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Practice Report 8/31: Roster Trimming Begins
Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Practice-Report-831-Roster-Trimming-Begins/a7ec06e3-e555-47ff-b455-31ae4955f434
As head coach Jeff Fisher put it, Monday was a tough day around Rams Park as the team reduced the roster from 89 to 77 players.
“We just appreciate all of the young guys’ efforts,” Fisher said. “They came in here, they got opportunities, and they got better. They should feel good about what they did. They helped us become a better football team.”
St. Louis waived or released 11 players, and placed cornerback E.J. Gaines on injured reserve on Monday. Wide receiver Isaiah Ferguson had previously been waived/injured by the team, which brings the active roster to 77. The team will have to make a couple more moves to put the roster at 75 players by the deadline tomorrow afternoon.
While being cut is never a fun experience for any player, Fisher makes the process as empathetic as possible, ensuring he speaks to each individual on the team’s decision. He said the younger players are understanding and appreciative of their opportunities.
“They got to put a body of work on tape for the rest of the league. And that was our commitment to them when we signed a lot of these guys after the draft, was we’re going to let you play in preseason games,” Fisher said. “They did and they played well. So they’ll be exposed to the rest of the league tomorrow and we’ll just see what happens.”
Imoan Claiborne is one such player who stood out in camp and put some good plays on film, but due to numbers, the team made the decision to part ways with the rookie cornerback.
“He played good, he made plays,” Fisher said. “He’s a potential practice squad candidate, but just because of the other positions and numbers, it just didn’t work out for us.
“We’ve got depth there,” Fisher continued of the cornerback position. “The other two young guys are doing good. Those are our decisions. We have to stand by our decisions.”
Part of the decision-making process has to do with playing time in the final preseason contest. The head coach already said on Sunday many of the starters may be held out of it for precautionary reasons. And around the league, the game is mainly played by those on the bubble for making a 53-man roster
“That’s why some of the moves ended the way they did, is because you have to take into consideration playing the fourth preseason game -- the end of the game, how you finish, your numbers, and things like that,” Fisher said. “We spent a lot of time on it and felt like we made the best moves in the interest of the organization.”
For a complete breakdown of the roster moves, check out our story and special Rams Report here.
ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE
The Rams have assembled a strong group from top to bottom on the defensive line. While there may be some tough decisions to make for that position group in the coming days, Fisher said on Sunday he’s been impressed with both Louis Trinca-Pasat and Matt Longacre.
“Matt’s playing both ends. Trinca-Pasat’s playing both tackles. They just make plays,” Fisher said. “They shock and shed people and get off blocks and penetrate and put pressure on the quarterback, so it’s been great to have them here.”
Longacre told stlouisrams.com on Monday that with all the talent around him, he landed in a good spot for training camp.
“It’s been great, I couldn’t have asked for a better situation from that aspect,” Longacre said. “They’re all veteran guys and some of the best at their position.”
Plus, having defensive line coach Mike Waufle as a resource has been invaluable.
“He’s had a huge impact on me, but he’s one of the best coaches in the league for the D-line,” Longacre said. “The knowledge he has -- you can’t put a price on it.”
We’ll have more on the young defensive linemen and their potential impact in the final exhibition matchup in the lead up to Thursday’s 7 p.m. kickoff.
ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE
There’s still competition along the O-line, as the rotation at the center spot continued in Monday’s indoor practice.
Lineman Demetrius Rhaney has been moving around a bit on the offensive line. He’s one of the players in consideration for starting center, but has also spent significant time at guard -- including starting Saturday’s game there.
“He’s been playing well at both positions, especially productive on the second level in the screens and downfield,” Fisher said. “He’s very athletic and made some really good blocks.”
“The beauty with him is he came in to every meeting and he took notes on center and he took notes on guard,” offensive line coach Paul T. Boudreau told stlouisrams.com. “He played guard and center in college, so I knew he had some flex in him.”
With the team going to more zone-style running plays in the upcoming season, Rhaney said he’s feeling comfortable working on concepts that are similar to what he did in college.
“My biggest thing has just been getting the playbook down pat, and being ready whenever my name is called,” Rhaney said.
For more on the O-line, check out Dani Klupenger’s one-on-one with Barrett Jones below, and stay tuned to stlouisrams.com for our position battles feature on the unit.
Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Practice-Report-831-Roster-Trimming-Begins/a7ec06e3-e555-47ff-b455-31ae4955f434
As head coach Jeff Fisher put it, Monday was a tough day around Rams Park as the team reduced the roster from 89 to 77 players.
“We just appreciate all of the young guys’ efforts,” Fisher said. “They came in here, they got opportunities, and they got better. They should feel good about what they did. They helped us become a better football team.”
St. Louis waived or released 11 players, and placed cornerback E.J. Gaines on injured reserve on Monday. Wide receiver Isaiah Ferguson had previously been waived/injured by the team, which brings the active roster to 77. The team will have to make a couple more moves to put the roster at 75 players by the deadline tomorrow afternoon.
While being cut is never a fun experience for any player, Fisher makes the process as empathetic as possible, ensuring he speaks to each individual on the team’s decision. He said the younger players are understanding and appreciative of their opportunities.
“They got to put a body of work on tape for the rest of the league. And that was our commitment to them when we signed a lot of these guys after the draft, was we’re going to let you play in preseason games,” Fisher said. “They did and they played well. So they’ll be exposed to the rest of the league tomorrow and we’ll just see what happens.”
Imoan Claiborne is one such player who stood out in camp and put some good plays on film, but due to numbers, the team made the decision to part ways with the rookie cornerback.
“He played good, he made plays,” Fisher said. “He’s a potential practice squad candidate, but just because of the other positions and numbers, it just didn’t work out for us.
“We’ve got depth there,” Fisher continued of the cornerback position. “The other two young guys are doing good. Those are our decisions. We have to stand by our decisions.”
Part of the decision-making process has to do with playing time in the final preseason contest. The head coach already said on Sunday many of the starters may be held out of it for precautionary reasons. And around the league, the game is mainly played by those on the bubble for making a 53-man roster
“That’s why some of the moves ended the way they did, is because you have to take into consideration playing the fourth preseason game -- the end of the game, how you finish, your numbers, and things like that,” Fisher said. “We spent a lot of time on it and felt like we made the best moves in the interest of the organization.”
For a complete breakdown of the roster moves, check out our story and special Rams Report here.
ON THE DEFENSIVE LINE
The Rams have assembled a strong group from top to bottom on the defensive line. While there may be some tough decisions to make for that position group in the coming days, Fisher said on Sunday he’s been impressed with both Louis Trinca-Pasat and Matt Longacre.
“Matt’s playing both ends. Trinca-Pasat’s playing both tackles. They just make plays,” Fisher said. “They shock and shed people and get off blocks and penetrate and put pressure on the quarterback, so it’s been great to have them here.”
Longacre told stlouisrams.com on Monday that with all the talent around him, he landed in a good spot for training camp.
“It’s been great, I couldn’t have asked for a better situation from that aspect,” Longacre said. “They’re all veteran guys and some of the best at their position.”
Plus, having defensive line coach Mike Waufle as a resource has been invaluable.
“He’s had a huge impact on me, but he’s one of the best coaches in the league for the D-line,” Longacre said. “The knowledge he has -- you can’t put a price on it.”
We’ll have more on the young defensive linemen and their potential impact in the final exhibition matchup in the lead up to Thursday’s 7 p.m. kickoff.
ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE
There’s still competition along the O-line, as the rotation at the center spot continued in Monday’s indoor practice.
Lineman Demetrius Rhaney has been moving around a bit on the offensive line. He’s one of the players in consideration for starting center, but has also spent significant time at guard -- including starting Saturday’s game there.
“He’s been playing well at both positions, especially productive on the second level in the screens and downfield,” Fisher said. “He’s very athletic and made some really good blocks.”
“The beauty with him is he came in to every meeting and he took notes on center and he took notes on guard,” offensive line coach Paul T. Boudreau told stlouisrams.com. “He played guard and center in college, so I knew he had some flex in him.”
With the team going to more zone-style running plays in the upcoming season, Rhaney said he’s feeling comfortable working on concepts that are similar to what he did in college.
“My biggest thing has just been getting the playbook down pat, and being ready whenever my name is called,” Rhaney said.
For more on the O-line, check out Dani Klupenger’s one-on-one with Barrett Jones below, and stay tuned to stlouisrams.com for our position battles feature on the unit.
