL draft season terminology). To be honest, I understand this note, but I don’t fully agree with it. He’s faster on the football field than he is in a track race. That’s all I care about.

WHY HE’S 4TH ON OUR BOARD:

Without being repetitive, it’s the same reason we’re not higher on Concepcion or Cooper Jr. The last WR that Coach McVay really saw a lot of success with was Brandin Cooks. That being said, Lemon is just flat out a damned good football player, with traits that give me hope for that McVay trend to be a thing of the past.

The best way for me to summarize his game, is between two greats. Julian Edelman and Steve Smith. Edelman as a route-technician, Smith for his dawg mentality going up for contested catches or with the ball in his hands.

Lemon would start for nearly every team in 11-personnel today, and challenge most in 2 WR sets. If McVay is willing to create a better gameplan to implement a WR like Lemon, he would be a no-brainer for the Rams.

Subscribe now

Denzel Boston

Rams fit rank: 3rd of 6
Washington
62 rec. | 881 yds. | 11 TD

Superpower: GROWN MAN FOOTBALL

POSITIVES:

+ Immediate redzone threat for any team. Physical through the route, and at the point of reception. When he goes up for the ball, he doesn’t wait, he attacks the ball out of the air. Has a mindset of “this ball is always mine”.

+ Surprisingly snappy on some quick routes. Shows the ability to trick defenders one way, limit his steps and change direction. Added with his long stride, I think some analysts knock his route running because of how he can glide through some routes smoothly.

+ He gets open. Point, blank period. Understands landmarks, Will not trail off his mark when running horizontally, creating reliable windows for QB to throw to.

+ Vision and understands how to displace defenders with his routes. Vs. Rutgers, I watched him run a long drag route, before he reaches the LB’s area, he gives a quick head nod as if he’s going upfield behind him, creating a misstep by the LB, allowing Boston to run underneath him for an easy completion for the QB.

+ Contested catches are a strength for him. Even if he isn’t open downfield, he’s still open. And not just throw jumping over guys, he uses body-positioning to keep defenders away from the ball underneath.

+ Some of the best, reliable hands in the draft. At any part of the field. Tracks the ball very well, you can tell he trusts his hands.

+ Run blocking. Wow. He really does all the physical dirtywork that doesn’t get highlights, I love it.

NEEDS WORK IN THE NFL:

- Release vs press. It’s not bad at all. It’s good, just not GREAT like other 1st rounders. Similar to Cooper’s route running critique, I think if Boston spends one summer with Coach Yarber, this will not be a question in his career. He just needs someone to work with him on adding some more moves to his existing set.

- The run after catch, and screen game, he has good vision, and will fight, but he isn’t the most elusive guy at 6’4”. I don’t expect him to be Puka Nacua by any means there.

- Agent didn’t have him run the 40. I’d guess he runs ~4.55. Some will point to his lack of long speed as a reason he has so many contested catches.

WHY HE’S 3RD ON OUR BOARD:

He’s a prototypical ‘X’ receiver that wins at the point of attack so consistently, and does all the dirty work (probably better than anyone else) on the perimeter, it’s really hard not to love him for Los Angeles.

I think Boston has the potential to be a Top Five receiver in the NFL if paired with the right offensive coordinator and WR coach. A lot of what he does on film reminds me of both Keenan Allen, and Mike Evans at times. Neither of them have that 4.3-freakish speed, but they win anyways.

Boston wins by aggressively attacking leverage consistently, has an underrated level of spatial awareness without the ball, and his hands will win you games due to reliability. I have him above the slot WRs in this list because of his ability for the future, in taking over for Davante Adams whenever that time may come.

Jordyn Tyson

Rams fit rank: 2nd of 6

Arizona State
61 rec. | 711 yds. | 8 TD

Superpower: FREAKAZOID

POSITIVES

+ Unique, deceptive body movement when running routes. The quick head fakes, quick feet and fluid hips allow him to get open consistently against any defender. Some will say he rounds-out some routes, I argue it’s because he CAN. He is able to move similar to how Justin Jefferson moves. Compare them side-by-side and you’ll see similarities.

+ Can be ‘the guy’ when you need a big play made. Jump ball, get open, whatever. He has the talent and competitiveness to find a way to get the ball and win the play.

+ Understands how to attack leverage. Referencing the first point about how unique his movement is. This adds to it. He knows how to exploit positioning vs. DBs

+ Contested catches, he just fights for the ball wherever it is. Ball-tracking is excellent. All helps him win on ‘gotta have it’ downs.

+ Because his vertical routes are so good, he’s learned to sell them well, too! DBs consistently bite on his vertical stem, then quickly hits his cuts creating great separation.

+ He is at his best when the game is on the line. Thinking back to the 2024 playoffs. I truly believe ASU beats Texas if he’s on the field. ASU ultimately lost by 8pts as underdogs to Texas. They win by 14 if he plays, in my opinion.

NEEDS WORK IN THE NFL:

- Might be petty on my end, but ASU doesn’t have a long list of WRs panning out in the NFL.

- Key phrase from that final positive point: “if he plays”. The main knock on his draft stock has been his injury history. Dating back to 2022, he’s had a knee injury, the collarbone that kept him out of the 2024 playoffs, and then a hamstring issue that kept him out of a lot of predraft events. He recently did a private workout for teams just a week before the draft. Video just surfaced of him looking amazing.

His injuries this past season draw me to believe that it’s not so much physical limitations, rather than his decision in pushing his body while already injured. Sure he’s competitive, but think of Puka Nacua. We praise his ability to get dinged up, and return, but those are real nagging injuries sometimes. Catch a little bad luck, and returning at 85% can turn into missing a month of football very quickly. I’d like to see him trust the medical staff, and have patience in not returning too quickly, putting his future NFL team in a spot where they are missing him for extended time.

WHY HE’S 2ND ON OUR BOARD:

Honestly, this is a 1A and 1B situation more than it is placing him at #2.

His upside makes me think of Justin Jefferson. He’s just flat out better at playing WR, than most DBs are at their job. The separation, beating guys quickly off the line, and ability to pull in the catch on any down and any big situation, can make an OC daydream.

Based on reports from his private workout on April 17th, a lot of other teams no longer seem very concerned over the injury. That being said, how much you let his injury concern affect you, depends if you have him at #1 or #2 on your list.

If he is available at 13 for the Rams, you pick him and never blink.

Carnell Tate

Rams fit rank: 1st of 6

Ohio State
51 rec. | 875 yds. | 9 TD

Superpower: AF1 STEPPA’

POSITIVES:

+ Buttery smooth routes. Almost textbook the way he glides through some routes. Reminds me of Davante Adams. Even when he rounds them out, he doesn’t lose speed althroughout.

+ It is a nightmare to watch defenders try to challenge him in off coverage. If you let him get a free release and meet you in that 10-15 yard area on his vertical stem, it’s too late. He’ll get right up on a defenders toes almost stepping on them, forcing them to commit deep, giving him room to get open easier on breaks.

+ Or, because the stem looks similar, if you sit on his route, he will gallop right past you for a big play. Watching him get open on streaks and post routes is incredible fun.

+ His technical operation and speed he plays at impresses me on certain routes. He had a speed out vs. Illinois: Kept the same gear, smoothly rounded out to the sideline, and all in one motion he extends and toe-taps for a completion. You only see that on NFL Sundays.

+ Climbs the ladder as good as anyone in the draft. If you happen to go stride-for-stride with him downfield, he has great high-point timing on the ball, with strong hands to bring it in.

+ Football IQ is high. Understands situational football, and how to manipulate coverages. He and Lemon have the best defensive recognition skills in the 1st round class.

NEEDS WORK IN THE NFL:

- Some note his run-blocking: It’s more technical than effort. He’s a fighter. Similar to other prospects I’ve mentioned previously, one summer with Yarbs is all he needs.

- Long speed, ran a 4.53 at the combine.

- Doesn’t break a lot of tackles. This one perplexes me. It’s like he’s better at being a professional WR than he is being a professional athlete. I don’t know how to explain it otherwise. Again, don’t expect Puka Nacua Jr. here.

- Considered to never have been the WR1 at Ohio State. I’ll address that below.

WHY HE’S #1 ON OUR BOARD:

Rams fans, to put it as simple as possible: When I watch Tate’s film, I see Davante Adams. The smooth routes. Ability to break them off crisply, or use speed to round them as needed. Changes gears midroute if he needs. He understands defensive schemes and how to beat them. And as I mentioned before, his superpower is shown when defenders allow him to get on their toes when he’s challenging them vertically. Sound familiar?

His knock, of never having been “WR1” at OSU? Okay? The good news is, he won’t be asked to be WR1, hell, even WR2 in Los Angeles. Tate is the pick that gives Stafford as dangerous of a WR3 you can find in a rookie, as well as the heir apparent to Davante Adams in the future.

His only flaws are coachable, especially under the likes of Yarber, as well as time spent learning under his WR-clone in Davante.

If you’re still here…

Thanks for reading, I know this was a long one. A lot of time and energy was spent putting these notes together. I feel strongly about the potential of the Rams drafting one of these WRs in the 1st (maybe very early 2nd) round. I hope after reading this piece, you feel confirmed in previous thoughts, or had them changed based on my notes.

Comment below, share the piece with fellow Ramily, and make sure to subscribe for more content this season.

Subscribe now