Getty The Rams before taking the field on December 8, 2022 in Inglewood.
Last week, it was Baker Mayfield rejuvenating the Los Angeles Rams with his emotional comeback performance against the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday Night Football.
Now, with Aaron Donald still nursing an ankle injury, the Rams have added some more depth and help…by turning to a trench defender who has played alongside another decorated Pro Bowl interior defensive lineman and comes with “impact production” from one of his last stops.
Who the Rams Added
The Rams announced on Monday, December 12 that they’ve claimed Larrell Murchison off waivers from the Tennessee Titans.
Murchison was last lining up alongside five-time Pro Bowl IDL Jurrell Casey of the Titans. The 6-foot-2, 297-pound Murchison first arrived to Tennessee as a fifth rounder in the 2020 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State — where he played in the same conference of Rams 2021 second round draft selection Tutu Atwell. He even leaped to the sky and snatched an interception when facing Florida State in 2018:
Larrell Murchison got WAY UP for this interception! @Murchboy92
He was considered a sleeper prospect before the draft after delivering 11 career sacks and 20 stops behind the line of scrimmage in his NC State career.
Sleeper: DT Larrell Murchison (North Carolina State, 6’ 3”, 291 Lbs). Stats: (2 seasons) 38 Solo Tackles, 42 Asst Tackles, 80 Combined Tackles, 20 TFL 11 Sacks, 1 INT, 4 PD & 3 FR. #LarrellMurchison #4EDraft2020
Murchison, though, was met with mixed written feelings from Lance Zierlein of nfl.com before the draft. Yet, the first strength Zierlein wrote was how Murchison delivered “Impact production against run and pass.” Zierlein also wrote:
“Early into his evaluation, it’s hard to get past the tight lower body that restricts his upfield and lateral strides with his feet barely leaving the ground. As the tape rolls on, it’s impossible not to notice his motor and that he’s always around the ball and rarely on the ground. Murchison has the ability to battle through blocks and come out well-oriented and ready to make plays. He’s quick to process and respond, but doesn’t have great closing burst and lateral agility. He thrives in smaller spaces with less ground to cover and should become a good rotational three-technique for a 4-3 defense.”
Per Pro Football Reference, Murchison ended up appearing in 10 games of the 2020 season with no starts. He delivered five tackles, one solo stop and a tackle for a loss his rookie season. Then in 2021, he received action in 11 games which involved five contests that saw him inserted into the starting lineup. He went on to collect eight tackles with four solo stops.
However, his playing time became diluted this season. Murchison played in five games only with zero starts. He ended up with two tackles and one stop behind the line of scrimmage.
This move not only gives the Rams depth as Donald continues to heal, but also comes in the wake of Marquise Copeland sustaining a high ankle sprain in the Raiders’ win. Copeland’s status for the Sunday, December 18 road trip versus the Green Bay Packers is still too be determined.
WR & Special Teamer Officially on IR
Elsewhere, the Rams will go without wide receiver Jacob Harris the rest of 2022.
The second-year player from Central Florida was placed on injured reserve by the team as of 4:03 p.m. Eastern with a torn pectoral.
LA Rams Transactions:
• Reserve/Injured WR Jacob Harris
Harris recently saw an uptick in his involvement with the offense following the injury to Cooper Kupp. However, this marks the second straight season Harris has had to miss the entire season. He tore his ACL and MCL against Murchison and the Titans last season.
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Rams Add Defender With Past ‘Impact Production Against Run & Pass’