Rams surprise everyone with this roster move as OTAs conclude

The Los Angeles Rams have not disregarded the defensive line in the offseason so far. While the group lost veterans Bobby Brown III and Neville Gallimore, the front office sprang into action pretty quickly. The team signed run-stuffing savant, NT Poona Ford. And the team drafted the highly versatile and athletic rookie defensive lineman Ty Hamilton.

That brought the group up to eight players. To round out the group to an even 10 players for training camp, the team signed collegiate free agent defensive linemen Bill Norton out of Texas and Da'Jon Terry out of Oklahoma. That seemed to saturate the position with 10 strong-bodied defensive linemen.

So, why did the Rams sign an 11th player to the roster, and why did the team do so as OTAs come to a close?

As is the case with any undrafted rookie, the first step is to introduce the player. Decarius Hawthorne piqued the Rams' curiosity because he was a college football player who competed for four seasons at Florida Atlantic University (FAU), and then confirmed his football potential with a fifth and final year playing for the University of Southern Florida (USF).

He was even invited to try out for the Buffalo Bills at their rookie mini camp.

While he did not land a contract to compete for the Bills, he did manage to appear on the Rams' radar. And if you've followed the players recently signed by the team to the defensive front, you will notice that the team's two defensive tackles, Poona Ford and Ty Hamilton, stand 5-foot-11 and 6-foot-2, respectively. Decarious Hawthorne stands 6-foot-1 and tips the scales at 288 pounds.

That is significantly less than Bill Norton (6-foot-6, 335 pounds) or Da'Jon Terry (6-foot-3, 330 pounds), who are also undrafted defensive linemen hoping to make the team.

Hawthorne has his work cut out for him. Joining the team as OTAs concludes puts him at the bottom of the depth chart, through no fault of his own. He is well behind his teammates in terms of working with coaches and teammates, and he will need to work doubly hard simply to catch up to his teammates in time for mini-camp in Maui.

And he signed to just a one-year deal.

But there are indications that he may be a bit of a fast-riser on the team. In 2024, Hawthorne put up 40 tackles and engineered 11 tackles for a loss. He also crafted 2.0 quarterback sacks, deflected two passes, forced a fumble, and recovered a fumble. He did all of that while playing 13 games for a new team.

The odds may be strongly stacked against Hawthorne cracking the 53-man Rams roster, but he has a shot at making the practice squad. He is a passionate overachiever who fits the Rams' profile of a player who can 'play Frogger at a faster pace.' Since Hawthorne does not jump out as particularly athletic, he has accomplished everything so far by outworking and out-hustling his contemporaries.

Those are also the traits that the Rams look for.

There are fewer than three months between now and the opening kickoff, and Decarius Hawthorne is starting at square one by shaking hands and making introductions. He is not a drafted player who is holding out. Rather, he is an undrafted rookie who needs every moment of this offseason to use to earn a spot on the Rams roster. Now? The countdown begins. All we can do is wish him the best.

As always, thanks for reading.

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