The Rams may have a quarterback competition on the practice field, but the more revealing fight in camp is happening a little farther down the depth chart. Los Angeles has one of the deepest rosters in the league, and while the starters are mostly settled, the back end of the offense is where the real intrigue lives.
At quarterback, the picture is already starting to take shape. Ty Simpson has been handled carefully, taking the backup reps when Matthew Stafford rests and dropping to third-string work when Stafford is on the field. That setup doesn’t look like a true split, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Stetson Bennett remains the backup through the preseason.
The spot that feels more unsettled - and more important to how the Rams want to play - is WR3. The draft told the story. Los Angeles was linked to receivers like Makai Lemon and KC Concepcion, and there was reported interest in De’Zhaun Stribling, but the Rams waited until the sixth round to take CJ Daniels out of Miami.
That fits the bigger offensive shift. By taking tight end Max Klare in the second round and skipping an early receiver, the Rams made it clear they’re leaning into heavier personnel.
After finding success with three-tight-end looks last season, they appear ready to build around more 12 and 13 personnel. In that kind of offense, the third receiver matters less as a fixed role and more as a rotating piece.
“That receiver room has such great complementary pieces,” said offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase. “I'm encouraged by where those guys are at…And I think anytime you got those guys out there, they're threats to make plays all over the field."
That’s why this doesn’t look like the old Rams receiver pecking order, where the roles were clean and obvious. In earlier Sean McVay seasons, there was a clear WR1, WR2, and WR3.
In 2021, that was Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, and Van Jefferson. Before that, it was Kupp, Woods, and Brandin Cooks.
This year could be much messier, with a WR3a, WR3b, and beyond type of setup.
Jordan Whittington looks like the early favorite to soak up the most of those snaps. He’s entering his third year in the offense and has earned a reputation as dependable, even if the production hasn’t always matched it.
The deeper battle is behind him. Xavier Smith and Konata Mumpfield were part of the mix last season, but both come with questions.
Smith brought speed and a vertical element, yet his route tree is limited. Last season, 19.2 percent of his routes were go-routes, with a deep corner at 16 percent as the next closest.
Mumpfield offered more work in the intermediate areas, but the efficiency just wasn’t there. He caught 10 of 23 targets and posted a 34.8 percent success rate, the worst mark among Rams wideouts.
Smith’s situation gets even trickier because he’s also competing for punt return duties. If Williams beats him there and Smith can’t provide value on special teams, his roster spot could be in jeopardy.
That opens the door for Daniels, who has been one of the early camp standouts. McVay has liked what he’s seen so far.
“He's done a good job,” said McVay. “You can see he's come in, no-nonsense mentality, but he enjoys football. And then he's really a great listener…I'm excited about CJ.”
Daniels has mostly worked with the backup quarterbacks and has been steady catching nearly everything his way. It would not be surprising if he passes Mumpfield on the depth chart before camp is over.
If that happens, and Smith loses ground on special teams, Daniels could quickly become the next man up behind Whittington. That would give the Rams a different kind of option: Whittington as the slot answer, Daniels as the bigger outside target.
As The Athletic’s Nate Atkins wrote, “Daniels is not a burner, making how he’ll look in more difficult matchups an open question,” but he also noted that “he’ll be insulated, with Nacua and Adams drawing top outside cornerbacks, and Daniels could find matchups where his 6-foot-2 size is enough of an advantage to mitigate the lack of speed.”
That’s the real appeal here. Daniels doesn’t have to be the fastest player on the field to matter.
He just has to keep stacking good days through camp and carry that into the preseason when the pads come on. If he does, the Rams’ third receiver battle could end up being one of the most interesting stories in camp.
In Other News...
Rams Fans Just Got A Heartbreaking Update On LeRoy Irvin
LeRoy Irvin, one of the most recognizable defensive backs from the Rams' 1980s era, has died at 68, closing the book on a career that stretched from 1980 to 1990 in Los Angeles. The former cornerback was a steady presence for a franchise that leaned on toughness and playmaking in that decade, and his name still carries weight for fans who followed those teams closely.
Irvins death comes after a difficult stretch in later life, when he dealt with multiple health problems, including lymphoma, Parkinsons disease, dementia, hypertension and prostate cancer. He was pronounced dead early on July 2 at a San Diego hospital, a sobering reminder of how much ground has been covered since his days patrolling the Rams secondary. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Camp Is Already Hinting At One Big Roster Truth
The first two practices of Rams training camp have already started to sketch out one of the clearest truths about this roster: some jobs are being treated as development projects, not open auditions. Ty Simpson is being brought along at a measured pace as the backup quarterback picture takes shape, while the teams work at cornerback has only sharpened the sense that this group is deeper than it was a year ago after the additions of Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson.
Cam Lampkin has been one of the names worth watching early, giving the Rams another potential answer behind those established corners if his momentum holds. There has also been encouraging early buzz around the pass rush, with Myles Garrett showing the kind of burst that jumps out in camp, and Blake Corum remains positioned to be a significant part of the offense after last seasons strong showing. [Read more 🡒]
Rams May Have Found Another Harrison Mevis Type After Camp Scare
After a camp scare at safety, the Rams moved quickly to add Alex Cook, a veteran defensive back with NFL experience and a recent run in the UFL with Birmingham. Cook already has a little bit of everything on his rsum, from time with Carolina to a stop in New York and Chicago, and he arrives in Los Angeles with a chance to help stabilize a spot that needed another body.
What makes Cook interesting is that the Rams are not just looking at him as emergency depth. They see a player who could fit into training camp competition and potentially help on special teams, where speed and reliability matter just as much as pedigree. With the roster still taking shape, Cook now has a real opening to turn a short-term signing into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]