LA Rams restock practice squad with two intriguing players

Defensive back

The first player for our discussion is former New York Giants/New Orleans defensive back Grant Haley. Haley originally hailed from the Penn State Nittany Lions and signed on with the Giants as an undrafted free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. He was originally projected as an early day three prospect, but as is often the case, he fell out of the draft.

Standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 190-pounds, the Giants used Haley as a rotational slot cornerback for two seasons. In that role, he played in 25 of 32 games and started in 12 contests. He racked up 76 tackles, one quarterback sack, and broke up two pass plays.

He was released by the Giants in September 2020, after filling roles as an outside cornerback, slot cornerback, and safety. He excelled at special teams, but that was not enough to keep him on the team.

Haley signed on with the New Orleans Saints, earning a spot on their practice squad. The Saints activated Haley for one game in 2020 due to their depleted secondary from positive COVID-19 tests, a game in which Haley got his first and only NFL interception. Of course, being forced into coverage, under those circumstances, is a challenge, and Haley found himself surprisingly released once more.

Haley is a special team specialist who can add quality depth to the Rams’ secondary. Thanks to the Giants’ willingness to move Haley all over the secondary, he has tremendous versatility in terms of being quite familiar with all positions covered by an NFL defensive back. Initially, he will likely be looked to add his skills to the Rams coverage units. But over time and after some coaching, he could be a player added to help the defense as well.