Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer 10y

Rams roster breakdown: offense

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams have their initial 53-man roster in place and they are now in full preparation mode for Sunday's season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

Coach Jeff Fisher made it clear the roster could still have some tweaks, but for now let's take a look at how the roster looks. We will start with the offense and offer the defense a little later.

Quarterback (2) Shaun Hill, Austin Davis

Fisher has repeatedly said the Rams will be patient in their search for more help at this position, but he means it when he says he is committed to Hill as the starter. Davis has extensive knowledge of the offense and should stick around because of it, but there is still a need to find a veteran who has some playing experience to add more depth. Whether the Rams can find such a player remains to be seen, but don't be surprised if it comes a little later when contracts aren't guaranteed.

Running back (5) Zac Stacy, Benny Cunningham, Tre Mason, Trey Watts, Chase Reynolds

Once again, the Rams opted to go heavy at running back after Watts impressed enough during the preseason and training camp to win a roster spot. A legitimate argument could even be made that Watts outplayed Mason when given the opportunity. Stacy looks to remain the starter, but don't be surprised if Cunningham gets his share of chances.

Tight end (5) Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks, Cory Harkey, Justice Cunningham, Alex Bayer

What looked to be a battle for a fourth roster spot between Bayer and Cunningham turned out to be an opportunity for the Rams to keep five. Cunningham is a talented blocker and Bayer showed some pass-catching prowess, making the choice between the two a difficult one. With the Rams down to five at receiver, they were able to keep both players. But that might not be a permanent setup. If the Rams can find help at spots like quarterback or linebacker, this is a spot where the corresponding move could come.

Wide receiver (5) Kenny Britt, Brian Quick, Tavon Austin, Chris Givens, Austin Pettis

Receiver Stedman Bailey is suspended the first four games for violation of the league's policy on performance enhancing drugs. The Rams have an exemption for Bailey, but he will be on this roster when that suspension ends. When that time comes, the Rams will have to make a move to free a spot, but it would be a bit of a surprise if it came at the expense of one of the other wideouts. It was no surprise the Rams opted not to keep a sixth wideout in the interim.

Offensive line (9) Jake Long, Rodger Saffold, Scott Wells, Davin Joseph, Joe Barksdale, Greg Robinson, Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones, Mike Person

This group is a little lighter than last year, but it offers more versatility. The starting five have plenty of experience and potential, but amongst the four backups, only Barnes offers any real game experience and even that is limited to four starts at the end of last season. Robinson, Jones and Person offer the ability to play multiple spots, but Jones is likely still at least a few weeks from returning from back surgery.

^ Back to Top ^