For the Los Angeles Rams, fresh off a heart-thumping 23-22 victory over their SoFi Stadium roommates, the Chargers, that tension just got dialed up to eleven. Sean McVay’s squad pulled off the comeback win, but the real drama is just beginning for 36 athletes staring down the barrel of next Tuesday’s cut deadline.
“Yeah, it felt good,” quarterback Stetson Bennett admitted post-game on August 16, the glow of his game-winning touchdown pass to Tru Edwards with just five ticks left still fresh. ‘But really, it’s just about stacking days. Trying to be where my feet are.’ Bennett’s feet were firmly planted in excellence Saturday night: 28-of-40 for 324 yards and three touchdowns, including a jaw-dropping 38-yard laser to Mario Williams. His stat line through two preseason games? A cool 44-of-64, 512 yards, five TDs.
That’s not just stacking days; it’s building a fortress around his roster spot. His late-game heroics, snatching victory from the jaws of a Chargers lead built partly on a Luke Grimm 66-yard punt return score, were clutch. Yet, every Bennett completion, every electric moment like Brennan Jackson sacking Justin Herbert, cranks up the pressure elsewhere. McVay’s win, showcasing depth and fight, paradoxically makes the looming decisions more agonizing. “We’re going to let the best players play,” McVay noted, a statement that sounds like praise but feels like a verdict for those on the fringe.
Navigating the cutdown from 90 to 53 by August 26 feels like threading a needle blindfolded, especially with battles raging across the trenches and secondary. Take the offensive line: ten spots feel like a luxury, but injuries loom. Alaric Jackson’s status? Unclear. Willie Lampkin got banged up against the Chargers. David Quessenberry was taking first-team reps last week. Beaux Limmer and Warren McClendon Jr. are pushing hard. Keeping 11 seems excessive, but can they risk only nine or ten with health questions? ‘This is where things get really tough,’ echoes internally.
Similar logjams clog the defensive line. Only five spots are projected here for names like Kobie Turner and Poona Ford, leaving proven contributors Desjuan Johnson and Larrell Murchison sweating. ‘Five… would be enough,’ the analysis concedes, ‘but six would probably be even better if they can make it work.’
Jackson’s two-sack eruption against the Chargers likely punched his ticket at outside linebacker, but it means Nick Hampton’s chances dimmed. Inside linebacker Shaun Dolac, wearing the green dot as defensive signal-caller again, ‘continues to play relatively well,’ yet finds himself projected out in a numbers game, a potential practice squad candidate if he clears waivers. To get a clear roster on Aug 26, McVay will need to figure out the math for the secondary.
Bubble trouble: Depth turns into a numbers game
For Sean McVay, the secondary is pure chaos. There are five cornerback slots for Darious Williams, Ahkello Witherspoon, Cobie Durant, Emmanuel Forbes Jr., and Josh Wallace. That leaves A.J. Green, who shone Saturday, and Charles Woods on the outside looking in. Green ‘could push for one of the final roster spots,’ a glimmer of hope amidst the uncertainty. At safety, Tanner Ingle and Nate Valcarcel have both shone, but the quartet of Kamren Curl, Quentin Lake, Kamren Kinchens, and Jaylen McCollough seems locked, leaving little room for a fifth.
Even positions that seem settled have tremors. Running back Cody Schrader, after 13 tough carries for 48 yards against the Chargers, will be hard to cut – especially after keeping him on the 53-man roster all of last year. But keeping four backs (Kyren Williams, Blake Corum, Jarquez Hunter, Schrader) means sacrificing depth elsewhere. Receivers like Williams, Edwards, and Brennan Presley made plays against the Chargers, but with Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Tutu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Xavier Smith, and Konata Mumpfield looking solid, there just isn’t enough room for seven.
Credits: USA Today
This is the brutal calculus McVay and his staff, embodying the “H.E.A.R.T.” culture (Humility, Energy, Accountability, Relationships, Toughness) he instills, must perform. The win over the Chargers wasn’t just a preseason notch; it was a high-definition showcase of depth, forcing impossible choices. Every Bennett dime, every Jackson sack, every tough yard from Hunter (15 carries, 55 yards) or Schrader, makes the “No” calls harder. It’s the paradox of preseason success: proving you have too many capable players.
As the Rams prep for Cleveland in their final preseason tune-up, 36 men aren’t just fighting for film; they’re battling the numbers, knowing Sean McVay’s history of tough cuts is as reliable as the Ram horns on their helmets. The victory sparked joy Saturday night, but for dozens in waiting, it ignited a very real, very personal fear for their football future. The final reel of this particular story gets written next Tuesday.
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