Should LA Rams claim this developmental pass rusher off waivers?

There are growing concerns over the LA Rams lack of pass rush in preseason games. With the exception of outside linebacker Keir Thomas, the Rams pursuit of opposing quarterbacks has been relatively docile.

In fact, if not for the impressive play of second-year outside linebacker Keir Thomas, the LA Rams pass rush would be incredibly ineffective through two preseason games so far. While it's still only preseason, and a slow start should be expected, the Rams are not going to have much success early in the season if this trend does not improve quickly.

The question then becomes, can the Rams afford to wait for the young players to grow into their roles? Or should the Rams sprinkle a bit of veteran experience into the mix, as the team had done with the secondary, running backs, and receivers?

Is a Rams free agency signing a viable option now?

If you are in favor of the Rams adding a new face to the mix, you are in luck. It appears as though the Minnesota VIkings are waiving young outside linebacker Curtis Weave to make room on their roster. And to add even more intrigue, the LA Rams lost a claim for the young pass rusher in 2020 when both the Rams and the Browns attempted to claim him off the Dolphins' waiver wire.

Now the LA Rams have a chance to submit a new waiver claim for the young pass rusher.

Should they do it?

Weaver appeared in one preseason game for the VIkings, getting two tackles and no quarterback sacks. Prior to competing for the Minnesota Vikings in 2023, he was with the Miami Dolphins in 2020, and then the Cleveland Browns from 2020-2022.

Can Curtis cook?

At 6-foot-2 and 265 pounds, Curtis Weaver is a handful off the edge. But he is entering his fourth NFL season, and has yet to crack a defensive rotation.

Still, he could be a player that the LA Rams slip onto their practice squad, and simply see if he has the stuff to contribute over the course of the 2023 NFL season. That is certainly a low risk strategy.

I expect that the Rams will address the outside linebacker position as NFL teams pare down their roster to make the 53-man limit. And that may very likely mean that that Rams will need to get under the 53-man limit to ensure that the team has room to add a new face to the Rams roster.

Or the Rams can stay the course and hope that rookie pass rushers will find their way to the quarterback over the course of the season. Either way, the Rams roster needs to improve at the position. Whether that means by home grown talent, or importing talent, remains to be seen.