There remain questions unanswered before the Los Angeles Rams report for 2023 training camp in late July.
Here’s where things stand inside the “Rams House:” L.A. addressed their three highly important skill offensive positions before camp. But, there are still areas that need to be addressed. And that’s where we bring out the five unanswered questions involving the Rams before they head to UC Irvine.
No. 5: Who Really Protects the Blindside?
Alaric Jackson became a steady presence at left tackle before blood clots sidelined him for the rest of 2022.
However, Joe Noteboom is on his personal road to recovery following his torn ACL of ’22. As it was, Noteboom was originally projected to replace Andrew Whitworth at his spot.
“I think he’s going to be a guy who’ll play really well and I think he’s going to be a name as one of those guys who has people saying ‘Man, this guy is a really good pass protector’ if he stays healthy,” Whitworth told Heavy back on September 7, 2022.
Meanwhile, head coach Sean McVay told reporters on June 6 during voluntary team practices that “it’ll be awesome in training camp to be able to get Joe Noteboom back in the mix, whether he’s playing tackle, whether he’s playing inside.”
That statement will make Ram fans wonder if the Rams have entertained the idea of sliding Noteboom and allow Jackson to hold down LT. But time will tell once the Rams get back together in front of their fans.
No. 4: Is the Spot Next to Ernest Jones Settled?
Jones has established himself as a 100-tackle presence. Now, in season three, he’s anticipated to take on more of a leadership role.
But who will line up next to him now that Bobby Wagner is gone?
Much of the focus has been on the outside rusher group (which we’ll get to soon). But someone has to line up inside next to Jones.
As of now, Christian Rozeboom remains one of the few veteran holdovers as a true ILB. Rozeboom, however, is yet to start in an NFL regular season game since 2021 and has mostly been a practice squad and special teams presence. Then there’s Jake Hummel, but he’s another ST guy. Perhaps the Rams and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris may experiment with sliding an outside linebacker inside or go with an even defensive front to avoid the pressure of finding a strong replacement at the other ILB spot. It’s an exotic defense regardless, but Jones will need help next to him.
No. 3: Is Safety Help Still a Need?
Realistically, the Rams lost three past starters in the safety room: Terrell Burgess (during the season) then starters Nick Scott and Taylor Rapp.
They’ll be strengthened by the return of 2021 captain Jordan Fuller. But the rest of the room is on the raw side. The other options are second-year players Russ Yeast and Quentin Lake.
However, rookie Jason Taylor II showed his ball skills during minicamp and organized team activities (OTAs). He could be aiming to crash the two deep in what’s an unsettled area.
No. 2: Will There Be a Rotation on the Edge?
The next area of large focus on defense is the edge. This will no doubt be one of the more intense competitions at Crawford Field during camp — which could mean a rotation for the Rams.
Currently, past interior defensive lineman Michael Hoecht is a likely shoe-in for one of the starting spots at OLB. Byron Young has impressed with his early maturity in his rookie season. However, there are two past August stars to not overlook.
Keir Thomas showed early flashes in preseason games. But the Rams will also likely want to see more out of 2022 seventh-rounder Daniel Hardy — who intrigued the Rams last camp with his feet and tenacity. Young and the second-year guys could be involved in an early rotation before finding out who becomes a three-down player here.
No. 1: Who’s Really QB2?
Never thought we’d heavily watch who the backup quarterback will be. But here we are.
Matthew Stafford will be 35 and coming off a spinal cord contusion. The Rams lost three different QBs from last season including four-game rental Baker Mayfield. Stafford will have someone new to talk to in QB camp meetings.
Stetson Bennett has been much of the talk of minicamp and OTAs with his poise and willingness to learn the offense. But Brett Rypien holds the edge in experience and has thrown in a live NFL game before.
Given Stafford coming off an injury-plagued 2022, finding the legit No. 2 inside the “Rams House” has never been this high of a priority until now.
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Rams: 5 Unanswered Questions Ahead of 2023 Training Camp