Did the LA Rams sign LS McQuaide’s 2021 replacement to PS?

LA Rams News: The team signed LS Holba to Practice Squad, one slot open to fill 16th spot. Is he a 2021 replacement for LS Jake McQuaide?

It’s been awhile since we last visited the LA Rams practice squad. Two months we reviewed that roster, and felt that the Rams had secured several future stars on their practice squad. Since that time, injury to the Rams active 53-man roster has prompted the team to sign several players to the active 53-man roster. Each promotion creates another opportunity for someone new to be signed.

The latest to be added to the fold is long snapper Colin Holba. Holba is a three-year NFL veteran who has played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, the San Francisco 49ers, and the New York Giants. Holba was cut from the Giants in April 2020, and remained unsigned until the Rams signed him up to their practice squad. The Rams have one roster spot open to fill.

LS insurance policy?

He was originally drafted in the sixth-round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers before the team cut him after he lost out in competition to Kameron Canaday.  Holba is one of the new prototypical NFL long snappers. He stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 248 pounds. So why would the Rams invest a practice squad spot for a long snapper? Does it mean anything?

Well, keep in mind that the Rams face the expired contract of long snapper Jake McQuaide at the end of this season. And McQuaide is a ten-year NFL veteran, so nothing is certain for re-signing him to return next season. Or is this merely a precautionary move, ensuring that the team has all of their bases covered in the unlikely event of a positive COVID-19 test result which would force the team to play without a unique player?

The Rams have 15 players on the practice squad, and we’ll be revisiting that group soon. In the meantime, the Rams have a long snapper on the practice squad, with the active roster long snapper projected to NFL Free Agency at the end of this season. For now, any connections to those facts are up to you to decide.