20 LA Rams UDFA signings now vie for permanent roster role

The LA Rams have signed 20 undrafted free agents. The Rams.com website lists all 20 signings who they are and which positions do they play

The LA Rams 2020 NFL Draft was always going to be limited as to how many players would be added to the LA Rams roster.  After all, the Rams projected to lose 18, players and in the end, held no more than nine NFL Draft picks. Even with adding draft picks, the Rams roster would fall far short of the 90 man limit teams grow to in order to meet their training camp roster needs.

The remaining approximately 20 players added to the roster would need to come from somewhere. That somewhere means the pool of incredible talent remaining as undrafted free agents, as listed on the LA Rams website.

Let’s be clear though. The path of UDFAs to an NFL practice squad is incredibly difficult. The path to the permanent roster requires an extreme amount of hard work as well as talent and opportunity.  The Rams have had a good track record of converting young undrafted players into NFL roster players over recent years, so 2020 is expected to continue that pattern.

Undrafted free agent signings do not need to “win a roster spot” on the team to be a successful signing. The NFL Draft is not guaranteed, so teams can hedge their bets via undrafted signings to create depth, add competition for playing time, and load talented players who need additional coaching to develop betting playing techniques, to add muscle mass in the weight room to reach a more optimal size and strength for NFL competition, or who simply have flashed brilliance at points in their NCAA careers, who must not prove durability and consistency at the professional level.

Offense

The LA Rams chose not to convert their aerial assault offense to a big-bodied run-heavy offense with their 2020 NFL Draft choices, but they did add some intriguing players who have their own potential to tweak the offense in 2020.

The Rams did dive directly into their skill players with their two round-two picks of the 2020 NFL Draft by choosing Florida State running back Cam Akers at 52 and then adding Florida wide receiver Van Jefferson at 57. General manager Les Snead then moved to the tight end position at the team’s 136th pick with Purdue’s Brycen Hopkins. The Rams finished off the offensive selections and draft at 250 by selecting Clemson offensive lineman Tremayne Anchrum.

All that was left for the team at draft’s end was to add depth, special team players and cast a low-risk net to catch any undrafted players who may develop into NFL starters. Here are the offensive UDFA signings so far as reported on theRams.com website.

The Rams needed to add quarterbacks to the roster for training camp, kickers, and wide receivers who could compete for offensive playing time, as well as play special teams as both coverage players and as kick and/or punt returners. Finally, the Rams needed to amp up the offensive line competition, so any high-upside lineman would be welcome additions as well.

Offense UDFA signings

Quarterback
5. Bryce Perkins, Virginia ((UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
NFL Draft Network projection
QB Josh Love – San Jose State (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
Running back
8. Xavier Jones, SMU (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
James Gilbert, Kansas State (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
Wide Receiver
4. Trishton Jackson, Syracuse (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
NFL Draft projection
Earnest Edwards, Maine (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
JJ Koski, Cali-Poly (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
WE Brandon Polk – James Madison (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
WR Easop Winston – Washington State (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
NFL Draft Network projection
Interior Offensive Lineman
3. Cohl Cabral, Arizona State (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
NFL Draft Projection

Defense

The LA Rams new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley wants players on defense who have skillsets that can translate into multiple roles on his defense.  After adding two safeties, a linebacker, an edge rusher, and a special team kicker in the 2020 NFL Draft, the LA Rams still had plenty of room for competition on the defensive side of the ball.

The combination of 2020 NFL Free Agent defections and potential loss of key contributors on defense to the same 2021 path made the Rams particularly dependant upon 2020 additions to the roster.

Any true competition for 2020 roster spots will likely happen with the drafted players. But the LA Rams defense has all the right ingredients for an influx of young talent. They have brought on new defensive coordinator Brandon Staley is a key element. The Rams defense shed five of the 11 starters from 2019 is another. And finally, while the team will remain a base 3-4 defense, the Brandon Staley version is a markedly different version than former defensive coordinator Wade Phillips’ version.

Staley’s version uses deception as its key weapon. Where the Ryan family defense (Buddy, Rob, and Rex) used numbers to overwhelm the offense, and Phillips uses strength to overpower the offense, Staley relies on giving opposing quarterbacks one look but then use a different play to confuse the offense. That type of defense relies upon players who can multitask. It also requires a stronger defensive line rotation, because the line must be able to play both two-gap and one-gap defense, perhaps even in the same play series.

To help run Staley’s defense, the Rams need to look at more defensive linemen, versatile defensive backs who can fill multiple coverage roles, another edge rusher, and linebackers – particularly those who can cover receivers as well as thump ball carriers in run defense.

Defense UDFA signings

Edge
5. Jonah Williams, Weber State (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
Draft Projection
Defensive Line
DL Eric Banks – UT San Antonio (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
DL Mike Hoecht – Brown (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
DL Sam Renner – Minnesota (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
Linebacker
LB Greg Reaves – South Florida (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
LB Christian Rozeboom – SD State (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
Walter Football Draft Projection LB 25
Cornerback
19. Levonta Taylor, Florida State (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
NFL Draft Projection
NFL Draft Network Projection
DB JuJu Hughes – Fresno State (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
CB Dayan Lake (AKA Dayan Ghanwoloku) – BYU (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)
CB Tyrique McGhee – Georgia (UPDATE: Signing with Los Angeles Rams, per team)

So far, we’ve merely listed players signed as undrafted free agents. Over the upcoming days and weeks, we will be summarizing the crop of undrafted free agents as well as giving solid insight as to how each will fit the Rams’ needs.

Of interest here is the curious shallow signing of players both in the 2020 NFL Draft and as undrafted free agents at offensive line as well as undrafted free agents for the team at both linebacker and offensive line. It seems that the Rams are comfortable enough with the talent already on the roster at those positions. It is also something to take note of that the Rams linebackers and edge players signed for 2020 are versatile enough to be considered for either role on the team.