LA Rams: Say farewell to the first five waived players of 2021

Here we are folks, the day before the LA Rams must pare down their roster to 85 players (well, 86 as Max Pircher is exempted from filing a roster spot). While we do not know nearly enough to be pinpoint accurate in our projections as to who is at risk at this first off-ramp of being waived by the team, we do know that the LA Rams coaching staff is now at a point of deliberation. This is the first wave of cuts, which may seem like it would be the easiest to do.

But if there is more data to come, then these cuts are certainly at risk of being too hasty.  While the team has concluded training camp, only one preseason game is under the belt. The Rams certainly tried to maximize the exposure of players by sitting 35 against the LA Chargers. Even with backups playing exclusively in the first preseason game, were there truly enough snaps to determine the fate of a young player?

LA Rams roster decision time

Of course, the time for that rhetoric is over. Now, it’s up to the coaches to add up their scorecards and decide who goes and who stays. For some players who are expected to sit out their entire season, this is where they will most likely get off the bus. Any player assigned to injured reserve at this juncture, by NFL rules, be unable to return for the rest of the season. But that only applies to injured reserve players.

As the Rams had done last year, players who are waived my return later in the season to either a practice squad or active roster role. That event occurs when the Rams are too deep at a position early in the season but need to reinforce that same position due to injuries.  Defensive back Jake Gervase was one such example of an LA Rams player who was waived early, but who was re-signed later in the season to bolster the team’s secondary depth.

The LA Rams didn’t wait around to cause drama. Here are the five players who are being directed to get off the team bus at this stop.  Did you guess any of them correctly?