THOUSAND OAKS — No ego, no demands, no lashing out. Sammy Watkins said all the proper things Wednesday, when asked about his minimal role as a receiver in the Rams’ offense this month.

More troubling was a question Watkins couldn’t answer. Does Watkins, a former 1,000-yard receiver who was expected to be a top target for Jared Goff, see a way to increase his role in the Rams’ offense?

“I don’t know,” Watkins said, plainly, after Wednesday’s practice at Cal Lutheran.

That could be a long-term problem. Watkins ranks fifth on the Rams this season in pass targets (20) and fourth in catches (14). He hit a low point last Sunday against Seattle, when he failed to catch a pass for the first time in his 42-game NFL career.

Watkins took to social media that evening and posted some mild comments, but ones that clearly indicated he was displeased with his role. Soon thereafter, Watkins and Coach Sean McVay met and reviewed game tape, but Watkins didn’t pull back when asked if he felt frustrated.

“As a player, of course you’re going to be frustrated,” Watkins said. “I don’t know a player, a wide receiver, that’s not frustrated throughout the game if you’re not getting the ball. Each week, it could change. They had certain coverage that kind of took me out of the game, and that’s part of the game.”

Watkins was targeted on just four of Goff’s 47 pass attempts against Seattle. A week earlier, in victory against Dallas, Watkins was targeted just twice and caught one pass for 17 yards.

The Rams, as is reasonable, are trying to spread the ball around among targets such as Watkins, Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Tavon Austin, Todd Gurley, Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee, and also not force the ball to a player (Watkins) who regularly draws coverage from the opponent’s top cornerback.

“Definitely want to try to get him more involved,” Goff said, “but by no means are we, or am I, going to change the approach, play in and play out. I’ll go through the reads and hopefully he gets more touches.”

By at least one measure, Watkins has been the Rams’ most efficient receiver. He has caught passes on 14 of his 20 targets, a 70-percent rate that is the best of any Rams receiver or tight end this season. Woods and Kupp each caught just under 60 percent of their targets in the first five games.

On a personal level, Watkins’ frustration could be understandable. He’s in the final year of his rookie contract and soon will seek a major, multi-year contract, but Watkins said that’s not a factor.

“No, I think I’ve got enough money,” Watkins said with a grin. “I just want to have fun and ball. I want to be a part of this team. It’s a great team. I know where they’re about to be at [in terms of success]. I just want to be a part of it and make plays and score touchdowns.”

The solution might not come before the Rams’ bye week, given who the Rams are playing.

This week, it’s Jacksonville, which leads the NFL in interceptions and arguably has a better secondary than the Seattle group the Rams just faced. Then, in London, the Rams will face Arizona, which is more porous on pass defense but will present a tough matchup with cornerback Patrick Peterson.

“Those guys are great players, but leave no doubt, we’ve got a great room,” Watkins said. “We’re going to compete. We’re going to be open. We’re going to make plays. For me, it’s just to continue to show Jared that I can gain his confidence, to keep getting open and show McVay that I’m open. Hopefully everything will start working out.”

MAKING A MOVE

As expected, Austin was removed from punt-return duties after he fumbled twice against Seattle. McVay indicated that Pharoh Cooper will take over those duties but said Kupp also will get practice reps.

INJURY REPORT

Rams linebacker Mark Barron missed practice with a knee injury, but McVay expressed confidence that Barron will play against the Jaguars. Cornerback Troy Hill missed practice with a shoulder injury and safety Lamarcus Joyner was limited as he goes through the final stages of his recovery from a hamstring injury. Rams veterans Connor Barwin, John Sullivan and Andrew Whitworth got rest days.