Rams Cut Derion Kendrick, Move To 53
Here is how the Rams trimmed their roster to 53 by today’s deadline:
Released:
- CB A.J. Green
Waived/injured:
- CB Shaun Jolly ·
- OL Willie Lampkin
Waived:
- OL A.J. Arcuri
- OL Wyatt Bowles
- WR Tru Edwards
- DT Jack Heflin
- S Tanner Ingle
- CB Derion Kendrick
- CB Cam Lampkin
- OL Dylan McMahon
- OLB Jamil Muhammad
- ILB Elias Neal
- DL Bill Norton
- ILB Chris Paul Jr.
- WR Brennan Presley
- RB Ronnie Rivers
- RB Cody Schrader
- S Nate Valcarcel
- CB Charles Woods
- WR Britain Covey
- OLB Brennan Jackson
- TE Mark Redman
- WR Drake Stoops
- WR Jordan Waters
Previously a Kyren Williams backup, Rivers had been on the Rams’ 53-man roster throughout last season, playing in all 17 games for the team. But the team drafted Jarquez Hunter in the fourth round this year. Hunter joins Williams and 2024 third-round pick Blake Corum in a three-man backfield currently.
Kendrick started 18 games between 2022 and ’23, re-signing with the Rams in June. In between, however, the young cornerback suffered an ACL tear that sidetracked his career. Kendrick went down in July 2024. The Rams already waived Kendrick and then re-signed him, making it possible they will opt to continue this relationship via a practice squad offer. Sixteen players comprise modern NFL P-squads, but Kendrick being cut is certainly step back for a player who saw a 76% defensive snap rate during his most recent healthy season.
Minor NFL Transactions: 3/11/25
Here are today’s minor moves from around the NFL:
Buffalo Bills
- Re-signed: FB Reggie Gilliam
- Signed: RB Darrynton Evans
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: LS Scott Daly
Dallas Cowboys
- Re-signed: P Bryan Anger
Detroit Lions
- Re-signed: DT Myles Adams
Houston Texans
- Re-signed: S M.J. Stewart
- Signed: LB Nick Niemann
Indianapolis Colts
- Re-signed: C Wesley French
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: TE Robert Tonyan, LB Cole Christiansen
Los Angeles Rams
- Suspended: WR Drake Stoops
Miami Dolphins
- Re-signed: LB Quinton Bell
New Orleans Saints
- Re-signed: WR/KR Dante Pettis
Tennessee Titans
- Re-signed: S Mike Brown
Washington Commanders
- Re-signed: RB Jeremy McNichols
Anger is a 13-year veteran who has spent the last four years in Dallas, which included Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 2021 and 2023. He will stay with the Cowboys on a two-year deal, per ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Tonyan had a few strong seasons in Green Bay earlier in his career, but he has struggled to produce over the last two years. He spent 2024 in Minnesota, but only played 15 snaps on offense with zero targets. He will add tight end depth in Kansas City.
Stoops received a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy, per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. He will be eligible to participate in training camp and preseason games, but will be sidelined for the first two games of the regular season.
McNichols is staying in Washington on a one-year deal, according to Pelissero. The seven-year veteran appeared in 17 games for the Commanders in 2024 and rushed for 261 yards and four touchdowns on 55 attempts. McNichols will likely continue as Washington’s RB3 behind Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/20/25
Here are the latest reserve/futures deals from around the league:
Detroit Lions
- LB Abraham Beauplan
- C Kingsley Eguakun
- QB Jake Fromm
- LB Daron Gilbert
- S Erick Hallett
- OT Jamarco Jones
- WR Tom Kennedy
- DT Chris Smith
- S Loren Strickland
- CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
- DE Isaac Ukwu
Houston Texans
- RB J.J. Taylor
Los Angeles Rams
- OL AJ Arcuri
- WR Quintez Cephus
- ILB Tony Fields II
- CB A.J. Green
- DT Jack Heflin
- S Tanner Ingle
- CB Shaun Jolly
- CB Cam Lampkin
- ILB Elias Neal
- DT David Olajiga
- WR Drake Stoops
- OLB Keir Thomas
- CB Charles Woods
Pittsburgh Steelers
Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC West
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These 49ers, Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks moves are noted below.
Arizona Cardinals
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Andre Baccellia, LB Markus Bailey, LB Krys Barnes, OL Jackson Barton, RB Michael Carter, WR Dan Chisena, CB Jaden Davis, OL Marquis Hayes, OL Keith Ismael, LB Julian Okwara, WR Tejhaun Palmer, QB Desmond Ridder, TE Bernhard Seikovits, DL Ben Stille, CB Divaad Wilson
Los Angeles Rams
Signed:
- DT Neville Gallimore (story)
Claimed:
Waived:
- DT Cory Durden
Placed on IR:
Signed to practice squad:
- OL A.J. Arcuri, OL Justin Dedich, B Zach Evans, TE Miller Forristall, DB Tanner Ingle, DB Shaun Jolly, TE Nikola Kalinic, DB Cam Lampkin, DT Tuli Letuligasenoa, OL Mike McAllister, DT David Olajiga, WR Xavier Smith, WR Drake Stoops, DB Jason Taylor II, OLB Keir Thomas, LB Zach VanValkenburg, WR Sam Wiglusz
San Francisco 49ers
Signed:
- OL Ben Bartch, WR Terrace Marshall Jr., TE Eric Saubert, CB Rock Ya-Sin
Claimed:
Waived:
Placed on IR:
- OL Jon Feliciano, CB Ambry Thomas
Signed to practice squad:
- DE Jonathan Garvin, DB Chase Lucas, S Tracy Walker
Seattle Seahawks
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- CB Artie Burns
Rams Pare Roster To Initial 53
Here is how the Rams’ initial 53-man roster looks ahead of Sean McVay‘s eighth season:
Waived:
- OL A.J. Arcuri
- OL Justin Dedich
- RB Zach Evans
- TE Miller Forristall
- DB Tanner Ingle
- DB Shaun Jolly
- TE Nikola Kalinic
- DB Cam Lampkin
- DL Tuli Letuligasenoa
- OL Mike McAllister
- DL David Olajiga
- WR Xavier Smith
- WR Drake Stoops
- DB Jason Taylor II
- OLB Keir Thomas
- OL Zachary Thomas
- OLB Zachary VanValkenburg
- WR Sam Wiglusz
Waived/injured:
Placed on IR:
Placed on IR/return designation:
- OL K.T. Leveston
- DL Larrell Murchison
Despite Los Angeles trading Ernest Jones to the Titans, McVay said the team is not looking around at inside linebacker. The Rams kept kept five off-ball LBs — Christian Rozeboom, Troy Reeder, Jacob Hummel, Omar Speights and Elias Neal — and McVay labeled Rozeboom and Reeder as the team’s expected starters. Rozeboom, a former UDFA out of South Dakota State, has made five starts in his three-season career. Reeder, whom the Rams brought back last year after he spent 2022 with the Chargers, has made 31 career starts. Ten of those came during the team’s Super Bowl LVI-winning season. The veteran played only 192 defensive snaps last season. Both Neal and Speights were part of the team’s UDFA contingent this year.
The Rams’ other major piece of injury news emerged earlier today; Tyler Higbee will make the expected trip to the reserve/PUP list. That will knock out the team’s longtime tight end starter for at least four games. Leveston and Murchison are also sidelined for that span, but the Rams’ IR-return moves will lead to two of their eight injury activations being used before Week 1. The NFL greenlit up to two such moves this year, but the Rams have run out of injury activations in the not-so-distant past, exhausting theirs during an injury-flooded 2022 season.
The nephew of Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson, Tre’Vius played 318 special teams snaps as a rookie last year. This development follows Derion Kendrick‘s July ACL tear. The Rams placed Kendrick on IR weeks ago.
Rams Sign 16 UDFAs
The Rams had a number of late-round picks last weekend, with the organization adding six rookies on the final day of the draft. The team has added even more young depth to the roster, as the organization announced the signing of 16 undrafted free agents:
- Justin Dedich, OL (USC)
- Anthony Goodlow, DE (Oklahoma State)
- Neal Johnson, TE (Louisiana)
- JJ Laap, WR (Cortland)
- Cam Lampkin, DB (Washington State)
- Blake Larson, OL (Augustana)
- Tuli Letuligasenoa, DL (Washington)
- Kenny Logan Jr., DB (Kansas)
- Jaylen McCollough, DB (Tennessee)
- Elias Neal, LB (Marshall)
- David Olajiga, DL (Central Missouri)
- Omar Speights, LB (LSU)
- Drake Stoops, WR (Oklahoma)
- Josh Wallace, DB (Michigan)
- Sam Wiglusz, WR (Ohio)
- Charles Woods, DB (SMU)
After adding one wide receiver in the draft (Jordan Whittington in the sixth), the Rams have added three more rookies at the position. JJ Laap had a standout career at DIII Cortland, finishing with more than 3,000 receiving yards and 32 touchdowns. Drake Stoops didn’t truly break out until this past season at Oklahoma, when he basically doubled his career stats by finishing with 84 catches for 962 yards and 10 touchdowns. Sam Wiglusz put himself on the NFL radar after transferring from Ohio State to Ohio in 2022. In two seasons with the Bobcats, Wiglusz hauled in 129 catches for 1,537 yards and 14 touchdowns.
After drafting one defensive back in the draft (Kamren Kinchens in the third round), the team added five more rookies to the secondary via free agency. Jaylen McCollough had a strong five-year career at Tennessee, including a 2023 campaign where he 58 tackles and three interceptions. Kenny Logan Jr. also spent his entire college career at one school, collecting 383 tackles and six interceptions in 59 games at Kansas.