Rams Cut Zach Colvin
- The Rams signed defensive tackle Zach Colvin, a rookie free agent out of Bowling Green, Wilson reports (on Twitter).
Details On Nick Foles' Offsets
- Nick Foles agreed to lower his guaranteed 2016 base salary in order to secure his release from the Rams, accepting $1MM from Los Angeles rather than the $1.75MM he was scheduled to earn. But as Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes, Foles will make up that difference if he earns a spot on the Chiefs‘ roster, as he’ll earn that same $1.75MM amount on his new contract. Foles’ deal with the Rams contained offset language, Florio suggests, and Los Angeles be able to will clear Foles off their salary cap if he makes the Chiefs.
Latest On Rams, Tre Mason
Recently, the Rams were forced to place running back Tre Mason on the reserve/did not report list when he was not present for a mandatory team meeting. Now, it seems especially unlikely that Mason will be suiting up for the Rams this season as the team has not made contact with him in seven months, according to Dan Graziano and Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. 
[RELATED: Rams Release Nick Foles]
“Right now, we’re more concerned with Tre Mason’s well-being than we are his football career,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher told reporters at Rams training camp over the weekend. “We’re going to continue to try to reach him to see where he’s at.”
In March, Mason was arrested for reckless driving, resisting arrest, and possession of cannabis, an incident that was part of a series of interactions between the running back and police. According to Gregory Cox of The Palm Beach Post, Mason was “admitted for evaluation” in July after cops found him at his mother’s house, seemingly midway through trashing the place. “As he walked out of the room he also stated the police were responsible for teaching (Al-Qaeda) how to fly planes,” a sheriff’s incident report said.
Rams tackle Greg Robinson was in touch with Mason via text at some point this offseason, but he apparently hasn’t been able to maintain contact as Mason has changed his cell phone number multiple times. In June, Fisher said that his team has to “prepare [itself as though] that Tre’s not going to be here.”
As the team’s depth chart shows, the Rams have Benny Cunningham, Chase Reynolds, and Malcolm Brown to back up Todd Gurley at running back. It’s unlikely that Mason will be joining that group in 2016.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Sign Austin Hill, David Richards
- The Rams have signed a pair of former University of Arizona receivers, agreeing to deals with Austin Hill and David Richards, according to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times. Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News speculates (via Twitter) that the two additions could be in response to an injury suffered last week by rookie receiver Pharoh Cooper.
Rams Waive Deon Long
- The Rams have waived wide receiver Deon Long, reports Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link), who notes that Long was added to the club’s practice squad late last season.
Rams Place Tre Mason On Reserve/DNR List
The Rams have officially placed troubled running back Tre Mason on the reserve/did not report list, according to multiple reports. Los Angeles held mandatory team meeting Friday morning, and Mason did not attend, reports Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (all Twitter links). Per Bonsignore, the Rams weren’t surprised by Mason’s absence, but because of their inability to get in contact with him, the club wasn’t sure if Mason would be present.
[RELATED: Rams Release Nick Foles]
Mason’s recent off-field issues have been well-documented, beginning with a March arrest for reckless driving, resisting arrest, and possession of cannabis, an incident that is reportedly one of just five that have involved Mason and the police in the past several months. According to TMZ Sports, Mason’s family is concerned for his well-being, while the Rams have seemingly accepted that Mason won’t be contributing any time soon, as head coach Jeff Fisher said in June that his team has to “prepare [itself as though] that Tre’s not going to be here.”
At this point, a team or league suspension for Mason appears all but certain, while Los Angeles could also simply waive the third-year running back. The Rams are well-stocked at running back, as Roster Resource shows 2015 Offensive Rookie of the Year Todd Gurley leads a group that includes Benny Cunningham, Chase Reynolds, and Malcolm Brown. But Mason, who rushed for more than 700 yards in 2014, could have surely played a role had his personal life not become so dire.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
More Trouble For Tre Mason?
- Rams running back Tre Mason has been at the center of five different incidents involving cops in the past four months, according to TMZ Sports. The report also states that Mason’s family is concerned about his well being. Mason was arrested in March for resisting arrest, possession of cannabis, and reckless driving. Fisher told reporters in June that the Rams had to prepare as if the running back would not be with the club after that incident, but a recent report indicated that a decision had not been made on whether Mason would be involved in training camp. Mason could be facing a suspension from the league office for his episode earlier this year.
Rams To Release Nick Foles
2:59pm: Foles agreed to accept a lower guaranteed salary from the Rams in 2016 to win his release and be free to sign with any team, Ed Werder of ESPN.com tweets. The Rams have confirmed the move via press release.
2:38pm: The Rams are expected to release quarterback Nick Foles, sources tell Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (on Twitter). The team was looking to trade the signal caller, but a deal never materialized. As a vested veteran, Foles will not be subject to waivers and will immediately become a free agent. Foles requested his release from the Rams and the team granted it, Garafolo adds (on Twitter). 
Foles, 27, drew trade interest around draft time, but ultimately wasn’t moved. Albert Breer of The MMQB recently reported that Los Angeles was holding onto Foles for the time being in the hopes that he could accrue more value as training camp drew near. Apparently, that never happened for L.A.
Because the Rams already paid out Foles’ guaranteed $6MM roster bonus, an acquiring club only would have been on the hook for Foles’ $1.75MM base salary — a palatable figure for a backup quarterback. If any clubs did show serious interest in Foles, then they were unwilling to give up assets in addition to paying that modest salary. As an unencumbered free agent, Foles can be expected to field calls from multiple teams with question marks on the QB depth chart.
Acquired by the Rams in the trade that sent Sam Bradford to the Eagles, the two quarterbacks have wound up in strikingly similar situations. Last offseason, Foles inked a two-year, $24.5MM extension that included nearly $13.8MM in guarantees. Foles opened the season as the starter under center in 2015 but was benched in favor of Case Keenum after throwing seven touchdowns against six interceptions.
Late last month, PFR’s Dallas Robinson ran down seven teams that could have interest in Foles. The Cowboys – who ran through several QBs in 2015 – were among the clubs cited as potential suitors. One also has to imagine that the Jets could express interest given their murky quarterback situation.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Rams Notes: Fisher, Snead, Mason
- A early June report indicated that the Rams were working on extensions for both general manager Les Snead and head coach Jeff Fisher, but Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link) suggest that little progress has been made on either front, noting that there is no “present timeline or parameters” on negotiations with either Snead nor Fisher. Both men are entering the final year of their respective contracts, and despite the club’s lack of success under the pair’s management, teams generally don’t like their GMs or head coaches to enter lame-duck seasons, so one-year extensions (at the least) wouldn’t be surprising. Fisher, for his part, is already thought to be among the highest-paid coaches in the league, as he’s reportedly earning around $7MM annually.
- Fisher told reporters that last month that the Rams had to prepare as if running back Tre Mason would not be with the club after Mason was arrested in March for resisting arrest, possession of cannabis, and reckless driving, but according to Bonsignore (Twitter link), a decision has not yet been made as to whether Mason will be involved in training camp. It’s still unclear if Mason’s potential absence is related to a looming league-imposed suspension or because Los Angeles is considering waiving him. Regardless, Mason already saw his role with the club dwindle in 2015, as the presence of Todd Gurley meant that Mason’s carries dropped from 179 in 2014 to just 75 last year.
- Earlier today, we learned that the Rams are planning on bringing quarterback Nick Foles to camp, but are still holding out hope that another club will express interest in trading for the signal-caller.
Rams Will Bring Foles To TC, Still Hope To Trade Him
Nick Foles, currently listed as the Rams‘ No. 3 quarterback on the team’s depth chart (per Roster Resource), is a prime trade candidate, and as Vincent Bonsignore of The Los Angeles Daily News tweets, nothing has changed in that regard. Bonsignore notes that, barring a last-second trade, the plan is to bring Foles to training camp and to wait for another club to have a need open up at quarterback as a result of injury or underperformance. At that time, Los Angeles hopes to deal Foles to such a quarterback-needy team. And, because the Rams already paid out Foles’ guaranteed $6MM roster bonus, an acquiring club would only be on the hook for Foles’ $1.75MM base salary, which is certainly a palatable figure for a backup quarterback. Also, since the $6MM roster bonus is already a sunk cost, the Rams could simply cut Foles if they cannot find a trade partner during camp.