St. Louis Rams: Last Chance to Impress For These 2 Players

By Curt Popejoy | Sep 3, 2015

Thursday night is the final chance for many members of the St. Louis Rams to impress the coaches and try and earn a spot on the final 53-man roster. The Rams welcome the Kansas City Chiefs to town in the final preseason showdown of the year.

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If you are a fan and hoping to see lots of stars in tonight’s game, you might want to check elsewhere. The regular starters will see very few reps, if any at all. No, this game is a final audition for young players to try and impress, in hopes of securing a spot on either the final roster, or the 10-man practice squad.

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So having said that, here are the two roster bubble guys I am going to keep an eye on in Thursday’s game.

Austin Davis, Quarterback

At one point it seemed like a given that quarterback Austin Davis would make the final roster. After all, he did start eight games for the Rams in 2014. However, what we’ve seen as the preseason has unfolded is that there are really three talented guys fighting for two spots, and Davis is no shoe-in.

With Nick Foles as the entrenched starter, it is going to be up to Davis to beat out either Case Keenum or Sean Mannion for the other backup spot. Keenum has had a strong preseason, and looks to be getting more comfortable in the offense. St. Louis keeps finding reasons to bring Keenum back, so maybe this is the year he finally sticks.

Additionally, the rookie Mannion has had a strong preseason, and his youth and upside are enticing. If the Rams only chose to keep two quarterbacks, the decision between these three to backup Foles will be really difficult. I suspect St. Louis will keep three quarterbacks, but even then, it’s an uphill climb for Davis.

Cameron Lynch, LB

Of all the bubble linebackers on the roster, the one I am watching the closest (and rooting for) is Cameron Lynch. He finds himself in a battle with multiple other linebackers for only a couple of coveted spots on the roster.

The primary competition for Lynch against the Chiefs will be Bryce Hager and Marshall McFadden. All three have worked very hard in the preseason, but only two of them are going to avoid the Turk next week. Hager is a near-lock for one, as he leads the team in tackles with 15.Lynch is just behind him with eight.

Unlike Davis, who I don’t expect to see make the final cut, Lynch is a guy I am hoping for and expecting to beat out McFadden for that last spot. His game lends itself well to being a special teams star, with the potential to move into rotation among the linebackers.

Obviously,these are only two of probably eight or ten guys that are playing for the careers tonight. Hopefully, even those that don’t make the cut find their way back to the practice squad or possibly only another NFL roster. There might not be the star power in this game, but you can bet there will be maximum effort.

Next: The St. Louis Rams have a quarterback problem

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