Rams Waive Aaron Murray
Just over two months after signing Aaron Murray, the Rams have waived the quarterback, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
Once a star at Georgia, Murray fell to the sixth round of the 2014 draft after an ACL injury brought an early end to his senior season. Murray spent the first two years of his career in the Chiefs organization before serving on Philadelphia’s practice squad last season. He still hasn’t attempted an NFL pass.
Had he stuck with the Rams through the summer, Murray would have competed for a backup role behind 2016 No. 1 overall pick Jared Goff. For now, the only non-Goff quarterback on the Rams’ roster is Sean Mannion, a 2015 third-rounder with 13 pass attempts under his belt.
Rams Fail To Lure Ravens Exec Joe Hortiz
- Although he was being courted by the Rams, Joe Hortiz will remain in place as the Ravens‘ director of college scouting, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Hortiz, who has worked in Baltimore for 19 years, was Los Angeles’ top choice to lead its reshuffled scouting department. Although the Ravens couldn’t block Hortiz from leaving, he’s chosen to stay in his current role. Hortiz was a contender for a top personnel role with the Eagles in 2015, but either declined to interview or wasn’t allowed to by the Ravens.
Tavon Austin To Have Wrist Surgery
Tavon Austin will miss the Rams‘ offseason program after undergoing surgery to repair ligament damage in his left wrist, Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com reports. This is an arthroscopic procedure that will shelve the fifth-year player during Los Angeles’ OTAs/minicamp portion of the schedule, but Gonzalez notes Austin is expected to be ready for training camp. The slot receiver will be looking to bounce back from a down year, one that followed the $42MM extension signed last summer. Austin is expected to be a key component of Sean McVay‘s offense as he attempts to revive the league’s worst passing attack.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/4/17
Today’s minor moves:
- Defensive tackle Dominique Easley signed his restricted free agent tender with the Rams today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Easley was tendered at the original round level, which means he’ll earn a non-guaranteed base salary of $1.797MM for 2017. Because Easley is a former first-round pick, any club that signed him to an offer sheet would have had to be willing to sacrifice a first-round pick. Clearly, no team was interested in such a move, so Easley will return to Los Angeles next year before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018.
- The Seahawks have waived running back Kelvin Taylor, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link). Taylor, 23, was selected by San Francisco in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. During his rookie campaign, Taylor spent time on the practice squads of both the Seahawks and the 49ers, and was on Seattle’s active roster for one week in December. The Florida alum is the son of former NFL running back Fred Taylor.
- The Vikings announced that they’ve waived defensive end Sterling Bailey and offensive tackle Marquis Lucas. Bailey, 24, went undrafted in 2016 and has already been with the Colts and Seahawks in addition to the Vikings. Lucas was also originally a UDFA who signed with Buffalo after last year’s draft before ending the season on Minnesota’a practice squad. Neither Bailey nor Lucas has appeared in an NFL contest.
- The Broncos have waived defensive end Iosia Iosia, wide receiver Mekale McKay, and long snapper Jeff Overbaugh, tweets Cameron Wolfe of the Denver Post. None of the three have any NFL experience, as both McKay and Overbaugh were signed to futures deals in January, while Iosia latched onto the Broncos’ practice squad at the end of last season.
- After signing 21 undrafted free agents earlier this week, the Falcons have added another UDFA in Miami linebacker Jermaine Grace, the club announced today. Grace didn’t see the field in 2016, as he was dismissed from the Hurricanes squad following an investigation into Grace’s link to a luxury car rental agency.
Rams Waive Four
- Defensive lineman Zach Moore was the third former 49er (joining Balducci and Mike Purcell, who landed with the Rams) to land with a new club today, as the Panthers claimed the 26-year-old off waivers today. Moore is a former sixth-round pick of the Patriots who’s bounced around during three seasons in the NFL, as he’s also spent time with the Vikings and Cowboys. He’ll add depth in Carolina, but seems unlikely to make a roster that is relatively deep at defensive end.
- The Rams announced that they’ve waived defensive back Jerome Couplin, long snapper Andrew East, running back Brandon Wegher, and tight end Bryce Williams. Couplin and Wegher both have NFL experience, but neither has appeared in a game since 2015.
Rams Claim DT Mike Purcell Off Waivers
The Rams claimed Mike Purcell off waivers from the 49ers, according to the league transactions wire. The nose tackle was one of 13 players released by the team on Tuesday.
Purcell, 26, appeared in 15 games for the Niners last season, including five starts. He finished out the season with 26 tackles and one forced fumble. The Wyoming product was on the field for 280 snaps in total with good portion of his playing time coming on special teams.
Purcell will now look to make the Rams’ roster as a reserve defensive tackle along with Dominique Easley, free agent pickup Tyrunn Walker, Louis Trinca-Pasat, and sixth-round pick Tanzel Smart.
Rams Cut David Arkin
- The Rams have cut offensive lineman David Arkin, per Alden Gonzalez of ESPN.com. Last season was the four-year veteran’s only campaign with the Rams. Arkin appeared in two games.
Troy Hill Gets Two-Game Suspension
The NFL has suspended Rams cornerback Troy Hill two games for a violation of its substance abuse policy, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter). The ban stems from Hill’s arrest on a DUI charge in November.
Although Hill graded as one of Pro Football Focus’ 10 worst corners last year, his second season in the league, the former Bengal saw action in the majority of the Rams’ games (12) and made four starts. The 25-year-old may have played a full season had he avoided off-field trouble, but the Rams cut him shortly after his arrest. The club re-signed Hill to its practice squad the next day, though, and added him back to its active roster in mid-December.
If Hill remains with Los Angeles through the summer, he’ll be eligible to participate in training camp and the team’s preseason games. His reinstatement would come prior to the Rams’ Week 3 trek to San Francisco.
Rams Agree To Sign 11 UDFAs
The Rams have signed 11 undrafted college free agents following the conclusion of the draft, the club announced on Saturday. Here’s the full list of the prospects headed to Los Angeles:
- Ishmael Adams, DB (UCLA)
- Jared Collins, DB (Arkansas)
- Kevin Davis, LB (Colorado State)
- Justin Davis, RB (USC)
- Jake Eldrenkamp, OL (Wahsington)
- Shaq McMeans, OL (New Mexico State)
- Johnny Mundt, TE (Oregon)
- Folarin Orimolade, LB (Dartmouth)
- Aarion Penton, DB (Missouri)
- Casey Sayles, DT (Ohio)
- Dravious Wright, DB (North Carolina State)
Jets Trade #125 To Rams
The Jets are no longer on the clock at #125, reports SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano (via Twitter). The Rams have taken their place, implying that the two teams have made a trade. That is indeed the case, as Vacchiano tweets that New York has acquired pick #141 from Los Angeles. The Jets also added a sixth-rounder (#197) in order to move down 16 spots.
The Rams used the pick to select linebacker Samson Ebukam. The Washington product was named to the First Team All-Big Sky Conference this past season after being named to the second team in 2014 and 2015. In 38 career NCAA games, Ebukam compiled 188 tackles, 44 tackles for loss, and 24 sacks.