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11 recently cut players the Rams should consider adding
Cameron DaSilva
August 31, 2021 4:30 pm PT
More than 500 players across the NFL were cut this week as teams trimmed their rosters down to the league limit of 53 players. The Rams were forced to waive a lot of good players, but there are plenty of talented guys who were cut by other teams that might interest Los Angeles, too.
The Rams should consider claiming or signing these 11 players to help round out their 53-man roster before Week 1.
1
DB Myles Bryant, Patriots
(AP Photo/Stew Milne)
Bryant was a surprise cut by the Patriots, being in just his second NFL season. He played nine games for them last season and even had an interception against the Rams. The Patriots are talented in the secondary, but Bryant can play, even if he is just 5-foot-8.
The Rams met with him before the 2020 NFL draft, too, so they were at least somewhat interested in the Washington DB last year. He’d be a nice addition to the secondary and a candidate to contribute in the slot.
2
LB Benardrick McKinney, Dolphins
(Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
McKinney was traded by the Texans to the Dolphins this offseason, but he didn’t make Miami’s roster. He was limited to four games last season, making 37 tackles with one pass defensed and a tackle for a loss in that brief action.
He’s not someone the Rams should count on to be their primary starting linebacker, but he’s a proven player with 77 career starts – more than the Rams’ entire linebacker group combined.
3
CB Mike Ford, Lions
Ford is entering his fourth NFL season and has 31 games played under his belt, seven of which were starts. He hasn’t been great in coverage, allowing 40 receptions on 55 targets in his career, according to Pro Football Focus, but he has good speed to go with a solid frame (6 feet, 194 pounds).
The Rams have talent at cornerback, but Ford is a promising young player who could add depth to that room.
4
OLB Curtis Weaver, Browns
(AP Photo/David Dermer)
The Rams will once again have a shot at Weaver. They attempted to claim the former Boise State edge rusher last August after he was cut by the Dolphins, but the Browns were awarded him off waivers. He never played last season, spending the year on injured reserve, but if he’s healthy now, the Rams might be interested again.
He was a fifth-round pick in 2020 and is a Long Beach native. Bringing him back home to Southern California wouldn’t be a bad idea.
5
C Michael Menet, Cardinals
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
With Rodney Hudson entrenched as the starter, the Cardinals didn’t need to hold onto Menet, who was a seventh-round pick this year. Menet looked like he might’ve been a late-round target for the Rams, but the Penn State product landed in Arizona instead.
He needs work in his technique and isn’t the best athlete, but he’s got good size at 6-foot-4 and was a three-year starter in college.
