The veteran signal-caller will still have to sit out the first two games of the 2024 season due to a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, but his status following that brief ban is now confirmed. Garoppolo is presumably a slight upgrade on the No. 2 quarterback the Rams ended the 2023 season with, Carson Wentz. That said, Garoppolo's play in Las Vegas, which was shaky enough for him to get benched for rookie Aidan O'Connell, does cast doubt over how effective he'd be if forced to fill in for Stafford.

Austin Trammell was the team's primary returner in 2023 but left for the Jaguars in free agency, while Kyren Williams is unlikely to contribute on special teams much anymore after his breakout 2023 season on offense. Without an obvious top choice to return punts and kickoffs on the roster, Scott could help himself earn a roster spot by filling that void. Scott has logged 66 kickoff returns and six punt returns across six previous NFL regular seasons, all with the Eagles.

The veteran safety is therefore locked in for the second year of his second tour of duty with the Rams after a solid return in 2023. Johnson recorded 42 tackles with six defensed passes, including two interceptions, across 17 regular-season games, following a two-year stint with the Browns that included the third triple-digit single-season tackle tally of his career.

General manager Les Snead said as much back in March, but Jones is coming off a breakout season in 2023, racking up 145 tackles with 4.5 sacks and six passes defended, all career highs, over 15 regular-season games. The Rams also don't have much established depth at middle linebacker, making Jones even more critical to the team's defense and perhaps providing incentive to get him locked up. The 24-year-old missed part of OTAs due to leg issues but is expected to be healthy for Week 1.

In making a case for players who he feels could comprise a 2024 All-Rookie defensive team, Reuter discusses the potential for Fiske and fellow FSU product and first-round pick Jared Verse to mirror the success enjoyed by Kobie Turner and Byron Young as third-round rookies last season. Reuter cites the abundance of one-on-one situations Fiske should be afforded on the interior of the defensive line as likely pivotal to his first-year success.

Reuter sees Verse and fellow FSU product and second-round pick Braden Fiske as making a similar impact in their first seasons as Kobie Turner and Byron Young did for the Rams while combining for 17 sacks in 2023. Reuter predicts Verse will go a long way to filling the void created by Aaron Donald's retirement and cites his ability to overpower tackles with a ferocious outside rush as key to success in his first pro season.

Williams is likely to remain the team's lead back on the heels of a breakout 2023 season in which he rushed for 1,144 yards and 12 touchdowns. He added 32 catches for 206 yards and three touchdowns. Williams is hoping to find more success as a receiver in 2024, possibly with some reps in the slot when Corum checks in at running back.

Stafford has expressed a desire for an adjusted contract with more guaranteed money, as his current deal contains no guarantees beyond this season. The veteran quarterback has participated in all offseason activities thus far, but if Stafford decides to push the envelope by holding out, the Rams lack an experienced alternative to open the season. Rodrigue argues that Stafford is ultimately unlikely to hold out into the regular season since the Rams open the season against the Lions, the team with whom he began his career.

The 31-year-old has battled through multiple injuries over the last two seasons that limited him to 21 regular-season games, but Kupp could be back in the form that saw him produce one of the greatest campaigns by a wide receiver in NFL history. Secondaries also now have breakout star Puka Nacua to contend with. While a repeat of Kupp's incredible 145 catches, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns from 2021 is highly unlikely, if the veteran wideout is healthy, big numbers should follow.

The nine-year veteran has perpetually been a complementary target during his long career, and that's how his Rams tenure began in 2023. However, Blair points out Robinson turned up his play several notches beginning in Week 13, posting a 21-319-4 line on 34 targets from that point through Week 17. Robinson is back with Los Angeles on a one-year deal, and if he carries over his late-season momentum, he could finally earn the recognition he deserves.

In projecting starters for each NFC West team, Rosenthal notes Williams' lingering foot injury, which is keeping the running back out of OTAs, helps explain why the Rams invested a third-round pick in Corum in April's draft. Corum proved capable of handling hefty workloads during his time at Michigan and is a viable pass catcher when called upon as well, so Rosenthal's prognosis may ultimately prove accurate.

Corum has been likened to Williams by head coach Sean McVay, and those similarities were on display Tuesday, per Jackson. Corum displayed a combination of patience, vision, footwork, quickness, agility and pass-catching acumen. Williams is expected back by training camp and should open the season as the starter after a breakout 2023 campaign, but Corum is getting an early opportunity to gel with the Rams' starters while Williams nurses a foot injury.

Rather than holding out, Stafford is taking part in voluntary team activities. Stafford would like more guaranteed money added to his deal, and the contract talks between the quarterback and the Rams are ongoing.

Head coach Sean McVay revealed Tuesday that Williams was nursing the injury but also said he isn't concerned about the running back's availability for training camp. Once healthy enough to play, Williams will likely reclaim his spot atop a depth chart that now features 2024 third-round draft pick Blake Corum as his primary competition for touches.

Nacua noted during an appearance on the NFL Network's Schedule Release '24 event that he was "super excited for the challenges" that he expects this coming season. The talented wideout will get a high-profile first opportunity to start building on his phenomenal rookie campaign, as the Rams will travel to Detroit in Week 1 for a Sunday night rematch of January's NFC Wild Card Game matchup, one in which Nacua posted nine receptions for 181 yards and a touchdown.

Two experts both picked Laiatu Latu and Dallas Turner, while Byron Murphy, Terrion Arnold and Quinyon Mitchell got one vote each. As Aaron Schatz of ESPN.com points out, four of the past five Defensive Rookie of the Year awards have gone to edge rushers, and Verse has a clear path to immediate playing time with the Rams. Verse was the fourth defensive player selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, going 19th overall after recording 18 sacks over his last two years at Florida State.

Corum was a highly productive college player with the Wolverines, rushing for 3,657 yards at 5.6 yards per carry and adding 51 receptions for 338 yards over the 39 regular-season games covering his last three college seasons. A favorite of now Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh when the latter served as his head coach at Michigan, Shook notes Corum's excellent vision and ability to set up his blocks could carve out a path to playing time relatively early in his career, even if it's just in a complementary role to Williams initially.

Stafford signed a four-year, $160 million extension in March 2022, just a month removed from leading Los Angeles to a Super Bowl victory. However, the veteran quarterback's salary isn't guaranteed past the 2024 season, and with Stafford firmly in the latter portion of a long career, he unsurprisingly wants more financial security. McVay noted that there has been "good dialogue" with Stafford about the situation but added that details would be kept confidential.

The veteran signal-caller will still have to sit out the first two games of the 2024 season due to a violation of the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, but his status following that brief ban is now confirmed. Garoppolo is presumably a slight upgrade on the No. 2 quarterback the Rams ended the 2023 season with, Carson Wentz. That said, Garoppolo's play in Las Vegas, which was shaky enough for him to get benched for rookie Aidan O'Connell, does cast doubt over how effective he'd be if forced to fill in for Stafford.