[ad_1]
THOUSAND SONGS – The Rams released 18 players on Friday, leaving 19 deeper cuts ahead of Saturday's deadline to bring their squad back to 53.
These moves marked the beginning of a weekend that will see NFL players confirm their spots on team lineups and training teams and begin to focus on players opening next season.
For the Rams, who will start their NFC championship defense on Sunday, Sept. 8 in Carolina, none of the first cuts are surprising, but some names are known: Brandon Allen, who fought for a potential third quarter position at the 'training. camp; wide receiver Austin Proehl, who, like Allen, was part of the 2018 training team; linebacker Ketner Kupp (brother of wide receiver Cooper Kupp); Wide receiver Jalen Greene (a product of Serra High in Gardena) and defensive tackle Bryant Jones (King High at Riverside) and Boogie Roberts (Narbonne High at Harbor City).
These recruits were mostly unprepared recruits and did not include any players who played in a game that mattered to the Rams last season.
Cutting Allen leaves John Wolford as third quarter behind Jared Goff and Blake Bortles. It seems that the Rams may wish to eventually transfer Wolford to the training group, assuming he cancels the derogations without any other team claiming it. They could use this spot of the Active Alignment to avoid having to suffer a painful extra cut in such a deep receiver and defensive backfield, and to be able to keep three halves behind Todd Gurley.
"There are going to be some guys who are sadly NFL quality footballers," said coach Sean McVay after a team of Rams auditioning for backup roles beat the Houston Texans 22-10 on Thursday . night to finish preseason 2-2. "These are positive problems."
Goff speaks
The question is when and not if the Rams and Goff finalize a contract extension. McVay was asked on Thursday if he feared Goff would be distracted from regular season preparation if negotiations dragged on.
"No, I'm not worried," McVay said. "In fact, we talked about his great mental strength and his courage, and I think Jared is particularly focused on getting ready for the Carolina Panthers and having an outstanding 2019 season ahead of us."
Goff is under contract for the 2020 season.
Critics are in
Wolford and OGG Ogbonnia "Obo" Okoronkwo were among the Rams who were congratulated by McVay in Houston on Thursday after their final auditions for the roles with the team.
Okoronkwo, a second-year Ram who is still looking for his first game after his foot operation in 2018, fired Houston quarterbacks and stripped Joe Webb III's ball in a second-quarter match .
"To his credit, he did a good job with the opportunities he had," said McVay. "He just had a minimum of opportunities, especially for a guy who's been with us for two years."
Wolford alternated with Allen and again drew attention by making games without making mistakes. The highlight of his first run was his success when Wolford drove right and hit Kendall Blanton with a 12-yard touchdown pass. Wolford finished the pre-season with three TD throws and zero interception, Allen's reverse.
Wolford is an un-drawn quarterback from Wake Forest who spent time with the New York Jets last summer and signed with the Rams in April.
injuries
The Rams said Dominique Hatfield, who injured his left ankle in the third quarter of Thursday's game in Houston, was testing to determine the severity of the injury. They excluded a fracture.
The three-year-old professional from Crenshaw High and Utah has been a backup halfback and a regular on special teams.
Etc.
The Rams did not train on Friday. Regulars who made the trip to Houston, but did not prepare for the match, trained earlier on Thursday at the University of Houston. McVay said that the humidity was a good preparation for what the team could face in Charlotte.
Follow Kevin Modesti of SCNG on Twitter: @KevinModesti
[ad_2]
Source link