LA Rams activate Ernest Jones, waive DB Antoine Brooks in latest roster moves

The LA Rams have found a good cadence, a choreographed dance if you will, that has become a pattern of their front office roster manipulations.  In short, they’ve learned that the team needs special team specialists available for game day, and doesn’t during the week of practice.

And so, as they have done so before each playoff game, the LA Rams have signed placekicker Ryan Santoso and long snapper Carson Tinker to the team’s practice squad and waived wide receiver Warren Jackson and TE Kyle Markway. After the game has been played, if the team advances, the Rams will waive placekicker Ryan Santoso and long snapper Carson Tinker from the team’s practice squad and re-sign wide receiver Warren Jackson and TE Kyle Markway.

It’s been the same pattern for a month, so its occurrence is not exactly newsworthy.

What about Ernest Jones?

Of course, that is not the only move that has occurred in this announcement. True to their word, the LA Rams have restored rookie inside linebacker Ernest Jones to the team’s active 53-man roster. To make room, the team has elected to waive defensive back Antoine Brooks Jr.

Brooks may not have shown up in gameplay, but he’s been a staple of the Rams coverage units, playing in 10 games for the Rams on special teams. He recorded three tackles during the regular season and one more against the Arizona Cardinals in the Wildcard Round of the NFL Playoffs.

In his roster spot, the Rams will now find Ernest Jones. Jones has been the starting inside linebacker for the Rams, including his last five games, before suffering an injury in Week 16 against the Minnesota Vikings.

Will Jones step right up?

Before his injury, Jones was truly starting to claim the middle of the defense as his territory. In a three-game span of Weeks 13-15, Jones recorded 27 tackles, one interception, one quarterback hit, and three pass deflections. Jones can defend both the pass and the run, which makes him a vital component to a defense facing the 49ers. Many of the San Francisco 49ers’ passes are targetted across the middle.

While the Rams defense is not quite back to ‘full strength’, the return of Ernest Jones is truly a step in the right direction. He has a solid ability to see what the offense is doing, and is the best inside linebacker on the team at being in the right position. Of course, he’s been out for a while, a month to be exact.

While he may not dominate in this game as we might hope, I believe that he will make a difference. The Rams have been working with Travin Howard and Troy Reeder. While Howard has been very effective, Reeder continues to find himself missing tackles and playing out of position. Jones will not make those same mistakes. In a game of this significance, I like the fact that Ernest Jones will be on the football field.