The Rams have an open roster spot after placing edge rusher Myles Garrett on injured reserve following arthroscopic knee surgery, and that move comes with a built-in timeline: Garrett has to stay there for at least four weeks.
Los Angeles already handled one immediate move by elevating safety Tanner Ingle from the practice squad before Monday’s game. The bigger question is what the Rams do next, especially with several areas of the roster already crowded and the defense still looking for help.
Offensively, there’s no urgency to add bodies. The Rams are already carrying seven wide receivers, five tight ends, three running backs, three quarterbacks and nine offensive linemen. That side of the roster is full enough to hold steady for now.
Defense is another story. Starting linebackers Nate Landman and Omar Speights were banged up, both nose tackles Poona Ford and Ty Hamilton were ineffective, and safety Kam Kinchens didn’t give the Rams much in Week 1. He’s now been ruled out for Week 2 because of a hamstring injury.
With Garrett’s absence still undefined beyond the minimum, general manager Les Snead would be smart to keep the search narrow and stick with players who already know the organization. Three names fit that bill.
Morgan Fox is the most straightforward free-agent option. The former Rams defensive end is not an All-Pro, but he has a reputation as a tough, dependable defender and spent four seasons in Los Angeles.
Since then, he has moved through three teams over five years. Fox was at his best with the Rams or Chargers, and his appeal here is simple: he’s affordable, he knows the defense, and he has nine years of NFL experience.
Los Angeles doesn’t need a headline grab. It needs a rotational piece, and Fox fits that lane.
Larrell Murchison is another practical answer, and this one would come from inside the building. A promotion from the practice squad wouldn’t create much buzz, but it would make sense.
Murchison gives the Rams enough pass-rush ability to matter and enough versatility to line up in different spots across the front. He’s also been with the team since 2022, so the learning curve would be minimal.
Jordan Fuller rounds out the list, and he brings the strongest connection to the team’s recent success. Fuller was a major part of the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl run before leaving two years later.
He has since spent one season each with the Falcons and Panthers. Fuller still offers coverage ability and a feel for big moments, along with familiarity with current players and coaches.
He may no longer profile as a starter, but he can still help a secondary that needs cleaner communication and better chemistry. For the Rams, he checks the right boxes: affordable, familiar, and useful.
In Other News...
Rams Offense Looks Stuck Until Sean McVay Fixes One Problem
The Rams offense has plenty of room for adjustment, and the tight end group may be the clearest place to start. Los Angeles is carrying five tight ends on its 53-man roster, yet the position has barely been a factor, with the group combining for only four catches and 31 yards. For a Sean McVay offense that usually thrives on creating stress points and exploiting matchup problems, that kind of underuse stands out.
It becomes even harder to ignore when the Rams run into a defense like San Franciscos, where every small edge matters and tight ends can help tilt the field. The issue is not just production, but design, since the offense has not consistently used multiple-tight-end looks to make life easier elsewhere or force defenses into awkward choices. If McVay wants the unit to look more like itself, getting that part of the scheme moving feels like the next obvious step. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Already Have A Discipline Issue On The NFLs Radar
The NFLs first accountability list of the season arrived with a familiar reminder for teams trying to keep early September from getting away from them. Week 1 fines were handed out to 20 players for on-field violations ranging from unsportsmanlike conduct to unnecessary roughness and illegal hits on quarterbacks, a snapshot of how quickly discipline can become part of the league conversation even before the schedule settles in.
For the Rams, it is the kind of leaguewide report card worth watching closely because it sets the tone for how officials and the NFL office will judge borderline play moving forward. Around the league, Stefon Diggs was fined for illegal celebrations, Jahmyr Gibbs drew the largest penalty for helmet use during a play, and Javonte Williams was punished for taunting, all of it reinforcing how thin the line can be between aggression and a costly mistake. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Receiver Depth Is Suddenly A Real Concern Behind Davante Adams
The Rams spent most of the offseason treating wide receiver as a position that could wait, with CJ Daniels added in the draft and Tutu Atwell brought in via trade. But with Week 2 approaching, the picture looks a lot different, because Puka Nacua and Jordan Whittington are both dealing with injuries and the room behind Davante Adams is suddenly looking thin.
It puts a sharper spotlight on a front office decision-making process that leaned toward future needs more than immediate insurance at receiver. It also makes the Atwell trade harder to evaluate in the moment, given how little he has contributed recently, and leaves Los Angeles with a real depth question right when the offense can least afford one. [Read more 🡒]