Rams To Sign K Cairo Santos
The Rams will sign kicker Cairo Santos, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). Santos will just be holding down the fort until Greg Zierlein returns from injury, but it’s an opportunity for Santos to kick again after a lengthy layoff.
Santos is dealing with a groin problem, which has been a recurring issue for him throughout his career. The Jets were high on Santos when they signed him in March, but they bailed on him in August when the situation did not improve.
In 2017, Santos missed most of training camp with the Chiefs due to his chronic groin injury and he later aggravated the injury in Week 3. He signed with the Bears after his release, but the same problem landed him on IR.
The Brazilian specialist finished last season with the Bears, kicking in three games. The 26-year-old (27 in November) made 31 of his 35 field goal tries during his last full slate with the Chiefs in 2016.
Rams To Release K Sam Ficken
The Rams are releasing kicker Sam Ficken and intend to sign another veteran to kick until Greg Zuerlein is recovered from his groin injury, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). The kicker auditions will include veterans Cairo Santos and Kai Forbath, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets.
Ficken, 25, took over for an injured Zuerlein at the tail end of the 2017 regular season and called upon to do the same thing this year. Unfortunately, he’s struggled in his two games, making just one of three field goal tries. The Rams are 4-0, but missed field goals could obviously cost them down the line.
Santos has historically been a solid kicker, but he’s dealt with a nagging groin injury for more than a year. Forbath, meanwhile, was released by the Vikings in August losing out to rookie Daniel Carlson. In 2017, Forbath converted 32-of-38 field goal attempts (including six-of-nine from 50+ yards), and his 84.2 accuracy percentage ranked 16th in the NFL.
Rams To Place Dominique Easley On IR
Rams outside linebacker Dominique Easley underwent meniscus surgery on Monday, coach Sean McVay told reporters. The injury will land Easley on IR, according to the coach, and it’s not clear whether he’ll be available to return later this year. 
This marks the fourth major knee surgery of Easley’s career. This marks the fourth major knee surgery of Easley’s career. The Florida product tore the ACL in his left knee as a college sophomore, the ACL and meniscus of his right knee as a senior. Last year, he tore his right ACL yet again, and this latest injury occurred in the same knee. It seems unlikely that Easley will suit up again in 2018 and it’s fair to wonder about his overall football future, even though he won’t turn 27 until February.
For his career, the former first round pick has 6.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and one interception in 41 career games. This year, he started in the first three games of the season L.A. and had four tackles to his credit.
Dominique Easley Facing Another Surgery
- Another tough blow for Rams outside linebacker Dominique Easley. Per the team’s official website, Easley, who has suffered three torn ACLs since 2011, may be heading for his fourth surgery in the last seven years. Head coach Sean McVay said that Easley, who converted to outside linebacker during training camp, is suffering complications from his previous injuries.
Rams CB Aqib Talib Expected Back This Season
When cornerback Aqib Talib was placed on the injured reserve earlier this week, there seemed to be some optimism surrounding an eventual return. Rams coach Sean McVay echoed that sentiment on Friday, telling reporters that he expects the veteran to return before the end of the regular season.
“We’re very encouraged,” McVay said (via ESPN.com’s Lindsey Thiry). “And I know Aqib feels that way and we’re looking forward to getting him back. I don’t know exactly what that date would be but I know that the anticipation is to get him back.”
Talb suffered a high ankle sprain in the Rams’ win over the Chargers on Sunday, and there was initially some worry that his subsequent surgery “would reveal a season-ending injury.” That didn’t end up being the case, but the Rams still placed the 32-year-old on the IR. Talib will be eligible to return during the first week of December.
After having made five straight Pro Bowls, the Rams acquired Talib from the Broncos back in March. The defensive back had started each of his three games with Los Angeles, compiling nine tackles, two passes defended, and a forced fumble. During his absence, the Rams will likely turn to one of Nickell Robey-Coleman or Sam Shields to team up with Marcus Peters in the starting lineup. The team is also rostering cornerbacks Troy Hill and Dominique Hatfield.
Easley Could Be Out For A While
- Rams coach Sean McVay said outside linebacker Dominique Easley could be “sidelined for a while” according to Lindsey Thiry of ESPN (Twitter link). It’s another blow for the Rams’ defense, as the former Patriots first round pick is capable of playing quite well when he can stay on the field.
Marcus Peters Active For TNF
Let’s take a look at a few notes on the Vikings and Rams before tonight’s tilt:
- Running back Dalvin Cook didn’t play in Week 3 when the Vikings lost to the Bills, but he’s expected to suit up tonight, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link). Cook is dealing with a hamstring injury, and Minnesota coaches plan to use caution by examining his during pre-game warmups. After taking part in today’s walkthrough, Cook will be on a pitch count against the Rams. That means backup Latavius Murray, who filled in for Cook last week, could see work against Los Angeles’ vaunted defensive line. Cook, of course, suffered a torn ACL and missed the majority of his rookie campaign in 2017, but did average 4.8 yards per carry before going down.
- Cook isn’t the only injured player who will be active for tonight’s contest, as Rams cornerback Marcus Peters will be avaialable despite reports he would miss time with a calf strain, tweets Steve Wyche of NFL.com. Peters was expected to miss two-to-four weeks, a devastating loss especially given that fellow Los Angeles defensive back Aqib Talib was placed on injured reserve earlier this week. Instead, Peters will take the field, giving the Rams at least some hope of stopping Vikings wideouts Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Like Cook, Peters could conceivably be on a snap limit, meaning Los Angeles will need to count on reserves like Sam Shields and Troy Hill.
Rams Place CB Aqib Talib On IR
The Rams have placed cornerback Aqib Talib on injured reserve with an ankle injury, according to a team announcement. Talib will have surgery on Thursday, but the good news is that he has not been ruled out for a return later this year.
Talb suffered a high ankle sprain in the Rams’ win over the Chargers on Sunday. It’s a tough blow to a Rams D that may also be without fellow starting corner Marcus Peters for a period.
Nickell Robey-Coleman and Sam Shields are the next men up, but Robey-Coleman is the team’s slot specialist and Shields has hardly played over the last two years due to severe concussion trouble, though he has been active in the Rams’ first three contests.
Talib has not missed more than three games in a season since his 2012 campaign with the Buccaneers and Patriots. Unfortunately, that streak has come to an end.
To take Talib’s place on the roster, the Rams have promoted fellow cornerback Dominique Hatfield.
Aqib Talib To Undergo Surgery
Aqib Talib is expected to miss around a month of action because of a high ankle sprain suffered in the Rams’ win over the Chargers. However, this process will now include a surgery.
Sean McVay confirmed Talib will have surgery on Thursday (per The Athletic’s Vincent Bonsignore, on Twitter). He’s been declared out for Thursday’s game against the Vikings, and McVay isn’t sure how long it will take Talib to recover from this operation, per Lindsey Thiry of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
An IR stay for the 11th-year defender hasn’t yet been mentioned. The Rams are set to face the Vikings in a key NFC game Thursday and may not have either Talib or Marcus Peters for it. Peters is battling a calf strain and is day-to-day, per McVay.
This will be a blow to a Rams team flush with star talent on defense. Nickell Robey-Coleman and Sam Shields represent the next men up, but Robey-Coleman serves as Los Angeles’ slot corner. Shields missed all but one game during the 2016 and ’17 seasons due to severe concussion trouble. He’s played in 48 snaps across three Rams games this season, however. The former Packers top corner is still just 30.
Talib has not missed more than three games in a season since his 2012 campaign with the Buccaneers and Patriots. He missed three games for the 2016 Broncos but still earned his first-team All-Pro honor. He missed one game last season, but that was for his fight with Michael Crabtree.
Following their home Vikings tilt, the Rams have road trips scheduled for Seattle, Denver and San Francisco. It appears unlikely Talib will be healthy enough to face the Broncos in Week 6.
Aqib Talib Out At Least A Month
More bad news for the Rams’ defense as star cornerback Aqib Talib has a high ankle sprain and will miss at least a month of action according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (Twitter link).
It comes on the heels of the news that fellow cornerback Marcus Peters would miss some time due to a calf strain. Both players suffered their lower leg injuries in yesterday’s win over the Chargers. It means the Rams’ secondary will likely be extremely short-handed when they take on the Vikings on Thursday Night Football just three days from now.
The Rams’ defense was already a little banged up, with starting inside linebacker Mark Barron missing the first three games due to an Achilles injury. It’s a significant blow to Los Angeles’ new-look defense, as both Talib and Peters were prized acquisitions this offseason, tasked with replacing departed free agent Trumaine Johnson in the secondary. Talib and Peters had mostly shutdown opposing wideouts the first few games, with very few passes targeted their way. Through three games, Talib notched nine tackles, a pair of passes defended, and a forced fumble.
Talib, 32, is in the 11th year of his career and playing on his fourth team. The five-time Pro Bowler was drafted by Tampa Bay in the first round back in 2008. After a successful run in Denver where he won a Super Bowl, Talib was traded to the Rams for a fifth round pick this offseason. Former Packers starter Sam Shields figures to see the biggest increase in playing time while Talib is on the shelf.