Predicting the Rams’ 17-man practice squad
Cameron DaSilva
Wed, September 1, 2021, 8:02 AM
A good portion of the players the Rams cut on Tuesday will land back on the practice squad, but only if they clear waivers.
sports.yahoo.com
The Rams were forced to cut about 25 players on Monday and Tuesday as they trimmed their roster down to only 53 men, but that doesn’t signal the end of the road for those who didn’t make it. They still have a chance to carve out roles in the NFL, be it with another team or on the practice squad.
A large portion of the players cut by the Rams will wind up back on the practice squad this week, assuming they clear waivers and aren’t claimed by another NFL team. Los Angeles can carry 16 players on the practice squad this year, plus it has an additional spot for Max Pircher thanks to the NFL’s International Player Development Program.
So who will land back with the Rams on their practice squad? We have a few predictions.
WR Landen Akers
Akers is a promising young player, both on offense and special teams. He can play in the slot and out wide, and although he’s not an explosive playmaker, he showed good hands in the preseason. Wide receiver depth is always good to have, making Akers a solid candidate to sign to the practice squad.
LB Christian Rozeboom
Rozeboom flashed in the preseason finale with an interception and held a spot on the practice squad last year. He’s still not a refined linebacker, but with another year of learning on the practice squad, he could develop into a potential starter next season, depending on how the Rams’ linebacker group shakes out moving forward.
LB Micah Kiser
The Rams were forced to cut about 25 players on Monday and Tuesday as they trimmed their roster down to only 53 men, but that doesn’t signal the end of the road for those who didn’t make it. They still have a chance to carve out roles in the NFL, be it with another team or on the practice squad.
A large portion of the players cut by the Rams will wind up back on the practice squad this week, assuming they clear waivers and aren’t claimed by another NFL team. Los Angeles can carry 16 players on the practice squad this year, plus it has an additional spot for Max Pircher thanks to the NFL’s International Player Development Program.
So who will land back with the Rams on their practice squad? We have a few predictions.
WR Landen Akers
Akers is a promising young player, both on offense and special teams. He can play in the slot and out wide, and although he’s not an explosive playmaker, he showed good hands in the preseason. Wide receiver depth is always good to have, making Akers a solid candidate to sign to the practice squad.
LB Christian Rozeboom
Rozeboom flashed in the preseason finale with an interception and held a spot on the practice squad last year. He’s still not a refined linebacker, but with another year of learning on the practice squad, he could develop into a potential starter next season, depending on how the Rams’ linebacker group shakes out moving forward.
LB Micah Kiser
The Rams like what they have at linebacker with Kenny Young, Troy Reeder, Travin Howard and Ernest Jones, but Kiser was a starter last season and is still capable of playing a role on defense. Reeder was hurt last year and Howard missed the entire 2020 season, so there’s still a chance the Rams will need to add linebacker help this year, which is why it would make sense for them to keep Kiser on the practice squad, given the fact that he knows the defense better than any free agent they could sign. It'll just be a matter of whether he's claimed by another team, which is very possible.
DE/OLB Earnest Brown IV
There’s no way the Rams should give up on the fifth-round rookie this quickly. It’s surprising he was cut Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean he can’t still develop on the practice squad and become a role player in 2022. He has the size and length to do just that, needing to develop his pass-rush technique in order to create more plays on defense.
RB Otis Anderson
Anderson has the ability to return kickoffs and punts in addition to playing running back. That makes him a player with some value on the practice squad, especially considering the Rams only have three running backs on the active roster and no clear kick returner. Anderson is a versatile athlete who could get called up at some point this season if he lands on the practice squad.
WR J.J. Koski
Koski ranked second on the team in receiving this preseason, catching 12 passes for 102 yards. He didn’t have a single drop and was decent as a blocker on the edge, showing that he has some potential in the Rams’ scheme. Like Akers, he can be someone the Rams try to develop on the practice squad after an encouraging performance this summer.
OLB John Daka
Daka stood out in the preseason finale, particularly when it came to setting the edge in the running game. He ranked eighth on the team in run defense grade, according to Pro Football Focus, and had one pressure on 25 pass-rush snaps. He’s a promising young player who might be slightly undersized on the edge, but he improved each week in the preseason.
CB Kareem Orr
Orr was likely close to making the 53-man roster, especially considering the Rams only kept four cornerbacks. He can play in the slot or on the outside and has NFL experience from his time with the Titans, which would make him a solid choice to be called up from the practice squad in the event of an injury or the need for depth in the secondary. He’s absolutely someone the Rams should try to bring back.
TE Kendall Blanton
Blanton has been with the Rams since 2019 but he’s never broken through to carve out a role on the active roster. This year could be his chance if Brycen Hopkins doesn’t keep progressing, or if the Rams want some additional help at tight end, given Jacob Harris’ steep learning curve. Sean McVay even said Harris’ role right now will be on special teams, so Blanton might not be far from making the team.
CB Dont'e Deayon
It looked like Deayon might make the team this year after coming close last season, too. But he’s a strong candidate to stick on the practice squad for a second straight year. The Rams only went with four cornerbacks and there’s no guarantee David Long Jr. will excel in his new starting role, so Deayon should be kept close if the Long project doesn’t work out.
OLB Justin Lawler
Lawler is another player who appeared to be on track to make the 53-man roster, especially after standing out in the preseason opener against the Chargers. The Rams are thin at outside linebacker, especially now that Ogbonnia Okoronkwo is set to land on injured reserve. It’s entirely possible Lawler will be added to the 53-man roster after Okoronkwo goes on IR, assuming Lawler clears waivers. But the practice squad should be a worst-case scenario for him.
WR Trishton Jackson
Jackson managed to make the team last year as an undrafted rookie but the Rams’ receiver room is even deeper this year after adding DeSean Jackson and Tutu Atwell, as well as Ben Skowronek in the seventh round. Jackson is still a player the Rams like and want to develop, so he shouldn’t go too far.
OL Chandler Brewer
After the draft, McVay said Brewer is essentially the team’s draft pick along the offensive line after the position was ignored for seven rounds. That’s because Brewer is returning after opting out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. He struggled some in the preseason, but he can play tackle or guard and has room to grow as a blocker. A year on the practice squad would serve him well.
DL Marquise Copeland
Copeland was in a group of former undrafted free agents battling for a roster spot, but only Jonah Williams and Michael Hoecht wound up making it. Copeland is close to making a 53-man roster but he still needs some development, particularly as a run defender. But he flashed in the preseason and had the second-best pass-rush grade on the Rams (81.4).
CB Brontae Harris
Harris was targeted twice as many times as any other Rams player in the preseason, allowing 12 catches on 17 targets in three games. He looked good at times, but he also gave up a few big plays and was called for a pair of penalties. Harris is a raw player with good upside, making him a perfect candidate for the practice squad.
OT Max Pircher (International Player Development Program)
Thanks to the NFL's international program, the Rams get a practice squad exemption for Pircher, who came over from Italy this year. He can remain on the practice squad all year and not take up one of the 16 spots, making it a win-win situation for the team and the player. Pircher has a lot of work to do before he contributes in a game, but there's no reason he shouldn't be on the practice squad as the 17th player.
dknation.draftkings.com
