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Rams Wide Receiver Depth Could Point to Bigger Issue
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- Rams Wide Receiver Depth Could Point to Bigger Issue
Rams Wide Receiver Depth Could Point to Bigger Issue
(Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)
The Los Angeles Rams have now assembled the 53-man roster, which looks to be solid overall; however, the depth at receiver may point to a bigger issue heading into the regular season.
The Rams have seven wide receivers on the roster ahead of Week 1, which is rare for a team to do. Considering there has been no clear-cut WR3, the very deep receiver room may point to the fact that nobody has quite stepped up.
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Los Angeles' receiving room includes Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Jordan Whittington, Konata Mumpfield, Xavier Smith, CJ Daniels, and Tutu Atwell.
Nacua and Adams are the clear top two targets for quarterback Matthew Stafford and could very well form one of the best wide receiver duos in the entire NFL. But after Nacua and Adams, it is not very clear who will be the WR3.
In terms of the top candidates, it does seem like it will most likely be between Whittington and Mumpfield. Both pass catchers did not play at all in the preseason, which is typically a good sign, as head coach Sean McVay does not normally play the players who will have key roles during the regular season.
On another note, Smith and Daniels both played in the preseason and showed great flashes, which could make this battle a little more interesting. However, at this point, it does feel that Smith and Daniels becoming the WR3 is not very likely, as Whittington and Mumpfield have more experience.
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While the WR3 position is still undecided, the Rams' decision to trade for Atwell really made this battle confusing, as he was not in the room for this entire offseason.
With Atwell coming in so late, it is unlikely that he would come in and compete for the WR3 spot despite all the experience he has in McVay's offense. While his return could point to simply being a depth piece, it does add some murkiness to who may be pushing for the substanial spot opposite Nacua and Adams.
Bringing Atwell back does make sense, but it wasn't so that he could push his way past players like Whittington and Mumpfield.
With the Week 1 matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in Australia looming, there should be some clarity soon as to who is winning the WR3 battle, but as of now, it is unclear who McVay and the Rams coaching staff believe is leading the way.
