The Los Angeles Rams open the season Sept. 13 at SoFi Stadium hosting the Dallas Cowboys. The Rams finished the 2019 season 9-7, missing the playoffs for the first time since Sean McVay became coach in 2017. This season, the Rams hired three new coordinators -- Kevin O'Connell, Brandon Staley and John Bonamego -- and return nine starters on offense and seven on defense. Here's a 53-man roster projection:
QUARTERBACK (2): Jared Goff, John Wolford
As he enters his fifth season, Goff has proven his durability, making 58 starts -- including four playoff games -- since taking over as starter midway through his rookie season. Given that trend, it seems unlikely that Wolford will be needed, but if he is, McVay has expressed plenty of confidence in the undrafted free agent from Wake Forest, who spent last season on the practice squad. "He's got some Doug Flutie-type stuff," McVay said after Wolford's performance during an inter-squad scrimmage.
RUNNING BACK (4): Malcolm Brown, Darrell Henderson Jr., Cam Akers, John Kelly
Todd Gurley II provided a one-man show the last five seasons, but expect a rotation in the backfield going forward. "What we got now is kind of a three-headed monster back there that we're planning on using," Goff said. Henderson suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined and slowed him during camp, so Brown will start and Akers will get plenty of action as Henderson works his way back.
WIDE RECEIVER (5): Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Josh Reynolds, Van Jefferson, Nsimba Webster
Woods and Kupp continued their consistent excellence throughout training camp, but it was Jefferson, a second-round pick from Florida, who continued to turn heads. Reynolds is expected to start due to Brandin Cooks' departure, but Jefferson will challenge for time. "He's done some incredible things," Kupp said about the rookie. "Everyone knows he's an incredible route runner by this point. The other side of things, is just his understanding of the game."
TIGHT END (4): Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Johnny Mundt, Brycen Hopkins
Higbee and Goff established a connection late last season that resulted in Higbee accumulating 522 receiving yards over a five-game span. As the offense continues to evolve without Gurley, expect Higbee to continue to be among Goff's top targets. Everett also stepped up throughout training camp and could be a more consistent contributor in the passing game.
OFFENSIVE LINE (8): Andrew Whitworth, Joe Noteboom, Austin Blythe, Austin Corbett, Rob Havenstein, Bobby Evans, David Edwards, Jeremiah Kolone
The competition for the guard positions was expected to be among the most notable of camp, but from the first day players put on pads, it was Noteboom at left guard and Corbett at right. They are flanked by 15-year pro Whitworth and six-year pro Havenstein at left and right tackle, respectively, while Blythe returns on a one-year deal to start at center.
DEFENSIVE LINE (6): Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Morgan Fox, Greg Gaines, Marquise Copeland
No player was happier than Donald about Brockers' return after a free-agent deal with the Ravens fell through. Initially, Brockers' return appeared a luxury for the line, but after the Rams discovered during an on-boarding physical that tackle A'Shawn Robinson has a condition that will keep him sidelined indefinitely, Brockers' presence is an absolute necessity.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER (6): Samson Ebukam, Leonard Floyd, Terrell Lewis, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Natrez Patrick, Jachai Polite
Ebukam and Floyd will start, but it's the rookie Lewis who has teammates buzzing. "I remember the first day I saw him, I said, 'That's a grown man,'" Joseph-Day said. "I say, 'Sheesh. Alabama, I don't know what they feeding you over there." A third-round pick from Alabama, the 6-foot-5, 262-pound Lewis must continue to develop his skills but has the physical traits to become a special pass rusher.
INSIDE LINEBACKER (4): Micah Kiser, Kenny Young, Troy Reeder, Clay Johnston
Travin Howard earned a starting spot next to Kiser, but tore his meniscus late into training camp and will miss the season. A third-year pro who returns this year from a pectoral muscle injury that sidelined him in 2019, Kiser will get his first chance to start. It's likely he'll be joined by Young, who started six games with the Ravens after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 draft.
CORNERBACK (6): Jalen Ramsey, Troy Hill, Darious Williams, David Long, Adonis Alexander, Donte Deayon
Entering his fifth NFL season, and still looking for a long-term extension, Ramsey excelled in his first training camp with the Rams. "I thought I had an appreciation for the way that he played and just watching him from afar," McVay said. "But now really getting a glimpse and with the amount of competitive work we're getting in these training-camp settings, he's even better than I thought." Williams will start opposite of Ramsey, while Hill will man the slot.
SAFETY (5): John Johnson III, Taylor Rapp, Terrell Burgess, Jordan Fuller, Nick Scott
With Rapp sidelined for most of training camp because of a knee injury, Burgess and Fuller took advantage of the opportunity rotate with the starters. "These guys were high football IQ guys, great character, really smart, had all those intangibles," McVay said. Even if Rapp returns to start Week 1, expect the rookies to play a role.
SPECIALISTS (3): Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide, Lirim Hajrullahu
The Rams brought three kickers into camp, but it was the 30-year-old Hajrullahu -- who played the last six seasons in the Canadian Football League, who won the competition. Hajrullahu replaces Greg Zuerlein, who signed with the Cowboys in free agency.