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Summary from the Final Week of Camp
Quarterbacks
Neither Matthew Stafford nor John Wolford took a preseason snap, illustrating their entrenched positions as the No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Stafford didn’t need the game reps for Rams fans to be excited about the season ahead; the veteran had an excellent summer and looked reinvigorated at the helm of Sean McVay’s dynamic passing offense. Wolford has returned to practice after undergoing an emergency appendectomy early in camp, but the team knows what it has in the 25-year old. The Athletic's Jourdan Rodrigue thinks Bryce Perkins will be hard to cut (and place on the practice squad) because other teams will claim him off waivers. Expect the Rams to keep all three signal-callers on the active roster until after Week 1.
Running Backs
Darrell Henderson injured his finger early last week, which appeared to be the impetus for the Rams trading for Sony Michel. The Rams are familiar with Michel, having surrendered 94 yards to him on the ground in the 2019 Super Bowl. General Manager Les Snead described Michel as a player who “runs from north to south with force.” Coach McVay added acquiring Michel was “an opportunity to acquire a really good player who has had a lot of success…He offers a physical presence to our room. Really, we feel good about the running back situation, but some of the volatility of what Darrell has gone through even throughout the course of camp, wanted to make sure we got somebody else who has played in big-time games, who brings a physical presence to that room. … Darrell is still going to have a really big role, doesn’t really change the outlook for him, and then we’ll see how quickly we can get Sony up to speed.” Xavier Jones was placed on Injured Reserve after injuring his Achilles ceding the No. 3 job to Jake Funk.
Wide Receivers
Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Van Jefferson, DeSean Jackson, and Tutu Atwell are roster locks, leaving very little intrigue as 53-man rosters are finalized. Ben Skowronek underwent surgery for a broken forearm and will miss a month or two, so the Rams have to decide whether to redshirt him this year or keep him on the final roster and put him on Injured Reserve once the season gets underway. Atwell may not play much on offense but will make an impact on special teams as a returner. While it’s hard to parse practice reps into game predictions, it’s hard to ignore the rapport Stafford and Kupp showed in the last few months. If you’re breaking a tie between Kupp and Woods, give the edge to Kupp; but both could return to 1,000-yard form if they stay healthy.
Tight Ends
Expect the Rams to keep four tight ends: Tyler Higbee, Johnny Mundt, Jacob Harris, and Brycen Hopkins. Harris has been a buzzy player during practices but hasn’t shown much in preseason game action. Given McVay’s reluctance to give regular-season starters snaps in preseason games, Harris’ heavy preseason workload bodes ill for his breakout chances. On the flip side, Johnny Mundt has been held out of preseason games, indicating a role with the starting offense, no doubt as a blocker.
Defense
AShawn Robinson had a minor procedure on his knee and is expected to miss a couple of weeks. Outside Linebacker Terrell Lewis has returned to practice after missing time with recurring knee issues and has been able to generate pressure. Leonard Floyd was able to practice during the week after missing time over the last week with an ankle injury.
Returners
Raymond Calais was the top contender to return kickoffs before an ankle injury ended his season before it began. As a result, rookie Tutu Atwell is the presumptive favorite to return punts and kickoffs to open the season.
Summary from Week 3 of Camp
Quarterbacks
Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions against the Raiders in the first day of joint practices, but it did not concern head coach Sean McVay. McVay said: “That's what I like about Matthew is he's aggressively trying things out. So, then you can learn how to be smart with that decision-making thought process when the games really count.” Stafford was pleased with the execution in 7-on-7 drills in the red zone, where he connected with Cooper Kupp and Tyler Higbee for touchdowns. Stu Jackson of TheRams.com said the offense looked better on the second day of joint practices. The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue noted Byrce Perkins has “been learning and throwing in this offense for over a year,” with his progress evident this summer. Perkins played the entirety of the second preseason game and showed off mobility out of the pocket and an ability to make the correct reads through a series of progressions. John Wolford has returned to practice after an emergency appendectomy. He remains the No. 2 despite Perkins’ intriguing traits.
Running Backs
Despite the injury to Cam Akers before the start of training camp, the Rams have not added to their running back room, signaling confidence in Darrell Henderson as the starter. The battle for the backup spot remains hotly contested between Xavier Jones and Jake Funk. After Jones started the first preseason game, Funk started the second, and both backs alternated throughout the first half against the Raiders. Funk played well, running physically, but it was Jones who played better. Jones showed elusiveness, including bursting to the edge on a run that was ultimately called back. Reserve Raymond Calais was cut this week after suffering a serious foot injury.
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