Rams get 'Strong'er on the practice squad, and other roster signings

I: DT Jack Heflin

Signing DT Jack Heflin is a very curious strategy by the Rams front office for multiple reasons. He is a big and physical interior defensive lineman who has played for three NFL seasons for three different NFL teams. He has had very limited experience so far in terms of defensive snaps. But at a height of 6-foot-3, and a weight of 304 pounds, he continues to draw interest from NFL GMs who seek a blocker-gobbler.

And as his draft profile states directly, he arrived at the NFL more of a blocker-gobbler than as a play-maker.

While you might scoff at and disregard Jack Heflin as simply another warm body on the practice squad, I would recommend keeping an open mind over his potential contribution on the team. For starters, he has a significant background in wrestling. From my experience, any offensive or defensive lineman with a wrestling background typically has tremendous core strength, superior balance, and an uncanny efficiency with both handwork and footwork.

Of course, that only matters if he gets the opportunity to play. He has not earned that right so far, with defensive snaps of 17, 23, and 17 respectively over his three NFL seasons. To be fair, he has been a practice squad player so far, and his limited defensive snaps happened when he was activated for games by the Green Bay Packers, the New York Giants, and the New Orleans Saints.

Of course, there is little evidence to suggest that the Rams coaching staff can unlock anything special from a journeyman defensive lineman who has just two tackles in his NFL career. But that is what makes him so intriguing. Rams DL Coach Giff Smith is a savvy veteran who is almost certainly not swept up in the flavor-of-the-month in terms of players. He clearly has his thumbprint on this signing.

The team is due to lose DTs Bobby Brown III and Larrell Murchison to expired contracts at the end of this season. Coach Smith may be staking his claim to a player who he hopes to develop now and bring back for the 2025 NFL season for a larger role.

Heflin is built to take on double teams and stuff the run. While that type of role seldom excites fans who look for quarterback sacks, the Rams are wise to invest in that role now. And if he starts to click, he could be in line for a larger role in 2025.

As always, thanks for reading.

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