Rams sign former UDFA receiver who was hyped up on this very Rams website

Welcome home, Austin Trammell.

I don’t write a lot of draft reports on this website because, and this is as obvious as it sounds, most prospects will not be on the Rams. Not once, not during the draft, not ever. Especially when those prospects are expected to be undrafted and few people have heard of them. The odds, at that point, are near impossible.

Matthew Stafford led the Rams to being world champions, nothing is impossible.

Last April 22nd, I wrote that “Austin Trammell could be the sleeper of the draft that’s actually a sleeper” but he went by all 32 teams and signed with the Atlanta Falcons after the conclusion of the draft. Trammell was cut by the Falcons at the end of training camp but added to the practice squad, then activated for two late games in the season. He saw special teams for seven snaps and was released by Atlanta in June.

On Thursday, the L.A. Rams signed Trammel to their roster. Looks like I have a new favorite Rams player to root for.

To make room on the roster, the Rams waived TE Kyle Markway.

Here’s what I wrote about Trammell last April:

But Trammell is different and while few NFL Draft fans have even heard of him, there’s a shot he’ll sign with a team, impress coaches from Day 1 to Week 1, and make that team as a franchise’s “fan favorite” from out of nowhere. That’s the nature of being the ultimate underdog story with a unique — but impossible to ignore — resume.

That still only includes the one damn highlight that I can find.

Let’s start with the measurables, since we can at least confirmed that those happened and they are important for good and concerning reasons:

5’11, 181 lbs, 8 1⁄4 hands, 28” arms, 69” wingspan, 40” vertical, 10’4 broad, 26 reps on the bench, 4.62 40-yard dash, 4.13 20-yard shuttle, 6.75 three-cone drill

While that is considered slow for a receiver, Trammell’s vertical and bench reps are elite, his broad and three-come time were both great; Trammell had a faster three-cone than Brandin Cooks. In his final season at Rice, Trammell had 335 yards and six touchdowns during a three-game shortened 2020 campaign.

Over 100 yards and two touchdowns per game, 20.9 yards per catch.

The Rams are going to be without Van Jefferson for at least a few weeks and there is a competition at the end of the roster for players who can contribute on special teams and serve as emergency options at receiver. Jacob Harris, Brandon Powell, J.J. Koski, Landen Akers chief among those fighting behind Cooper Kupp, Allen Robinson, Jefferson, Tutu Atwell, and likely Ben Skowronek.

Trammell making the team would be beyond stunning. Making the practice squad could be in his wheelhouse. Being an undrafted player out of Rice who I actually knew about...now that’s special.