LA Rams practice squad has evolved

Original Players – Linebackers

The LA Rams have not had much luck at drafting interior linebackers in recent years. Of course, they’ve targetted the position with their last pick in the seventh round for two consecutive seasons.  They lost linebacker Dakota Allen to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. Then, the Rams lost Clay Johnston to the Carolina Panthers.  Surprisingly, the Rams lost both starters in the off-season and then lost projected starter ILB Travin Howard to injury. The Rams compensated for three linebackers on the 53-man roster by carrying three linebackers on the practice roster.

LB Derrick Moncrief (New-FA)
LB Christian Rozeboom (rookie)
LB Daniel Bituli (rookie)

Defensive linemen

DT Marquise Copeland (rookie)
DE Jonah Williams (rookie)
DT Michael Hoecht (rookie)

And in the end, the original cast of 16 practice squad players who made the cut was simply an expanded roster of players of previous seasons.  This was a developmental roster of 16 players who could find themselves promoted in 2020 to the active roster, or simply be coached up as part of the planning for the 2021 NFL season.  But that would soon change.