LA Rams OLB manhunt ended: LB Jamir Jones claimed off waivers

Just like that, there he is

The Rams had already designated starter Justin Hollins to injured reserve, so that created a spot in the 53-man roster, now at 52 players, to fill with a new player.  The only problem was, the Rams had a need and no suitable candidates. But the Rams organization kicks over every stone. And the Pittsburgh Steelers were about to bury a meaty bone under one.

On September 28, 2021, the Steelers waived outside linebacker Jamir Jones to make room to add practice squad OLB Derrek Tuszka to the active roster.  Jamir Jones is a 2020 undrafted rookie signing by the Houston Texans. He was waived by the Texans prior to the 2020 NFL season.

In April 2021, the Steelers added Jamir Jones. If he was originally signed as a camp body, Jones didn’t take notice. He was a hybrid DE/OLB from Notre Dame who joined the NFL at the worst possible time to enter after the draft.  He played well enough to claw and scratch his way up their depth chart throughout training camp. Doing so on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster is very impressive, as the Steelers have a fine eye for recognizing and developing talent among young edge rushers.

He is every bit the right size for the NFL to play on the edge. He stands 6-foot-3 and weighs a robust 255-pounds. Per his 2020 NFL Draft profile, Jones is ideally blessed with an adept football IQ, a strong physical frame, and the raw but promising traits of a potentially solid NFL outside linebacker.

His noted drawbacks entering the draft were his lack of experience, his rawness, and his need to be coached up. While at Notre Dame, he made the move from outside linebacker to defensive end. When he signed with the Steelers, he worked with outside linebackers. I don’t have to tell you that the Rams treasure versatile players.