This Saturday, the Cleveland Browns are are at home as they take on the Los Angeles Rams in the preseason finale. To help preview a few topics from the Rams’ perspective, we reached out to Evan Craig from Turf Show Times and exchanged five questions with him.
Chris: Which Rams draft pick from this season figures to have the biggest role to begin the season?
Evan: I’m going to cheat a little in answering this question, so I hope that’s okay. If not, then you can sentence me to the Dawg Pound. I can see
tight end Terrance Ferguson and linebacker Chris Paul Jr. getting plenty of playing time in 2025. Both have been standouts in camp and are locks for the 53-man roster. Ferguson will be quite the weapon alongside fellow TE Tyler Higbee and should give Matthew Stafford tons of options in the passing game. Now, if I have to choose one, I’d pick Paul to carve out the biggest role to begin the season. The Rams don’t have the greatest depth or options at linebacker, which is why I expect him to play early and often.
Chris: Was it the right move for the Rams to move on from Cooper Kupp, and who figures to take his place?
Evan: As tough as it is to say, it was absolutely the right move for the Rams to move on from Cooper Kupp. His Triple Crown season feels like forever ago, and unfortunately, he hasn’t been the same player since. Injuries have plagued him since the 2021 season, which clearly limited his effectiveness after watching him take the field. Last year felt like it would somehow be his final season with the team, and that proved to be true. Prized free agent acquisition Davante Adams figures to fill Kupp’s shoes. Assuming that Adams can stay healthy, I believe he’ll be a massive upgrade for the offense. The Rams whiffed on their last free agent WR prize in Allen Robinson after winning the Super Bowl, and my feeling is that Adams won’t go down the bust path. He has performed like a man on a mission in training camp. Guess that’s what playing for the Raiders and Jets in a single season will do to a man.
Chris: What is the biggest position battle for the Rams (if any)?
Evan: There have been a few position battles this offseason, namely figuring out depth at inside linebacker and offensive tackle. The one I’m keeping an eye on is who will back up Kyren Williams to begin the year. Right now, Blake Corum figures to be the RB2 behind Williams because he has a year of experience over rookie Jarquez Hunter. Corum wasn’t utilized very well last season and he’s been solid in training camp. This battle will be close since Hunter brings a different and powerful style of running to the offense, which will be difficult to keep off the field. Otherwise, most, if not all, of the starters should already be sorted.
Chris: Which relatively unknown player has had a solid camp and/or preseason?
Evan: Linebacker Nate Landman has been the man during camp. He has been earning rave reviews from everyone this offseason, and he will be on the field a lot in his first year with the team. Landman had 191 combined tackles in his last two years with the Falcons, so he already has the experience L.A. has lacked at the position. That is always a great sign, as the Rams have rarely prioritized the LB spot during Sean McVay’s tenure, aside from signing Bobby Wagner in 2022. There is hope that the team will FINALLY be able to make up for stupidly trading Ernest Jones without doing anything to replace him.
Chris: What are you looking to get out of this final preseason game against the Browns?
Evan: The main thing I’d like to see is continued outstanding play from Stetson Bennett. He has been on another level this preseason, and again, while these games don’t matter, Bennett has put in the work this offseason, and it’s shown in back-to-back wins. Bennett is not going to be Matthew Stafford’s successor, yet he has all the makings of a serviceable NFL backup quarterback, maybe even a borderline starter if he continues improving. Most of all, I would just like to see no injuries with the season opener coming up. This offseason has given Rams fans flashbacks of ’22 given Stafford’s nagging back injury. Getting to the season with zero catastrophic injuries would be a plus, especially if Stafford’s back magically heals by Week 1.
Thanks again to Evan for taking the time to answer my questions.