The Final Cut: Down To 53

[PressureD41]

Wish he was.

video's on jumbotron at half time LMAO

 

[Agamemnon]

I think we need 7 more cuts if my ciphering is correct. I haven't seen anything on these guys.

_3 Daniel Rodriguez
_9 Davis, Austin *16-RFA
48 J Cunningham 13/7 Ind *16-XFA
72 Marcus Forston *16
50 Cameron Lynch
37 Christian Bryant 14/7b *17-XFA
32 McGee, Brandon 13/5 *17

 

[DR RAM]

I think we need 7 more cuts if my ciphering is correct. I haven't seen anything on these guys.

_3 Daniel Rodriguez
_9 Davis, Austin *16-RFA
48 J Cunningham 13/7 Ind *16-XFA
72 Marcus Forston *16
50 Cameron Lynch
37 Christian Bryant 14/7b *17-XFA
32 McGee, Brandon 13/5 *17

I believe Forston was in the first cuts, I think Cunningham, Lynch, and Bryant will make it. McGee may be put on some sort of IR again. JMO.

 

[Agamemnon]

According to Wiki, we still need 3 cuts.

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...bin-to-ir-jesse-williams-to-nfi-for-seahawks/

Robert Turbin to IR, Jesse Williams to NFI for Seahawks
Posted by Josh Alper on September 5, 2015

On Friday night, there were reports from Seattle that the team was trying to trade running backChristine Michael and that they would waiverunning back Robert Turbin with an injured designation.

If Turbin cleared waivers, he’d revert to injured reserve but the Seahawks decided not to risk it. Turbin was placed directly on injured reserve Saturday, ending his season because of an ankle injury. Cornerback Mohammed Seisay, acquired in a trade with the Lions, was also placed on injured reserve while defensive tackle Jesse Williams will continue his comeback from cancer on the non-football illness list.

The biggest move the Seahawks made Saturday may be the trade of a fifth-round pick to Kansas City for safety Kelcie McCray. It’s an indication that they don’t expect Kam Chancellor to end his holdout and get on the field in the immediate future. They didn’t trade Michael, who will join Marshawn Lynch, Thomas Rawls and Fred Jackson, whose official addition to the roster will necessitate another move, in the backfield.

Among the cuts, the most notable might be tackle Terry Poole. Poole was a fourth-round pick this year, but couldn’t find room on the roster despite Seattle’s offensive line issues this summer.

Seattle cut tight end Anthony McCoy, cornerback Will Blackmon, defensive tackle T.Y. McGill, cornerback Douglas McNeil III, safety Ronald Martin Jr., guard Keavon Milton, safety Ryan Murphy, guard/center Will Pericak, linebacker Eric Pinkins, linebacker Alex Singleton, wide receiver Kevin Smith, running back Rod Smith, defensive end Julius Warmsley, wide receiver Kasen Williams, linebacker Tyrell Adams, tight end Rashaun Allen, quarterback R.J. Archer and defensive end Obum Gwacham.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/05/reggie-wayne-released-brandon-lafell-to-pup/

Reggie Wayne released, Brandon LaFell to PUP
Posted by Josh Alper on September 5, 2015

The Patriots have announced the final roster moves they made to get to 53 players and Reggie Waynehas indeed been released.

Wayne’s departure was expected after Josina Anderson of ESPN’s report that he would not be on the roster after the cuts were made. Coach Bill Belichick called the departure “mutually agreed upon,” which is likely a nice way of saying that the Patriots were fine seeing him go and Wayne was fine with the $450,000 he received for signing two weeks ago. Wayne isn’t the only wide receiver leaving the team.

Jalen Saunders has also been dropped from the roster a few days after being acquired from the Saints for a conditional draft pick. Assuming one of the conditions was that Saunders actually make the team, the Saints probably won’t be seeing any compensation on their end of the deal. They also released tight end Asante Cleveland, who they acquired from the 49ers in another trade, and cornerback Justin Coleman, who was signed on Friday.

Brandon LaFell will remain with the team, but he won’t play until Week Seven at the earliest after being moved to the regular season version of the PUP list. LaFell has a foot injury that’s kept him out for the entire summer. Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, Aaron Dobson and Chris Harper are the wide receivers to make the cut to 53 players.

The Patriots confirmed the previously reported releases of running back Jonas Gray and cornerback Robert McClain. Linebacker Darius Fleming, defensive lineman Zach Moore, defensive back Daxton Swanson, linebacker Xzavier Dickson and safety Brandon King.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/05/vikings-pare-roster-to-53-players/

Vikings pare roster to 53 players
Posted by Josh Alper on September 5, 2015

The Vikings got around to announcing their roster moves a couple of hours after the deadline to make them on Saturday, which meant there was plenty of time for the biggest name to leak out ahead of time.

Or the biggest player, anyway. That would be Polish import Babatunde Aiyegbusi, whoannounced his own departure on Facebook well ahead of the Vikings’ decision to do the same thing.

The Vikings also parted ways with defensive tackle Chigbo Anunoby, defensive end B.J. Dubose, guard Isame Faciane, center Tom Farniok, wide receiver Donte Foster, wide receiver Isaac Fruechte, safety Anthony Harris, running back DuJuan Harris, defensive tackle Greg Hickman, defensive end Leon Mackey, linebacker Michael Mauti, linebacker Brian Peters, cornerback Shaun Prater, fullback Blake Renaud, cornerback Josh Thomas, tackle Tyrus Thompson, center Bob Vardaro, linebacker Brandon Watts (pictured), wide receiver Ryan Whalen, running back Dominique Williams and offensive lineman David Yankey.

Thompson, Watts, Yankey, Mauti and DuBose were all drafted by the team with Thompson and DuBose coming in this year’s draft.

The Vikings also made a trade with the Chargers for offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles and placed cornerback Jabari Price on the reserve/suspended list Saturday.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...zach-zenner-makes-it-as-lions-get-down-to-53/

Preseason star Zach Zenner makes it as Lions get down to 53
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 5, 2015

The Lions have kept Zach Zenner on their 53-man roster.

Zenner, an undrafted rookie from South Dakota State, looked like an extreme long shot when he was first signed in May. The Lions had good depth at running back, and Zenner seemed more like a training camp body than a player with a real shot of making the team.

But Zenner led all NFL players in rushing yards this preseason, and as a result the Lions have decided to keep him.

The Lions’ cuts included defensive tackle Jermelle Cudjo, defensive end Larry Webster, defensive tackle Kerry Hyder, defensive tackle Jerel Worthy, linebacker Julian Stanford, defensive back Isaiah Johnson, defensive back Brian Suite, defensive back Nate Ness, quarterback Kellen Moore, running back George Winn, running back Emil Igwenagu, receiver Jeremy Ross, tight end Joseph Fauria, tight end Casey Pierce, center Braxston Cave, guard Torrian Wilson, tackle Xavier Proctor, center Al Bond and centerJoe Madsen.

The Lions also placed defensive lineman Corey Wootton and receiver Greg Salas on injured reserve.

 

[Memphis Ram]

Browns clearly have more moves coming, with six offensive linemen
Posted by Darin Gantt on September 5, 2015, 6:47 PM EDT

AP
There’s a temptation to call what happened in the NFL today final cuts, but they’re obviously far from that.

Perhaps no team illustrates that more than the Browns, who in paring their roster from 75 to 53 decided to keep just six offensive linemen.

“Obviously the roster is still fluid, but I don’t see us being extremely active in that market,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

For the sake of the two quarterbacks on their roster, they better get that way.

The Browns kept Joe Thomas, Joel Bitonio, Alex Mack, John Greco, Mitchell Schwartz and Cameron Erving, which should give them a very good starting five. At the moment, Erving, the No. 19 pick in this year’s draft, is the non-starter among them.

Teams either carry seven or eight offensive linemen on their game-day active rosters, so reinforcements are doubtless coming. But they’ll need to add a few practice squaders as well to get through their week of preparation, since they only have 20 percent of a second string.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...more-moves-coming-with-six-offensive-linemen/

 

[RamBill]

St. Louis Rams cut 21 players, including Barrett Jones
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...s-rams-cut-21-players-including-barrett-jones

Most significant move: For most of the offseason and preseason, Barrett Jones looked poised to finally take the reins and become the St. Louis Rams' starting center. He was given the opportunity to compete with Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney, rotating with them throughout. Now, Jones is out of a job. The irony in it all is that one of the primary reasons Jones wasn't kept was because of a lack of positional versatility, which was one of his hallmarks coming out of Alabama. But it never really translated in St. Louis as Jones struggled to move defenders in the run game and doesn't possess Rhaney's athleticism to get to the second level in the team's zone blocking schemes. The Rams have been slow to let go of draft picks in the past but Jones had two injury-plagued seasons and a full offseason to get up to speed to make the starting job his own. Because he didn't he's now in need of a new one.

Final Roster Cuts

A surprise at linebacker: After signing veteran linebacker Akeem Ayers in March, the Rams looked like they finally had positioned themselves to have some veteran depth at linebacker. Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who had been a starter on the strong side figured to at worst become the primary backup at all three linebacker spots. Instead, Dunbar is gone and the Rams are light on depth once again at the position. Instead, the Rams opted to keep special teams leader Daren Bates, undrafted rookie Cameron Lynch and seventh-round pick Bryce Hager behind James Laurinaitis, Ayers and Alec Ogletree. The Rams do have safety Mark Barron, who can play a hybrid role as a linebacker but there's not much depth here once again.

Loading up on O-linemen but with a twist: It was expected that the Rams would keep 10 offensive linemen and they did. But it's not the ones many thought. Aside from Jones and Dunbar, the other name on the team's list of cuts that might qualify as a surprise is rookie tackle Isaiah Battle. From the moment the team used a fifth-round pick in next year's draft to add Battle in the supplemental draft this year, the Rams said that he would be a work in progress. It was clear from the preseason that Battle has a long way to go before he can contribute. That the Rams opted to keep undrafted rookie Darrell Williams instead of Battle is a testament to just how far off Battle is from being able to play. Now, the Rams will roll the dice that they can get him through to the practice squad. If they lose him, it will be the second pick they've surrendered in next year's draft, along with the seventh-round choice they sent to Houston for quarterback Case Keenum.

What's next: The Rams will have a walk-through Sunday and will have Monday off before beginning their practice week with a light workout Tuesday. They open the season at home against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 13.

Rams cuts: QB Austin Davis, TE Alex Bayer, OT Isaiah Battle, TE Justice Cunningham, WR Emory Blake, WR Daniel Rodriguez, RB Malcolm Brown, S Christian Bryant, DT Marcus Forston, CB Montell Garner, S Jacob Hagen, DE Martin Ifedi, RB Zach Laskey, DE Matt Longacre, OL Barrett Jones, LB Marshall McFadden, CB Brandon McGee, CB Trovon Reed, DT Louis Trinca-Pasat, G Brandon Washington. RB Trey Watts was placed on the reserve/suspended list. LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar's contract was terminated.

 

[RamBill]

St. Louis Rams announce final cuts
By Nate Latsch

http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1583194-st-louis-rams-announce-final-cuts

The St. Louis Rams announced their final cuts on Saturday evening, including some surprising names, as they got down to the NFL-mandated 53-player limit.

ST. LOUIS — The Rams have to cut down the roster to 53 players by 3 p.m. Saturday. Here’s a look at who has been released…

OL Isaiah Battle: The Rams used a 2016 fifth-round pick to select Battle in the supplemental draft this summer knowing the former Clemson left tackle needed time to develop. But apparently they like undrafted rookie Darrell Williams from South Florida more, because they kept him on the 53-man roster. This was a surprising cut.

TE Alex Bayer: Signed as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Bowling Green a year ago, Bayer impressed the Rams enough to grab a roster spot and appear in six regular season games. But he failed to distinguish himself in his second training camp. He caught three passes for 18 yards this preseason.

WR Emory Blake: Blake has hung around the Rams for a few years on the practice squad but hasn’t established himself as a legitimate option for them at wide receiver. He caught two passes for 27 yards in the preseason.

RB Malcolm Brown: Signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent after leading the Texas Longhorns in rushing in three of his four seasons, Brown impressed during the preseason. He rushed for 69 yards on 17 carries and caught nine passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.

S Christian Bryant: Bryant was the second of the Rams’ four seventh-round picks in 2014 — after OL Mitchell Van Dyk but before DE Michael Sam and OL Demetrius Rhaney — but was cut at the end of training camp as a rookie. He spent the 2014 season on the Rams’ practice squad but didn’t do much of note in his second training camp.

TE Justice Cunningham: The South Carolina product spent parts of the last two seasons on the St. Louis practice squad and spent time on the active roster last season. He looked like he had better hands this training camp — one of the knocks against him a year ago — but must not have done enough to impress the coaching staff.

QB Austin Davis: The competition for the No. 2 quarterback spot between Case Keenum and Davis never really happened. Davis was the least used of the Rams’ four quarterbacks during preseason games. He played in 10 games in 2014, starting eight, and completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 2,001 yards, with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions, and a QB rating of 85.1.

LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar: The Rams replaced the two-year starter with the free agent signing of Akeem Ayers, so the team will save some money with the release of the veteran Dunbar but could bring him back at some point with a contract that isn’t guaranteed. If he had been on the roster at the start of his season, he would have been guaranteed his salary for the season.

DT Marcus Forston: Added to the roster during training camp, after being out of football for most of the previous 12 months, Forston was fighting an uphill battle in trying to land a spot on the defensive line.

CB Montell Garner: An undrafted rookie out of South Alabama, Garner survived the cut down to 75 players and then played well in the preseason finale against the Chiefs with a couple tackles and a forced fumble.

S Jacob Hagen: Another undrafted rookie, out of Liberty, Hagen had some decent moments in training camp but was competing for a spot with a safety group that included several established veterans.

DE Martin Ifedi: A seventh-round draft pick out of Memphis, the 6-foot-3, 275-pounder looks the part of an NFL defensive end but failed to make much of an impact during the Rams’ four preseason games.

C Barrett Jones: One of the surprising cuts, Jones was a fourth-round pick in 2013 following a decorated collegiate career at Alabama. He played in just 11 games over two seasons and lost out in the starting center competition against Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney.

FB Zach Laskey: A productive player at Georgia Tech, Laskey didn’t get many opportunities during the four preseason games. He finished with one reception for nine yards but did not record a rushing attempt.

DE Matt Longacre: The standout from Northwest Missouri State had a good preseason, particularly the final game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but faced long odds earning a roster spot on a loaded defensive line group in St. Louis.

LB Marshall McFadden: One of the linebackers brought in a year ago after the release of Ray-Ray Armstrong, McFadden played in five games before being released and added to the practice squad. He was on the roster bubble, but the Rams went with undrafted rookie Cameron Lynch out of Syracuse instead.

CB Brandon McGee: A fifth-round pick in 2013, McGee played in 15 games as a rookie but was limited by injuries to just two games the following season. He spent most of this training camp unable to practice because of an injury.

CB Trovon Reed: Signed after the Rams were depleted by injuries to E.J. Gaines and Brandon McGee at cornerback, Reed filled in for a few weeks but didn’t do enough to distinguish himself and earn a spot.

WR Daniel Rodriguez: The undersized wide receiver has a well-documented story as a war hero who returned home and then walked on at Clemson. He got opportunities to return kicks in the preseason but was not on the same level as the wide receivers competing for roster spots.

DT Louis Trinca-Pasat: An undrafted rookie from the University of Iowa, Trinca-Pasat was one of the more impressive players throughout the preseason but couldn’t unseat second-year defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks as the eighth defensive lineman on the roster.

OL Brandon Washington: The Rams gave Washington plenty of snaps at left guard after the injury to Rodger Saffold early in the first preseason game, but Washington didn’t do enough with his opportunities to warrant a spot on the 53-man roster.

Note: RB Trey Watts was placed on the reserve/suspended list, which does not count as a spot on the 53-man roster. He is suspended for the first four games because he violated the league’s substance abuse policy, but will re-join the team at the conclusion of his suspension.

 

[Prime Time]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/05/saints-move-to-53/

Saints move to 53
Posted by Mike Florio on September 5, 2015

The Saints may not be publicly announcing their roster moves, but they were required to privately provide them to the league. Per a league source, here are the moves made by the Saints to get to 53 players.

Waived were linebacker Justin Anderson, running back Edwin Baker, tackle Nick Becton, tight endOrson Charles (who is suspended for Week One), linebacker Henry Coley, linebackerJerry Franklin, guard Mike Golic, quarterback Ryan Griffin, tackle Bryce Harris, tackle Sean Hickey, kicker Dustin Hopkins (whose contract is partially guaranteed), defensive back Stanley Jean-Baptiste (whose contract is partially guaranteed), receiver Seantavius Jones, guard Cyril Lemon, tight end Chris Manhertz, running back Toben Opurum, defensive back Sammy Seamster, and defensive back Pierre Warren.

The Saints also cut four vested veterans: linebacker Parys Haralson, receiver Joe Morgan(pictured), receiver Josh Morgan, and tight end Alex Smith.

The veterans instantly become free agents, and the others pass through waivers.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/05/bears-have-few-surprises-among-their-cuts-to-53/

Bears have few surprises among their cuts to 53
Posted by Darin Gantt on September 5, 2015

While there was some talk that outside linebacker Willie Young might be available, the Bears got down to the 53-man roster limit with him still on board and few surprises.

The Bears cut veteran linebacker Mason Foster and tight ends Dante Rosario and Bear Pascoe as they made their moves.

They waived outside linebacker David Bass, quarterback Zac Dysert, offensive linemanMichael Ola, wide receiver Ify Umodu, defensive tackle Terry Williams, wide receiverAJ Cruz (injured), inside linebacker Matthew Wells, inside linebacker Jonathan Anderson, tight end Gannon Sinclair, cornerback Jacoby Glenn, offensive lineman Tyler Moore, wide receiver Rashad Lawrence, offensive lineman Connor Boffeli, cornerbackQumain Black and outside linebacker Kyle Woestmann.

They also placed safety Anthony Jefferson on injured reserve and defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff on the reserve/suspended list.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/05/bucs-cut-former-starting-guard-patrick-omameh/

Bucs cut former starting guard Patrick Omameh
Posted by Darin Gantt on September 5, 2015

The Buccaneers needed to remake their offensive line, so it makes sense that they cut one of last year’s starters.

Former starting right guard Patrick Omameh was among the Buccaneers cuts announced today as they got to the 53-man limit.

Omameh was being used at tackle this year, but apparently didn’t do enough to secure future employment after the Bucs spent a pair of high picks on offensive linemen.

The Bucs also cut veteran defensive ends Da’Quan Bowers and Lawrence Sidbury, Jr., linebacker Larry Dean and kicker Connor Barth. They waived cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah, wide receiver Kaelin Clay, tackle Edawn Coughman, defensive end Ryan Delaire, cornerback Brandon Dixon, wide receiver Donteea Dye, cornerback Isaiah Frey, linebacker Khaseem Greene, safety Chris Hackett, linebacker Josh Keyes, wide receiver Tavarres King, quarterback Seth Lobato, defensive tackle Caushaud Lyons and waived-injured kicker Patrick Murray and guard Garrett Gilkey.

They placed wide receiver Kenny Bell and defensive end Larry English on injured reserve.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2015/09/05/raiders-cut-christian-ponder-trim-roster-to-53/

Raiders cut Christian Ponder, trim roster to 53
Posted by Michael David Smith on September 5, 2015

The $1.5 million signing bonus the Raiders paid Christian Ponder this offseason has officially gone to waste.

The Raiders confirmed today that they have released Ponder, who was expected to back up starting quarterback Derek Carr this year but was outplayed in the preseason by Matt McGloin.

Oakland also cut veteran safety Taylor Mays, receiver Kris Durham and defensive lineman C.J. Wilson.

The following players were placed on waivers: RB George Atkinson, G Mitch Bell, RB Michael Dyer, LB Spencer Hadley, DE Shelby Harris, T Dan Kistler, TE Brian Leonhardt, DT Ricky Lumpkin, CB Tevin McDonald, DT Leon Orr, LB Josh Shirley, K Giorgio Tavecchio, DE Max Valles, DE Gary Wilkins and WR Devon Wylie.

Oakland also waived/injured tackle Anthony Morris and put safety Brandian Ross on injured reserve.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ait-on-logan-thomas-as-they-make-their-moves/

Cardinals cut bait on Logan Thomas as they make their moves
Posted by Darin Gantt on September 5, 2015

The Cardinals addressed their quarterback depth by trading for Matt Barkley yesterday, so they cut a pair today.

Logan Thomas and Phillip Sims were among the final moves the team just announced — roughly three hours after the deadline for turning them into the league office.

Thomas was a 2014 fourth-rounder, but they showed no confidence in him last year after Carson Palmer went down, so they decided to cut the experiment short.

They also cut veteran defensive linemen Matt Shaughnessy and Alameda Ta’amu, running backs Marion Grice (waived-injured), Robert Hughes, Paul Lasikeand Kerwynn Williams, wide receivers Trevor Harman and Jaxon Shipley, guards Jon Halapio, Antoine McClain and Anthony Steen, tackle Cameron Bradfield, linebacker Gabe Martin, cornerbacks Cariel Brooks, Jonte Green, C.J. Robertsand Jimmy Legree (waived-injured) and safeties Harold Jones-Quartey and Anthony Walters.

Those moves left them with just three cornerbacks, so more moves are coming in the next few days.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ut-some-recent-draft-picks-as-they-get-to-53/

Packers cut some recent draft picks as they get to 53
Posted by Darin Gantt on September 5, 2015

The Packers draft and develop as well as anyone in the league, if not better. But that also means its harder to make their roster.

Four picks of recent vintage were among their moves, as they got to the 53-man limit.

The Packers cut 2014 third-round defensive lineman Khyri Thornton, 2014 fourth-round linebacker Carl Bradford, and a pair of this year’s picks, fifth-round wide receiver Jared Abbrederis and sixth-round defensive lineman Christian Ringo.

The Packers also cut running backs Rajion Neal and John Crockett, wide receivers Larry Pinkard (waived/injured) and Ed Williams, tight ends Justin Perillo and Mitchell Henry, offensive linemen Matt Rotheram, Garth Gerhart, Andy Phillips and Jeremy Vujnovich, linebackers Joe Thomas, James Vaughters and Jermauria Rasco (waived/injured), cornerbacks Tay Glover-Wright and Ryan White and safety Jean Fanor.

They also placed defensive linemen Datone Jones and Letroy Guion on the reserve/suspended list, with Jones getting one game and Guion three.

 

[RamBill]

Rams cuts to get to the 53-man roster are announced
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_4e49b7d6-1790-56ac-b740-ff5193c2e1e4.html

The Rams finals cuts to get to the 53-man roster have been announced

New additions include quarterback Austin Davis, tackle Isaiah Battle, tight end Justice Cunningham, defensive tackle Marcus Forston, linebacker Marshall McFadden, cornerback Brandon McGee, safety Christian Bryant, wide receiver Daniel Rodriguez and defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat.

The team also terminated the contract of linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, an eighth-year pro who joined the Rams in 2012 and made 36 starts over the last three seasons. In addition, running back Trey Watts was placed on the reserved/suspended list and does not count against the 53-man roster; he's sitting out the first four games of the regular season for violating the league's policy on substance abuse.

Davis, who lost out to rookie and third-round draft pick Sean Mannion, started eight games and led the Rams to a pair of wins a year ago.

The team selected Battle, a 6-foot-7, 290-pounder from Clemson in the supplemental draft, surrendering a fifth-round pick in 2016.

Cunningham spent most of the last two seasons on the Rams' practice squad. He saw action in one game in 2014.

Forston, a Miami native who played for the U., was signed during training camp. He had been out of football for nearly a year.

McFadden, who'd previously played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders, played in five games with the Rams a year ago.

McGee, a fifth-round pick in 2013, played in 15 games as a rookie but was limited to two last year before spending the rest of the season on injured reserve with a foot injury. That lingering foot injury limited him to just one practice in training camp.

Bryant, from Ohio State, spent last year on the practice squad after being selected by the Rams in the seventh round of the 2014 draft.

Signed after a tryout, Rodriguez walked on at Clemson after serving in the Army and earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his heroism the Battle of Kamdesh in Afghanistan in October 2009. He served mainly as a kick returning in the preseason.

Trinca-Pasat, signed as a rookie free against out of Iowa, played well in the preseason, tying for the team lead in tackles, but was unable to find a spot on the team's strongest positional unit.

Also cut Saturday were TE Alex Bayer, WR Emory Blake, RB Malcolm Brown, CB Montell Garner, S Jacob Hagen, DE Martin Ifedi, C Barrett Jones, FB Zach Laskey, DE Matt Longacre, CB Trovon Reed and G Brandon Washington.

After a stellar career at Alabama, Jones was the Rams fourth-round draft choice in 2013. He joined the team with a seriously injured foot and never was able to capture the on-field success he enjoyed with the Crimson Tide. In two seasons here, he played in just 10 games and came up short in a three-man battle Mizzou product Tim Barnes and second-year pro Demetrius Rhaney for the center spot in training camp this year.

Ifedi, from the University of Memphis, was a seventh-round draft choice in May.

Bayer was signed as an undrafted free agent a year ago and played six games on special teams a year ago. The son of longtime NFL QB Jeff Blake, Emory Blake spent most of the last two seasons on the Rams' practice squad.

Brown, Garner, Laskey, Hagen, Laskey and Longacre (Northwest Missouri) were signed as free agents shortly after the draft in May. Reed, an Auburn product, joined the team during camp while Washington, played in just one game since joining the Rams in 2012.

--- EARLIER STORY ---

The Rams submitted their 53-man roster to the NFL offices by the 3 p.m. deadline on Saturday. But in a press conference an hour later at Rams Park, head coach Jeff Fisher said the final cuts would not be released publicly until this evening, citing “competitive reasons.''

“Well it’s been a challenging couple of days,'' Fisher said. “We’re getting closer to the final roster. Really not going to confirm anything at this point for competitive reasons with respect to the practice squad. We’re close. There’s some pending moves out there, but we’ll get the information to you as far as the final cut downs are concerned as soon as we release it to the league and it gets out.”

Fisher stressed that this would be the first 53-man roster but maybe not the final one.

“As we speak right now, we’ve gone to 53 (players) with the potential for a move here and there,'' he said. “We’re probably more concerned about our 46 (players) going into the game and then getting our practice squad players back because we have a good group. We potentially have an excellent group of practice squad players.''

He continued: “I think there are potentially, competitively, maybe a difference in three or four hours as far as…from a competitive standpoint where clubs have a chance to go out and look at your players that you released. So that’s kind of where we’re at. You’ll get the information, but we want to buy as much time as we possibly can.”

Fisher also said that rookie running back Todd Gurley, the 10th overall pick in the draft, would not play in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 13 and that he would announce his starting center after Wednesday's practice at Rams Park.

The Post-Dispatch has reported the following cuts Friday and Saturday: RBs Malcolm Brown and Zach Laskey, WR Emory Blake, TE Alex Bayer; C Barrett Jones; OG Brandon Washington; DEs Martin Ifedi and Matt Longacre; LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar; CBs Montell Garner and Trovon Reed; and S Jacob Hagen.

In addition, RB Trey Watts begins his four-game suspension and does not count on the 53-man roster.

* * * *OUR EARLIER STORY* * *

With the release of running backs Malcolm Brown of Texas, and Zach Laskey of Georgia Tech, it looks like the Rams backfield is settled. At least as settled as it can be with Todd Gurley still completing rehab from a knee injury and Tre Mason nursing a hamstring injury.

Brown and Laskey joined the team as undrafted rookies in the spring, and Brown had some good moments in the preseason, rushing for 69 yards on 17 carries, for a 4.1 average, and catching nine passes for 127 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown catch and run against Tennessee. The nine catches tied for the team lead during exhibition play. Laskey, who the Rams listed as a fullback, did not carry from scrimmage during the preseason and had one catch for nine yards.

In addition, running back Trey Watts now begins his four-game suspension for violating NFL policy on substance abuse. Watts led the Rams in rushing this preseason, with 98 yards on 24 carries and a touchdown. He also caught eight passes for 58 yards.

With those moves, which don't become official until later this afternoon, the Rams are left with Gurley, Mason, Benny Cunningham, Isaiah Pead, and Chase Reynolds.

Other Rams roster cuts, according to various league sources: TE Alex Bayer; CBs Montell Garner and Trovon Reed; S Jacob Hagen; WR Emory Blake; OG Brandon Washington; and DEs Matt Longacre and Martin Ifedi.

(Joe Lyons of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.)

 

[RamBill]

LB Dunbar, C Jones among Rams roster cuts
BY JIM THOMAS

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_9225b7af-3b78-52f4-b381-fd7cb729304e.html

Last year at this time, Rams roster cutdown weekend drew national attention because of Michael Sam’s bid to become the first openly-gay player to make an NFL roster. Sam, the former University of Missouri star, was beaten out by Ethan Westbrooks as things turned out.

Things weren’t nearly as dramatic this time at Rams Park, but as always there were a couple of surprises as the team reached the regular season roster limit of 53 players.

First and foremost in terms of surprises was the release of veteran linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, a good run defender and emotional presence on defense. Another surprise was the release of center Barrett Jones, a heralded college player at Alabama who went from competing for a starting job to out of a job.

It was no surprise, however, that quarterback Austin Davis was released despite the fact that he started eight games a year ago, winning three, and posting back-to-back 300-plus yard passing games against Dallas and Philadelphia.

The Rams kept three undrafted rookies: offensive tackle Darrell Williams, wide receiver Bradley Marquez, and linebacker Cameron Lynch. Only one member of the 2015 draft class was cut, seventh-round defensive end Martin Ifedi of Memphis.
After using a 2016 fifth-round pick on Isaiah Battle in the NFL’s supplemental draft in July, the Rams cut the offensive tackle from Clemson.

The defense is filled with familiar faces. Nineteen of the team’s 23 defensive players were on the 2014 season-ending roster, including seven of eight defensive linemen, and all nine members of the secondary.

The only newcomers on defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ unit are tackle Nick Fairley, and linebackers Akeem Ayers, Bryce Hager, and Lynch. Fairley and Ayers were free-agent pickups; Hager is seventh-round pick from Baylor.

On offense, four of the five running backs, five of the six wide receivers, and all three tight ends to make the 2015 roster were on the team in 2014. The only newcomers to crack those groups were running back Todd Gurley and Marquez at wide receiver.

But none of the three quarterbacks on the 2015 squad where with the team on the season-ending roster in 2014. Starter Nick Foles was acquired in the Sam Bradford trade with Philadelphia and No. 3 Sean Mannion was drafted in the third round.
(Second-stringer Case Keenum spent part of last season on the Rams’ practice squad and active roster, but finished the season with the Houston Texans.)

The biggest makeover came on the offensive line where six of the 10 players on the 53-man roster are new. And five of those six are rookies: Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal, Cody Wichmann, and Williams. The other newcomer is free-agent pickup Garrett Reynolds.

While commonly referred to as the “final 53,” what has taken place over the weekend at Rams Park and all around the NFL is really the “first 53.” Coach Jeff Fisher indicated that there could be some additional roster tweaking before the Sept. 13 regular-season opener against Seattle.

Tight end and cornerback could be areas where the Rams are looking for help. The Rams kept only three tight ends _ Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks and Corey Harkey - and Harkey lines up more in the backfield at fullback than he does at tight end.

Two tight ends were cut over the weekend, Alex Bayer and Justice Cunningham. A year ago, Bayer made the opening-day roster after leading the Rams in preseason catches (10) and finishing second in reception yards (135).

But he was slowed by a foot injury and subsequent surgery just before the start of the OTA practice sessions in June and wasn’t as productive this preseason.
As for cornerback the Rams only have four on the roster at the moment in Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner, and Marcus Roberson. Most teams carry at least five corners.

Surprisingly, Fisher held a press conference at 4 p.m., or one-hour after the NFL deadline to reach the 53-man roster limit. But he declined to announce the team’s roster cuts or comment about any roster cuts already reported upon by the media.
The Rams didn’t announce their roster cuts until nearly 7 p.m. Saturday, or nearly four hours after the league deadline to turn in those moves.

So the small group of reporters who gathered for the press conference were unable to ask about the release of 21 players over the weekend, including Davis, Jones, and Dunbar.

Three years ago, Dunbar finished second on the squad with a career-high 157 tackles, and also established career highs in sacks (4 ½) and interceptions (two).
But he was released prior to the 2013 season after being suspended four games by the NFL for violating league policy on performance-enhancing drugs. He was re-signed Oct. 1, and played in the final 12 games of the season, starting 10 times. He played in 15 games last year, once again starting 10 games.

Dunbar lost his starting job to Ayers this year, nonetheless his release was puzzling considering the team’s lack of depth and experience behind the starters. In addition, Dunbar had a modest cap number of $1.345 million this year, and the Rams already were about $4.5 million under the cap.

At quarterback, Davis became expendable in the Rams’ eyes once they traded a seventh-round pick for Keenum in March. He was given very little opportunity to show anything in the preseason, appearing in only one series in each of the four games. Thursday against Kansas City, all he did was hand off the football to running backs - eight times.

Meanwhile at center, Jones came to the Rams as a fourth-round draft pick in 2013 but was slowed by injury in each of his first two NFL seasons, appearing in only 10 games total. In the three-way battle for center this year, he was beaten out by Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney.

 

[OldSchool]

Pilfered from another site here's pic's of the depth chart listed at the Rams website.