Bennett might just make the 53-man roster as the third quarterback

There are officially eight training camp practices in the books for the Los Angeles Rams, with just a handful more to go. They’re off on Friday before returning to the field Saturday and Sunday in front of fans, creeping one step closer to the start of the preseason next week.

The roster is beginning to take shape thanks to these all-important practices, though there are still plenty of spots still up for grabs. Heading into the weekend, here’s what we learned from the second week of training camp, including some clarity on the linebackers and some positive developments from Stetson Bennett.

Linebacker group is taking shape

It’s becoming clear exactly how the Rams plan to answer one of the biggest question marks on their roster. Nate Landman and Omar Speights have emerged as the top two linebackers on the team, with Landman pulling ahead as a particularly important player wearing the green dot.

This isn’t to say Troy Reeder and Chris Paul Jr. won’t have a role at all in 2025, but it’s looking more and more likely that Landman and Speights will play the majority of the snaps at linebacker.

Here’s what McVay said about the group on Thursday.

“They’ve been awesome. (LBs coach Greg Williams) ‘G-Money’, our linebackers coach, does such an excellent job of being able to provide those guys with clarity. We’ve talked about Nate Landman. Omar Speights has been outstanding. You can see he’s really taken leaps in his second year. He has really good ownership of what we’re trying to get done. Troy Reeder’s always been a really productive player for us. I’ve really been pleased with what the other guys have done. Shaun Dolac has done some good stuff, Tony Fields II, Eli Neal. I think that’s a really good group. I really think those guys that have played some football for us, you feel their presence, their ownership and that’s exactly what we’re looking for.”

Backup running backs are making some noise

Players put the pads on for the first time Monday, which gave the running backs a chance to really shine. Though the defense played well to start the week, Blake Corum and Jarquez Hunter had their share of big plays.

They had a strong week of practice, showing off their speed and agility on several occasions. Corum had a couple of good runs on tosses to the outside, while this gallop by Hunter showed the combination of power and speed he has.

Kyren Williams isn’t in danger of losing his starting job, but don’t be surprised if the Rams cut down on his carries a little bit this year to give Corum and Hunter some opportunities – and as a way to keep Kyren fresh.

Injury situation could be worse

All in all, the Rams could be worse off injury-wise. Yes, Matthew Stafford is in a category of his own, but across the rest of the roster, there aren’t any major concerns. Alaric Jackson has done individual work and taken part in team drills during jog-throughs, which is encouraging.

Kamren Curl suffered an ankle injury that will make him week-to-week, but McVay said it could’ve been worse and the team was “fortunate.” Emmanuel Forbes Jr. tweaked his hamstring, which will only keep him out 1-2 weeks.

Those injuries looked like they could’ve been much worse, but missing a couple of weeks during the preseason isn’t the end of the world, especially for two experienced players.

Hopefully Chris Paul Jr. can recover from his lingering calf injury sooner rather than later but as a whole, the Rams’ health is pretty good.

Still no sign of a Matthew Stafford return

Stafford missed the entire week of practice, only making appearances in street clothes on the sidelines. McVay didn’t have anything new to say about the quarterback other than the fact that the Rams have a plan and timetable for his return, but they’re not revealing it publicly.

McVay remains confident Stafford will play in Week 1 but it remains to be seen when he’ll take part in his first practice since minicamp.

Konata Mumpfield looks like the Rams’ latest draft gem

The Rams used their final pick in the draft this year on Mumpfield, a wide receiver out of Pitt. The seventh-round rookie has already been standing out at camp, earning reps with the first-team offense at times.

Davante Adams says he’s seen Mumpfield “kill some of our better corners on some amazing routes,” which is high praise coming from a technician like Adams. Mike LaFleur applauded the rookie’s intelligence and route-running, as well, saying he’s “really excited about ‘Mump.’”

Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington should still be considered the favorites to earn snaps behind Adams and Puka Nacua, but Mumpfield is coming on strong.

Stetson Bennett might just sneak onto the 53-man roster

As frustrating as Stafford’s injury has been, it has allowed Bennett to get more opportunities than he otherwise would have. He’s been working consistently with the first-team offense, building a rapport with players such as Xavier Smith and Davis Allen.

LaFleur has seen the game slow down for Bennett and McVay thinks he’s showing more enjoyment on the field, a sign that he’s performing up to his own expectations. He’s still third on the depth chart when Stafford is healthy, but Bennett can’t be counted out yet.

With Stafford’s back an ongoing question mark, it’s possible Bennett will make the 53-man roster for the third year in a row.

Run defense should be much better in 2025

The addition of Poona Ford looks like one that will pay dividends for a Rams run defense that struggled last season. Ford has received positive remarks from his coaches and teammates throughout camp, but particularly this week now that the pads have come on.

He’s a stout run defender who’s difficult to move off the spot, eating up blocks and creating lanes for linebackers to clean things up. Quentin Lake called him a “force to be reckoned with” and Kobie Turner shared his excitement about Ford, expecting him to be a big contributor this season.

“Just the way that he commands attention, the way that he defeats double teams,” Turner said of Ford. “Then obviously he has a lot of pass rush ability that’s going to be able to help us as well. That’s shown on the other days but today was run heavy, and he showed up today really big.”