zn wrote:

WR Trishton Jackson (Syracuse)

from https://www.si.com/college/syracuse/football/trishton-jackson-rams-roster

Jackson is listed at 6-foot-1, 191 pounds

Out of high school, Trishton Jackson was one of the most heavily recruited receiver prospects in the 2016 class. He signed with Michigan State over dozens of other options. After spending two years with the Spartans, Jackson elected to transfer in order to look for a better opportunity after having only 17 receptions at MSU.

He found that at Syracuse, where he transferred prior to the 2018 season. He sat out due to NCAA transfer rules, but was the top target during the 2019 campaign. Even with an offensive line that struggled throughout the season and a quarterback going through growing pains in his first year as a starter, Jackson still racked up 66 receptions for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns.

==

What a difference a year makes. Blessed and thankful to be where I am right now. Hard work pays off. Never out of the fight… #ComebackSzn pic.twitter.com/0oWBmJlmUW

— Micah Kiser (@kiser_rollin) September 6, 2020

Position by position, what to make of the Rams’ initial roster

Jourdan Rodrigue

https://theathletic.com/2045050/2020/09/05/position-by-position-what-to-make-of-the-rams-initial-roster/?source=emp_shared_article

Before you read this column, please be aware: Many roster-related items can change, and quickly, over the next few days!

Please also be aware of the following facts:

• The Rams do not have to release an official injury report until Wednesday, as they enter the first week of the official regular season. While head coach Sean McVay did officially rule out rookie outside linebacker Terrell Lewis ahead of the Sept. 13 season opener against Dallas, he said he’d have further clarity about what is being described as a unique, complicated knee issue by Wednesday. Also by Wednesday, McVay hopes to offer further news about running back Darrell Henderson, who is rehabbing a hamstring injury. Henderson has progressed to route-running in his rehab process, McVay said, and he is not ruled out for the Dallas game.

• The Rams might even have a roster change by the end of Saturday. They are at 52 players, one fewer than the maximum, and as I type this they are preparing to sit at the No. 20 spot on the waiver wire, waiting to see who is around at that point. If they don’t like anybody more than a couple of the guys they released (hint: inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom), they will bring one of their own guys back.

• The Rams officially placed linebacker Travin Howard (knee) on injured reserve on Saturday, and waived outside linebacker Justin Lawler with an injury settlement. Defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson, who they’d like to get back this season, was designated to the non-football injury list and no longer counts against the roster; as The Athletic reported at the beginning of training camp, Robinson is dealing with a cardiovascular issue that team physicians found during the routine testing process.

OK, let’s get right to it, with analysis, notables and relevant tidbits about the Rams’ first iteration of a 53-man roster:

Quarterbacks (2)
Jared Goff, John Wolford

This has been pretty much a no-brainer all spring and summer, made official on Saturday. But the guy I’m keeping an eye on is undrafted free agent quarterback Bryce Perkins, who really impressed in camp. The Rams would love to sneak him through the waiver wire over the weekend, and perhaps would even go so far as to place him on their “protected” practice squad on Tuesday.

But I have some doubts about Perkins escaping another team’s grasp. The Rams were clever in their release announcements, in that the two guys they like, but who are really at risk on waivers — Perkins and Rozeboom — were not included in the initial wave of 17 cuts on Friday. Instead, the Rams sent Perkins and Rozeboom into the breach right at the buzzer, when the wire is absolutely flooded with names, perhaps hoping the sheer mass of bodies will help them go unnoticed.

Running backs (4)
Malcolm Brown, Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Xavier Jones

Good for Jones, who, as McVay said on Saturday afternoon, earned this spot. The undrafted free agent rookie out of SMU ran really hard in the last week and a half or so of camp, when he got more reps due to Henderson’s injury. Jones even got a shout-out — by name! — from star defensive tackle Aaron Donald near the end of camp. After that, he felt like an obvious addition.

Wide receivers (6)
Robert Woods, Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson, Josh Reynolds, Nsimba Webster, Trishton Jackson

I had the Rams pegged at keeping five receivers instead of six; however, I understand taking a little precaution against injury. Plus, McVay does love his receivers. Jackson and Webster both have return ability.

Tight ends (4)
Tyler Higbee, Gerald Everett, Johnny Mundt, Brycen Hopkins

The Rams actually got a few calls on Everett about potential trades through the summer, two league sources told me, but were shut down by the Rams. The team will continue to get as much production as it can out of the Higbee-Everett tandem, and I predict more 12 personnel to start this season. They also have Hopkins waiting in the wings as both a red-zone threat and as an option if they move on from Everett (a free agent after this season) or Higbee (whose contract has an out clause in 2021).

Offensive linemen (10)
Andrew Whitworth, Joe Noteboom, Austin Blythe, Austin Corbett, Rob Havenstein, Brian Allen, David Edwards, Bobby Evans, Coleman Shelton, Tremayne Anchrum

Keeping 10 offensive linemen might seem like a lot at first — and on paper what appears to be three centers — but look closer. Several of the depth guys can play multiple positions on the interior, and I would imagine Anchrum, the promising rookie out of Clemson, also is picking up some left tackle reps in case of an emergency. The Rams had a position catastrophe last season due to injuries, so more bodies here (who have more flexibility) might be smart. Plus, without a spring to work together, the Rams can keep the group intact long enough to really get a feel for these guys.

Defensive linemen (6)
Michael Brockers, Sebastian Joseph-Day, Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines, Morgan Fox, Eric Banks

This is pretty much who we expected, except you love to see the addition of Banks, the undrafted free agent out of Texas-San Antonio (also a previous stop for current Rams defensive line coach Eric Henderson).

This spring, Banks worked at a local feed-and-tack store, according to the San Antonio Express News, as he waited for training camp to start. He’s also one of three undrafted free agents in the 2020 class kept by the Rams (with Jones and Jackson).

Outside linebackers (5)
Leonard Floyd, Samson Ebukam, Terrell Lewis, Obo Okoronkwo, Jachai Polite

I had Polite sneaking onto the 53-man after watching him rep among the top five outside linebackers through camp. Polite is a bit of an enigma after a tumultuous 2019 season, and has been quiet so far with the Rams. I’m looking forward to getting to know him more and learning about his journey.

Inside linebackers (3, so far)
Micah Kiser, Kenny Young, Troy Reeder

I super-duper do not expect the inside linebacker rotation to stay this thin — there is a total of 14 games of starting experience among these three — and if the Rams don’t find someone they like on waivers, they probably will bring back Rozeboom (if he clears).

Meanwhile, as I’ve repeated probably to the annoyance of some who have followed closely, if defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s scheme does indeed draw some roots from that of former boss Vic Fangio, he will use heavier nickel and dime packages, which in turn will alleviate some of the pressure put on the middle of the field. In fact, I asked safety John Johnson on Saturday how much more influence his position specfically will have in “quarterbacking” the defense, and he said he’s ready to relish the opportunity.

Defensive backs (9)
Jalen Ramsey, Darious Williams, Troy Hill, John Johnson, Taylor Rapp, David Long Jr, Jordan Fuller, Terrell Burgess, Nick Scott

No surprises here, although I’m eager for Rams fans to see how these guys are all used in rotation. The two rookies, Burgess and Fuller, especially impressed coaches with how quickly they were able to fill in at various spots in the defensive backfield, especially with Rapp out the first week and a half with an injury. Characteristics I’m expecting from Staley’s defense include safeties being aggressive and commanding, asserting matchups between smaller and larger-bodied nickels, and outside cornerbacks who play physically and contain the flat in run support. Exciting stuff, guys.

Specialists (3)
Johnny Hekker, Jake McQuaide, Samuel Sloman

As I reported Friday, it wasn’t just Sloman’s status as a draft pick that helped cement his status over competing kickers Austin MacGinnis and Lirim Hajrullahu. Sloman apparently was really impressive in the last week of camp after a slower start, and both his accuracy and leg strength (including on kickoffs) impressed special-teams coach John Bonamego.

It will be a massive first week in the NFL for the rookie kicker. He’s kicking at SoFi Stadiu against the Dallas Cowboys, who now employ former longtime Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein.

Sebastian Steudtner, a German pro surfer, rode a wave over 115 feet tall at Nazare, Portugal pic.twitter.com/tF7eKEK3O1

— Vala Afshar (@ValaAfshar) September 5, 2020

And, of course: OLB – Terrell lewis.

— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) September 5, 2020

==

Steve Wyche@wyche89
That’s Samuel Sloman….

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
The Rams’ roster is at 52 players. So, yeah, they’re on the hunt.

In fact they have probably already signed someone since they have to be at 53 by 1 pm.

Lindsey Thiry@LindseyThiry
OLB Jachai Polite, a third-round pick by the NY Jets in 2019, has made the Rams roster. He spent last season on the Rams practice squad after the Jets released him.

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
As of now — things can change fast — Rams also kept six receivers, four tight ends(!) and 10 offensive linemen(!!)

JackPMiller wrote:

defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson has been placed on the reserve/non-football injury list.

—

AlbaNY_Ram

The Rams could move Robinson to the Reserve/NFI.

From this article [en.wikipedia.org]:

If a player on the active/NFI list is still injured or ill by the final roster cutdown date, they can be placed on the reserve/non-football injury or reserve/non-football illness lists and not count towards the 53-man roster limit.

Players on the reserve/non-football injury or reserve/non-football illness lists are ineligible to practice or play in games for the first six weeks of the regular season. After six weeks, a player can begin practicing with their team but cannot be moved to the active roster until after the team has played its first eight games of the season. When a player starts practicing, a three-week window begins in which the player can be moved to the active roster. If a player does not get activated after the three-week window ends, they must remain on the reserve/NFI list for the rest of the season.

Vincent Bonsignore@VinnyBonsignore
Worth reiterating today: @NFL has expanded practice squad rosters to 16 this year, and that includes up to six spots that can be devoted to vested veterans – or players with four or more years of NFL service time.

Andrew Siciliano@AndrewSiciliano
It’s one thing to make the 53-man roster at 4pm ET today, it’s another thing to make it to Monday. For every player claimed off the waiver wire for a fresh start, another player who thought he made the team gets cut. It’s a rough business.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Johnston had an uphill climb after such a significant knee injury/surgery his senior season at Baylor. A year on a practice squad to get his feet back under him and get those mental reps handled will probably be really good for him, though it doesn’t take away how tough today is

—

Can confirm Johnston has been waived per source. The #Rams definitely will look to keep him on the practice squad. The hope is they don’t lose grip of him like last year’s 7th-round pick Dakota Allen. UDFA Christian Rozeboom has likely made the 53. https://t.co/mQ5ASKSTH5

— DOWNTOWN RAMS [DTR] (@DowntownRams) September 5, 2020

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
Just a friendly reminder that players have to clear waivers before they can be brought back to the practice squad, so even if they are a strong *candidate* for the PS, nothing there is official until they are released, clear waivers and are re-signed with that designation.

Jourdan Rodrigue@JourdanRodrigue
As I understand it, the Rams have gotten a few calls inquiring into the possibility of a Gerald Everett trade. But the Rams met them with a resounding “no” – no current plans to trade the tight end who really showed his potential last year. Everett becomes a UFA in 2021.

Rich Hammond@Rich_Hammond
If the Rams can get consistency out of Everett, he probably will be worth more on the field to them than anything they could get in a trade now. But that’s also a substantial “if.

Kicker numbers just from scrimmages at SoFi, for clarification:
MacGinnis: 10/13, 53-yard long (1/2)
Hajrullahu: 10/13, 53-yard long (1/2)
Sloman: 7/13, 53-yard long (2/2)

The kickers also worked in some practice situations, of which we weren’t always able to see. https://t.co/9WDizLKd97

— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) September 4, 2020

JackPMiller wrote:

Are we over or under the cap?

We are simultaneously infinitely over AND infinitely under the cap.

I don’t quite understand it. Math is not my thing.

10 Observations from the Rams’ final 2020 training camp practice

Stu Jackson
.
https://www.therams.com/news/10-observations-from-final-2020-training-camp-practice

1) Wide receiver Cooper Kupp returned to practice today and went full-speed. McVay told local media after practice that Kupp “feels great” and that he was never concerned about Kupp’s availability for next week’s season-opener against the Dallas Cowboys.

2) If McVay’s words to reporters weren’t strong enough of an indication, Kupp had a spectacular over-the-shoulder catch in the back corner of the endzone during 1-on-1 drills.

3) While cornerback Troy Hill was in coverage on the aforementioned Kupp catch, he deserves credit for nearly coming away with an interception later in 1-on-1s on a Jared Goff pass intended for tight end Tyler Higbee.

4) Today was a veteran rest day for left tackle Andrew Whitworth.

5) No practice for running back Darrell Henderson Jr. today. Henderson participated during the team’s stretching warm-up period, then did some rehab work off to the side. McVay said after today’s practice that “we’re optimistic” about Henderson’s Week 1 status, “but until he truly gets out there and is able to really open up and let it go full speed, (it would) be hard for me to say.”

6) For proper contact context for the Kupp catch and remaining observations, players wore helmets but no pads today.

7) Wide receiver Josh Reynolds also had an outstanding over-the-shoulder, back-corner-of-the-endzone catch during 1-on-1 drills today.

8) As successful as Reynolds and Kupp were during one-on-one drills, wide receiver Robert Woods arguably looked the sharpest, corralling three straight touchdown catches at one point in the segment.

9) Rookie safety Jordan Fuller had a nice pass breakup on a Goff attempt intended for tight end Gerald Everett. Fuller has also created multiple takeaways in camp, so combined with his performance today, it wasn’t surprising to see McVay mention him as one of the rookies who has “continued to shine” in camp.

10) Practice ended with various phases of special teams getting work in, including the field goal unit and practicing onside kicks.