Xavier Jones

It is an Achilles' tendon injury that requires surgery, but coach Sean McVay did not say if it is a full tear. Jones should clear waivers and revert to injured reserve, where he will then spend the entire season unless he gets healthy and the Rams cut him loose with an injury settlement. Jones was injured in last weekend's preseason finale. It makes the Rams' acquisition of Sony Michel vitally more important. A second-year UDFA out of SMU, Jones turned 24 a week ago. Rookie Jake Funk is now in the driver's seat for No. 3 duties behind the injury prone Michel and Darrell Henderson. To get down to 53 players on Tuesday, the Rams waived/released RB Otis Anderson, WR Landen Akers, WR Jeremiah Haydel, WR Trishton Jackson, WR J.J. Koski, TE Kendall Blanton, TE Kyle Markway, OT Chandler Brewer, OT Max Pircher, OT Ryan Pope, OG Jeremiah Kolone, OG Jordan Meredith, DE Earnest Brown, DE John Daka, DE Maximilian Roberts, DT Eric Banks, DT Marquise Copeland, DT George Silvanic, LB Micah Kiser, LB Justin Lawler, LB Derrick Moncrief, LB Christian Rozeboom, CB Tyler Hall, DE Dont'e Deayon, DB Paris Ford, DB Jake Gervase, DB Brontae Harris, DB Dayan Lake, DB Donovan Olumba, DB Kareem Orr, DB Troy Warner, K Austin MacGinnis and LS Steven Wirtel.

At one point, coach Sean McVay said Jones would "carve out a role for himself" this year; that was before Sony Michel was acquired. The 24-year-old instead found himself handling 16 touches in a meaningless preseason game ahead of Week 1. Jones' best-case scenario in the short-term is being active on game days as the Rams' third runner. He would only offer value if both Darrell Henderson and Michel are absent at any point this year.

McVay went on to say that Jones is someone the Rams are "expecting to count on throughout the season." He also praised Jones' ability in pass protection. To be clear, no one expects Jones to challenge Darrell Henderson for the starting role. However, Jones could be more than a true backup to Henderson. Even as a star collegiate running back, Henderson was not a workhorse at Memphis. He has also struggled with injuries in his first two NFL seasons. Jones could plausibly work into a committee with Henderson if he continues to impress.

Barring a splashy free agent signing -- a distinct possibility after the Rams lost Cam Akers to an Achilles injury -- Jones could be the next guy up after Henderson, the default No. 1 back following the Akers injury. Henderson has struggled through injuries in his two NFL seasons, missing four games and parts of others with a variety of minor injuries. Jones, 24 in August, is an undrafted free agent out of Southern Methodist University (SMU) who recorded nearly 1,300 rushing yards and 23 rushing scores in his final collegiate season. Rodrigue said Akers' season-ending injury almost guarantees seventh-round rookie RB Jake Funk -- an analytics darling -- will make the Rams' final roster. Funk, 23, suffered two ACL injuries and a broken hand in college, limiting his opportunity at Maryland, where he gained 7.2 yards per carry on 135 attempts. Henderson missing time in 2021 could open up opportunities for Jones and Funk, both of whom will be highly coveted by Zero RB drafters this summer.