LA Rams front office scrambles to add 9 to Rams roster

Amidst the COVID-19 chaos of the LA Rams roster fluctuations, many have been concerned about the lack of action by the team’s front office to get players signed to the team. Of course, there was reason to delay, if for no other reason than the mere fact that the roster was depleting so quickly, the front office needed some stability before taking action to ensure that the team would be filling the most vital priorities.

But when the team was truly at risk of not having enough healthy players to suit up for Week 15 between both the active and practice squad rosters, the concerns of some fans spilled over. So the front office began to take action. It started on December 16 (per the official team website) when the team added veteran defensive back, Greg Stroman, to the practice squad.

Of course, most of the focus of NFL news was the fact that the team was moving so many players to their Reserve/COVID-19 list. That has been the topic of daily updates since December 11, when the team first assigned running back Darrell Henderson to the list.

Rams roster making a comeback

The resulting depletion was so vast that the LA Rams was faced with a forfeiture of the game, something that had not happened in the history of the sport. Shortly after we published that precarious situation, NFL columnist Charles Robinson picked up on just how close the Rams were to an official forfeiture. Per NFL rules, a forfeiture results in the non-forfeiting team winning the game by a score of 2-0, and neither team’s roster being paid for that game.

As the reality set in, it made more logical sense for the Rams to refuse to play with a roster in shambles on Sunday. And that is when it seems that the NFL got serious about delaying the game to a point in time where the Rams roster would be in a much better position to compete safely. So the NFL postponed the game to Tuesday, December 21. Okay, that pretty much catches you up to the COVID-19 stuff.

But there has been another side to this set of developments. The front office has gone on a bit of a mini-shopping spree to restock the Rams roster. So why not talk about the new players who may be nothing more than a set of warm bodies in football uniforms until the starters get back? Or could some of the latest additions be more strategic?  To determine that, we need to cover who has been added since the COVID spike began.

Special team backups? Check

Okay. So let’s get to it. The first concerns over the COVID concerns in 2020 were to add emergency special team specialists. Those positions include a punter, a kicker, and a long snapper. For now, it seems that the team is okay with an emergency punter falling to placekicker Matt Gay. But the team did add an emergency long snapper and placekicker.

So the Rams added a pair of defensive backs, a long snapper, and a placekicker. To be honest, the front office seemed to be on track with reacting to the holes that were appearing or at the greatest risk on the roster. But in our latest roster evaluation, we noted that the offensive line was also quite shallow. But that only creates new opportunities for the front office to wow the fans, right?

Rams roster signings

Well, whether overly optimistic or just trying to make the best of a rather bleak situation, the hope is that the Rams added players who will prove to be more than warm bodies, and with the latest additions, we have reason to believe that to be the case.

All in all, the LA Rams signed nine new players to the practice squad. For a breakdown of categories, we have:

Special team signings – 2 (LS -1, PK -1)
Offensive signings -4 (OL- 3, TE – 1)
Defensive signings – 3 (DB -3)

Now, let’s meet and greet these nine new additions.  You may enjoy this.

Special teams signings

It’s a safe bet to expect any special team player signed as an emergency backup has a history with LA Rams Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamilis, and long snapper Carson Tinker is no exception. At 6-foot-0 and 233-pounds, the long snapper joined the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2013. He remained with the Jaguars through 2019, when he was cut. He has since been signed to the practice squads of the New York Giants in 2020, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Las Vegas Raiders in 2021.

While he is likely just a Plan B option for the LA Rams, he is an intriguing player who has a personable and professional demeanor. He has been a rather well-traveled player in the past two seasons, but he is certainly plenty for the Rams’ needs: a just-in-case backup.

Santoso is just for kicks

The Rams added a behemoth of a punter/placekicker by signing 6-foot-5 258-pound placekicker Ryan Santoso. Curiously, he has far more experience at kickoff than kicking field goals. Over his NFL career, he has had 32 kickoffs, with 21 resulting in touchbacks. But for two NFL seasons, he has attempted just eight extra points, making six. He has attempted just five field goals and made four.

He too served on the New York Giants practice squad in 2020. In 2019, he signed on with the Detroit Lions, and then the Tennessee Titans. In 2021, the Giants traded Santoso to the Carolina Panthers, who subsequently waived him. He signed on with the Tennessee Titans and the Detroit Lions before signing on with the LA Rams.

Rams secondary is the primary need

Okay, so let’s get to the hear of the new signings, the LA Rams secondary. So far, the team has signed Greg Stroman, Damarious Randall, and Delrick Abrams. So the obvious question is: Who are they? Should any be excited about them this late in the season?

Greg Stroman was drafted by the Washington Football Team with the 241st pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. Despite the late selection, he was a rookie who started three games for Washington’s defense. Standing 6-foot-0 and weighing 182 pounds, he has all of the natural ability to defend passes in the air. In his rookie season, he allowed just 28 of 44 targets to find their mark. He had four pass deflections, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. He even had 38 tackles and one QB hit.

Stroman’s draft profile cited his 4.48-sec 40-yard dash speed and natural ball defense instincts as reasons to add him to an NFL roster. But the concerns over his durability in the NFL were founded, as he has only seen action in five games since his rookie season. He battled injuries in both 2020 and in 2021 but was healthy enough to be signed by the Rams. If he can stay healthy, he could be someone to keep a close eye on.

Rams roster signs Randall

Damarious Randall is a speedy and versatile defensive back who has the chops to play virtually any position in the Rams’ secondary and do so with an expectation of playing well. While standing 5-foot-11 and weighing 196-pounds, his 4.46-second 40-time is enough to raise an eyebrow. He was the 29th player picked in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers but did not deliver at the expectations of a first-rounder.

Over the past six seasons, Randall has played in 75 games and has earned 56 career starts. His best work occurred in 2018-19 with the Cleveland Browns, where he filled a safety role. Most recently, he signed on with the Seattle Seahawks but was cut before the season started. In his career, he has 14 interceptions, 293 tackles, 2.5 quarterback sacks, two fumble recoveries, and two pick-sixes. I really like this pickup, even in the late-season addition. Randall is versatile, experienced, and has a solid body of work.

Another very intriguing defensive back added to the team’s practice squad secondary is the 6-foot-3 185-pound defensive back, Delrick Abrams. He signed on with the Atlanta Falcons after the 2020 NFL Draft from the University of Colorado. While he was seldom used, he has the type of height for a defensive back that is on every defensive coordinator’s wish list.

He must have made an impression on LA Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris in 2020 because the Rams brought him in to play for Morris this year. He has the type of speed the Rams seem to like, running a 4.5-second 40 on his pro day.

Three defensive backs added, now onto the offense.

Center of attention

The LA Rams have certainly done an entire circuit at the offensive center position this season. While the team did not add any offensive centers in the 2021 NFL Free Agency market, the team did lose 2020 starter Austin Blythe to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Rams decided on Austin Corbett until the pads went on, then did an about-face and promoted Brian Allen to the starting role.

But Allen has been banged up a lot this year, opening the door for backup Coleman Shelton to start for the LA Rams for the past two games. But that has pushed the roster a bit thin, and the current spiking of COVID-19 puts the team in a horrific situation if anything happens to Shelton.

If at first, you don’t succeed, try try again. That is the approach taken by the LA Rams over claiming offensive center Drake Jackson of the NFL waiver wire. The first attempt was four months ago after he was waived by the Detroit Lions. The Rams failed then, but have since signed the 6-foot-2 292-pound athletic offensive center.

So far, he has spent time with the Lions, the Houston Texans, and the New England Patriots. While he is a bit smallish, he is an ideal backup for an athletic center like Coleman Shelton or the Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason Kelce. He is an excellent tactician, able to see and call proper blocking assignments. His athleticism is apparent on running plays, as he is quick to get off and pop through his primary and secondary blocking assignments. He was on the radar for good reason. Now he is with the Rams and is a very intriguing player to keep on your radar.

More offensive linemen

Believe it or not, we had Oklahoma Sooner offensive tackle Adrian Ealy on our radar as a potential undrafted free agent signing  (UDFA) after the 2021 NFL Draft. He is a behemoth, standing 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 321 pounds. He is a natural offensive right tackle and is someone who is a big and fierce competitor on the line of scrimmage.

The young man signed with the Baltimore Ravens but was cut after a six-game suspension due to the use of PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs). He signed to the Denver Broncos for a short stint on their practice squad but did not earn playing time. He is likely a short-term roster fill, but he has some serious potential. Not only is he a big-bodied offensive tackle, but he hails from the same college as current offensive tackle Bobby Evans.

Rams finally sign Reiter

To say that the LA Rams had veteran center Austin Reiter on their radar is like saying that the summer sun is bright. From the moment that LA Rams starting center Austin Blythe signed on with the Chiefs, almost anyone who followed the NFL urged the Rams to sign on the Kansas City Chiefs’ former starting offensive center.  Of course, we were equally guilty of that failed attempt to lobby on his behalf before the 2021 NFL Draft.

We were back at the pulpit once more when the season started, begging the LA Rams to consider signing the veteran offensive center.  Now here we are, in mid-December 2021, and the LA Rams have done exactly that. While many may think this to be too much too little too late, his presence on the Rams roster could translate into having him in place for the NFL playoffs. Now wouldn’t that be fun?

Reiter is a stud at pass blocking, cited as the fifth-best pass-blocking offensive center since 2019. But he was available, so the LA Rams scooped him up.

Hey, it’s easy to brush off the Rams’ recent roster additions as placeholders. But upon closer inspection, the players signed are high-quality competitors that have been on the radar for some time. Reiter is the latest who has serious upside, particularly in the post-season.

Welcome back Markway

The final addition to the LA Rams practice squad roster is by no means the least of the bunch. In fact, he is a player who is familiar to the LA Rams, former tight end Kyle Markway. Markway is back, and just in time to perhaps earn a second chance for some playing time on the team.

If you recall, Markway was heavily buried on a very deep tight-end depth chart that included both Johnny Mundt and Jacob Harris. Of course, both Mundt and Harris have suffered season-ending injuries, so it makes sense to bring back Markway to resume his NFL Development. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing in at 250-pounds, Markway signed on late in training camp and failed to develop quickly enough to ensure a roster spot on the Rams roster.

Because he joined late and was so buried on the Rams roster, he truly did not have much of a chance to impress the coaching staff. When the Rams had a chance to sign veteran punter Corey Bojorquez, Markway was released to make room on the roster. But he was an intriguing player then and remains an intriguing player today. Will he stick with the Rams roster this time? Well, the team certainly has a more receptive situation for him this time.

Summing it all up

Okay, so where are we today? As we’ve come to learn all season, the LA Rams roster is very fluid right now.  After restoring six players to the active roster yesterday, the team has announced the restoration of both Jalen Ramsey (yay) and Grant Haley. In a surprise announcement, the team also has designated running back Jake Funk to return as well.

As of publication, the LA Rams official website now lists 43 players on the active roster, and 16 players on the team’s practice squad. Two players are currently on the IR/Designated-to-return list.

Five players remain on Injured Reserve. 18 players remain on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, and four players remain on the Practice Squad Reserve/COVID-19 list. There are two more days remaining for the teams to clear players to play on Tuesday, and the current momentum seems to be building for the Rams to clear more players in time for game time.

Whew! That’s a lot of ground covered. And there is plenty more to discuss after you digest all of this. Stay tuned.