counting down to 53

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August 31, 2018 at 9:35 am #90149

zn
Moderator

Rams observations: Who helped or hurt their cases to make the 53-man roster?

Vincent Bonsignore

https://theathletic.com/498505/2018/08/31/observations-from-new-orleans-who-helped-or-hurt-their-cases-to-make-rams-roster/

NEW ORLEANS — And now, it’s decision time.
The Rams wrapped up their preseason on Thursday with a 28-0 loss to the New Orleans Saints. They played as poorly as the final score indicates, and that doesn’t bode well for anyone sitting on the bubble since the Rams have to cut their roster from 90 to 53 by 1 p.m. on Saturday.
The good news is the Rams’ first-team offense and defense are as good as any in the NFL, and their two-deep is solid in most cases. That said, on a night some players had a chance to nudge their way up the depth chart or position themselves better on the team’s radar, it was a mixed bag.
And while the Rams have very few — if any — major questions, don’t be surprised if they look outside their building to make tweaks or improvements as teams begin setting their rosters and players start hitting the open market.
Here is a look at who helped or hurt themselves on Thursday.

Micah Kiser looked good
The Rams drafted Kiser in the fifth round last April hoping the former Virginia standout would compete for playing time at inside linebacker, if not a starting job, after trading Alec Ogletree to the New York Giants.
Barring any injuries, Kiser likely won’t earn a starting role this year as Cory Littleton and Mark Barron are set as the starters and Bryce Hager and Ramik Wilson are slated as the backups. But Kiser has enjoyed a strong training camp and preseason and likely solidified his spot on the 53-man roster as a result.
Kiser’s nose for the ball and fundamentally sound tackling were again on display as he finished with nine tackles. He won’t blow anyone away with his athletic ability, but Kiser always seems to be in the right place and has shown the ability to shed blockers and make tackles.
“Regardless of how this shakes out, I played hard and put some good stuff out there,” Kiser said. “I’m proud of what I did.”
The question now is whether he did enough to win a job.
“Obviously you want to be on the team,” Kiser said. “But I played as hard as I can. I don’t have any regrets. I’m going to sleep well tonight. This is a loaded team. Like, 40 guys didn’t even dress tonight because this is a really, really good team. I want to be a part of this. I want to be an L.A. Ram.”

Brandon Allen doesn’t take advantage

The struggles of quarterback Sean Mannion during camp and preseason seemed to create an opportunity for Allen to close ground on Mannion as the backup to Jared Goff. But the Rams pretty much put the kibosh on that possibility by having Mannion sit out Thursday’s game — a clear sign he has kept his job and held off Allen.
Still, with the first-half stage all to himself against the Saints, Allen had a chance to thrust himself back into the conversation. Needing a big performance, he instead delivered a clunker, completing 7 of 13 passes for 57 yards and throwing a costly red-zone interception that kept points off the board.
It also didn’t help that Allen struggled on a night in which Saints quarterback Taysom Hill had a big game. Both are essentially in the same position on their team’s depth chart and faced the same exact circumstances playing with and against backup players. Yet Hill looked competent and efficient, while Allen was anything but.
There is no guarantee the Rams keep three quarterbacks, at least initially as they set their 53-man roster and possibly use that third quarterback spot to create flexibility elsewhere. Even if they do keep three QBs, Allen certainly hasn’t played well enough to definitively claim that last position.
It would not be a surprise if the Rams monitor the league-wide quarterback situation after teams make their final cuts this weekend. They could find an upgrade to Allen, maybe even someone to push Mannion.

Darrell Williams could be in danger

It has been clear for a while now that veteran swing tackle Darrell Williams might be losing his grip on a roster spot. Rookie Joseph Noteboom has decisively moved ahead of him on the depth chart, as evidenced by Noteboom getting the night off Thursday while Williams, a three-year veteran, played the entire first half.
Williams did not distinguish himself in New Orleans, as the Rams struggled to run the ball and protect the quarterback. Noteboom is clearly the Rams’ primary backup tackle, and at this point, Williams is not assured of making the final roster.

What happened to Temarrick Hemingway?

It wasn’t long ago that head coach Sean McVay talked about the third-year tight end as a potential weapon in the Rams’ high-octane offense. Hemingway has ideal size (6-foot-5, 245 pounds) and athletic ability for the position, so he certainly looks the part. But he simply hasn’t shown up as the Rams had hoped in training camp or preseason.
Hemingway, who missed all of last year with a broken foot, has had trouble in camp and in games holding onto the ball. And he plays with a lack of urgency that makes you wonder if he has more than one gear.
Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee are set at the top of the depth chart, and it doesn’t appear Hemingway has put any distance between himself and Johnny Mundt or Henry Krieger-Coble for the third spot. In fact, both Mundt and Krieger-Coble have played better as receivers and blockers in camp.
That is disappointing for the Rams, who, going into training camp, had legitimate hopes for Hemingway.

August 31, 2018 at 11:49 am #90155

zn
Moderator

Here comes the annual flood of roster moves, with every team moving from 90 to 53 by Saturday afternoon https://t.co/Hjz6ViOqxZ

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 31, 2018

August 31, 2018 at 5:15 pm #90181

zn
Moderator

Rams Make Initial Roster Cuts

Waived, No Recall

Brown, Fred (WR – Mississippi State)

Ficken, Sam (K – Penn State)

Holley, Nate (DB – Kent State)

Holley, Nick (RB – Kent State)

McElroy, Codey (WR – Southeastern Oklahoma)

Natson, JoJo (WR – Akron)

Williams, Darrell (T – South Florida)

Terminated, Vested Veteran, all contracts

Lucas, Cornelius (T – Kansas State)

Waived, Injured

Laguda, Afolabi (DB – Colorado)

Thompson, Kendal (WR – Utah)

Reserve List Additions

Reserve/Injured;

Davis, Ryan (DE – Bethune-Cookman)

Fox, Morgan (DE – Colorado State-Pueblo)

August 31, 2018 at 6:16 pm #90183

Zooey
Moderator

I guess they can keep Fox and Davis without them counting, so makes sense.

There are zero surprises so far.

August 31, 2018 at 6:18 pm #90184

zn
Moderator

Zooey wrote:

I guess they can keep Fox and Davis without them counting, so makes sense.

There are zero surprises so far.

Guys on IR count.

Which gets us back to the extra money from re-structuring.

It looks like most of that was for IR and then the practice squad.

August 31, 2018 at 8:09 pm #90195

JackPMiller
Participant

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2018/08/31/nfl-roster-cuts-tracker-released-players-teams/1155775002/

Los Angeles Rams: WR Fred Brown, DT Omarius Bryant, DT Chunky Clements, C Jake Eldrenkamp, K Sam Ficken, DB Nate Holley, DT Lord Hyeamang, G Jeremiah Kolone, DB Afolabo Laguda, OT Cornelius Lucas, DE Marcus Martin, WR Codey McElroy, DB Curtis Mikell, DT McKay Murphy, WR JoJo Natson, C Aaron Neary, DB Taurean Nixon, LB Tegray Scales, WR Kendal Thompson, OT Darrell Williams, DE Brian Womac

August 31, 2018 at 8:31 pm #90197

Agamemnon
Participant

You need money for guys on IR, typically ~$5M more or less, ~$1M cause what counts are 53 players now not 51, ~$1M for the practice squad. According to Spotrac the Rams have $7,421,122 left on the Cap. They could add a low cost player if they wanted, but they are on target. Any extra money left at the end of the year, they can rollover to next year. They had $4M from last year that they added to this year.

Agamemnon

August 31, 2018 at 9:54 pm #90203

Agamemnon
Participant

https://www.therams.com/news/rams-continue-friday-cuts

Friday, Aug 31, 2018 02:30 PM

Rams Continue Friday Cuts

Clarence Dennis
Staff Writer

The Rams continued making roster moves Friday afternoon, submitting 12 more names to the league office ahead of Saturday’s 1 p.m. deadline.

The latest round of cuts includes:

Waived, No Recall

Bryant, Omarius (DT – Western Kentucky)

Clements, Chunky (DT – Illinois)

Eldrenkamp, Jake (C – Washington)

Hyeamang, Lord (DT – Columbia)

Kolone, Jeremiah (G – San Jose State)

Martin, Marcus (DE – Slippery Rock)

Mikell, Curtis (DB – Southern Mississippi)

Murphy, McKay (DT – Weber State)

Neary, Aaron (C – Eastern Washington)

Nixon, Taurean (DB – Tulane)

Scales, Tegray (LB – Indiana)

Womac, Brian (DE – Rice)

The team has now trimmed its roster by 24 names, moving closer and closer to the 53-man lineup that will head to Oakland for Monday Night Football in Week 1.

13 more to go, by tomorrow at 4PM est.

Agamemnon

August 31, 2018 at 9:58 pm #90207

Zooey
Moderator

Eldrenkamp and Scales. Okay.

Those two guys will get picked up, I’m guessing.

August 31, 2018 at 10:05 pm #90210

Agamemnon
Participant

I think this is right, so far. I would say Scales, especially.

Agamemnon

September 1, 2018 at 2:00 am #90220

zn
Moderator

You have Sebastian Joseph as the next-up NT behind Suh,so, here’s his scouting report.

***

Scouting Report: Sebastian Joseph, DT, Rutgers

Strong, big man who generates a powerful push and gets offensive linemen moving backwards. Possesses the ability to disrupt the backfield and has shown improved burst as a senior with even more room for improvement. Has a good understanding of how to play his blocks and when to come off them, which makes him an effective run stuffing nose guard. Does a nice job of holding his ground but he allows opposing lineman to get all up in his chest too easily, which results in him losing the leverage battle in the trenches when that happens. His hand placement needs to be better, as he gets too wide at the point of attack—needs to get those mits inside upon initial engagement. Consistency and fundamentals have been two areas of focus that the coaching staff has harnessed on improving. He struggled with nagging injuries in 2016 but did not miss any time. Has a blocked kick on special teams in each of the past two seasons. Described as hard-working and passionate by coaches and teammates. High character, great attitude very coachable. Championship Club member for his relentless work ethic during the eight-week strength and conditioning offseason program. He’s a bully in the trenches but projects as a two-down player at the next level.

September 1, 2018 at 4:04 am #90232

Agamemnon
Participant

With today's cuts the #Rams only have Whitworth, Havenstein and Noteboom at tackle. Jamil Demby played LT last night and was relatively solid there. Still can't see a scenario where the Rams do not go out and sign or claim an OT.

— Downtown Rams (@DowntownRams) September 1, 2018

Agamemnon

September 1, 2018 at 4:18 am #90235

Agamemnon
Participant

The Rams have Brown on a suspension for 2 games. I read the Rams got a 2 game exemption for Donald. This ends when they activate him to play, probably game 1 against the Raiders. So, they only need to cut 11 more players Saturday.

Agamemnon

September 1, 2018 at 4:30 pm #90272

nittany ram
Moderator

Downtown Rams
5 mins ·
Final #Rams cuts

Waived, No Recall
Hatfield, Dominique (DB – Utah)
Hemingway, Temarrick (TE – South Carolina State)
Hodge, Khadarel (WR – Prairie View)
Krieger-Coble, Henry (TE – Iowa)
Mitchell, Steven (WR – Southern California)
Parker, Steven (DB – Oklahoma)
Perez, Luis (QB – Texas A&M-Commerce)
Price, Ejuan (LB – Pittsburgh)
Richards, Ramon (DB – Oklahoma State)
Rose, Larry (RB – New Mexico State)
Waiver System Transactions

Waived, Injured
Howard, Travin (LB – Texas Christian)

Reserve List Additions
Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform
Okoronkwo, Ogbonnia (LB – Oklahoma)

Other Transactions/Comments
Suspended
Brown, Jamon (G – Louisville) 2 Games

September 1, 2018 at 5:06 pm #90273
Agamemnon
Participant
https://www.therams.com/news/rams-make-final-round-of-cuts

Los Angeles will be able to carry 54 players, as the club has received a roster exemption for defensive tackle Aaron Donald that expires on Sept 17, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Sunday will mark the team’s first practice with the reduced roster, as the Rams continue preparation for Monday Night Football in Oakland on September 10.

47 Codey McElroy is not listed in the Rams cut downs on their site, but he is not on the initial 53 man roster.

Maybe they cut him when they added that RB for the last preseason game and I missed it.
- This reply was modified 6 years, 2 months ago by Agamemnon.
Agamemnon
September 1, 2018 at 5:16 pm #90274

Agamemnon
Participant

Agamemnon

September 1, 2018 at 6:51 pm #90280

zn
Moderator

Rams keep 10 of 11 draft picks, rookies will back up star-studded lineup

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/38829/rams-keep-10-of-11-draft-picks-rookies-will-back-up-star-studded-lineup

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Rams made 36 moves on Friday and Saturday, trimming their roster to 53 players and keeping Aaron Donald on a roster-exempt list. Here’s a closer look at the final moves:

Most significant move: The Rams kept only eight offensive linemen, three of them rookies. Tackles Cornelius Lucas and Darrell Williams were among players let go, leaving rookie Joseph Noteboom, a third-round pick from TCU, to backup left tackle Andrew Whitworth. Coaches touted Noteboom’s development at tackle and guard throughout the preseason. Fourth-round pick Brian Allen from Michigan State and sixth-round pick Jamil Demby from Maine also made the cut. Right guard Jamon Brown is expected to re-join the 53-man roster after he serves a two-game suspension.

NFL Teams Cut Down Rosters

Rosters rounded into shape Saturday as NFL teams trimmed down from 90 players to 53. Check out all 32 teams’ cuts
Shields makes a comeback: Cornerback Sam Shields made the cut after sitting out the 2017 season and most of 2016 because of concussions. Shields will add depth in a position group that includes All-Pros Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters. In six seasons he had 18 career interceptions and 67 pass deflections. Shields intercepted his first pass since 2015 in a Week 3 preseason game against the Houston Texans.

Hemingway let go: The Rams cut tight end Temarrick Hemingway. A sixth-round pick in 2016, Hemingway saw limited time his rookie season and was expected to breakout in 2017 before he suffered a broken fibula during the preseason. Hemingway attempted a comeback, but was plagued by dropped passes throughout training camp. Johnny Mundt, who spent most of last season on the practice squad, earned the third roster spot behind Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett.

Rams moves:

Waived (28): QB Luis Perez, TE Temarrick Hemingway, TE Henry Krieger-Coble, WR Fred Brown, WR JoJo Natson, WR KhaDarel Hodge, WR Steven Mitchell, RB Nick Holley, RB Larry Rose, C Jake Eldrenkamp, C Aaron Neary, OT Darrell Williams, OG Jeremiah Kolone, DT Omarius Bryant, DT Chunky Clements, DT Lord Hyeamang, DT McKay Murphy, DE Marcus Martin, DE Brian Womac, LB Tegray Scales, LB Ejuan Price, DB Ramon Richards, DB Dominique Hatfield, DB Steven Parker, DB Nate Holley, DB Curtis Mikell, DB Taurean Nixon, K Sam Ficken

Terminated vested veteran (1): OT Cornelius Lucas

Injured reserve (2): DE Ryan Davis, DE Matt Longacre

PUP (1): OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo

Waived/injured (3):WR Kendal Thompson, DB Afolabi Laguda, LB Travin Howard

Suspended (1): RG Jamon Brown

Roster Exempt (1): Aaron Donald

September 2, 2018 at 12:11 am #90301

zn
Moderator

ANALYSIS: Rams Initial 53-Man Roster

Myles Simmons

https://www.therams.com/news/analysis-rams-initial-53-man-roster

The Rams reduced their roster to the 53-man limit on Saturday — with a roster exemption for defensive tackle Aaron Donald allowing to club to currently carry 54 players.
Here’s a position-by-position look at Los Angeles’ first 53-man roster of the 2018 season.

QUARTERBACKS: Jared Goff, Sean Mannion, Brandon Allen
The Rams elected to keep the same quarterbacks room as they had last season. With Jared Goff the leader of the group and the offense, Sean Mannion is still Goff’s backup. After L.A. claimed Allen off waivers from Jacksonville last year, he made the initial 53-man roster as the Rams’ third quarterback.
RUNNING BACKS: Todd Gurley, Malcolm Brown, Justin Davis, John Kelly
After a strong preseason, Kelly made the initial 53-man roster. His performances in practices and games made that move expected. Though Davis did suffer a hamstring injury during camp at UC Irvine, he apparently had shown enough to remain on the active roster. Davis made the initial 53 last year as well, but was inactive for 12 games and appeared in only four.

WIDE RECEIVERS: Robert Woods, Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, Pharoh Cooper, Josh Reynolds, Mike Thomas
Aside from the addition of Brandin Cooks, the Rams’ wide receivers room remains largely the same. Thomas has been one of Los Angeles’ key special teams contributors under coordinator John Fassel since he was drafted back in 2016 and that should continue in the upcoming season. Though KhaDarel Hodge impressed during the preseason, he did not make the initial 53-man roster. However, he could be a candidate for the club’s practice squad.
TIGHT ENDS: Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Johnny Mundt
The Rams elected to carry only three tight ends on the initial roster. Everett missed much of training camp and did not play in the preseason with a shoulder injury, but he should be ready for Week 1. After spending time on both the active roster and practice squad last year, Mundt made the initial 53 in 2018. Temarrick Hemingway, who missed the 2017 season with a leg injury, was waived as part of the final roster cuts.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Andrew Whitworth, Rodger Saffold, John Sullivan, Rob Havenstein, Austin Blythe, Joe Noteboom, Brian Allen, Jamil Demby
The Rams elected to keep all three of their drafted rookie offensive linemen in Noteboom, Allen, and Demby. Los Angeles will likely begin the practice week with eight offensive linemen on the active roster, with Blythe potentially taking the first snaps of the season at right guard. Jamon Brown’s suspension for the first two games of the season means he is not currently on the active roster.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Michael Brockers, Ndamukong Suh, (Aaron Donald), Ethan Westbrooks, Tanzel Smart, John Franklin-Myers, Sebastian Joseph-Day
While Aaron Donald has returned, he technically does not yet count against the Rams’ 53-man roster limit as the club received a roster exemption for him. Franklin-Myers had a solid camp and appears as if he could play a significant rotational role this season.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER: Samson Ebukam, Matt Longacre, Dominique Easley, Trevon Young, Justin Lawler
Los Angeles elected to keep drafted players Young and Lawler on the roster to supplement Ebukam, Longacre, and Easley. Fifth-round pick Obo Okoronkwo remains on the physically unable to perform list, which means he will miss at least the first six weeks of the season.
INSIDE LINEBACKER: Cory Littleton, Mark Barron, Ramik Wilson, Bryce Hager, Micah Kiser
Los Angeles will initially carry five players at inside linebacker, including the rookie Kiser. L.A. did waive seventh-round pick Travin Howard with an injury designation, meaning there’s a possibility that he will remain with the club on injured reserve.
CORNERBACK: Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters, Nickell Robey-Coleman, Sam Shields, Troy Hill
No surprises at cornerback, which is a heavily veteran group for Los Angeles. Shields will likely be on a gameday roster for the first time in two years on Sept. 10 when the Rams play the Raiders.
SAFETY: Lamarcus Joyner, John Johnson, Blake Countess, Marqui Christian, Isaiah Johnson
Led by Joyner and Johnson, the Rams have five safeties on their initial roster. Head coach Sean McVay has complimented Christian for his strong preseason, saying that Christian could appear in certain defensive packages.
SPECIALISTS: Greg Zuerlein (kicker), Johnny Hekker (punter), Jake McQuaide (long snapper), Pharoh Cooper (returner)
Nothing changes for Los Angeles’ specialists, as Pro Bowlers Zuerlein, Hekker, McQuaide, and Cooper are all back for another season in Los Angeles.

September 2, 2018 at 12:17 am #90302

zn
Moderator

Ranking NFL teams by age after 53-man cutdowns: 2018 edition

https://www.phillyvoice.com/ranking-nfl-teams-age-after-53-man-cutdowns-2018-edition/

As of roughly 9:00 p.m. on cut-down day, when we finished collecting data from all 32 NFL team website rosters, the Cincinnati Bengals had the youngest team in the NFL. Previously, the Cleveland Browns held that title in 2017, and the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams for five straight seasons before that, from 2012 to 2016. The Oakland Raiders have the oldest roster in the NFL not just in 2018, but also since I began doing this exercise in 2012. Rams are #4 youngest team.

By the time you read this, this data will already out of date as teams continue to make tweaks to their rosters, although even with continued roster movement, the average ages of each team shouldn’t change much. Here are the results, with a recent historic look at the average ages of each team on 53-man cut down day:
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