Rams Sign 19 Undrafted Free Agents – Rams official list

Agamemnon wrote:

Anybody see a mistake. Any player on a list counts against the 90 man roster, I think.

The roster post. That might be its own thread? I think it’s getting a little lost in this thread but up to you.

BTW, has Watts been reinstated?

from off the net

==

Florida_Ram

A CLOSER LOOK AT sleeper[/color] SCAT BACK (RB Aarron Green.)

#36 AARON GREEN 5’11 203 lbs (This scat back has Amazing FEET!)[/color]
http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/kansan.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/1/63/163e717e-613c-11e5-b6ff-f7d60594db29/56016f810e036.image.jpg?resize=300%2C231

Year..Team… Games..Att…Yards..AVG……..Catch… Yards….
2011…. NEB…. 12…. 24…. 105… 4.4… TD 2…..1…….25… TD 1
2013…. TCU…. 10…. 72…. 232… 3.2… TD 0 …..4…….24.. TD 1
2014…. TCU…. 13…. 129.. 922… 7.1… TD 9…..19….166… TD 2
2015…. TCU…. 13… 244…1272.. 5.2… TD 11…16…. 117… TD 1

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1824316/aaron-green
Green arrived at Nebraska in 2011 as a top high school recruit, but with a crowded running back depth chart led by Rex Burkhead and Ameer Abdullah, He elected to transfer.
Green chose TCU over Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas Tech, sitting out the 2012 season due to transfer rules. He stepped into the starter role as a junior with a team-high 922 yards and nine scores, earning second team All-Big 12 honors. Green had his bests season in 2015 as a senior (10 starts) with a career-high 1,272 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns, earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors.

STRENGTHS: Balanced athlete and light on his feet to make sharp lateral cuts, creating with ankle-breaking jukes. Shifty movements and open-field wiggle to explode north-south. Easy acceleration to burst away from defenders in space. Natural run instincts to read blocks and usually has a plan at the line of scrimmage. Runs tough and keep his legs churning, fighting for every yard.

Focused receiver with reliable hands, often lining up in the slot. Has the chops to at least make an effort in pass protection. Only three fumbles in his career. Driven individual and well-respected by people around the program “phenomenal young man.”

WEAKNESSES: Lacks an ideal build for the position and his frame doesn’t have the growth potential to get much bigger. Runs with minimal power and is limited as an inside runner. Tunnel vision at times and gets bounce happy, dancing and taking too many steps in the backfield.

Needs to take what is blocked for him instead of trying to create on his own. Bad habit of stopping his feet and won’t pick up yards after initial contact, too easily taken down by finger-tip tackles. Doesn’t have elite downfield speed and can be caught from behind.

Route-running and field sense need improved. Steps up as a blocker, but too easily knocked off his feet. Ball security needs improved, holding the ball too loose.

IN OUR VIEW: Green has video game-like cuts, making quick reads and reacting with his feet to keep defenders off-balance, but he needs space to be effective. He isn’t a strong between-the-tackles runner and struggles with congestion, not consistently trusting his vision or allowing blocks to develop. Green is quicker than fast with the athleticism to create on his own as a runner or receiver, but his lack of run power will limit his role in the NFL.
Dane Brugler (2/8/16)

YOUTUBE: Highlights watch his feet[/color][/color][/u][/u] (I believe he’s related to the former HOF CB Darrell Green)

I moved the receivers stuff to this thread:

Rams new UDFA receivers

This thread was UDFA thread #1, for those keeping track. UDFA thread #2 is here:

Rams Sign 19 Undrafted Free Agents – Rams official list

Ian Seau, nephew of Hall of Famer Junior Seau, looks to make his own impact in NFL

By Helene Elliott

http://www.latimes.com/sports/nfl/la-sp-rams-seau-elliott-20160509-column.html

The resemblance between Ian Seau and his late uncle, pro football Hall of Famer Junior Seau, is in determination more than DNA, more striking in their love of family, football and the ukulele than in their facial features.

Ian Seau, one of 19 undrafted rookie free agents who participated in the Rams’ rookie mini-camp last week in Oxnard, isn’t as tall or muscular as his uncle, who played 13 of his 20 NFL seasons in San Diego. Ian Seau, slightly shorter at 6 feet 2 and a bit lighter at 250 pounds, doesn’t have his famous relative’s athleticism. His strengths are less visible.

“I’m a really hard worker. It’s not easy to make me quit. I rarely quit,” Ian said. “I go out there and I’m going to compete. I’m going to claw and try and stay a part of this organization, so whatever I have to do, I’m going to find a way to stay on this team.”

He had a solid career as a defensive end and outside linebacker at Nevada, where he racked up 10 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss last season, but he didn’t hear his name called on draft day. By contrast, Junior Seau was chosen fifth overall by the Chargers in 1990 out of USC, launching a stellar career as one of the game’s premier linebackers.

Three years into retirement he shot himself in the chest and died on May 2, 2012. Doctors concluded he had suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease found in the brains of people with a history of severe or repeated brain injuries. Approximately 90 former NFL players have tested positive for the disease.

While uncle and nephew were close, Ian said Junior rarely spoke of football or its pitfalls.

“He tried to keep his professional life different from his social life and his family life. He never really talked to me about playing in the NFL,” Ian said. “He just told me, ‘Hey man, when you’re in the league make sure you have a ukulele next to you.’ I got my uke out here. Whenever I’m stressed out I can just play that. Just small things he gave me of that nature.”

To avoid causing a fuss, Junior Seau would arrive unannounced the few times he attended Ian’s games at La Jolla Country Day School and La Costa Canyon High in Carlsbad. “Watching Ian play football, even basketball, he pulled me aside and said that he reminds me how I used to play, when I played basketball and football,” said Mary Seau, Junior’s sister and a single mother to Ian and daughter Shannalei. “Junior could not believe that he was a clone of him.”

That bond is why Ian misses him keenly now. “I went to his grave sometimes throughout this whole entire process and said, ‘Uncle, man, I wish you were here to tell me what to do,'” Ian said. “I’d sit there hoping he gives me an answer. He never does. But it was cool. I wish he was here to talk me through this and sort of ease all this pain.”

It’s too early to evaluate the chances Ian will stick with the Rams and follow his uncle by playing at the Coliseum as the team returns to Los Angeles following an absence of two decades. The rookies spent the first few days easing into their surroundings and preparing to work with the veterans. He likes the Rams’ 4-3 defense and “great defensive line, a great defensive culture in general.” He believes he can also play middle linebacker if asked. “He really would like to do this not only for himself but to let Junior know that he didn’t give up, that he’s the only one that didn’t give up,” Mary Seau said.

This is his chance to be seen in his own light, not in his uncle’s ever-present shadow. “My biggest thing is I don’t want people to feel like I’m here because of my uncle’s last name,” Ian said. “I want them to say I did this on my own, and just being able to be in the same conversation as my uncle, just playing football, that’s a blessing. I’m here to make a name for myself as well.”

Mary Seau worked two or three jobs to support Ian’s football, basketball and track pursuits and Shannalei’s volleyball. She believes that without baby-sitting help from Shannalei and without developing a tough skin when parents at La Costa Canyon told Mary, “You need to go back where you came from,” Ian would not be where he is now.

She’s excited, of course, but she saw the downside of football through her brother’s suicide. One reason she works nights as a coordinator in the emergency room department at Scripps Encinitas is so she can spend days developing the nonprofit Mary Seau CTE Foundation, which aims to raise money to support research at Boston University’s Center for the Study of CTE. Mary Seau wants to launch low-cost seminars for families of those affected by brain trauma, to help them understand the disease’s terrible impact and make informed choices.

Her research leaves her knowledgeable about the risks her son faces. “I would have to say 50% of me, I am worried,” she said. “But it’s not like he’s not playing in the NFL because I will always be worried wherever my kids go. If they’re working as civilian employment, getting to the grocery store, it’s no different than playing in the NFL.”

Ian accepts those risks. “It scares me, but football is something that a lot of people do not only to make a good living for themselves but putting themselves in a position to make an impact on people’s lives,” he said. “That’s what the Rams have blessed me with. I’m out here and I’m able to get my name out there and try to influence some kids to make better decisions in life.”

Rams hoping to find more help from undrafted rookies

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/id/122550/rams-hoping-to-find-more-help-from-undrafted-rookies

Since coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead took charge of the Los Angeles Rams’ roster in 2012, identifying, signing and developing undrafted free agents who can help the team is one of their top priorities.

Along the way, the Rams have found important contributors, such as running back Benny Cunningham, defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks, safety Cody Davis, former starting safety Rodney McLeod and All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker after the draft has concluded. Just last year, the Rams’ roster at various points included running back Malcolm Brown, linebacker Cameron Lynch, defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat, defensive end Matt Longacre, receiver Bradley Marquez and offensive tackle Darrell Williams.

This year, the Rams had a smaller draft class than usual (six players) after trading away three second-day picks to move from No. 15 to No. 1. That meant finding potential undrafted gems took on an even greater importance.

“It’s an important process,” Snead said. “Obviously a larger subset of players come into the league through college free agency, but if you look at data, if a college free agent gets on the field and actually plays, let’s call it one percent of the offensive or defensive snaps, that player is going to go on and play just as much as any fourth-rounder. So it’s important when you do find one to two to three to four a year that can get on the field, and if they do get on the field, they usually go in to play just as much or more than like the fourth-rounders, fifth-rounders, sixth-rounders. Even though it’s less sexy, it’s still an important part of the process.”

Brandon Chubb, LB, Wake Forest:

There might not be much flash to Chubb’s game, but he was consistently productive for the Demon Deacons. There’s no shortage of opportunity here, either, as the Rams still need depth at linebacker. With competition from the likes of Lynch, Bryce Hagerand fellow rookie Josh Forrest, Chubb could carve a path to the roster by proving capable on special teams first.

Michael Jordan, DB, Missouri Western:

An under-the-radar player from the Rams’ former home state, Jordan split time between corner and safety in college. The Rams could use some depth at both spots, but they earmarked Jordan before the draft was over as a possible contender for a job at cornerback. Jordan had 16 interceptions in his college career, which means he is often around the ball. He’ll have to adjust to playing better competition, but he’s got a chance to push players like Marcus Roberson for a job.

Brian Randolph, S, Tennessee:

Really, you can take your pick between Randolph, Jordan Lomax and Rohan Gaines as a contender for the team’s needs at safety. All were productive college players, but we’re giving Randolph a little bit of a head start because of his ability to contribute on special teams, the quickest way to make a roster after going undrafted. Randolph had a knack for blocking kicks for the Volunteers, a skill that can help break ties when it comes to formulating a 53-man roster.

Paul McRoberts, WR, Southeast Missouri State:

Like the other positions listed above, there’s room for an unheralded player to step in and make the roster at wide receiver. The competition could be tough, though, as the Rams brought in others such as Marquez North, Nelson Spruce and Duke Williams to add to the mix. But McRoberts is a guy the Rams eyed from up close while still in St. Louis and they liked his combination of size (6-foot-3) and college production. McRoberts will have to answer questions about the level of competition he played in college but if he can adjust quickly, he’ll have a chance. The Rams used a second-round pick in 2012 on Brian Quick, who profiled in a similar way to McRoberts, albeit with better physical traits.

Morgan Fox, DT, Colorado State-Pueblo:

A defensive lineman from a small school who posted outrageous, video game-like numbers in his final college season. Sound familiar? That’s how the Rams found Longacre and Westbrooks. The need for depth on the defensive line isn’t all that pressing, but if there is a need, it’s inside. As it stands, the only backup with any experience is Westbrooks, and he’s been playing both end and tackle. Fox will be up against Trinca-Pasat, another undrafted rookie the Rams found last year, and Doug Worthington for a possible job. If he follows in the footsteps of Longacre and Westbrooks, it’s not that far-fetched that he could stick.