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The Los Angeles Rams have their preseason finale on Thursday night against the Houston Texans.
Since it's the final game of the preseason, a lot is going to be happening. First off, you can expect most of the “regular” players to be sitting out. Teams usually don't want to risk injury to their starters in the final week of the preseason with the regular season just days away.
Then there's the big one, the job battles. This is the last week for players to make a case for why they should be on the team or why they should have a bigger role. That means there's always a lot to watch in these games as it could be the reason someone makes the team or gets cut. This is their last chance so everyone's going all out.
With that in mind, who should you be keeping an eye on?
Here are three key players to watch in the Los Angeles Rams' preseason finale.
3. Dakota Allen
The Los Angeles Rams were expecting Micah Kiser to have a big role in the defense this year. However, the middle linebacker is now out indefinitely after getting surgery to repair a torn pectoral.
In his absence, it appears Bryce Hager will be taking up the role that Kiser was supposed to be in. That being said, this opens up another spot. There now needs to be someone directly behind Hager.
I could've named a few people in this spot but we'll go with Dakota Allen for now. The reason for that is simple, he was selected in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Most of his competition are undrafted talent.
That doesn't mean anything other than that the Rams believed in him enough to use a draft pick on him. This insinuates that at least at one point in time they were higher on Allen than anyone else they ended up signing as a free agent.
With a role now open, it will be a scramble to see who can get to it. Not only is someone making the team that might not have otherwise, but someone's getting a real role. Could Dakota Allen snatch it up?
He should get a lot of playing time on Thursday to prove himself.
2. John Kelly
The honeymoon period is over. When the Los Angeles Rams selected John Kelly with a sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft the potential talk was high.
Kelly was set to be the backup to Todd Gurley and many believed he could end up finding himself in a decent-sized role.
However, just one year later and his spot on the roster is in jeopardy. The Rams drafted Darrell Henderson this year and he's now the obvious backup. Meanwhile, Malcolm Brown made a strong case for himself last year.
If the Rams keep four running backs on the roster, Kelly is likely safe – but will never really get any rub. If they keep just three running backs though, Kelly might be out of a job.
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Either way, the situation isn't ideal for Kelly. I can't imagine he'd be too excited about being a fourth-string and never seeing the field. He can start chipping away this week though.
The Rams will likely want to give Kelly a long look in the final game to see if he can still show the potential. If he impresses enough not only could Kelly find his way on the roster, but he could start building a case for that number three spot.
At running back, that's still not exactly the premiere spot, but it's a start.
Look for Kelly to get some carries on Thursday – and watch what he does with them.
1. Brandon Allen/John Wolford
Honestly, there isn't much to say here. The Los Angeles Rams will likely want to keep three quarterbacks on their roster. Jared Goff is the number one and Blake Bortles is the number two.
Who gets that final spot though?
The battle is between Brandon Allen and John Wolford. Both have been in the NFL before 2019 but neither has thrown a pass in a regular season game.
Wolford is a few years younger which could work against him or for him. The Rams could see it as a chance to mold a young QB. However, Goff is just 24 so it's not like they're worried about him retiring anytime soon.
The fact that Wolford is 23 and Allen is 26 probably won't factor in much. Maybe they'll want to keep Allen because he has more “experience” but neither throwing a pass in the NFL kind of makes that a wash.
The bottom line is this. The Rams will be playing these two exclusively tonight. Both will get a chance to make their case.
Who steps up and gets the job?
