The Rams have a little breathing room on the offensive line, and that’s what makes the next move with Justin Dedich and Keagen Trost more of a choice than a necessity.
Both linemen spent the summer on injured reserve. Dedich dealt with a hand injury he picked up on the Fourth of July, while Trost, a third-round pick, hurt his hamstring in the first quarter of the preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, after four games, each is eligible to come off IR if healthy and if Los Angeles decides to open his 21-day practice window.
For now, the Rams don’t seem pushed into acting fast. Through four weeks, the line has held up well.
Kevin Dotson is the only starter who has missed time, and even that was just for three snaps against the Denver Broncos. Beaux Limmer stepped in when Dotson left.
That stability matters, because once the Rams open a player’s practice window, they’re on the clock. If that player isn’t activated to the roster, he stays on injured reserve for the rest of the season. And if Los Angeles does want to bring back Dedich or Trost, it can’t just add them without clearing a spot somewhere else.
“Fortunately we’ve been able to stay healthy up-front. Those are guys that we’re counting on that are going to be big time depth guys for us,” said head coach Sean McVay on the Coach McVay Show.
“Anytime that you bring somebody back, usually there’s a coinciding move. Now, we’ve had some injuries where sometimes those things have a way of working themselves out, so we’ll look at that.”
That’s the part that complicates things. A return for either lineman would require a corresponding roster move, and players such as defensive lineman Larrell Murchison or offensive lineman Bill Murray could be candidates to go if the Rams needed room. But there’s no urgency to force that decision right now.
There’s also the bigger roster-management piece: teams can use only eight injured reserve activations in a season. The Rams are already set to use one on Myles Garrett when he returns, and they also very likely will bring back Terrance Ferguson. If both Dedich and Trost are activated too, Los Angeles would be halfway through its allotment, with four activations left for the rest of the year.
If the Rams decide to bring back just one, Trost probably has the edge. He offers tackle flexibility on both sides and can also move inside to guard if needed.
He was able to practice during training camp, and the coaching staff liked what it saw. Dedich, on the other hand, missed all of training camp and projects strictly as guard depth.
So the likely path for now is patience. The Rams don’t need to rush either player back, and there’s no immediate roster squeeze forcing their hand. Dedich and Trost remain worth watching, but with the offensive line staying healthy, Los Angeles can afford to let the rehab process keep running a little longer.
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