LA Rams begin clearing house. Will more players be released?

As of Tuesday, November 8, 2022, the LA Rams roster reflects nine players on injured reserve, and one player designated to return. The active roster just cleared two roster spots, allowing the Rams to activate two players from their injured reserve list. And the team is no closer to fixing the offensive problems than before.

Well, that could be changing. LA Rams head coach Sean McVay swore after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss, as he had sworn after the San Francisco 49ers loss, that changes would be coming. Well, whether expected or a surprise, the Rams certainly seem to be moving towards those changes by announcing the release of two players:

Tight end Kendall Blanton was added to the roster to cover for the three-week suspension of tight end Brycen Hopkins. During his time with the Rams this season, Blanton caught two of two passes thrown his way for 35 yards. That’s not bad for a player who only saw action on 25 offensive snaps this season.

Blanton was never a factor in the Rams’ offense this season, despite his ability to catch the football. He struggled with little usage and then faced expectations to be adept at blocking. Surprisingly, his Pro Football Focus score of 70.1 reflects his ability to catch the few passes thrown his way.

The Rams’ offense is pretty much a hot mess right now. Blanton was actually one of the better performers on the roster, but he has been waived as is likely intended for the practice squad.

Defensive back Terrell Burgess was waived, although his PFF score of 58.6 is not the worst on the Rams roster right now. Burgess had only seen minimal action this season, and whether due to bad play or a bad fit, has struggled to get any work in the Rams secondary since the arrival of DC Raheem Morris.

If both players clear waivers, look for the team to re-sign them to the practice squad. But to be fair, neither player was playing poorly. The Rams needed to open roster spots, and they simply lost out on the luck of the draw.