Omar Speights could be benched, Davis Allen could be cut, Stetson Bennett could lose to Ty Simpson, and Taylor Decker could be signed to start for the Los Angeles Rams at tackle.
Overreaction?
These aren’t just one writer’s opinion, these are the results of a survey to hundreds of Rams fans this week.
After asking L.A. Rams fans to ask a series of questions about the team on Tuesday, the queries about training camp produced some of the most interesting results. Many of those answers came down to one
word:
“Pressure”
What do these answers tell you about the Rams? Perhaps more importantly, what do they tell you about the perception of certain players in Rams camp?
Omar Speights most likely to lose job
“Which starter will lose his job in camp?”
- LB Omar Speights, 42%
- Nobody, 33%
- TE Colby Parkinson, 14%
- DE Braden Fiske, 9%
- RT Warren McClendon, 2%
As you can see, fans had the option to simply choose “nobody” if they had confidence in everybody, but there’s barely any confidence in Speights at linebacker. With players like Shaun Dolac and Grant Stuard behind him, there is a lot of competition for those linebacker snaps. They’re not the only ones.
Look at the results to this question:
“Which surprising player will be a camp stand out?”
- LB Nikhai Hill-Green, 28%
- WR Brennan Presley, 21%
- Other, 16%
- Tim Keenan III, 15%
- S Alex Cook, 13%
- G Bill Murray, 3%
- QB Matthew Caldwell, 2%
Could Hill-Green be a future starter for the Rams, say by 2027?
But at least Speights will still be on the roster. Not everybody in the survey was so lucky.
Davis Allen more likely to be cut than ‘nobody’
When asked for a surprise cut candidate, here’s what you said:
- TE Davis Allen, 42%
- Nobody, 29%
- CB Emmanuel Forbes, 10%
- RB Jarquez Hunter, 10%
- WR Jordan Whittingon, 7%
- K Harrison Mevis, 1%
If none of the tight ends in front of him get traded, then Allen would be TE5 on the Rams. Is that too low on the depth chart for a player to make the 53? Many of you think so!
Allen easily beat out “nobody” to be the player most likely to be cut by the Rams.
But Allen will be picked up by another team if that happens. So is he the one with the most to lose? Probably not.
Stetson Bennett has most at stake this month
The strongest consensus choice of any question here, most of you agree that Bennett has the most to lose in this camp’s battle for QB2. If Stetson Bennett doesn’t make the Rams as the backup, will another team even call him?
“Which player has the most to lose?”
- QB Bennett, 61%
- WR Whittington, 30%
- DE Fiske, 5%
- RB Kyren Williams, 4%
If Bennett can’t back up Stafford, it’s hard to see how he’d help another team. Puka Nacua says that Bennett has always played with confidence.
The Rams might even sign a veteran QB to sit in front of Ty Simpson if Bennett does fail to impress Sean McVay enough. A veteran QB isn’t the only player who could join the Rams.
Fans still want Taylor Decker
Even though AJ Jackson hasn’t been suspended yet, Rams fans are still hopeful for more help at tackle. Jackson did rest this week because of blood clots.
“Which free agent would help the most?”
- OT Taylor Decker, 51%
- WR Stefon Diggs, 15%
- WR Deebo Samuel, 14%
- LB Bobby Wagner, 13%
- EDGE Joey Bosa, 6%
Not even close. Fans are confident enough in those other positions to want to see L.A. sign Decker, but will they be signing a $15 or $20 million insurance policy? Do they have that kind of money if Aaron Donald returns?
Not that surprising when you look at these results:
“What position worries you the most?”
- Tackle, 43%
- LB, 30%
- Receiver depth, 16%
- Other, 8%
- Center, 3%
All hands on Decker. But tackle isn’t a position battle fans are watching:
“Which position battle is most interesting?”
- WR3, 46%
- TE, 31%
- LB2, 20%
- EDGE depth, 3%
Maybe I should have asked QB2?
But if Bennett has the most to lose, who has the most to prove?
Terrance Ferguson needs to step up now
When asked which player on the Rams has the most to prove this camp, the winner was clear:
- TE Terrance Ferguson, 36%
- QB Ty Simpson, 22%
- RB Hunter, 21%
- QB Bennett, 18%
- Other, 2%
Ferguson should be able to work his way into a steady role in year two. If he can’t do that, does he have much of a future with McVay?
It’s going to be a fascinating camp either way. Some will win, some will lose, some will be added, some will depart.
But you know who never changes, even over decades?
The fans.
