The Los Angeles Rams will be taking the field this week for the first time since they suffered a humiliating loss in the Super Bowl last year. Los Angeles will kick off their preseason schedule against the Oakland Raiders on Saturday.
The Rams enter their third season in the Sean McVay era and are hoping to take another step forward to hoist the Lombardi trophy in February. This offseason, Los Angeles has reloaded and they are poised to reign over the NFC West for the third straight season.
After last year's Super Bowl, the blame was plastered on McVay and quarterback Jared Goff. The offense only scored three points against the New England Patriots after averaging 32.9 points per game in the regular season.
Fans and the media alike also began to question the severity of Todd Gurley's knee injury as he only touched the ball 11 times for 34 yards in Super Bowl 53. Earlier this offseason, it was reported that Gurley has an arthritic component to his knee.
Heading into training camp and the preseason, Los Angeles has a few players that will be monitored closely. Here are three players to watch for the Rams when they square off against the Raiders this weekend.
3. Greg Gaines
Last season, the Rams signed Ndamukong Suh in hopes to pair him next to Aaron Donald along the defensive line. They played next to each other, but the experiment with Suh as the team's nose tackle was a letdown.
The run defense suffered as a result and the Rams ranked 23rd in the NFL at stopping the run. This offseason, the Rams were focused on replacing Suh with an actual nose tackle and they may have found that in this year's draft.
With the 134th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Rams selected Greg Gaines out of Washington. At 6-foot-1 and over 300 pounds, Gaines could be the stout run defender that Los Angeles desperately needs.
Currently, Gaines is competing with Sebastian Joseph-Day for the starting nose tackle position. The rookie defensive tackle could gain some traction as the starter with an impressive outing against the Raiders in Week 1 of the preseason.
2. Taylor Rapp
Gaines wasn't the only guy out of Washington that the Rams selected in this year's draft. Los Angeles also decided to bring in Taylor Rapp to be a versatile defender for Wade Phillips and the defense.
Earlier this offseason, the Rams allowed Lamarcus Joyner to walk in free agency, but replaced him with veteran Eric Weddle. Weddle will form a dynamic duo with John Johnson, who has quietly become one of the league's best strong safeties.
For Rapp, he'll likely be the third safety on the team and he will be moved around on the defense to play different roles. In college, Rapp saw snaps as a cornerback, linebacker, and even took snaps along the line of scrimmage to blitz the quarterback.
This year, Rapp will be used in a multitude of ways by Phillips and the Rams. We may get a first glance at what he brings to the defense this week against the Raiders.
1. Darrell Henderson
With the injury news regarding Gurley, the Rams wanted to bring in some more insurance for their All-Pro running back. They re-signed Malcolm Brown, but they also traded up in the draft to select Darrell Henderson in the third round of this year's draft.
Henderson has been getting acclimated to the offense in training camp, but when he has a grasp of the offense, he'll likely become a viable weapon in the offense. McVay is likely going to find ways to get Gurley and Henderson on the field at the same time.
Throughout his collegiate career at Memphis, Henderson was a big play waiting to happen. In his last two seasons in college, the Rams' rookie running back averaged 8.9 yards per rush. He also caught 63 passes and eight touchdowns as a pass-catcher—showing off his dual-threat ability.
The Rams recently released their first depth chart and Henderson was listed as the fifth running back. That's likely due to seniority with the other guys ahead of him, but the rookie could climb up the depth chart if he plays efficiently on Saturday night.
Follow Us
Subscribe