UDFAs

UDFA CB Claiborne looking to earn job with Rams

By Nate Latsch

http://stl.scout.com/story/1548776-udfa-cb-claiborne-looking-to-earn-job-with-rams?hootPostID=e978bd746bdc1894db7b44d1e875b8b0

Imoan Claiborne thought he showed enough during the draft evaluation process to hear his name called at some point during the seven rounds of the 2015 NFL Draft. But that didn’t come to fruition for the cornerback from Northwestern State in Louisiana.

“I most definitely thought I’d get drafted,” Claiborne said. “Obviously I went to the Senior Bowl, I did some other things. I felt like I set myself up very well through the draft process, but unfortunately I didn’t. But this opportunity presents itself and that’s all I can do.”

His new opportunity comes after signing an undrafted free agent contract with the St. Louis Rams, where he’ll compete for a spot on the roster with a position group that offers some intrigue this season.

“Through the whole end of the draft, when teams were calling back and forth, I just tried to narrow it down to the best teams I thought fit me and this is where I ended up,” Claiborne said.

The 5-foot-10, 193-pounder said several teams were interested in signing him after the draft. But he settled on St. Louis for a couple different reasons, including the defensive system.

“Most of all I felt confident in the coaches,” he said. “They have a great coaching staff here. They told me I had the opportunity to come here and compete and that’s all I could ask for.”

The Rams currently have eight cornerbacks on the 90-man offseason roster and several of those spots should be secure to make the roster at the conclusion of training camp.

Janoris Jenkins, E.J. Gaines and Trumaine Johnson are expected to compete for the two starting cornerback spots on the outside. Lamarcus Joyner, the Rams’ second-round pick a year ago, was drafted to man the nickel cornerback spot inside, though those plans didn’t quite work out during his rookie season because of injury and ineffectiveness. Marcus Roberson made the roster as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2014 after leaving Florida early.

Those five players are good bets to make the roster again this fall.

But that could leave an opening or two for another cornerback.

Brandon McGee was a fifth-round pick in 2013 but was limited to just two games in his second season because of injuries. Montrell Garner is another UDFA rookie, like Claiborne, out of South Alabama.

Claiborne comes to the Rams with some solid credentials.

He was a two-year starter at Northwestern State and earned All-Southland first-team honors as a senior after setting career highs in tackles (47), passes defended (11) and interceptions (four).

At his pro day, Claiborne ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 and 4.59 seconds. He recorded a vertical leap of 39 inches and a broad jump of 10 feet. He put up 13 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press.

NFL.com projected Claiborne as a third- or fourth-round pick and raised the possibility that he could move from cornerback to safety at the next level.

“Confident, ascending press-cover cornerback with the foot quickness and hips to match receivers off the line of scrimmage and in tight quarters,” the NFL.com scouting report said. “He’s a willing tackler with decent recovery burst, but his questionable long speed and lack of premium size could turn him into a solid slot corner in the league.”

Claiborne received a seventh-round grade from Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com, who rated him as the 34th-best cornerback prospect in the draft.

“Claiborne lined up mostly in press coverage and was asked to jam and bail, but did his best work when he played nose-to-nose at the line of scrimmage and used his length and aggression to disrupt receivers,” Brugler wrote in his scouting report. “While he can locate quickly with ball skills when he turns, he still doesn’t have a great feel at the position downfield and will need to make a living on special teams while he develops on defense.”

That could be Claiborne’s ticket to winning a spot on the Rams’ roster, just like Roberson did a year ago.

With Jenkins and Johnson entering the final year of their rookie contracts, the Rams should be watching the cornerback position closely during OTAs and training camp.

I could not find out much about Darrell Williams.

zn wrote:

I think Williams was our 3nd to last udfa signed…just a camp body

Tyler Slavin and Imoan Claiborne are great st players..they could easily make the team. ditto Cameron Lynch as a lber.

Rams paid Trinca-Pasat buku bucks so he has a great chance and Malcolm Brown should beat out Pead..he needs to go.

Hammer does some good stuff, but he isn’t one of the guys that I automatically give an credibility too. I don’t really agree with much he has in that post. I like Malone and Hagan better than any player he mentioned.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 7 months ago by Agamemnon.

St. Louis Rams: 5 Undrafted Rookies with Best Chances to Make the Roster

by Patrick Karraker

http://archauthority.com/2015/05/26/st-louis-rams-5-undrafted-rookies-with-best-chances-to-make-the-roster/?utm_source=FanSided&utm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=Around%20the%20Network

Since Jeff Fisher and Les Snead took over the management of the St. Louis Rams’ personnel in 2012, the organization has given plenty of chances to undrafted free agents. Fisher, a former seventh-rounder himself, seems to identify with the players who come into camp as underdogs and put it all on the line to earn a roster spot. Over the three years that Fisher and Snead have been in charge, the Rams have had a total of 13 undrafted rookies make their opening 53-man roster out of training camp, and several of them, including starting safety Rodney McLeod, core special-teamer Daren Bates, and quarterback Austin Davis, who started for much of 2014, have ended up playing key roles down the road.

Now that the Rams have accumulated a rather significant group of players that the Fisher/Snead administration has drafted, it might be a bit tougher for undrafted rookies to force themselves onto the roster. (Then again, we would have thought the same thing last summer after the Rams drafted 11 players, but four undrafted rookies ended up making the team while the last five draft picks didn’t.)

Here are five undrafted rookies who might have an edge when it comes to making the roster this season.

5. Darrell Williams, OT

Seeing as the Rams drafted four offensive linemen this April, you’d think that there would be nary a spot for an undrafted lineman on the 53-man roster (and you’d most likely be right). With that said, the Rams’ offensive line group is going to be very open to competition this summer, and if the 6-foot-5, 307-pound Williams creates enough of an impression, he’d definitely have a chance at earning a spot in some form or fashion.

When it comes down to it, the Rams will need to have at least 10 offensive linemen between the active roster and practice squad to conduct regular season practices. The Rams currently have 15 linemen on the 90-man roster, so if Williams can push himself ahead of at least five of those players, he’ll have a decent shot at ending up with a practice squad position.

4. Imoan Claiborne, CB

Claiborne, a 5-foot-11, 187-pounder out of Northwestern State, was projected by many to be a third or fourth-rounder in this year’s draft. For some reason, he ultimately ended up going undrafted, but he’ll have a chance to prove all the teams that passed on him wrong this summer. Claiborne’s likely going to face a serious roster crunch, as the Rams have five corners who could compete for playing time from scrimmage (Janoris Jenkins, E.J. Gaines, Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner, and Marcus Roberson) and will also be taking one last look at 2013 fifth-rounder Brandon McGee.

With that said, Claiborne will compete during OTAs and training camp to try to earn a depth spot on the roster or practice squad. As a highly-regarded undrafted free agent acquisition, he could create a roster spot for himself much like Roberson, an undrafted player who was once seen as a potential first-rounder, did a year ago.

3. Malcolm Brown, RB

Brown’s going to have an uphill battle to make the Rams’ roster, as the team already has first-rounder Todd Gurley and five other running backs with previous NFL experience: Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham, Trey Watts, Chase Reynolds, and Isaiah Pead. With that said, Brown was considered by many to be a draftable talent in the late rounds, and he could push someone like Watts or Reynolds for a roster spot if he shows strong skills on special teams.

The 5-foot-11, 224-pounder showed some solid skills as a collegiate player at Texas, particularly as a junior, when he ran for 904 yards and nine touchdowns on 214 attempts. He also showed strong skills as a receiver out of the backfield. Brown will have a challenge ahead of him because he has to prove himself as both a talented runner and special-teamer, but as one of the Rams’ more esteemed college free agents, he should have at least a solid chance to end up on the practice squad.

2. Zach Laskey, FB

There’s been talk about the Rams trying to find a “traditional fullback”—the gritty, hard-nosed, linebacker-like blocking specimen of yesteryear—as they attempt to go all-in on a ground-and-pound running attack. Cory Harkey has done a decent job of filling the de facto fullback role over the past couple years, but if the Rams could find another player to fill at least some of those responsibilities, it would allow Harkey to provide depth at his natural position of tight end.

That’s where undrafted free agent Zach Laskey comes into the picture. Laskey seems to profile less as a legitimate fullback and more like a running back who occasionally lead blocks, as he accumulated 171 carries for 851 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior in Georgia Tech’s option offense. But if he shows enough ability as a blocker to open holes for the Rams’ runners, he could become a useful weapon in the Rams’ offense similar to former Seahawks fullback Michael Robinson, a converted tailback who could block capably but was most useful as an additional running and receiving threat.

1. Louis Trinca-Pasat, DT

It seems as if Trinca-Pasat, a Senior Bowl participant who many projected as a mid-round pick, may have a spot to lose on the Rams’ 53-man roster. The team has carried four defensive tackles in Jeff Fisher’s first three years as head coach, and there’s little reason to believe that they won’t do the same this year while facing the ground-and-pound offensive attacks of the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers twice each.

The Rams only have three obvious candidates to fill the defensive tackle spots in Aaron Donald, Michael Brockers, and Nick Fairley, so there will be a job for the taking. Doug Worthington, who has seen brief action for the Washington Redskins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, could take that spot, but he hasn’t really shown anything to prove that he’s an NFL-caliber talent over his first five years in the league. Ethan Westbrooks, a hybrid end/tackle, could theoretically fill the role, but he might not be big enough to hold up as a run defender on the interior.

The 6-foot-1, 290-pound Trinca-Pasat would be a solid fit as the fourth defensive tackle, since he has enough pass-rushing ability to back up Donald and Fairley, having collected 6.5 sacks during his senior year at Iowa, and he’s also sturdy enough to fill Brockers’ nose tackle role in a pinch if needed. With Donald, Brockers, and Fairley all considered starting-caliber players, it could be possible for the Rams to survive with just three defensive tackles this year, but if they keep four again, Trinca-Pasat is probably the favorite for the final spot.

Do you think any of the UDFA’s will
have a future with the rams, Ag?

w
v

Daryl Williams, plays LT, No. 76.

You know, quality udfas could be good replacements if someone gets hurt. It is good to know that an injury doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a hole in your roster.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/24662640/nfl-draft-virginia-tech-preview

C David Wang (6’2 | 298 | 5.08 | #76)
Versatile, smart lineman with 23 career starts, rotating between guard and center over the last two seasons. Although not a massive specimen or elite athlete Wang’s intelligence, quickness and position versatility should earn him a chance to make an NFL roster if he’s able to stay healthy and continue his consistent play.

Once again the Rams did a good job of bringing in players that can compete for roster spots or that they can develope on the practice squad. I saw one list that had Claiborne as the top CB of the udfas and close to the top of all the udfas.

zn wrote:

Barnes wasn’t their UDFA, they inherited him, but from last year’s roster I see Bates, Bayer, Cunningham, Harkey, Hekker, McCleod, Roberson, Watts, and Westbrooks…plus 1 or 2 more.

And truth is, this year’s is as good a batch of UDFAs as they ever brought in, looks like.

I think this roster has some questions – to be sure…but man, this looks like the strongest roster/depth wise
the Rams have had in over a decade. It’s on Foles to just play his part and we’ll do well and compete for the division. imo
I even think they can overcome the youth at the OL spots…just as long as they run the ball and keep it close with the defense.
Foles is more than competent to run this offense very well. imo

wv wrote:

SunTzu_vs_Camus wrote:

I think this roster has some questions – to be sure…but man, this looks like the strongest roster/depth wise
the Rams have had in over a decade. It’s on Foles to just play his part and we’ll do well and compete for the division. imo
I even think they can overcome the youth at the OL spots…just as long as they run the ball and keep it close with the defense.
Foles is more than competent to run this offense very well. imo

Are you ready
for some football,
Mr Suntzu-Camus?

w
v
—
“All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him.
– Sun Tzu, the Art of War

“Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken.”
― Albert Camus

Indeed, wv!!! How bout you?
Do you like this team and it’s depth/talent as much as I do??

btw – I think Cigs will follow yer SunTzu’s deception quote above…
we will PA pass off a power run game and have our most success with deception/timing of the playcall. imo

“There can be no light without shadow…
and it is essential to know the night.” – Camus

• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by SunTzu_vs_Camus.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 6 months ago by SunTzu_vs_Camus.