Many of the Rams' starters did not travel to Hawaii for this week's preseason game against the Cowboys, which means several reserves will be in action.
With that in mind, here are five players to watch against Dallas on Saturday.
1. RB DARRELL HENDERSON
Head coach Sean McVay said the plan is to gradually increase Darrell Henderson's touches as the preseason progresses. How big of a jump Henderson experiences with his workload remains unclear, but an uptick wouldn't be surprising since starting running back Todd Gurley was one of of the starters who did not make the trip to Hawaii. The floor was set with seven touches – six carries for 13 yards, plus one catch for minus-five yards – while playing 20 of the team's 59 offensive snaps at Oakland last week.
2. CB DAVID LONG JR.
A third-round pick, cornerback David Long Jr. has earned praise for his efforts through the first two weeks of the preseason from McVay. If the Rams choose to include a sixth cornerback on the 53-man roster, the Michigan product is among the many names who will be in the conversation. He played 34 snaps against the Raiders on Saturday, so it will be interesting to see what kind of playing time he gets this week against the Cowboys.
3. RT BOBBY EVANS
Rookie offensive lineman Bobby Evans is poised for a big role in his first year with Los Angeles. The third-round pick and 97thoverall selection was kept busy during the preseason opener, playing all 59 of team's offensive snaps. Slated as starting right tackle Rob Havenstein's backup according to the team's unofficial depth chart, every rep Evans gets in the preseason will be valuable experience for him.
*4. WR KHADAREL HODGE *
The second-year NFL veteran joined Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent during training camp last year. After getting signed to the practice squad on Sept. 2, his hard work was rewarded with a promotion to the active roster on Sept. 19. Hodge has continued to show how much progress he's made after posting three receptions for 48 yards on six targets in the preseason opener – the receptions sharing for the team lead, with the yards and targets most among all Rams receivers against Oakland – and will have more opportunities to show what he's capable of on Saturday.
5. DT GREG GAINES
The former Washington standout is among the candidates vying for the starting nose tackle spot. Defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day is projected as the No. 1 guy based on the team's unofficial depth chart, but Gaines and defensive tackle Tanzel Smart are also making their case with what they've shown to this point in the preseason. Gaines played 25 percent of the team's defensive snaps at Oakland.
