CJ Daniels may be pushed into a bigger role because the Rams have lost four of their top receiving options and did nothing at the trade deadline to patch the gap. The offense now has to get through at least the next three games with a thinner cast and less room for error.
Four top options gone
Entering the year, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams, Terrance Ferguson, and Jordan Whittington sat atop the depth chart as the Rams' top four receiving options. With those four unavailable, the remaining group is Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield, Colby Ferguson, Tyler Higbee, Xavier Smith, Brennen Presley, Davis Allen, and Max Klare, plus CJ Daniels as a possible piece who could shake up the pecking order.
The Rams' passing game has not worked for most of this year, so the shortage is not just about quantity. It forces the offense to sort out targets with an unknown cast, and that puts Daniels in the middle of a practical roster decision rather than a developmental one.
Sean McVay and Max Klare
The Rams drafted Max Klare in the second round, and a redshirt year would have made sense in a vacuum. That plan is harder to protect now. The Rams no longer have the luxury of keeping him on the sidelines, which is why Sean McVay is being pushed to use the rookies now.
CJ Daniels fits that same pressure point. He is one of the players the Rams may need to lean on while the offense tries to right the ship, and the next stretch against the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, and San Francisco 49ers will show whether that role turns into actual snaps or stays theoretical. For a team built to win immediately, the margin has already narrowed to something close to emergency football.
