Rams special teams trio to watch in Week 1
Rams special teams will be under a microscope in Week 1 as the Los Angeles Rams try to close a clear vulnerability that cost them points and field position last season. Small, reliable improvements in coverage, snapping and returns could swing early-season results in L.A.’s favor.
Bubba Ventrone has spent OTAs, training camp and the preseason reshaping the group around a few reliable, unspectacular pieces, and those moves deserve a closer look as the opener approaches. Reporting from Ramblin Fan highlights three under-the-radar contributors who could change the way the unit plays.
Key Takeaways
- Special teams miscues cost the Rams valuable points and field position in multiple games last season.
- Bubba Ventrone is coordinating adjustments that rely on depth players and specialists to stabilize the unit.
- Joe Cardona, Grant Stuard and Jordan Whittington are under-the-radar contributors who could swing field position in Week 1.
- Incremental improvements in snaps, coverage and returns have outsized roster implications early in the season.
How Joe Cardona can steady snaps and coverage
Long snapping is often invisible until it breaks, and the Rams suffered the consequences of blocked kicks and botched protections last year. Adding veteran long snapper Joe Cardona removes a variable in the kicking game and gives coaches confidence the snap-to-kick exchange will be clean.
Cardona is not just a dependable hiker; he contributes in punt coverage and routinely makes tackles after the change of possession. That two-way value stabilizes both the placekicking unit and the punt coverage team without costing a roster spot to specialists who only snap.
Punter protection and coverage are linked, and Cardona’s presence gives the Rams a better chance to protect kicks and down the field after punts. If coverage tightens early, the cascading effect is shorter opponent drives and fewer sudden shifts in momentum.
Grant Stuard and high energy coverage play
Grant Stuard arrived with a clear special-teams assignment: hustle and hit. Training-camp reports stress that Stuard has been more than a token contributor and has shown the kind of energy coaches praise.
Stuard has a six-year NFL background of carving out special-teams roles, and that experience matters when assignments are tight and margins are thin. On early downs and on punt coverage units, his ability to find the ball and make the initial contact should help eliminate the missed tackles that turned punts into opponent momentum swings last season.
Jordan Whittington as a field position weapon
Jordan Whittington’s value reads differently on the roster than it does on the stat sheet; his primary contribution has become consistent kick returns that flip the field. Over the past two seasons he has returned 33 kicks at nearly 27 yards per return, with long returns of 43 and 38 yards in those years.
Whittington is more dependable than explosively dynamic, and that steadiness reduces the frequency of short returns that leave the offense starting deep in its own territory. In tight divisional matchups where possession and starting field position matter, consistent returns are a hidden multiplier.
His assignment as the designated returner through sweeping staff changes suggests coaches view Whittington as part of the Week 1 solution rather than an experimental piece.
Special teams data and historical context
| Player | Role | Verified fact | Likely impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Cardona | Long snapper and punt coverage | Veteran long snapper who routinely makes tackles in punt coverage | Reduce blocked kicks and improve immediate punt coverage results |
| Grant Stuard | Linebacker and core special-teamer | Impressed in training camp with high-energy play; six-year NFL career | Cleaner coverage units and more consistent initial contact on returns |
| Jordan Whittington | Primary kick returner | 33 kick returns over two seasons at nearly 27 yards per return with long returns of 43 and 38 yards | Better starting field position for the offense and fewer negative-return drives |
Roster construction implications for the Rams
Special teams performance is tightly tied to roster construction because coaches must balance 53-man needs with the consistent presence of reliable role players. When a long snapper, core coverage piece or returner performs, it frees coaches to allocate active roster slots to position depth or situational specialists.
For players like Cardona, Stuard and Whittington, strong early-season play can secure active weekly roles and influence how the front office views depth at both linebacker and receiver spots. Conversely, underperformance in those roles forces a scramble for replacements and places additional strain on the offensive and defensive units.
