The NFL preseason provides a great opportunity for teams to closely evaluate their talent while also fine-tuning some plays for the regular season. However, the primary objective is to remain healthy, especially at positions where they may be thin.
Unfortunately for the Los Angeles Rams, they caught a double whammy with wide receiver Pharoh Cooper and cornerback E.J. Gaines as they are both expected to miss the remainder of preseason and possibly Week 1 according to Myles Simmons of Rams:
Fisher: WR Pharoh Cooper has a shoulder injury, will miss a couple weeks. May miss the opener.
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) August 29, 2016
Fisher: CB E.J. Gaines has a quad strain and may also miss some time.
— Myles Simmons (@MylesASimmons) August 29, 2016
The news comes at a time where both players were just beginning to hit their stride leading up to the regular season. After struggling to hold on to the ball in the first two games, Cooper injured his shoulder while making a circus 19-yard catch on third down. Prior to the injury, the fourth-round pick had established himself as the No. 3 receiver on the depth chart.
Meanwhile, Gaines has dealt with a number of nagging injuries thus far in his young career. Following a stellar rookie campaign, Gaines suffered an ankle injury that sidelined him for all of last season. After dealing with a hamstring issue that delayed his training camp, Gaines nearly solidified his spot as the team’s No. 2 starting corner.
The biggest question mark surrounding the Rams so far this preseason has undoubtedly been the receiving corps and the secondary. Now, Los Angeles will have to be careful about deciding who to keep while Cooper and Gaines are out with. The team is required to trim the roster from 90 to 75 on Aug. 30.
