Rams face final-cut pressure at running back and offensive line as roster bubble tightens

The Los Angeles Rams’ final-cut conversation has narrowed to two positions that can define a team’s depth and early-game stability, running back and offensive line. Ahead of Sunday’s cutdown process, a Yahoo Sports look at fans’ roster projections highlights a common theme: the most argued “bubble” decisions so far are clustered where the Rams need both versatility and reliability, particularly in a league where one injury can reshape an entire unit.

In that framing, Ronnie Rivers and Austin Blaske stand out as two of the more contentious calls facing coach Sean McVay. Yahoo Sports’ discussion points specifically to Rivers as one of the running backs that has “just missed” the cut in the early phase of roster consideration, while Blaske is flagged among the offensive line options that fans are treating as close to the margin. Their names have become shorthand for what makes the last steps of roster construction difficult, because teams must balance upside with roles, special teams value, and day-to-day practice separation.

The article also describes the broader shape of the Rams’ bubble through a simple fan-projection exercise. It reports that, in that survey, the top four players who have failed to make the cut so far consist of two running backs and two offensive linemen. While the names of the other two are not detailed in the available overview, the positional pattern underscores how the Rams’ depth chart is being stress-tested in areas that tend to carry high snap counts and high leverage in the first month of the season.

That context matters because running back and offensive line are often the hardest spots to carry “maybe” players. A roster spot at running back has to justify itself across three dimensions, rushing production, pass protection responsibilities, and availability for specific packages. Similarly, a roster spot on the offensive line is rarely just about starting potential; it often comes down to whether a player can handle multiple alignments, respond to different defensive looks, and protect the quarterback immediately when called upon.

The Rams’ situation is also a reminder that final cuts are rarely clean. Coaches routinely keep players longer than outsiders expect because preseason reps do not always translate into final snap plans. Even when a player shows flashes, teams can still prioritize clearer roles for special teams, redundancy at certain positions, or clearer compatibility with the offensive scheme’s run-pass protections.

What to watch next is straightforward. As the Rams reach Sunday’s final 53-man deadline, the most telling information will be who gets the final roster spots at running back and offensive line, and whether Rivers and Blaske end up earning those spots or are part of the group that “just missed.” The answers will shape how quickly the Rams can rotate personnel early in the season, and how much flexibility they have if injuries or matchups force last-minute adjustments.

For now, Rivers and Blaske are positioned as the face of L.A.’s tightrope walk at two high-stakes positions. If the Rams make the type of hard choice implied by the fan-projection exercise, the team’s early-season depth could reflect a deliberate wager on a more defined role for the remaining backs and linemen, rather than a wider net of alternatives.