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The LA Rams acted quickly today, even after they have just filled their 53rd and final active roster spot. What did they do? The team signed rookie running back Raymond Calais from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad. And can he ever move?
Of course, the only way to claim a player from another team’s practice squad is to sign him to the active roster. Is this some hidden message about running back Darrell Henderson‘s hamstring? Or is this simply the Rams bolstering their return game?
For whatever reason, the Rams land a speedy rookie who can help them on both special teams and on offense. At 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, and with a 4.42-second 40-yard dash, Calais will bring the zip to the Rams return game.
Need for speed
One of the common threads among the LA Rams undrafted rookies was a reputation for being extremely fast. That’s not always the case, as the various methods of recording player speeds can be wide-ranging and unconfirmed. He truly is a solid return specialist, as he returned 99 kickoffs in college for an average of over 25 yards per kick return.
He was not a slouch on offense either. He was First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference as a return specialist in addition to being Third-Team as a running back and all-purpose in 2019. As a running back, he carried the ball 236 times for 1,845 yards and 15 touchdowns. In college, he averaged 7.8 yards-per-carry.
Plus Bonamego gets his guy
Per The Athletic’s Jourdan Rodrigue, the Rams had Raymond Calais targeted late in round seven. After the Buccaneers selected him, the Rams would draft inside linebacker Clay Johnston. Curiously, after Johnston signed on with the Panthers, the Rams responded by poaching the player they had targeted in the seventh round.
ST coordinator wants elite speed in the Rams return game. While it’s almost impossible to judge until a player steps onto the field and faces competition, this appears to be a very good signing for that purpose. The one stickler to everything is the corresponding move to cut a player from the team’s roster. The Rams did “save” a practice squad spot, so whoever is released to make room will likely land on the Rams practice squad. Of course, that is only if that player clears waivers. Stay tuned
