Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › special teams
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zn.
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March 12, 2026 at 5:53 pm #162806
znModeratorAaron Wilson@AaronWilson_NFL
Former #Lions special teams ace and linebacker Grant Stuard is signing w/ #Rams on a two year deal worth up to $5.05 million, per league source. Stuard @UHCougarFB has made impact with #Buccaneers #Colts and Detroit, now takes his high-intensity game to LAMarch 12, 2026 at 6:20 pm #162809znModeratorAaron Wilson@AaronWilson_NFL
Former #Lions special teams ace and linebacker Grant Stuard is signing w/ #Rams oArye Pulli@AryePulliNFL
Stuard had a career-high 83.0 PFF special teams grade in 2025.Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
I covered this guy on the Colts. Great special teams coverage player and a super fun energy to add to the linebacker room.March 12, 2026 at 6:53 pm #162811
wvParticipantDamn. I was wondering what they were gonna do as far as special teams.
And they havent even added the draft picks yet.
w
vMarch 12, 2026 at 9:07 pm #162820znModeratorDamn. I was wondering what they were gonna do as far as special teams.
And they havent even added the draft picks yet.
w
vThere’s also the new long snapper. I’ll re-post that stuff here:
zn wrote:
Rams Tapes@RamsTapes
Former Patriots (LS) Joe Cardona has signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Rams.Cardona
wiki
“…On May 2, 2015, the New England Patriots selected Cardona in the fifth round (166th overall) of the 2015 NFL draft,[7] making him the fourth pure long snapper to be drafted in NFL history (and the second drafted by the Patriots, after Jake Ingram).[8]
…He was a contributor to the Patriots as they defeated the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 34–28 in overtime.[14][15] Cardona had an active role in the game on seven special teams plays.
..On March 21, 2023, Cardona re-signed with the Patriots on another four-year contract extension worth $6.3 million, making him the highest-paid long snapper.[21]
September 2, 2024, Cardona was announced, for the first time in his career, as a team captain for the Patriots
March 12, 2026 at 9:32 pm #162821znModeratorfrom https://ramblinfan.com/joe-cardonas-contract-details-make-the-rams-big-gamble-look-like-safe-bet
Joe Cordoina is a veteran of 11 seasons. He is a dependable long snapper who can autonomously call blocking assignments on the line of scrimmage. He is even a solid tackler, generating 10 tackles in the last three seasons on coverage units. The entire combination of Alex Ward and Jake McQuaide could only must two tackles over that same period.
March 12, 2026 at 9:37 pm #162822znModeratorArye Pulli@AryePulliNFL
Stuard had a career-high 83.0 PFF special teams grade in 2025.Nate Atkins@NateAtkins_
I covered this guy on the Colts. Great special teams coverage player and a super fun energy to add to the linebacker room.from https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/onsi/news/impact-of-linebacker-grant-stuard-departing-detroit-lions
The Detroit Lions have lost a significant special teams contributor in free agency.
According to multiple reports, linebacker Grant Stuard is signing a two-year free agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams that is worth up to $5.05 million.
Signed last offseason after a stint with the Indianapolis Colts, Stuard led the team in special snaps (375) and appeared in all 17 games. He recorded 19 tackles.
…
Stuard was popular in the Lions locker room, largely due to his energy and relentless effort at practice. He expressed he would often pick the brains of his teammates to pick up anything he could to add to his game, whether at linebacker or on special teams.
“From Day 1, I just put my head down and tried to learn from guys like Kalif (Raymond), David (Montgomery), and just continued to take reps and continued to get better. Working in different weather like today (rain), it was different,” said Stuard, via MLive. “Taking the gloves off, just realizing different little things and understanding how to set up the blocks. I’m a guy who kind of just wants to run through folks…. Just the reps. The reps and the reps and the reps are just something that I have been grateful for.”
March 12, 2026 at 11:07 pm #162823znModeratorStuard led the team in special snaps (375) and appeared in all 17 games. He recorded 19 tackles.
That ranks 10th.
Shaun Dolac led the Rams with 18 special teams tackles.
March 12, 2026 at 11:09 pm #162824
InvaderRamModeratorif rams could just find a return specialist…
March 13, 2026 at 12:28 am #162831znModeratorRams are investing in special teams for first time in a long while https://t.co/mpOjD0raml
— TurfShowTimes (@TurfShowTimes) March 13, 2026
March 16, 2026 at 9:43 am #162882znModeratorThe Rams aren't playing around on special teams. Contract details show they made Joe Cardona the highest-paid long snapper in the NFL, giving him a fully guaranteed two-year deal. https://t.co/hzzt3xmdlK
— Cameron DaSilva (@camdasilva) March 16, 2026
March 16, 2026 at 10:46 am #162886wvParticipantI get the signing of Grant Stuard the coverage-maniac but i didnt think Long Snapping was an issue. I didnt think the blocked kicks had anything to do with the long snapper last year.
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vMarch 16, 2026 at 11:05 am #162887znModeratorI get the signing of Grant Stuard the coverage-maniac but i didnt think Long Snapping was an issue. I didnt think the blocked kicks had anything to do with the long snapper last year.
w
It was an issue. That’s why they replaced Alex Ward during the season with former snapper Jake McQuaide, who had been retired for 5 years.
Ward mishiked a few balls. That came up during the season. Also the LS is like the center of the OL–he calls adjustments and sets the tone. Ward was obviously not good at that, and McQuaide was retired so they can’t count on him in the future.
At New England, Cardonna was a team captain as a long snapper, which tells you about his “like the center on the OL the LS is the boss of the kicking units” role.
March 16, 2026 at 2:53 pm #162888wvParticipantIt was an issue. That’s why they replaced Alex Ward during the season with former snapper Jake McQuaide, who had been retired for 5 years.
Ward mishiked a few balls. That came up during the season. Also the LS is like the center of the OL–he calls adjustments and sets the tone. Ward was obviously not good at that, and McQuaide was retired so they can’t count on him in the future.
At New England, Cardonna was a team captain as a long snapper, which tells you about his “like the center on the OL the LS is the boss of the kicking units” role.
Ahh. Well, i knew Ward was an issue, but i didnt realize McQuaide had been retired for FIVE years. Wow. I knew he was old, but, man. That should have been a bigger story.
But i suppose Long Snapper stories will continue to be marginalized by the Mega-Theo-Military-Industrial-Patriarchal-Ecocidal-Corporotacracy.
w
vMarch 16, 2026 at 4:06 pm #162889
ZooeyModeratorIt was an issue. That’s why they replaced Alex Ward during the season with former snapper Jake McQuaide, who had been retired for 5 years.
Ward mishiked a few balls. That came up during the season. Also the LS is like the center of the OL–he calls adjustments and sets the tone. Ward was obviously not good at that, and McQuaide was retired so they can’t count on him in the future.
At New England, Cardonna was a team captain as a long snapper, which tells you about his “like the center on the OL the LS is the boss of the kicking units” role.
Ahh. Well, i knew Ward was an issue, but i didnt realize McQuaide had been retired for FIVE years. Wow. I knew he was old, but, man. That should have been a bigger story.
But i suppose Long Snapper stories will continue to be marginalized by the Mega-Theo-Military-Industrial-Patriarchal-Ecocidal-Corporotacracy.
w
vI didn’t know he retired. I thought he was on some other team.
March 16, 2026 at 4:37 pm #162890znModeratorThat’s why they replaced Alex Ward during the season with former snapper Jake McQuaide, who had been retired for 5 years.
but i didnt realize McQuaide had been retired for FIVE years.
I didn’t know he retired. I thought he was on some other team.
Guys I was wrong about McQuaide being retired. Mea culpa. I link his wiki page below.
But they did replace Ward in part because yes he was contributing to some of the special teams misses and miscues. He wasn’t the only problem but he was a problem.
link to McQuaid’s wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jake_McQuaide#:~:text=Louis%20Rams%20as%20an%20undrafted,to%20the%20Rams%20in%202025.
March 16, 2026 at 5:07 pm #162891wvParticipantThats a lot of teams.
McQuaide
St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams (2011–2020)
Dallas Cowboys (2021–2022)
Detroit Lions (2023)
Chicago Bears (2024)*
Minnesota Vikings (2024)
Miami Dolphins (2024)
Pittsburgh Steelers (2025)*
Los Angeles Rams (2025–present)A.I. has no record of ‘most teams by a special teams player’ so I dunno where McQ is on the list.
Fwiw, Josh Johnson, QB, played for 14 teams in his 19 year career.
w
vMarch 16, 2026 at 5:12 pm #162892wvParticipantSince the Rams dont have huge holes to fill, I assume we’ll see a couple of special teams demons drafted in the lower or even mid-rounds.
Maybe another CB. Another pass-rusher. A WR, of course. An Olineman.
w
vMarch 16, 2026 at 10:29 pm #162899znModeratorWard mis-hiked a few balls. That came up during the season.
It was a big mess all around. From an article written during the season:
The field goal unit has struggled all year, whether it’s been the protection up front, the snaps or the kickers’ accuracy.
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