Rams Roster: Fast 40+ Rams roster roundup: LS Alex Ward (#24th)

The LA Rams certainly had to start from scratch when it came to reforming their special teams units. Perhaps that is the way that ST Coordinator Chase Blackburn wanted it to turn out. He certainly did enough leg work to ensure that the LA Rams ended up with players who he approved, and that has created a wellspring of optimism for the Rams ST units in 2023.

A quick summary

While the future success of the LA Rams is not entirely dependent upon how well rookie long-snapper Alex Ward performs for the LA Rams this season, a poor performance by Ward can certainly create more headaches for the team that is already facing a challenging season. How can you gauge a long snapper's performance? The less that you hear about them, the better they are likely to perform.

What I don't like about this signing

That's a tough question to ask because it's a rather binary question. The answer to this question comes down to whether I believe that the Rams have filled the role. Perhaps my only concern is that the Rams infused no competition into the starting role. Alex Ward is the presumed starting long-snapper because he is the only long-snapper on the Rams roster.

What I like about this signing

As with any and all special team specialists, the LA Rams certainly did not let the absence of draft picks used to land special team specialists diminish their targetted prospects. In fact, based on the preliminary results of what I've learned about the Rams special teams so far, the players added to the Rams roster are arguably best in slot.

Alex Ward showed up on the radar of Reese Senior Bowl Director Jim Nagy in 2022, and he continued to track, and promote, Alex Ward from that point in time. Like this little update:

While there is not correlation between ST Practice Player-of-Week candidates and prolonged and successful NFL careers, that sort of positive buzz cannot be bad, can it?

What I love about this signing

UCF long snapper had a draftable grade as he approached the 2022 NFL Draft, but chose to forego NFL eligibility last year, bulk up a bit by adding muscle, and finish his NCAA football career. He was not selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, but he did sign with the LA Rams after the draft.

Signing rookies who were projected to be drafted seems to be a recurring theme for the LA Rams roster this year, and I'm all for it. Not only do these rookies have a better-then-the-brochure potential, but getting snubbed in an NFL Draft is commonly cited as that extra bit of motivation by those undrafted players who succeed in the NFL.

What are his chances of making the roster?

I think the odds of his making the LA Rams 53-man roster are as close to a sure-thing as any rookie on the Rams roster right now. He is the presumed starting long snapper for the Rams special teams.