THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Rams general manager Les Snead met with local media Wednesday to discuss the team's initial 53-man roster, covering the decision to carry three quarterbacks, the approach to the punter position, and more.
Here are some of the highlights and key takeaways from that conversation:
Perkins fit the prototype of the ideal backup
The Rams kept a third quarterback on their initial 53-man roster for the first time since 2018 with the decision carry Bryce Perkins on the 53-man roster.
A big reason why: Perkins fit the mold of the ideal backup who has the mobility to make plays out of structure, or in the chaos of when a play breaks down, according to Snead.
"We've seen, bringing John Wolford on the roster, having that element, that tool in the toolbox," Snead said. "One of the reasons we signed Bryce Perkins as an (undrafted) free agent last year was that."
Perkins earned it, and they also wanted to protect him being claimed by another team on waivers and avoid the risk of losing a player like him and the last year-plus invested into developing him.
Bojorquez presented a rare opportunity worth exploring
It's not often that the NFL's top punter in average yards per punt from the previous season becomes available, but it happened this spring when Corey Bojorquez – a pending restricted free agent – became an unrestricted free agent after the Bills (his former team) decided not to tender him.
"That's kind of staring at you like a sore thumb," Snead said. "That's an opportunity we should explore."
It also worked out in Bojorquez's favor because, given that the Rams traditionally haven't player their starters in the preseason in the McVay era, he knew he would have a chance to punt during that time.
With Bojorquez making the most of those opportunities, Snead said they realized, "wait a minute, there's an element of choice here" between two punters. They weren't going to keep two, so Bojorquez was traded with a 2023 seventh-round draft pick from the Lions to the Packers for a 2023 sixth-round pick before Tuesday's 53-man deadline.
Confidence in the roster
Heading into the season, Snead feels confident about where the roster stands.
"Here's what we do feel like, we definitely are confident and believe we can contend for our division, and if we accomplish that, we might have a chance to have a few home playoff games," Snead said. "But at that point in time, it's heavy-weight fights and we're confident we'll be ready to step into the ring and play those fourth quarters. We're definitely going to start climbing. That's the top of the mountain, but we're at base camp and we're ready to start climbing."
