With three weeks to go until the preseason opener, the Los Angeles Rams are still sorting through their current roster trying to figure out which players on the bubble will make the team and how the depth chart will shake out.
The preseason helps a lot in that regard, especially with the increased opportunities for younger players due to the fact that established starters don’t take the field for the Rams in these exhibition games.
Saturday’s game against the Raiders ended with a 17-16 loss, but we learned a lot about where players stand and who’s emerging as real contenders to make the team. Here are seven takeaways from the loss.
Tough decisions loom in the secondary
The Rams are going to cut a good defensive back or two this summer. It’s a good problem to have, and also a testament to the talent the Rams have in the secondary. J.R. Reed broke up two passes on Saturday night, including an interception after Chris Garrett tipped it at the line. JuJu Hughes broke up a pass on an out-breaking route by the receiver on the opening drive, undercutting it for a near-interception. He also made a great stop in the flat when the Raiders approached the goal line, keeping them out of the end zone. Kareem Orr made three tackles, Troy Warner looked much better with three tackles of his own and Brontae Harris made a juggling interception on a deep shot down the right side. With there already being about eight locks for the 53-man roster in the secondary, the aforementioned younger guys will be battling for potentially two or three spots.
Chris Garrett doesn’t look overmatched one bit
Garrett is transitioning from Division II to the NFL, a massive jump for any young player. To make it even more challenging, he hasn’t played since 2019. But Garrett looked neither rusty nor overmatched in his second preseason game on Saturday night. He was actually the best defensive player out there for the Rams, making four tackles (one for a loss), one sack, three QB hits, two deflected passes and a forced fumble. The Rams could use pass-rush help behind Leonard Floyd and Justin Hollins, which makes for a great opportunity for Garrett as he gets acclimated to the NFL. https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1429281407788933128 “He did a great job. Made a big impact,” Sean McVay said after the game. “You could see he was applying pressure consistently. Big second quarter. And really you’ve seen him start to make steady improvements.”
Tutu Atwell beginning to show he’s not just a gadget player
Many expect Atwell’s role to be mostly as a gadget player who can take handoffs, catch screen passes, run deep and return punts. But against the Raiders, he showed he can be much more than that. He ran crisp routes both from the slot and on the outside, creating separation for his quarterback. The rookie caught eight of his team-high 13 targets for 46 yards, the longest of which went for 11 yards. Perkins took a couple of shots deep to Atwell, but one was underthrown and the other was into triple-coverage. McVay is beginning to see growth from Atwell, especially as a route runner. “I thought he did a nice job out-breaking routes where he could feel his suddenness,” McVay said. “It was good, aggressive hands. Just want to see him continue to build on that.”
Penalties were a major problem
McVay can’t be happy with the number of penalties the Rams committed on Saturday night. They were flagged 10 times for 84 yards, but more painfully, a few of them negated big plays – including two runs of 12 and 13 yards by Xavier Jones. There were holding calls, illegal blocks above the waist, illegal use of hands and pre-snap infractions, which are painful on offense. Mistakes are to be expected in the preseason when backups are playing just about every snap for the Rams, but Los Angeles has to clean up these frequent infractions because they often kill drives.
Bryce Perkins has a future in the NFL
Not to overreact to one game – especially a preseason game – but Perkins continues to show he probably belongs on an NFL roster. In just his second game since his final year at Virginia in 2019, Perkins played every snap and racked up 249 total yards with two touchdowns and an interception. He didn’t look uncomfortable one bit and made good, smart decisions when dropping back. If his primary read was covered, he did a nice job of working through his progressions. And if all of his receivers were blanketed, he used his legs to pick up first downs. Few quarterbacks in the NFL are capable of making this type of play, simply because most quarterbacks aren’t as athletic as Perkins. https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1429310327469101058 If he keeps on his current trajectory, Perkins could find himself on a regular-season roster, either as the Rams’ third quarterback or with another team after being waived by L.A.
Jake Funk has a chance to be RB2
This isn’t a knock on Xavier Jones, because both he and Funk are clearly talented. But Funk stood out with a big performance against the Raiders. He rushed for 56 yards on only seven carries, breaking off runs of 12, 14 and 19 yards. McVay said “I really felt Funk tonight” after the game and came away impressed with the rookie out of Maryland as he continues to assert himself in the Rams’ backfield behind Darrell Henderson Jr. https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1429270581510213632 Funk has the speed, juice, power and vision to make an impact as a rookie this season so don’t be surprised if he gets at least a few touches per game on offense.
Defensive line remains a strength
Another week, another good performance from the defensive line. Eric Banks bagged a sack on a nice interior rush, Marquise Copeland came close to a sack, Bobby Brown III blew up a running play for a tackle 3 yards in the backfield and Earnest Brown IV drew a holding penalty on the Raiders with a good rush off the edge. https://twitter.com/RamsNFL/status/1429273378880299009 Jonah Williams and Michael Hoecht have potential along the defensive front, as well, pushing to make the 53-man roster. This is a deep and talented group that boasts good potential behind the starters.
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