By Zakary Haines
LOS ANGELES- Figuring out a final roster is never an easy task. With only 53 players allowed, teams had to make a massive jump down from 80 players. Some teams had an easier day than others, but the Rams had their good share of surprises and drama heading into the deadline. There were some obvious cuts and a handful of surprising cuts that left more questions than answers. However, that does not explain the players who made the team last year and somehow did not make this years’ roster.
One player that comes to mind immediately is linebacker Micah Kiser. Not only did Kiser make the squad last year, but he also started the first half of the season until a knee injury sidelined him. This preseason the Rams had plenty of talent to choose from. It made sense to move on with newer, younger talent. Kiser was a force against the run game last season; however, he was limited in his play and had issues dropping into coverage on pass plays. Regardless, Kiser’s time with the Rams has come to an end.
A group that was primarily unaffected until the deadline was wide receivers. Two very surprising players who were cut were JJ Koski and Triston Jackson. Both players were making noise on the offensive side of the ball. Koski had 102 receiving yards in the preseason, along with 12 receptions. However, Koski did not get any receiving touchdowns, which may have made the difference.
Meanwhile, Jackson was on the Rams last year, had 55 receiving yards, five receptions, and one touchdown out of two games (Jackson did not participate against the Raiders). These two cuts are even more surprising as to who took their spots. Tutu Atwell, who will also have kickoff return duties, and rookie Ben Skowronek missed the preseason with a fractured forearm.
The most exciting aspect of today was with the team’s two punters: Johnny Hekker and Corey Bojorquez. Hekker put out an exciting and cryptic Instagram post on Tuesday morning saying, “The future is bright.” During the day, there was a report going around that Hekker would be cut and join the Dallas Cowboys. Hekker’s camp and the Rams could restructure Hekker’s contract and ship off Bojorquez, and a 7th round pick to the Green Bay Packers. This seems this was a win-win all around as the Packers parted ways with JK Scott and grabbed one of the best punters in the preseason.
With all the cuts, some stand-out stars throughout the preseason fought and won their spot on the roster. Division II outside linebacker Chris Garrett made highlights against the Las Vegas Raiders and earned himself a spot on the depth chart. Bryce Perkins had one of the best preseason performances and landed at 3rd on the quarterback depth chart. Overall, there were some smart choices and some questionable ones. Only time will tell if Sean McVay put together a title-contending team. The Rams’ first game of the regular season is on September 12th for Sunday night football against the Chicago Bears at SoFi Stadium.
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