This season will feature 12 new Week 1 starting quarterbacks, though the Jets’ decision is the result of an injury rather than a roster move. High-profile wide receivers also changed teams, igniting one of the biggest market shifts a single position has seen. The Offseason In Review series is now complete. Here are the PFR staff’s looks at how the 32 NFL teams assembled their 2022 rosters.
The Rams’ offensive line had a tough night in their season-opening loss to the Bills last night. Unfortunately, their job won’t get any easier as starting center Brian Allen will miss the next two to four weeks in order to undergo a knee procedure, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. 
Allen played the entirety of the game last night without apparent issue but requires a cleanout procedure on his knee. Allen has seen a number of ailments to his knee. He missed half of the 2019 season with a knee injury and had to earn his starting job back upon his healthy return.
After successfully topping the depth chart again in 2021, Allen was sidelined with an MCL sprain one snap into a Week 12 game against the Jaguars that would force him to miss the following game in Arizona, as well. Another knee injury forced him to leave a Week 15 matchup against the Vikings early, but he was able to return the next week and stay healthy all the way through the Super Bowl.
With Allen out, the Rams will slide starting right guard Coleman Shelton into center and Tremayne Anchrum will sub in for Shelton. Last night was just Shelton’s third career start in the NFL but he does have center experience from his time at the University of Washington.
Placing Anchrum in the starting lineup will give the former seventh-round draft pick his first career start after appearing in 13 games since being drafted in 2020. Los Angeles doesn’t have much more of a choice as third-round rookie Logan Bruss is on injured reserve with tears in his right ACL and MCL from the preseason. Past Anchrum, the Rams only have backup tackles A.J. Jackson and Bobby Evans as substitute options.
The Rams lost their first season opener of the Sean McVay era last night, and the team has received more unwanted news today. Rookie running back Kyren Williams suffered a high ankle sprain during the first quarter of the team’s loss to Buffalo, and could miss up to six weeks (Twitter link via ESPN’s Field Yates). 
The fifth-rounder had already faced injury problems before last night. Williams underwent foot surgery this offseason which cost him time during training camp. He was expected to operate as the team’s No. 3 back behind Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson.
That pair combined for just 47 yards on the ground yesterday, however, in their first game action after an offseason which included injury concerns of their own. Akers has become the subject of scrutiny after an underwhelming return from last year’s Achilles tear, the continuation of which could have opened the door to more opportunities for Williams.
The Notre Dame alum saw just four carries as a freshman, but was highly productive in the two proceeding campaigns. He topped 1,000 rushing yards in 2020 and 2021, adding 672 yards in the passing game across those two seasons. Barring a return to form from Akers and Henderson, that receiving ability will be missed by the defending champions.
Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic tweets that Williams will undergo surgery today. His rehab process (which she pegs at 6-8 weeks) will be worth watching as the Rams look to get back on track without him.
With teams preparing their cap sheets for the start of the NFL season, we’ve seen a number of front offices rework some contracts. We’ve compiled some of the recent contract maneuverings (as well as some details on recent signings and extension) below:
- T.J. Watt, LB (Steelers): restructured contract yesterday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move opened $6.75MM in space for Pittsburgh. Watt inked a four-year deal worth up to $112MM (including $80MM guaranteed) last September.
- Rob Havenstein, OT (Rams): three-year extension. The deal is worth $34.5MM, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). The extension includes $24.1MM guaranteed and offers $6MM in incentives.
- Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams): restructured contract earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The team converted $4.75MM of Higbee’s base salary into a signing bonus, creating $3.8MM in space.
- Jalen Thompson, S (Cardinals): three-year extension. The $40MM deal includes $24.5MM in guaranteed money and a $10MM signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).
- Lane Johnson, OT and Jake Elliott, K (Eagles): restructured contracts today, according to Yates (on Twitter). The Eagles converted $5.88MM of Johnson’s base salary and $2.715MM of Elliot’s base salary into signing bonuses, creating about $6.9MM in cap space.
- O.J. Howard, TE (Texans): one-year deal. The contract is worth $1.035MM, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The tight end will receive $910K in offset from the $1.945MM guaranteed base salary he got from his previous deal with the Bills. When coupled with the $1.25MM signing bonus he got from Buffalo, Howard will earn a total of $3.25MM this year.
- Eric Murray, S (Texans): restructured contract yesterday, per Yates (on Twitter). Specifically, the team converted $1.465MM of his contract into a signing bonus, opening $732.5K in cap space.
- Ka’imi Fairbairn, K and Cameron Johnston, P (Texans): restructured contracts earlier this week, per Wilson (on Twitter). The two moves saved the Texans $2.1MM in cap savings.
Throughout the offseason, new deals were expected to be finalized for Rams head coach Sean McVay and general manager Les Snead. Per a team announcement on Thursday, both are indeed set to remain with the team for years to come. 
McVay had already confirmed his new deal one month ago, and he made it clear at that time that an announcement regarding Snead would be forthcoming. With the Rams’ title defense beginning in a matter of hours, many expected that announcement to come today. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweets that the pair are now on the books through the 2026 season.
To no surprise, both McVay and Snead are now thought to be among the league’s highest-paid at their respective positions. The Rams have seen consistent success during their time guiding the franchise, including last season’s Super Bowl win. That has come during Snead’s increasing reliance on his unorthodox roster-building strategy of forgoing premium draft picks in return for proven commodities at important positions (including, most notably, quarterback Matthew Stafford).
Los Angeles has not made a first-round selection since 2016, and does not own one until 2024. Still, the effectiveness of the 51-year-old’s actions led to joint extensions for both he and McVay in 2019. Another set of deals keeping them together was widely expected to be the team’s preference, and became possible once the latter confirmed that he would continue coaching in lieu of a broadcasting career.
Snead has held his current title since 2012, ranking him in the top-10 with respect to the NFL’s longest-tenured GMs. He will look to continue climbing the ladder in that regard, while seeking continuity on the roster he has molded into a champion. Much of that has already been taken care of, with new deals being signed in recent months by Stafford, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and receiver Cooper Kupp.
The long-term future of the organization has been questioned by some given the ‘all-in’ nature of Snead’s moves. Further titles remain possible for at least the next few years, however, and he will still be at the helm if/when the team’s Super Bowl window closes given today’s news.
The Rams have extended their right tackle. The team announced (on Twitter) that they’ve signed Rob Havenstein to a contract extension. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler first reported (on Twitter) that the two sides were close to a deal.
Havenstein was set to play out the final season of his contract in 2022. Despite inking his four-year, $32.5MM deal back in 2018, the veteran lineman still ranked among the 10 highest-paid right tackles in the NFL last year. According to Fowler, his new extension should “bolster his spot” in the top-10, with CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones tweeting that Havenstein received a three-year deal.
The 2015 second-round pick has spent his entire career with the Rams, starting all 99 of his regular-season appearances. After bouncing around the offensive line early in his career, Havenstein has settled in as the team’s full-time RT since 2017.
Other than a 2019 campaign where he was limited to only nine games thanks to a knee injury, the offensive lineman has appeared in at least 13 games in each of his NFL seasons. The 30-year-old has also been along for all of the team’s recent playoff runs, starting each of his 10 postseason appearances, including all four during last year’s Super Bowl run.
Havenstein was named a first-time captain this year following another standout campaign in 2021. Last year, he ranked as the league’s ninth-best tackle among 83 qualifying players, making it the third time in four seasons that he’s ranked within the site’s top-15.
SEPTEMBER 7: The Rams have ruled Jefferson out for their opener against the Bills. The team has Ben Skowronek, 2021 second-rounder Tutu Atwell and rookie UDFA Lance McCutcheon in place as their other Week 1 WR3 options.
SEPTEMBER 6: For a very short span last season, Odell Beckham Jr.‘s signing bumped Van Jefferson down to the Rams’ No. 4 wideout role. Robert Woods‘ ensuing ACL tear kept Jefferson a regular on offense. With both out of the picture, Jefferson would have a clear path to his previous gig.
But Jefferson is still rehabbing from his second offseason knee surgery. The Rams are preparing as if the third-year receiver will not play Thursday night, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Sean McVay called Jefferson’s early-August surgery minor but did not guarantee he would be ready for Week 1. While Wilson adds Jefferson returning early in the season would not surprise, he is not expected to suit up against the Bills.
Jefferson caught 50 passes for 802 yards and six touchdowns last season. The Florida alum figures to fly under the radar again this year, with Cooper Kupp being extended and Allen Robinson signing. Beckham’s continued place as a Rams free agent target again leaves Jefferson’s WR3 status as tenuous, should the long-connected parties agree to terms again.
“He’s a guy that, in a short amount of time, we were able to develop a really special relationship,” McVay said of Beckham. “I thought he brought a great spark to our team. I thought he played really well. He’s a great teammate. Without a doubt, want to get Odell back here. That’s the goal and continuing to work toward a solution of him re-signing with the Rams.”
The Rams’ Beckham interest is well known, but Wilson adds OBJ is also interested in returning to play for the defending Super Bowl champs. His crashing of McVay’s wedding this summer may have been a decent indicator here. Although Cam Akers commandeered the talented receiver’s Rams number (3), the team has a locker reserved — nameplate and all — for Beckham going into the season, The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue tweets.
Beckham, who averaged 38.7 yards per game with the Browns last season and just 38.1 as a regular-season Ram, came through for his third NFL employer in crunch time. The 29-year-old target’s 113-yard performance in the NFC championship game and 52-yard Super Bowl LVI half — prior to his second ACL tear — did plenty to help Los Angeles to the title. Other teams will surely be monitoring Beckham this season, as he is not expected to be ready to return until October or early November, and there will be — as Jefferson re-emerges — needier teams. It will be interesting what a second straight in-season Beckham market will look like. We do know one team that will absolutely be in the mix.
Today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived with injury settlement: TE John Raine
Denver Broncos
- Waived with injury settlement: WR Brandon Johnson
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived with injury settlement: K Jake Verity
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived with injury settlement: CB Tyler Hall, RB Xavier Jones
Miami Dolphins
- Released with injury settlement: LB Brennan Scarlett
Minnesota Vikings
- Released with injury settlement: DT T.Y. McGill
New England Patriots
- Promoted from practice squad: C James Ferentz
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Chase Hansen
As Week 1 practices begin, here are the latest updates to teams’ 16-man practice squads:
Atlanta Falcons
- Signed: DL Khyiris Tonga
Carolina Panthers
- Signed: DB Marquise Blair
- Released: WR Ra’Shaun Henry
Cincinnati Bengals
- Released: TE Thaddeus Moss
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: DE Mika Tafua
Denver Broncos
- Signed: WR Vyncint Smith
Detroit Lions
- Signed: QB Tim Boyle
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: K Ramiz Ahmed
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: LB Ty Summers
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: S James Wiggins
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed: DT Kyle Peko
Los Angeles Chargers:
- Signed: TE Richard Rodgers
Miami Dolphins
- Signed: DTs Markaviest Bryant, Josiah Bronson, Christopher Hinton, T Kion Smith, CB Chris Steele
- Released: DT Niles Scott
New England Patriots
- Signed: WR Laquon Treadwell (story)
New York Giants
- Signed: CB Fabian Moreau, WR Marcus Johnson
- Released: DB Harrison Hand
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: CB Mac McCain
- Released: S Anthony Harris (story)
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Signed: CB Josh Jackson
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed: LB Buddy Johnson, OL Leroy Watson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: LB Joshua Onujiogu, DE Jabari Zuniga
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Signed: LB Kenny Young
Washington Commanders
- Signed: OL Wes Martin
A former Washington starter and the primary Atlanta cornerback opposite A.J. Terrell last season, Moreau has experience playing both the slot and outside. The former third-round pick signed with the Texans earlier this offseason but did not make their 53-man roster.
The Lions attempted to keep David Blough by offering the Hard Knocks cast member a spot on their practice squad, but the three-year Detroit backup opted to head to Minnesota. He is currently on the Vikings’ 16-man taxi squad. A previous Aaron Rodgers backup, Boyle signed with the Lions last year.
Despite being a former second-round pick, Blair did not make the Seahawks’ 53-man roster this year. Knee injuries have sidelined him for most of the past two seasons. Seattle had stopped using Blair as a nickel, his primary role when on the field with the team that drafted him, during training camp.
Included as part of a 2019 trade that sent Marcus Peters to Baltimore, Young was also traded from the Rams to the Broncos last year. He started all 13 games he played in 2021 — seven as a Ram, six as a Bronco — and helped Denver fill the void created by Alexander Johnson and Josey Jewell‘s season-ending injuries. Young spent most of this offseason with the Raiders but did not make their roster.
As we inch closer to Week 1, teams continue to try to put the final pieces together on their rosters. Here’s todays minor moves:
Arizona Cardinals
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: TE Chris Pierce Jr.
Cincinnati Bengals
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: G Lamont Gaillard
Dallas Cowboys
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: RB Aaron Shampklin
Green Bay Packers
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: TE Alize Mack, TE Nate Becker
Houston Texans
- Released: WR Chris Conley
Las Vegas Raiders
- Released from IR with injury settlement: LB Tae Davis, TE Jacob Hollister
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed: LB Jake Gervase
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived from IR with injury settlement: TE Jaeden Graham
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Released from IR with injury settlement: CB Rashard Robinson