3 Rams re-signed as insurance who are in fight of their lives for roster spot

It's time to get to work for the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams' front office has nearly restocked the roster for training camp. The team is pivoting from offseason roster construction to preparation and training for the new season. If you need a quick refresher, here are the upcoming dates that matter in the next few weeks:

• OTA Offseason Workouts: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 9-10, June 12
• Mandatory Minicamp: June 16-18

The Rams have agreed to locate their mandatory mini-camp in Maui. That is, the team's final mini-camp, which requires all players to participate, will be held in the exotic state of Hawaii. And if you were wondering, Rams HC Sean McVay already knows that trying to prepare a team of nearly 90 men will become a major distraction against the backdrop of sunny beaches, exotic foods, and sites..

But you work where you work. And the Rams are bound to conduct their minicamp in Maui. There are worse things to deal with.

For some LA Rams veterans, those worse things may be sooner rather than later. The Rams may be pivoting to new chapters in several key positions, and the result may be the fact that the team is pondering parting ways with veteran players who re-signed to return to the team for 2025. In each case, the team brought back players from 2024 to ensure adequate depth and a sufficient talent pool of players on the roster.

But after a rather impressive draft and a robust effort to sign talented undrafted collegiate free agents, how long will the team commit to players who may have plateaued, over younger players whose ceilings have yet to be determined? Such is the annual exercise for every NFL team. It's the need to recycle the roster. That is, to infuse young players whose potential is unknown, over veteran players whose potential is known and less than hoped for.

Which veterans bear the brunt in 2025? They are:

IOL Dylon McMahon

While it may be a stretch of the imagination to include second-year interior offensive lineman Dylon McMahon in this list, keep in mind that he was a late addition in 2024 as a player off the Philadelphia Eagles roster, and was brought to the Rams as an insurance policy to sustain adequate depth to the Rams offensive line that was decimated early in the season by injuries.

At 6-foot-3 and 298 pounds, McMahon is a solid size to compete for a role. The thing is, the Rams sought out and re-signed veteran starting center Coleman Shelton. And rookie starting center Beaux Limmer will almost certainly slide into a backup role. It's a numbers game, and McMahon is the guy left standing when the music stops. He would be ideal to slide onto the practice squad, but I doubt he pries an open roster spot free in 2025

ILB Troy Reeder

While Troy Reeder is always willing to do whatever the team asks of him, is this the season that the team no longer asks him to start as the play-calling inside linebacker of the defense? I suspect that the team had to scramble after trading ILB Ernest Jones in 2024, and Reeder found himself suddenly promoted into a starting role unexpectedly. While he tried to make a go of it as the starter, it was clear that undrafted rookie ILB Omar Speights was better suited for the role.

While losing both Christian Rozeboom and Jake Hummel, the team has replenished the ranks with veteran ILB Nate Landman, drafted rookie ILB Chris 'Pooh' Paul Jr., and signed undrafted but impressive rookie ILB Shaun Dolac. With so much new talent competing for playing time, even 2024 starting ILB Omar Speights' job may be up in the air. But I think that the odds are stacked against Reeder now. The team invested in a role that seldom gets attention. That means that change is coming, and Reeder is the guy who most represents what used to be at the ILB position.

RB Ronnie Rivers

The Rams' running back room in 2024 was essentially the same player in four different versions. The Rams held Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers, Blake Corum, and Cody Schrader on the roster. But comparing the four players' heights, weights, and speed did not differentiate among them. And so, many Rams fans asked why the team was so insistent on carrying four versions of the same running back.

Well, the tem certainly deviated in new directions this year.

• Kyren Williams | Age: 24 | 5-foot-9 | 202 pounds | 4 yrs in NFL | 4.65-second 40
• Cody Schrader | Age: 25 | 5-foot-9 | 214 pounds | 2 yrs in NFL | 4.61-second 40
• Ronnie Rivers | Age: 24 | 5-foot-9 | 192 pounds | 4 yrs in NFL | 4.60-second 40
• Blake Corum | Age: 24 | 5-foot-8 | 210 pounds | 2 yrs in NFL | 4.53-second 40
• Rookie Jarquez Hunter | Age: 22 | 5-foot-9 | 204 pounds | Rookie | 4.44-second 40
• Rookie Jordan Waters | Age 24 | 6-foot-0 | 210 pounds | Rookie | 4.59-second 40

In rookie running back Jarquez Hunter, the Rams land a speedster who can be counted on to get some explosive plays from the line of scrimmage. And if he can't run away from defenders, this circus strongman runs through them. Hunter brings the power of a power running back but with the speed and elusiveness of a scatback.

In rookie running back Jordan Waters, the Rams land a big power-back type runner who is versatile enough to threaten defenses as a runner or a receiver. While not heavily scouted, he did raise some eyebrows during his Pro Day. And his size and speed combine to add a completely new dimension to the offense.

And in the face of such dangerous new dimensions joining the team in the running back room, is there a place left for the fourth iteration of the same style running this season? That's a question facing Ronnie Rivers this year.

Ronnie Rivers wins the battle if the Rams want experience. Blake Corum wins the battle if the Rams want production. But how much value does experience as the backup for Kyren Williams carry if the team has drafted a very versatile backup? And how much trust does this team have in sticking with the same RB template in the face of breaking the mold and going in completely new directions in 2025?

I like Ronnie Rivers. He is a gutsy runner who has the potential to surprise some folks with the occasional big game. He's simply too similar to three other running backs on the Rams roster. And therein lies the rub. Unless the team insists on sticking with four versions of the same player, the roster is likely to want new dimensions in the rushing attack.

As always, thanks for reading.