Breaking Down the St. Louis Rams Depth Chart

The St. Louis Rams open their preseason on Friday as they travel to Oakland to take on the Raiders. This will likely be the first chance for fans to see Nick Foles and the Rams offense operate. With the starters reps likely being extremely limited, this is also a great chance to get a look at some of the role players and end of roster players.

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Ahead of Friday’s game, the Rams have released their first unofficial depth chart. Here is a look at that depth chart and some of the most interesting developments from the release.

Offense

There were very few surprises in the look of the offense. Nick Foles is cemented as the starter at quarterback, as expected. Behind Foles is Case Keenum, Austin Davis and rookie Sean Mannion. It is a little surprising that Mannion is behind Davis, but Keenum has appeared to work his way firmly into the backup role.

“Well, what we like about Case is the game is not too fast for him,” offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti said when he spoke with the St. Louis media this week. “He processes information very well. Very smart, he’s a rhythmic passer, very accurate. He can run the offense. We ask our quarterbacks to run the offense, keep us out of a bad play. He can come to the line of scrimmage, recognize the defense right now, make the proper adjustments. We are very excited about what Case is doing.”

Aug 1, 2015; Earth City, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Nick Foles (5) at Rams Park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

There are not many surprises along the offensive line. Rookies Rob Havenstein and Jamon Brown are the starters on the right side of the line, which they have been throughout training camp. The one mild surprise is that Barrett Jones is listed as the starting center. While he has seen plenty of reps at the position in recent years, he was not the starter going into camp and has earned the spot.

The other small surprise is to see Supplemental Draft pick Isaiah Battle as a 3rd-string right tackle. While he is behind in terms of reps, he is behind Andrew Donnal – a player who he had much more hype than. The list should change at that position as Battle gets more comfortable in the NFL.

The final noteworthy part of the depth chart was Todd Gurley being listed as a backup going into his first NFL preseason game. While it is not expected that Gurley will play, he is still behind Tre Mason as he rehabs from a knee injury he suffered as a member of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Defense/Special Teams

The Rams employ an aggressive, attacking defense that thrives thanks to the strength of their front seven. A defensive line that features Robert Quinn, Chris Long, Aaron Donald and others allows Jeff Fisher and Gregg Williams to use their athletic, fast linebackers to roam the field and blitz.

“It’s a really good group to be around there’s nobody on our defense that I don’t like being around,” Williams said when he spoke with the St. Louis media. “And there’s guys that need more coaching or more supervision than others. But you know for the most part they are a good group of kids, a good group of young men.

“There’s an understanding of how we go about doing things,” added Williams. “There’s more familiarity with them and there’s more familiarity for me too. So, it’s good to see that. Even from some of the newcomers that we’ve added from the rookies. And a couple of other guys that we’ve brought in, (LB) Akeem (Ayers).

“I knew Akeem from my Tennessee days. It’s been good to see (DT) Nick Fairley come in here and adjust to what we do, and how we do things and to see him acclimate into our culture. It’s been good.”

Nov 9, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams reacts against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals defeated the Rams 31-14. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The defensive side of the ball has some bigger surprises than on the offensive side. The biggest surprise appears to be Jo-Lonn Dunbar being listed as the starting linebacker over Akeem Ayers. While both players will likely split snaps in the regular season, reports have indicated that Ayers has received a majority of the 1st-team defensive snaps during Training Camp.

Another surprise is Lamarcus Joyner now being listed as a cornerback, not a safety. Joyner was listed as the backup safety to end the 2014 season, but is listed as the 3rd-string cornerback behind E.J. Gaines and Trumaine Johnson. This has moved former Buccaneers safety Mark Barron to the backup safety. Barron was acquired in a trade during last season and was a nice fit in Williams’ blitz-heavy style.

While it is only the first preseason game, the new Rams depth chart presents a few interesting battles. These battles will finally have a chance to be played out on the field against a real opponent in just a few short days.

Next: St. Louis Rams: Nick Foles Agrees To Contract Extension

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