The 11-4 Los Angeles Rams are locked into a playoff spot. In fact, the team was the first NFC team to lock in a spot in the NFL playoffs. Now, only two of the remaining seven spots are up for grabs. Ironically, LA is currently the sixth-seeded team. Ah, but that’s just temporary.

As other teams beat one another’s brains out vying for the top spot, Los Angeles has lucked into facing the 6-9 Atlanta Falcons and the 3-12 Arizona Cardinals. While those games have yet to be played, they afford the team a perfect opportunity to rest ailing players while bringing injured players back to the fold.

Along that line of thinking, the team is making last-minute tweaks to the roster. What are those moves? The team has made three such moves:

Waived DB Christopher Smith II (active roster) and cut CB Alex Johnson (practice squadSigned OL Royce Newman (practice squad)Designated CB Roger McReary to return from Injured reserve

On paper, fans may not be overly impressed, or even interested, in the exchange of players on the roster. Ah, but there is enough here to interest inquisitive minds. The first moves were designed to clear space for the following moves. So, let’s dive into the final two roster moves by general manager Les Snead.

Here comes the Rams cavalry just in time for the postseasonOffensive guard Royce Newman

Veteran offensive guard Royce Newman is not a plug-and-play acquisition. But in terms of roster depth, he is about as good as it gets. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers in Round 4 of the 2021 NFL Draft and has appeared in 52 games with 24 starts. He’s even shown up in postseason competition.

At 6-foot-5 and 31o pounds,m Newman is a big-bodied mauler on the offensive line. While he played just three seasons for the Packers, he added a year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, plus stints with the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and Chicago Bears. Now, he fills LA’s depth need at right guard until Kevin Dotson heals up.

Cornerback Roger McCreary

Did you forget about cornerback Roger McCreary? If you did, you are not alone. He’s the former Tennessee Titans cornerback who played just one defensive snap and 37 special team snaps for LA before going on injured reserve. While sold as a versatile cornerback who can slide into any role on the secondary, he is particularly effective as a slot cornerback.

Right now, this defense needs to improve there.

Titans fans loved him, as he blended enough pass coverage stickiness with physicality to stand out whenever he stood on a football field. Standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 190 pounds, he is not one of the largest defensive backs on the team. Unfortunately, he is in the last season of his rookie contract, so Snead needs more data to determine whether to offer him an extension or not.

McCreary is a capable cornerback. But he needs to learn this defense.

Returning to compete for a team now is an almost perfect scenario. He will have the opportunity to compete at NFL speed without the pressure of being ‘on’ with every play. If he performs well, the team can ease Quentin Lake back. If not, then the team knows that Lake is a priority.

The next opponent is the Falcons, a team that has been eliminated but still trying to turn the corner. As such, they are a huge test of LA’s vim and vigor. Will the Horns suit up banged up players for the win? Or will backups suit up to test their preparedness in a game that the coaching may believe to have little impact?

While fans await those answers, it appears that Roger McCreary is about to get a heavier workload in the secondary. And if that pans out, the LA Rams will be one step closer to competing in Super Bowl LX.

As always, thanks for reading.