Los Angeles Rams 2021 Practice Squad announced

With the Los Angeles Rams roster cuts over and final 53-man roster beginning to take shape, the team is turning its attention to solidifying practice squad contributors. Players who won’t show up on game day but practice with the team and are ready to step in at a moments notice should an unfortunate circumstance befall a member of the regular 53.

Because the Rams didn’t put in any waiver claims during the initial wave of cuts, no doubt Sean McVay was looking to bring back many of the players who were initially released on Tuesday.

While Practice Squad players are not typically dressed for game day, they can be activated up to 90 minutes prior to kick-off and do not need to be moved to the active squad to facilitate the change in designation; therefore, the team doesn’t need to cut a player to activate a player from the practice squad. However, this exception can be made only twice per player. A third similar move would require that player being signed to the active roster, which normally necessitates a corresponding release accordingly.

Because of this, ability, availability, and familiarity with McVay’s systems were unquestionably strongly considered when deciding the Rams 2021 Practice Squad. That list includes, as of Wednesday:

• RB Otis Anderson
• WR Landen Akers
• WR J.J. Koski
• TE Kendall Blanton
• OG Jeremiah Kolone
• OT Chandler Brewer
• DE Earnest Brown IV
• DT Marquise Copeland
• LB Micah Kiser
• LB Justin Lawler
• DB Dont’e Deayon
• DB Kareem Orr
• DB Tyler Hill
• OT Max Pircher (International PS player)
• RB Buddy Howell (added 9/1)
• OL Jared Hocker (added 9/2)

The Rams can have a maximum of 16 players on the Practice Squad, but Pircher does not count because he’s a part of the International Pathway Program. Therefore, McVay still has three more open spots on the Practice Squad right now.

Updated rules from 2020 allow veterans like Deayon anD Kiser to stick on the Practice Squad.

With LA keeping 55 players on the active 53-man roster — with Johnny Hekker and Coleman Shelton not counting because they’re currently on COVID-19 reserve list — it is possible that McVay will look to get two more players onto the Practice Squad from the active roster. Then he will be left with one more open spot on the squad from there. (Update: The Rams added RB/special teamer Buddy Howell to fill one spot.)

Among those released and not signed back to the Practice Squad were WR Trishton Jackson, CB Brontae Harris, OL Jordan Meredith, and LB Jake Gervase.

Other Rams who were released earlier in August include QB Devlin Hodges, DT George Silvanic, and S Paris Ford. Will LA entertain a reunion with any of them?

Three players who could not make it onto the Practice Squad, as they were claimed by other teams, are DL Eric Banks (LA Chargers 53-man roster), S Troy Warner (TB Buccaneers practice squad) and LB Christian Rozeboom (KC Chiefs practice squad).

More news to come!