LA Rams move quickly to get to 80 players limit

Defensive back

From the moment that the LA Rams added defensive back, Paris Ford, the move was a high reward low-risk signing. A boom-or-bust move, the guy had all of the traits to be either a really impressive player, or not. Unfortunately, the LA Rams discovered that he fell quickly into the second category.

Ford has great instincts, can make plays on the ball, knows how to play football, and breaks on the ball quickly. Unfortunately, NFL defenses are a far more structured enterprise, and Ford’s ball-hawking skills from college made him an easy mark for NFL double moves, speedy receivers, and even big burly tight ends. The downside to Ford was always going to be about harnessing his talents within a more structured defense.

Why was he waived now?

There is simply the fact that some collegiate football players do not transition into the NFL. For the young Paris Ford, this was simply not his time to make that transition. Unlike 2020, when players were given almost no time to indoctrinate to the NFL, 2021 offered every opportunity to absorb all of the necessary skills and techniques. Ford simply could not keep pace with a rather robust safety group, and his departure now can open up new opportunities in either the CFL or other football venues.

What does this mean for the LA Rams?

The LA Rams are actually sitting rather well at the depth of their defensive backfield. They currently have seven players at safety, and nine at cornerback. Of course, there is Jake Gervase, who has cross-trained and played in a hybrid ILB/S role that could be valuable enough to land him a spot on the practice squad this year. The Rams are blessed with riches among their secondary, which is a true testimony to the effectiveness of secondary coach Ejiro Evero and assistant secondary coach Jonathan Cooley.