Rams' latest roster move raises serious questions about Terrance Ferguson

The Los Angeles Rams are too far into the season to be making meaningful roster moves. With two preseason games remaining, and roster cuts immediately following the outcomes of those games, the team already has its depth chart and first roster lined up and penciled in. So any actions taken by general manager Les Snead can be discounted.

Fans shouldn’t rush to discount anything Snead does. He’s a mastermind of strategy, a measure-twice-cut-once artisan, a professional who brings a casual demeanor to a meticulous process. In short, he’s a magician, showing something splashy over there while working his real magic over here.

So what’s the next trick from the luxurious Les Snead? He’s about to pull a rabbit out of a hat. The team is waiting for rookie TE Terrance Ferguson to fully recover from a groin injury, which has put more emphasis on the remaining tight ends. That preseason workload shifted to undrafted TE Anthony Torres, who then suffered an injury.

Rams bolster TE depth with addition of McCallan Castles

The team waived Anthony Torres (ankle) with an injury designation and signed free-agent tight end McCallan Castles. A native of South Lake Tahoe, CA, Castles has spent time with the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Chargers since 2024.

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound undrafted tight end has yet to appear in an NFL game. Though he went undrafted, projections had him as a potential Day 3 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft. Coming out of Tennessee, he was viewed as an intriguing prospect with all the building blocks to become a productive pro.

He brings a solid route tree and soft hands to the position. He has shown flashes as a run blocker, though consistency remains an area for improvement. Initially released by the Eagles with an injury designation, he later joined the Chargers' practice squad in October 2024.

While he is, at best, a practice squad candidate at this late hour, the need to add a healthy tight end is telling. The Rams are already dealing with an injury to Ferguson. The injury to Torres left the team with just four healthy players at the position. Since neither Tyler Higbee nor Colby Parkinson will play in preseason games, the Rams took the pragmatic step of restoring the roster to allow for preseason competition.

This could also be a clue that reinforces the notion the Rams’ offensive playbook will carry more emphasis on 12-personnel packages. The attributes of Castles are more aligned with a pass-catcher than a blocking tight end. Looking through that lens, the Rams seem focused on tight ends running routes for now.

And that is very interesting. As always, thanks for reading.

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