LA Rams call up max for SNF from PS: Lawler and Hall

The LA Rams didn’t waste any time calling up the reserves for their Sunday Night Football matchup against the Chicago Bears. Each week, an NFL team can activate up to two players from the practice squad. Of course, with the LA Rams running short of edge rushers for the opener, calling up OLB Justin Lawler was a foregone conclusion.  Curiously, the LA Rams also activated defensive back Tyler Hall for the season opener.

So what gives?

Well, from this development, it appears that the LA Rams will be using Justin Lawler to help fill part of the edge rotations for the team on defense.  Tyler Hall, on the other hand, will more likely be used to help out with special teams, particularly coverage units.

If you recall, Justin Lawler had a tremendous performance in the preseason opener against the LA Chargers, and that likely propelled him into a spot on the practice squad. Now with OLB Ogbonnia Okoronkwo out for three weeks minimum, as well as Chris Garret in quarantine over reserve/COVID-19 for the first game, Lawler will join the ranks of Leonard Floyd, Justing Hollins, and Terrell Lewis as part of a four-man rotation at that position.

Tyler Hall was claimed off the waivers from the Atlanta Falcons, where he made a name for himself for excellent coverage skills as the team’s gunner. He was added to the Rams roster likely due to defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who was the defensive coordinator of the Falcons last year.

Activating Hall for the opener would likely be in the interest of replicating that role with the Rams’ special teams.

The squeeze on the LA Rams roster should clear soon. Chris Garrett could return to the roster as early as next week, while Obo could return as early as October. Meanwhile, the Rams will simply need to weather this current shortage of healthy outside linebackers and monitor the waiver wire for players who may help going forward.