By STU JACKSON, Rams Senior Staff Writer
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Rams reduced their roster to the 53-man limit on Tuesday. Here’s a position-by-position look at Los Angeles’ first 53-man roster for the 2024 season.
QUARTERBACKS (2): Matthew Stafford, Stetson Bennett
The Rams have two quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster.
Jimmy Garoppolo is serving a two-game suspension to start the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing substances (he said in March it was due to a mistake in his filing for a therapeutic use exemption for an unspecified substance); he is on the Reserve/Suspended list.
McVay last week announced Bennett would serve as the Rams’ backup quarterback during Garoppolo’s suspension.
RUNNING BACKS (3): Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Ronnie Rivers
Los Angeles will have three running backs on its initial 53-man roster for the first time since 2021.
Williams and Rivers both return. They are joined by 2024 third-round pick Corum, who has been on track to have a complementary role behind Williams entering the regular season.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell, Tyler Johnson, Jordan Whittington
Depth and experience – whether in the Rams’ offense, the NFL overall or both – highlight this group. Whittington was a preseason standout who will likely contribute on special teams initially given the experience in front of him.
TIGHT ENDS (3): Colby Parkinson, Hunter Long, Davis Allen
The Rams go with three tight ends on their initial 53-man roster.
Tyler Higbee is on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, which means he will miss at least the first four games.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Joe Noteboom, Jonah Jackson, Steve Avila, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein, Warren McClendon Jr., Logan Bruss, Beaux Limmer, Conor McDermott
Los Angeles will have nine offensive lineman on its initial 53-man roster. Similar to wide receiver, it’s a mix of depth and experience, whether via the Rams or the NFL in general between Noteboom, Jackson, Avila, Dotson, Havenstein, McClendon and Bruss.
Sixth-round pick Limmer impressed throughout the preseason and passed many tests thrown his way, especially in the final joint practices.
Rookie K.T. Leveston (ankle) was placed on Injured Reserve and Designated for Return.
Alaric Jackson is serving a two-game suspension to start the season for violating the league’s personal conduct policy; he is on the Reserve/Suspended list.
DEFENSIVE LINE (6): Bobby Brown III, Kobie Turner, Braden Fiske, Desjuan Johnson, Tyler Davis, Cory Durden
This group has a decent amount of turnover compared to last year’s initial 53-man roster, namely because of Aaron Donald’s retirement this offseason and the departures of Jonah Williams and Earnest Brown IV. Fiske and Davis both impressed in training camp and the preseason.
Larrell Murchison (arm injury) was placed on Injured Reserve and Designated for Return.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (5): Michael Hoecht, Byron Young, Jared Verse, Nick Hampton, Brennan Jackson
The Rams carry the same number of outside linebackers as last year’s initial 53-man roster, with Verse and Jackson as the new additions joining returnees Hoecht, Young and Hampton.
INSIDE LINEBACKERS (5): Christian Rozeboom, Jake Hummel, Troy Reeder, Omar Speights, Elias Neal
Rozeboom, Hummel and Reeder are the most experienced members of this group.
Speights impressed in the preseason and played well enough to be a healthy scratch for the preseason finale against the Texans, indicating his role as a contributor. Rams head coach Sean McVay said Speights can contribute on both defense and special teams.
Speights and Neal are two of the five undrafted free agents to make the Rams’ initial 53-man roster.
DEFENSIVE BACKS (11): Tre’Davious White, Darious Williams, Cobie Durant, Kam Curl, Kamren Kinchens, John Johnson III, Quentin Lake, Russ Yeast, Jaylen McCollough, Josh Wallace, Charles Woods
While the Rams have traditionally carried double-digit defensive backs on the initial 53, 11 ties with 2019 and 2017 for the most carried on an initial 53-man roster in the McVay era.
McCollough, Wallace and Woods were the other undrafted free agents to make the initial 53. Rams head coach Sean McVay mentioned Wallace and Woods as players who were in the mix for the fourth spot in the cornerback rotation.
Derion Kendrick is on Injured Reserve after tearing his ACL early in training camp. Tre Tomlinson was placed on Injured Reserve.
SPECIALISTS (3): Ethan Evans (punter), Alex Ward (long snapper), Joshua Karty (kicker)
Evans and Ward enter their second season in their respective roles; sixth-round pick Karty takes over as L.A.’s new kicker.
