LA Rams Waive RB Tre Mason, RB Trey Watts

The Los Angeles Rams have released running backs Tre Mason and Trey Watts:

In a way, Mason’s NFL career and time with the Los Angeles and St. Louis Rams was a microcosm of former Jeff Fisher’s tenure as head coach.

The Rams drafted Mason in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft following a very impressive rookie season from fellow RB Zac Stacy. The Staced God, as a fifth-round pick from the 2013 NFL Draft, offered great value at a non-premium position and should have allowed the Rams to draft some offensive talent elsewhere on the depth chart. Instead after taking Greg Robinson and Aaron Donald, the Rams drafted their third Day 2 cornerback in Lamarcus Joyner and then Mason. It was not the best idea.

Mason had a fine rookie season but much like his supplanting Stacy, the Rams drafted Todd Gurley with the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. After backing up Gurley somewhat confusingly in 2015, the wheels came off for Mason off the field last year. It started in March with a marijuana possession arrest in Miami coupled with a hospital visit after being tasered. Then a warrant was issued for his arrest for not showing up to court. We learned the police had been called to his home five times last offseason. He was a no-show for training camp. On August 1, TMZ reported that he was “missing,” though he was eventually found and not injured. The last relevant news was that he was cutting donuts on an ATV and riding away from cops when they tried to question him.

In the end, Mason was a wasted third-round pick from just three years ago who finished with 974 yards on 254 carries and will be known as an NFL player more for his 2016 off-field drama than his on-field accomplishments. His college career Auburn was much more complimentary, and I hope that ends up lasting as his more public profile than his time with the Rams.

Watts joined the Rams at the same time as Mason, though Watts was an undrafted free agent as opposed to the draft selection used to take Mason. Much like Mason though, Watts will be remembered by Rams fans for his off-field foibles.

In the 2015 offseason, Watts was suspended for four games for a substance violation. That November, he was suspended indefinitely for yet another violation.

The release of the two is a small, yet visible, indicator of the culture shift taking place at Rams HQ and a reminder of the poor decisions and failures of the Fisherball era.

We wish them all the best in the personal lives and hope that their off-field peccadilloes remain a thing of the past.