The Los Angeles Rams got started on the right foot in their preseason opener versus the Los Angeles Chargers, defeating the team they share a stadium with by a score of 29-22. It was an exciting contest for an exhibition game as the Rams had multiple players stand out with strong performances.
After taking on the Chargers, the Rams will host the Houston Texans in Week 2 of the preseason this Friday. Even though Sean McVay won’t deploy many starters in the preseason, there are still plenty of notable players to keep an eye on.
Ahead of Friday’s preseason bout with the Texans, let’s take a look at five members of the Rams that fans should be watching closely.
1
QB Bryce Perkins
Perkins was the only quarterback on the Rams to take snaps in the team’s preseason opener versus the Chargers. The Virginia product played 61 offensive snaps and he continued to show why he deserves a spot on the roster.
Perkins completed 10 of his 17 attempts for 133 yards and two touchdowns. He would also lead the Rams in rushing with 39 yards and another touchdown on eight attempts.
Seeing that John Wolford didn’t play any snaps on offense, Los Angeles is comfortable with Wolford as the immediate backup to Matthew Stafford. Even with the Rams confident in their top two signal-callers, Perkins could force them to keep three this season, especially with Stafford playing through an elbow injury.
2
WR Lance McCutcheon
Unless you have been living under a rock, you should know that Lance McCutcheon has been a star for the Rams at training camp and in Week 1 of the preseason. McCutcheon made the most of his opportunities in the preseason opener, posting five receptions, 87 yards, and two touchdowns.
The undrafted rookie out of Montana State has certainly caught the attention of McVay and the coaching staff of the Rams thus far. McVay even went as far as to say that there’s a “very realistic” chance that McCutcheon earns a spot on the 53-man roster.
Even with the Rams expected to keep Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Van Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, Ben Skowronek, Brandon Powell, and potentially Jacob Harris at wide receiver, McCutcheon could still carve out a spot with another strong outing in Week 2 of the preseason.
3
RB Jake Funk
The Rams are dealing with a couple of injuries to Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson Jr. right now. Both Akers and Henderson have soft-tissue injuries and McVay has iterated that Los Angeles won’t have them return to practice until they are fully healthy.
With Akers and Henderson currently sidelined, Jake Funk and Kyren Williams are expected to see the majority of the snaps with the starters. Williams is returning from a foot injury that has prevented him from taking part in the majority of the team’s offseason activities, while Funk is in his second year with the Rams.
Despite Williams’ injury, it appears that Los Angeles wants the rookie fifth-round pick to be the No. 3 option if Akers and Henderson were to get injured, and Funk would be the No. 4 running back on the depth chart. While Funk brings value on special teams, he can prove he can produce on offense with a notable performance on Friday.
4
DE Earnest Brown IV
The Rams’ defensive line is far from being decided before they make roster cuts to 53 players. One of the players that is still competing for a spot on the roster is Earnest Brown IV.
Brown, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, was the lone rookie to not make the team a season ago. The 23-year-old defensive end would remain on the practice squad throughout his rookie campaign and signed a reserves/futures contract with the Rams this offseason.
In Week 1 of the preseason, Brown logged the fourth-most snaps on defense for Los Angeles, recording one sack. Considering that Marquise Copeland didn’t suit up in the preseason opener, Brown is competing with Michael Hoecht, Elijah Garcia, and T.J. Carter for one of the depth spots at defensive end.
5
DB Terrell Burgess
Fans have been clamoring for Burgess to get more opportunities on defense, but the Rams continue to refrain from deploying him. During last week’s exhibition with the Chargers, Taylor Rapp, Nick Scott, and Jordan Fuller were inactive, indicating that their spots on the roster are safe.
Meanwhile, Burgess would be on the field for 19 (30%) of the team’s defensive snaps. Besides being unable to log a stat in the box score, Burgess surrendered a 41-yard touchdown to the Chargers in the first quarter.
With young safeties like Russ Yeast and Quentin Lake competing for roster spots, Burgess will have to prove he still belongs in the mix. The former third-round pick will hope to put together a noteworthy performance on Friday against the Texans.
