Tag: xavier jones

Rams waive Xavier Jones and Tyler Hall

The Rams moved on from both Xavier Jones and Tyler Hall on Tuesday, just before the season opener

The Los Angeles Rams made a pair of roster moves on Tuesday, though neither will have an impact on the 53-man roster. The team waived Xavier Jones and Tyler Hall, the latter with an injury settlement.

You might be thinking that Jones was already cut earlier this offseason, which he was. But because he was waived with an injury settlement, he reverted to the reserve list. The Rams today waived him from that list.

Hall was also waived/injured as part of final roster cuts, and the Rams reached an injury settlement with him to allow him to become a free agent after clearing waivers.

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Rams sign RB Trey Ragas, waive RB Xavier Jones with injury designation

The Rams made a couple of roster moves at running back, waiving Xavier Jones and signing Trey Ragas

After practice on Friday, the Los Angeles Rams made a couple of roster moves, both at running back. The team announced Xavier Jones has been waived with an injury designation, and his spot has been filled by Trey Ragas.

Ragas signed with the Raiders as an undrafted rookie in 2021. He bounced between the practice squad and active roster last season and after signing a futures contract this offseason, he was waived in May.

Jones has been with the Rams since 2020, also going undrafted. He played in 13 games as a rookie but he missed the entire 2021 season due to injury.

10 players on the Rams’ roster bubble entering training camp

The Rams will need to trim their roster down to 53 players before Week 1 of the 2022 season, putting these 10 players on the roster bubble.

It’s almost the time of the year when training camps commence around the NFL, with plenty of players trying to compete for roster spots on their respective teams. Players will be arriving at training camp for the Los Angeles Rams on July 23 as all eyes will be on certain position battles ahead of the upcoming season.

Unfortunately, not every player on the current roster is going to make the active roster for the Rams this year. Before the 2022 season kicks off, Los Angeles will have to trim their roster to 53 players, meaning that there will be quite a few difficult decisions to make.

Some players are going to have a tougher time than others to earn a roster spot and they’ll need strong showings during training camp to prove their worth. With playing in the NFL being a brutal line of work, here are 10 players that are on the roster bubble for the Rams entering training camp.

Rams still have a plan for Xavier Jones and Jake Funk despite Sony Michel’s arrival

Les Snead has seen enough from Xavier Jones and Jake Funk to know they should still have roles with the Rams.

When the Rams announced that they traded for Sony Michel, fans immediately wondered what the addition might mean for Jake Funk and Xavier Jones. They each seemed likely to carve out a role behind Darrell Henderson Jr., but with Michel stepping in, their opportunities will be limited.

That doesn’t mean they’ll be left off the 53-man roster, however.

Les Snead told reporters on Wednesday that the team still has a plan for Jones and Funk after evaluating both players in camp and the preseason. They’ve seemingly done enough to stick on the regular-season roster, with their roles varying based on multiple factors.

“I think we’ve definitely seen enough to go, ‘OK, in this take with Jake and Xavier that this is how they can contribute. Let’s call it on Sunday night for the Rams. And this is how they might be able to contribute four or five weeks later,’” Snead said. “So, we’ve definitely identified that. And again, now it comes in phases and stages. This may be a Sunday night against the Bears role. This might be more of a future role. And then all of a sudden, some unforeseen adversity occurs, or attrition and the role just changed and it’s a more important role.”

As good as Funk and Jones have looked in practice and the preseason, the Rams clearly felt the need to add some depth and talent. It’s no coincidence that the addition of Michel came right after Raymond Calais fractured his foot, which left Los Angeles with only three capable backs.

It’s hard to imagine Jones or Funk playing a big role on offense immediately with Henderson and Michel healthy, but in the event that there’s an injury ahead of them, they appear more than capable of stepping up. This move for Michel was more about depth than it was a lack of confidence in Jones and Funk.

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Sean McVay on RB Xavier Jones: ‘Expecting good things from him this season’

If Xavier Jones keeps on his current path, the Rams will be “expecting good things from him this season.”

Darrell Henderson Jr. was expected to be the Rams’ backup running back this season with Cam Akers getting most of the carries. However, Henderson and the rest of the Rams’ backs were bumped up a spot on the depth chart when Akers tore his Achilles while training.

That puts Xavier Jones in line for a much bigger role than expected, likely operating as Henderson’s backup. We didn’t see much of his true ability against the Chargers in the preseason opener, but he was solid in pass protection and showed brief flashes of his elusiveness when he was able to find even the slightest bit of running room.

Sean McVay said Monday that the running game was “sloppy,” but after the game on Saturday, he shared some positive remarks about Jones and his role with the Rams this season.

“I thought he did a good job. Not a whole lot of looks. He’s a slash runner. He’s able to create more than what sometimes the play is blocked for. I think he’s steadily stacked good blocks day in, day out. He’s a guy that if he keeps on this trajectory, we’re going to be expecting good things from him this season. And Jake Funk showed really great things. The fourth-down and one run, where he’s hit in the backfield and is able to surge forward and get a yard and a half. But Xavier has been a bright spot in camp. And I thought with the limited opportunities he had tonight, he was a positive.”

Jones is battling Funk for the backup role, but both players should contribute in some form anyway. They’re both capable blockers and receivers, and they can each run between the tackles, too.

As well-rounded backs, they’re good backups to Henderson and it wouldn’t be surprising if both players get a decent share of touches in 2021.

Sleepers and Value Plays: Running Backs

2021 Fantasy Sleepers – Running Backs

A sleeper running back is a player taken as a backup who ends up worthy of being a starter or at least far outplays the draft slot where you selected him. Average Draft Positions (ADP) are taken from MyFantasyLeague.com using only recent drafts.

See also:
Sleepers and Value Plays: Quarterbacks
Sleepers and Value Plays: Wide Receivers
Sleepers and Value Plays: Tight Ends

The Average Draft order shows a general picture of how your draft will unfold and where values/sleepers and bad values/busts likely exist. Any green highlight means the player is a good value that could be taken earlier. A red highlight signifies an overvalued player that is a bad value or just too high of a risk for that spot.

Average Draft order – Value plays

ADP Tm Running Back
1 CAR Christian McCaffrey Last year burned many fantasy owners, but his injuries were ankle and thigh, nothing like a torn ACL. When he did play, he was yet again very productive.
2 MIN Dalvin Cook Cook always misses two games or so, but dominates when he plays. Grab Alexander Mattison for the two games and enjoy massive fantasy points in all the rest.
3 TEN Derrick Henry He was unstoppable last season. Cannot fault the pick but he’s also coming off a monstrous 832 touches over the last two years. That’s the sort of volume ended Terrell Davis’ career. He’s bound to be mortal eventually. Probably. Maybe.
4 NO Alvin Kamara Brees is gone but he was diminished the last two years anyway. For the last four seasons, Kamara was Top-4 in all but one when he was injured in 2019. He catches at least 80 passes per year, regardless of quarterback, and a banged up Michael Thomas only means even more dump off passes.
5 DAL Ezekiel Elliott Elliott is usually a Top-5 back and even without Dak Prescott, being hurt himself, and losing most of his O-line, he still ended up as No. 9 last season. The gang is all back.
6 CLE Nick Chubb Chubb may be the best pure runner in the NFL and he works behind the No. 1 offensive line. Only his lack of receptions holds him down this far.
7 NYG Saquon Barkley There are plenty of other backs in the draft. The first round is not where you should be saying “maybe this will turn out okay.” Until more clarity on his health happens – and it almost certainly will not prior to most drafts – then the risk makes Barkley a scary prospect. He never falls far enough to compensate for his risk.
8 IND Jonathan Taylor The rookie blew up for 1,468 total yards and 12 touchdowns to be the No. 6 fantasy back last year. The Wentz situation makes it a little less clear, but Taylor runs behind the No. 2 offensive line and Marlon Mack still is no threat.
9 LAC Austin Ekeler Four years into his career, Ekeler was better than No. 25 only once. The offense that fed him 92 catches in 2019 is long gone. He’s never ran more than 132 times in a season and stayed healthy for just the one Cinderella 2019 blip.
10 GB Aaron Jones This is a good spot for Jones. The return of Aaron Rodgers and great O-line are major positives. The biggest concern is Jones staying healthy and going from the No. 2 rushing schedule strength to the No. 31. Wouldn’t take him any higher.
11 PIT Najee Harris There’s plenty to be wary about with a rookie running back on a team with a terrible O-line and a fading quarterback. But Harris was the first back drafted in April and the only rookie stepping into a heavy workload. He was dynamic at Bama with 1,891 total yards and 30 touchdowns as a senior. Expectations are naturally very high.
12 WAS Antonio Gibson The hybrid-player with only 77 touches in two years at Memphis broke all conventions when he ended as the No. 13 fantasy back last year. He’s drawing even better reviews from camp this year. Maybe a head-scratcher, but one that scores a lot of fantasy points.
13 KC Clyde Edwards-Helaire The Chiefs’ rusher is rising in the rankings for good reason. He missed three games, had no real preseason, and his O-line blew up in 2020. He’s worth a mulligan in the most explosive offense in the NFL.
14 CIN Joe Mixon Missing 10 games with a foot injury last year soured him to many, but the Bengals O-line is improved, the rushing schedule is much better, Giovani Bernard left, and the coaches intend to make Mixon into a workhorse. Worth the risk here.
15 BAL J.K. Dobbins Dobbins proved a force with 6.0 yards per carry as a rookie, and he’s rock solid here. But he doesn’t catch much and the Ravens are committed to their committee.
16 CHI David Montgomery Shocking as it seems, Montgomery was the No. 4 fantasy back last year when Tarik Cohen was hurt and HC Matt Nagy had no other inferior back to steal the carries. The Bears have the No. 2 rushing schedule paired with the same bad O-line. He’s worth higher than this and Cohen is slow to return from a torn ACL.
17 SEA Chris Carson Carson has been a Top-20 fantasy back in each of the last three years. The schedule is a little better and Rashaad Penny spent the last three years as an injury waiting to happen. Always solid, never spectacular.
18 DET D’Andre Swift Here’s another rookie that struggled in the COVID-19-impacted season. Swift gets new coaches that want to turn him into a Alvin Kamara-like player. The O-line is better than most and so far it appears the Lions’ offense is mostly up to Swift and T.J. Hockenson. Jared Goff was given some sketchy wideouts, so Swift can be a valuable outlet.
19 PHI Miles Sanders While Sanders has the talent to produce far better than this, he is also on a team that is committed to a rotation even with new coaches. A rushing quarterback only serves to further diminish what the backfield can do.
20 LV Josh Jacobs This is a level equal to Jacobs’ rookie year. He was No. 8 in 2020 but the addition of Kenyan Drake scares away fantasy team owners. That’s probably overrated. This is should be the worst that he’ll do.
21 MIA Myles Gaskin The Dolphins did nothing in the draft for the backfield and only picked up free agent Malcolm Brown. Gaskin doesn’t have the pedigree or resume to earn him a starting job. But he has the one thing that trumps all else. He gets the opportunity. And he catches the ball well with 41 catches in 2020. Plus the Fins have the No. 3 rushing schedule. Maybe he disappears in 2022, but he’s poised for a decent year in 2021.
22 ATL Mike Davis Another back that had far fewer touches during his first five years on three teams. But one season in Carolina when Christian McCaffrey was hurt and he converted that into a surprising starting gig for the Falcons. It’s a new offense under HC Arthur Smith but Davis caught 59 passes for the Panthers last year and ran 165 times. The Falcons did not bring in anyone else to challenge him.
23 CLE Kareem Hunt This may end up as a steal. The Browns intend to run their offense through Nick Chubb and Hunt with the No. 1 offensive line in the NFL. This is the worst he’ll do. With Chubb banged up last year, Hunt finished as the No. 10 fantasy back.
24 JAX James Robinson Robinson was a huge surprise when he replaced Leonard Fournette. This season, there is a whole new offense, a new rookie quarterback, a below-average O-line and they added Travis Etienne in the first round. They say the rookie becomes the third-down back, but Etienne twice ran for 1,600 yards at Clemson. Good rushing schedule, though. Just feels risky like Etienne may increase his role while Robinson declines later in the season when you really need him.

 

Sleepers and overvalued players

ADP Tm Running Back
25 LAR Darrell Henderson The loss of Cam Akers devastated this backfield that had already parted with Malcolm Brown. Henderson rises to RB1 by default and the former third-rounder of 2019 turned in several nice games last year. But he’s had injury issues including a high-ankle sprain in 2020. The Rams will use a committee approach, so Henderson is not the new Akers. But he should, for now, be the primary back.
26 JAX Travis Etienne Jags do not need Etienne to step into a full-time running back role with James Robinson there, but the new coaching staff grabbed Etienne with a first-round pick. So far, the plan is for Etienne to be a third-down back which alone could justify this draft spot. But he’s too talented to not, at least eventually, become a primary back. Could start slower, though.
27 SF Raheem Mostert 2019 was his magical year and even then only as the No. 25 fantasy back. His other five years never played more than 9 games or ranked better than 47. No thanks.
28 ARI Chase Edmonds Risk is here with never more than 850 total yards in a season, but Kenyan Drake is gone and Edmonds stepped up last year as the No. 2 back with 53 receptions. The addition of James Conner could end up as a true two-back system, but ARI has a better O-line, easier schedule and a more mature offense.
29 DEN Javonte Williams Williams has climbed draft boards all summer long. Melvin Gordon is still there and maybe the No. 1 back at least to start. But he’s in his final contract year and the Broncos moved up to grab the NCU star that has all the physical attributes and skill set to become an elite NFL back. Denver owns the No. 1 rushing schedule strength so there may be enough for both backs to matter.
30 NE Damien Harris Maybe third time is the charm? Two lost seasons for the ex-Alabama rusher but he gained 5.0 YPC on his 137 runs last year including three 100-yard games. Pats backfield has been a mess for a decade, but Harris remains at the top until he is injured yet again. If Mac Jones starts, the offense becomes more traditional and the RB1 will likely account for more.
31 DEN Melvin Gordon Gordon was Top-12 every year he did not hold out. But he never stays healthy, only once ever broke 1,000 rush yards in six years and relied mostly on short-yardage touchdowns. Final year of contract and almost certainly gone in 2022. Expectations are that Javonte Williams becomes the primary back sooner than later, so Gordon’s fantasy value is likely to decline as the season progresses.
32 NYJ Michael Carter He’s smaller at only 5-8 and 190 pounds, but the Jets added him to a backfield that appears to be devoid of talent. Offense promises to be better under OC Mike LaFleur and Carter should be the lead back here. None of current Jets’ rushers gained more than 254 yards last year. Very low bar to start and Carter adds receiving
33 SF Trey Sermon Another rookie that rises in drafts each week. Bottom line – Sermon is likely the best inside rusher on the team but the offense always splits up carries. Has the most upside of any 49ers back. But no runner totaled more than 153 carries in a season since HC Kyle Shanahan showed up in 2017.
34 TB Leonard Fournette He was a testament as to why early fantasy drafts are risky. Fournette turned it on later last season, and the Buccaneers head into this year with two rushers. Fournette deserves to go first since he does more as a receiver but Ronald Jones still figures in and technically is the primary back. Buccaneers also fall to the No. 32 rushing schedule, so his receptions should help keep him on the field, unless Giovani Bernard assumes the role.
36 HOU David Johnson Texans backfield is crowded with mediocre has-beens and never-weres, and the O-line is still a liability. Worst rushing schedule. That all said, Johnson is most likely to lead the group whatever that means this year. What it mostly means is that you waited too long if Johnson is one of your starting running backs.
37 ARI James Conner The backfield in Arizona will be split between Conner and Chase Edmonds and last year the totals were only average for an NFL backfield. Edmonds has the advantage of knowing the offense and catching 53 passes last year. But Conner at 6-1, 233 pounds is likely to take the inside role over the 5-9, 205 pound Edmonds. Cardinals have a lighter rushing schedule this year. Coming off toe surgery but should be fine.
38 BUF Zack Moss Had ankle surgery in January but expected to be good to go for Week 1. This was one of the worst backfields in 2020 but Moss was busier at the end of that season. Singletary lost carries to Moss and evolved into a receiving back by the end of the year. Moss should continue to see more carries. Josh Allen running in scores undercuts what Moss could do.
39 GB A.J. Dillon Dillon is a must-have for the Aaron Jones owner and should supply stand-alone fantasy value with short-yardage and goal line work. The Packers rushing strength of schedule plummets from No. 2 down to only No. 31 for this season. But the O-line is one of the best.
40 LV Kenyan Drake He’s a great handcuff for the Josh Jacobs owner, and may pick up some work as a third-down option. He’s had his shot as a primary back and wasn’t quite up to the task.
41 BAL Gus Edwards Ravens just signed him to a two-year, $10 million contract as a part of the rotation. He’ll be No. 2 behind J.K. Dobbins and has no real chance of ever supplying RB1 stats. But – he’s always going to be good for some yardage and a catch or two per game. The Ravens like him and he’s a decent roster stash in case it all goes wrong and you need a consistent – even if minimally – running back. Solid O-line helps.
42 WAS J.D. McKissic New quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick won’t likely toss another 110 targets at McKissic like last year. He’s a distant second to Antonio Gibson but will remain a third-down back to use to cover bye weeks.
43 BUF Devin Singletary Third-rounder from 2019 hasn’t quite caught fire in Buffalo and Zack Moss is taking more of the rushing load at the least. This deeply, he has enough value to merit a fantasy roster spot but his usage is trending the wrong way with the Bills
44 DAL Tony Pollard The Cowboys want to keep Zeke Elliott fresher for the playoffs, and Pollard looked great when he replaced the elite rusher that the defense cared about. He should see at least a tick more use this year and is a capable back if they need him to step up and replace Elliott if needed. Mostly – just the handcuff for the Elliott owner.
45 DET Jamaal Williams The Lions intend to use D’Andre Swift and Williams as a tandem backfield and even said “the hot hand” gets the bigger share. But the pair are complementary with Swift the fast, outside rusher and receiver and Williams more of an inside puncher. Lions have an all-new scheme, and set of coaches and skill players, but they also have an above-average O-line. Williams is a handcuff for Swift but could produce fantasy relevant stats even as a stand-alone back.
46 IND Nyheim Hines Nothing wrong with swinging for the fence this deep, but there’s a lot to be said about a third-down guy like Hines who catches 60 passes per season and offers about 10 points every week in PPR leagues. He won’t win your league, but he could help keep your team afloat if your backfield has injuries.
47 MIN Alexander Mattison Handcuff for Dalvin Cook who always misses a game or two. But short of Cook being out, Mattison offers nearly nothing while Cook handles everything.
48 NO Latavius Murray There is conjecture that the Saints will play Alvin Kamara as a receiver more and that Murray sees a spike in rushing from his normal 140 rushes per year. But Taysom Hill may take up carries and touchdowns, and Murray is 31 years old. Saints have a great O-line and Murray could still deliver equal to this level, but he’s getting old to expect much else.
49 HOU Phillip Lindsay The Texans’ log jam at running back should clear out a bit by the start of the season, but maybe not by your fantasy draft. Lindsay is just a lottery ticket that likely doesn’t pay off with what appears to be a very bad offense for 2021.
50 NYJ Tevin Coleman Maybe Coleman reunites with with his 49ers coaches, and he’s certainly the only veteran that’s done anything in their NFL career in their backfield. But the 28-year-old Coleman hasn’t amounted to much since 2018 with the Falcons. He’s often injured now and the Jets only paid him $2M for one year.
51 CHI Tarik Cohen Tore his ACL last year and still not healthy. Nope. Do not draft players that are already injured.
52 SEA Rashaad Penny Speaking of injured players, Penny spent all three years getting injured or recovering. Now word is that DeeJay Dallas may take some third-down duty. Going on four years, not drafting Penny has been the wise move.
53 TB Ronald Jones He is listed on the top of the depth chart and may end up with more carries than Leonard Fournette, but his final eight games totaled only three catches. And worse yet, Bucs have the worst rushing schedule.
54 NE James White No Brady, no bueno. Cam Newton preferred to run rather than dump off to White. If Mac Jones gets the start, White may matter again.
55 CAR Chuba Hubbard You can be really sure that if I own the best fantasy running back, I am going to own his backup. And yes, I was torched last year when I did not do this with Christian McCaffrey. The Panthers want to take it easier on McCaffrey and that could help Hubbard, but they always say that sort of thing. Hubbard is worth stealing.
56 LAR Xavier Jones That backfield for the Rams became interesting and yet muddy when Cam Akers was lost. Darrell Henderson defaults as the primary back but Jones should see some action. Jake Funk may also be involved. Until it is all sorted out and made permanent, Jones is a worthy final running back draft pick that could surprise.
57 IND Marlon Mack Mack tore his Achilles last year and Jonathan Taylor took full advantage, even as a rookie. He’s nothing more than a waiver wire pick if bad things happen to Taylor.
59 NYG Devontae Booker Booker is just a backup for Saquon Barkley, but Alfred Morris may also get involved. Barkley seems likely to take it easy to open the year, but Booker is not even a great handcuff, let alone have reliable weekly fantasy value.
60 HOU Mark Ingram The 31-year-old Ingram seems to have hit the 30-year-old wall in Baltimore last year and all but disappeared. Landing on a terrible offense with a bad O-line when he’s over the hill doesn’t promote any positive vibes.

 

Best of the rest

Rhamondre Stevenson (NE) – The Patriots have long used a committee approach to their backfield, and the rookie Stevenson may only be the No. 4 back. But there’s speculation that Sony Michel may be dropped, James White remains an under-used third-down back and primary rusher Damien Harris has been less than durable in his two years. The burly ex-Sooner has impressed and could see more work than expected. An early comparison to Corey Dillon is probably just bluster, but there is some upside here.

Rams’ backup RBs giving Sean McVay plenty to be encouraged about

Sean McVay says he’s “really been encouraged” by Xavier Jones in training camp thus far.

Darrell Henderson Jr. is penciled in as the Rams’ starting running back after Cam Akers tore his Achilles before training camp. That much we know.

What isn’t as clear is who will back up Henderson.

The Rams have Xavier Jones, Jake Funk, Raymond Calais and Otis Anderson on the 90-man roster right now, but they’ve combined to play zero offensive snaps in their NFL careers. So needless to say, there isn’t much experience at running back behind Henderson.

Jones is the favorite to back him up after sticking with the Rams last season as an undrafted rookie. He’s getting more work in camp this year due to Akers’ absence and though it’s early, Sean McVay is encouraged by what he’s seen from Jones, as well as the Rams’ other backup running backs.

“They’ve done a good job,” McVay said Monday. “I’ve really be encouraged with what I’ve seen from Xavier. I think when you look at Jake Funk, he’s shown good maturity. Calais had a couple of nice runs out here today. Otis Anderson is a guy that, he’s got some skills. He’s just getting comfortable. We kind of brought him in after the offseason program, but I’ve been really encouraged with what I’ve seen from those guys behind Darrell up to this point.”

Jones was highly productive in college, rushing for 1,276 yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior year at SMU. He’s a talented runner with receiving ability, too, which is why McVay chose to keep him around last year.

Funk is equally talented and tested as one of the most athletic running backs in the 2021 class, but the biggest concern with him is durability. He suffered two torn ACLs in college and struggled to stay on the field, so that could make it tough for the Rams to trust him as a primary backup.

There’s a severe lack of experience at running back for the Rams right now, but there’s also reason for hope with Jones and Funk, I’m particular.

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Xavier Jones, Tremayne Anchrum among unproven players Rams are high on

Les Snead highlighted a handful of young, unproven players who the Rams like heading into 2021.

Countless times in recent years, the Los Angeles Rams have relied on unproven players to come in and become starters on either offense or defense. Cory Littleton is a great example, going from undrafted rookie to future starter at inside linebacker.

Micah Kiser has risen after being a fifth-round pick, as has Sebastian Joseph-Day, a former sixth-rounder himself. Travin Howard was supposed to be a starter last season before injuring his knee in a scrimmage, while Troy Hill has developed into a versatile cornerback.

It’s lesser-known players like them who have helped keep the Rams competitive and successful in the last few years. And given the way their roster is constructed, a new group of unproven players will need to step up next season and beyond.

Les Snead was asked Wednesday about which players stand out as relative unknowns who the team really likes. He ruled out John Wolford and Van Jefferson because they’re no longer unproven players, but he did mention Xavier Jones as a player the Rams were ready to play late last season.

“A good one that might be is Xavier Jones,” Snead said. “Heck, we were ready to run him down the stretch there in important games, but Cam (Akers) was able to get through it and be the warrior. It’s players like him where I call those the sophomores, they may have played on special teams. I can mention a lot of them, because even the runner we claimed, (Raymond) Calais, from Tampa. … Joe DeCamillis comes here and he was a big fan of Calais as a returner in Jacksonville and now he’s a Los Angeles Ram.”

Snead then pointed to two offensive linemen who he seems to like a lot: Tremayne Anchrum and Chandler Brewer. Anchrum was a seventh-round pick last year and only played three offensive snaps, while Brewer opted out due to the pandemic.

The Rams could use depth on their offensive line, so Anchrum and Brewer could be players to watch.

“I think we like big Tremayne Anchrum,” Snead said. “Didn’t necessarily play in games, he did dress for a couple of games, but going back to those camp practices, you definitely saw some things there. A very interesting one is getting a Chandler Brewer back from an opt-out, who actually played well in our San Francisco game when we went up there. That game still bothers me that we lost that game, even though it might not have mattered at all. He played well, so it’s those moments.”

And finally, Snead looked at the defensive side of the ball. He didn’t name names on the defensive line, but he pointed out the four players that Los Angeles kept on its practice squad all year – a good sign for their chances to make the team next season.

Those players were Marquise Copeland, Eric Banks, Jonah Williams and Michael Hoecht, all of whom signed futures contracts with the Rams.

“All those defensive linemen we kept on practice squad. I probably can’t even name them all, but there were four of them and we kept them for a reason and liked them,” Snead said. “The linebackers speak for themselves and the safeties because a lot of those guys got to play. Even someone like Mr. (J.R.) Reed that we signed from Jacksonville. Someone we really liked in the draft, didn’t get him, he went to Jacksonville and then we ended up signing him.

“It’s players like that – not household names, not sexy – but sometimes you have to take the knowledge that you have and make a bet on them to help play a role. The poster childs of that working out: Sebastian Joseph(-Day), Troy Hill, Darious Williams – even to an extent, the Kenny Youngs, and the Troy Reeders and people like that.”

If the Rams are forced to cut players such as Young, Michael Brockers, A’Shawn Robinson the younger linebackers and defensive linemen could be asked to step up. The same goes for the offense, where Malcolm Brown may not be retained and Austin Blythe could leave in free agency.

There are holes for the Rams to fill and it’ll help them immensely if some of their unproven players can become starters the way Hill, Joseph-Day, Reeder, Kiser and Williams have.

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Rams rookie Xavier Jones likely to have a role at RB vs. Cardinals

If Cam Akers is out again, Xavier Jones will be asked to step up.

In the last two weeks, the Los Angeles Rams backfield has been decimated by injuries. Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson both suffered high ankle sprains, which are never easy injuries to battle through.

Akers missed Week 16 as a result of his injury, and Henderson has been placed on injured reserve, so he’ll miss the season finale. Sean McVay said “there’s a possibility” Akers will be able to play against the Cardinals this week, but given the nature of the injury, he shouldn’t be expected to.

That opens the door for not only Malcolm Brown to step up, but also rookie Xavier Jones.

Jones went undrafted this year and quickly became one of the most intriguing rookies on offense for L.A. He made it onto the 53-man roster and although he hasn’t carried the ball once this year, he will have a role on Sunday.

“Xavier Jones will be asked to step up and potentially Raymond Calais. So we’ve got some other guys that (RBs coach) Thomas Brown has really been developing behind the scenes that I know will be excited if their number’s called,” McVay said Monday.

Jones was a prolific runner in college, rushing for 1,276 yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior in 2019. He stood out in camp and scrimmages for being an explosive playmaker, and he may finally get a chance to show that on game day this week.

McVay likes his fit in the Rams’ zone blocking scheme, possessing the traits of a one-cut runner for L.A.

“I think he’s a slash-type runner,” he said of Jones. “He’s a bigger body than what you think, but he’s got the speed to be able to finish and naturally can work edges on guys. I think he is built for a lot of the things that we do specific to the zone-running scheme and really be able to press it outside in one gap at a time and put your foot in the ground. So, he did a nice job with the opportunities that we had to evaluate him throughout the course of camp. I think he’s done a good job on the look teams. This week he’ll get a chance to make some plays for the offense.”

Brown was asked Monday how Jones could do if asked to step up, and he left no doubt about the rookie’s skill set. In one-on-one situations in the open field, Brown says Jones is going to win most times.

Assuming Akers won’t be able to play, Brown will likely get the bulk of the carries. But he doesn’t have as much juice as Jones does, which makes the rookie an intriguing player for the final game of the season.

Rams’ 2nd scrimmage is crucial for players on roster bubble

Sean McVay called it a big opportunity for younger players to show themselves.

From top to bottom, everyone on the Rams’ roster will benefit from the team’s second scrimmage at SoFi Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Jared Goff will get work with the starters, while the backups will get plenty of opportunities in the second half of the game.

As important as this intrasquad matchup will be for the first-team offense and defense, it’ll be even more crucial for those on the roster bubble fighting to make the 53-man team.

Sean McVay was asked Thursday what he hopes to see from the scrimmage, and he put an emphasis on the Rams’ younger players getting a big opportunity to showcase themselves in front of coaches.

“Just good, crisp execution on both sides. You want to limit the self-inflicted wounds, the pre-snap penalties. Whether it’s jumping offsides offensively or defensively. You want to see guys play with the right fundamentals and techniques, communicate at a high level,” he said. “Just as important as anything is kind of getting comfortable with that rhythm and routine. Staying at a new team hotel the night before and just being comfortable getting to the stadium, where they park, and how they’re getting to the locker room. As you guys saw, that’s quite a stadium. So, I just want to get all those things that sometimes you take for granted in a year where you don’t have those preseason opportunities to usually get that stuff figured out. That’s as big a part of this as anything. And then continue the evaluation of our roster. It’s going to be a really good opportunity for some of our younger players to get a significant amount of work in the second part of this scrimmage. Everything we do is important and evaluated, but this certainly represents a big ‘Opp’ for a lot of guys.”

McVay didn’t specifically say which players he’ll be keeping an eye on, but we can figure out who will need a strong showing in the scrimmage. Nsimba Webster is fighting to make the team as a return specialist and punt returner, while undrafted rookies Easop Winston, Earnest Edwards and Trishton Jackson will be competing for possibly the same roster spot.

On the offensive line, there’s plenty of fluidity. Will the Rams keep Brian Allen over promising rookie Cohl Cabral? Can Jamil Demby hold off Tremayne Anchrum as one of the final offensive linemen to make the team?

The top three running backs are set with Cam Akers, Malcolm Brown and Darrell Henderson, but if the Rams keep four, will it be Xavier Jones or John Kelly? Both players figure to see a lot of playing time in the scrimmage with Henderson out, and this might be Jones’ best chance yet to make an impression.

The lack of a preseason has really hurt the younger players fighting to make the team, but McVay won’t use that as an excuse for the roster being more difficult to set.

“I just think you wish you could provide more opportunities that a natural and normal schedule allows. You know, preseason games. It won’t be an excuse,” he said. “I think, like we said, we’re evaluating everything and that’s part of our job to make sure that we do a thorough job of getting these guys evaluated the right way, identifying our top players that are going to be on the active roster, who we deem as appropriate practice squad players and then hopefully help those guys that it doesn’t work out for them here, find some other opportunities based on the environment they’re in here.”

The Rams ran more than 140 plays in their scrimmage last week, but McVay doesn’t anticipate the snap count being that high this time around. He estimates that the starters will get 45-50 plays in, with the other half going to the backups and younger players. In total, he expects to run about 90-100 plays.

With just one more week of practices before final cuts on Sept. 5, this could be the last chance to shine for a lot of players.

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