LA Rams waste no time by signing DB Donovan Olumba

When the LA Rams parted ways with injured defensive back Dayan Lake on August 5, 2021, there was no disguising what came next. It was obvious that the team would be shopping the free agency market and waiver wires for a new defensive back to sign to the roster.  The news appeared today, August 6, 2021, on the team’s official transaction page.

So who is Donovan Olumba? Well, let’s get right to it. He is a 6-foot-2 205-pound defensive back originally from Portland State University. He signed on after the 2018 NFL Draft as a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys, where he spent two seasons on their practice squad. He was then picked up by the Cleveland Browns in 2020.

While with the Cowboys, he made a sweet interception in a preseason game for a pick-six. A headline moment that didn’t seem to be enough to land him a roster spot.

If you recall his name, you are very good. He once broke up a John Wolford pass against the LA Rams.

Olumba flashed NFL caliber potential in each of the past three seasons but invariably failed to make that team’s roster. In 2018 and 2019, he was signed to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. With the Cleveland Browns, he was waived at the time for meeting the 53-man roster limit but was not invited to return to the team’s practice squad.

No longer trusting interest from an NFL team, Olumba signed on with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in June 2021.

Now, he has returned to the NFL to try his luck at making the LA Rams roster. The Rams are his third NFL team, so perhaps the third time is the charm? The Rams certainly wanted to add a defensive back quickly after parting ways with Lake. Adding Olumba today makes sense, as it comes a day before the LA Rams enter joint practice with the Dallas Cowboys.

Olumba’s size is certainly intriguing. While he has yet to earn a spot on an NFL team’s 53-man roster, he has certainly exhibited flashes of the talent required to do so. While the LA Rams have their two starters in place this season, the team will undoubtedly be eager to see what Olumba can bring to the defense. Is it too late to move the needle? Perhaps. But if he shows enough potential, he has an outside chance of making the team’s practice squad.