Rams Make Roster Cuts
The Rams are one-upping everyone else, making a slew of roster cuts to get down to *52* players, as Adam Schefter passes along on Twitter. Presumably they’re planning on making another move imminently and not starting the year with one less player than everyone else.
Los Angeles had already made a bunch of cuts, so it’s a smaller group getting the axe now:
- DT Marquise Copeland
- DB Donte Deayon
- DT Michael Hoecht
- LB Clay Johnston
- LB Natrez Patrick
- QB Bryce Perkins
- LB Christian Rozeboom
- DE Jonah Williams
- LB Justin Lawler (waived/injured)
- LB Travin Howard (added to injured reserve)
- DT A’Shawn Robinson (added to NFI list)
Deayon and Johnston have both been featured prominently on HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ during camp, so there will surely be some fans bummed about those cuts. Both are good bets to be back on the practice squad since Johnston was a draft pick and Deayon was on the active roster at times last year.
Perkins had plenty of electrifying moments as Virginia’s quarterback, but the UDFA apparently wasn’t ready to make it as an NFL passer. Howard and Robinson aren’t getting cut but are rather being put on IR and the non-football injury list respectively. Howard, who was supposed to play a big role on defense, will be out for the season while Robinson will have to miss at least the first six games.
NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 1/12/20
The Vikings added a group of players on reserve/futures contracts today, and we also missed some of the Rams’ from earlier in the week. For a primer/refresher on what exactly these deals entail, click here.
Los Angeles Rams
- DB Adonis Alexander
- DL Marquise Copeland
- WR Greg Dortch
- OLB Jeff Holland
- OG Jeremiah Kolone
- OLB Jachai Polite
- C Nate Trewyn
- TE Ethan Wolf
- QB John Wolford
Minnesota Vikings
- RB Tony Brooks-James
- QB Jake Browning
- WR Davion Davis
- TE Brandon Dillon
- CB Mark Fields
- DB Kemon Hall
Polite is the most well-known of the bunch. A highly regarded talent, he fell to the Jets with the 68th pick this past draft because of off-field concerns. He was shockingly cut by New York despite being an early third-round pick, and eventually ended up on the Rams’ practice squad.
Sunday NFL Transactions: NFC West
Listed below are the Sunday roster moves for the four NFC West teams. Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline yesterday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters, claiming players off waivers or signing guys who clear waivers. Those transactions for the Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks and 49ers are noted below.
Additionally, teams can begin constructing their 10-man practice squads today. You can check out our glossary entry on practice squads to brush up on those changes, as well as all the other guidelines that govern the 10-man units, whose players practice with the team but aren’t eligible to suit up on Sundays.
Here are Sunday’s NFC West transactions, which will continue to be updated throughout the day.
Arizona Cardinals
- Claimed:
- Signed:
- DE Cassius Marsh (story)
- Waived:
- RB T.J. Logan
- LB Pete Robertson
- LB Tanner Vallejo
- Signed to practice squad:
- QB Drew Anderson
- LB Dante Booker
- CB Nate Brooks
- TE Darrell Daniels
- LB Vontarrius Dora
- WR A.J. Richardson
- TE Caleb Wilson
Los Angeles Rams
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Dakota Allen
- TE Kendall Blanton
- TE Chandler Brewer
- DT Marquise Copeland
- DB Donte Deayon
- DE Landis Durham
- RB John Kelly
- OL Jeremiah Kolone
- S Jake Gervase
- QB John Wolford
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed:
- DB Antone Exum
- Placed on IR:
- Signed to practice squad:
- LB Demetrius Flannigan-Fowles
- DT Kevin Givens
- S Marcell Harris
- TE Daniel Helm
- WR Malik Henry
- LB Elijah Lee
- G Ross Reynolds
- DE Jeremiah Valoaga
- RB Jeff Wilson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed to practice squad:
- WR Jazz Ferguson
- WR Terry Wright
- TE Jacob Hollister
- CB Simeon Thomas
- G Jordan Roos
- T Elijah Nkansah
Rams Reach Roster Max
The Rams reached the roster max of 53 with the following moves on Saturday:
Waived:
Dakota Allen, LB
Chandler Brewer, OT
Marquise Copeland, DT
Justin Davis, RB
Donte Deayon, DB
Landis Durham, DE
John Franklin, DE
Khadarel Hodge, WR
John Kelly, RB
Jeremiah Kolone, G
Steven Parker, DB
Kevin Paterson, DB
John Wolford, QB
Waived/Injured:
Alex Bachman, WR
Josh Carraway,LB
Dominique Hatfield, DB
Trevon Young, LB
Placed on IR:
Micah Kiser, LB
Rams Sign 19 Undrafted Free Agents
Two days after the draft’s conclusion, the Rams finalized their undrafted free agent list. Here are the 14 rookies that will comprise the defending NFC champions’ priority free agent contingent:
- Alex Bachman, WR (Wake Forest)
- Kendall Blanton, TE (Missouri)
- Chandler Brewer, G (Middle Tennessee)
- Romello Brooker, TE (Houston)
- Keenan Brown, TE (Texas State)
- Matthew Colburn, RB (Wake Forest)
- Marquise Copeland, DT (Cincinnati)
- Landis Durham, LB (Texas A&M)
- Brandon Hitner, G (Villanova)
- Vitas Hrynkiewicz, C (Youngstown State)
- Matt Kaskey, OL (Dartmouth)
- Johnathan Lloyd, WR (Duke)
- Natrez Patrick, LB (Georgia)
- Justice Powers, OL (UAB)
- Troy Reeder, LB (Delaware)
- Owen Roberts, DT (San Jose State)
- Justin Sumpter, WR (Kennesaw State)
- Tyrell Thompson, DT (Tarleton State)
- Nsimba Webster, WR (Eastern Washington)
The Rams did not use a draft choice on a tight end and have the same group they featured last season, one fronted by Tyler Higbee and 2018 second-rounder Gerald Everett. Third-year UDFA Johnny Mundt is also on Los Angeles’ roster at tight end. Neither Blanton nor Brooker exceeded 500 yards in their respective careers. Brown transferred to Texas State from Oklahoma State, and after being a bit part of the Cowboys’ passing attack, his 2018 numbers at the Sun Belt program — 51 receptions, 577 yards, five touchdown catches — were among the best of Division I-FBS tight ends last season.
Lloyd served as one of Daniel Jones’ top Blue Devils targets, going for 604 yards and five touchdown receptions last season. Sumpter led the Division I-FCS team in receiving in each of his final two seasons, posting 610 as a junior in 2017.