When it comes down to the NFL Waiver Wire, the LA Rams travel 1st class this year

While the LA Rams trimming of the roster to achieve the 53-player ceiling may or may not have been everything you had expected it to be, one thing is certain. the worst is over. On Wednesday, August 29, 2023, at approximately 1:00 pm, the LA Rams and all 32 NFL teams will reverse polarity, and scramble to re-sign players back to their 16-man practice squads.

But even before that occurs, the LA Rams may have some unsettled business in terms of dressing up the Rams roster even further. Due to the overwhelming numbers of players recently to get to their 53-man limits, hundreds of players have been waived via the NFL Waiver Wire. The reason that I mention that here and now is that the Rams may be shopping for upgrades to the roster, and submitting waiver claims is one way to go about it.

Best of all, the LA Rams have a unique opportunity to jump nearly all way to front of the NFL Waiver Wire claim this year:

With that in mind, the LA Rams could submit a waiver claim for a placekicker, a backup quarterback, an edge rusher, or even a nose tackle, and have some confidence that they will be awarded that player.

Why go the waiver claim route?

Unlike signing a free agent, being awarded a player via a waive claim simply allows the LA Rams to take over on a contract that the other team had abandoned. That means, if the Rams are award a player who is entering the third year on his rookie contract, the Rams will have that player for the next two seasons.

It's a simple way to know upfront what the contract terms will be, which allows a full vetting of the player via a data analytics cost-benefit analysis. Right now, the Rams could be looking at more than one addition to the Rams roster.

The only problem is that for each player added to the Rams roster, a corresponding slot in the roster must be freed up. For now, the Rams are likely counting on sending rookie OLB Ochaun Mathis to IR, which will free up a roster spot for a kicker. But what about other players who may be needed to ensure adequate depth this season?

The Rams will likely achieve that desired depth via their practice squad. And that practice squad will be assembled on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, starting at 1:00 pm. See you then!