Getty Aaron Donald is getting a new teammate following the Rams' May 15, 2023 signing.
The Los Angeles Rams still found themselves needing an extra presence on the defensive line to join Aaron Donald and company. They’re turning to the son of an NFL legend who happened to still be searching for an NFL home.
First reported by ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter on Monday, May 15, the Rams are adding former Ohio State defensive tackle Taron Vincent. His father is not only a five-time Pro Bowl cornerback, but happens to be the Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent.
This Vincent is More Known to be Quick Handed on Defense
The younger Vincent comes to the “Rams House” having gone undrafted out of Ohio State. He also wasn’t signed to any free agent deal after the NFL Draft.
One reason he dropped in the draft? He had a relative small frame for a nose tackle at 6-foot-1, 305-pounds. But he became a potential NFL prospect through his hand usage — a strength identified by Lance Zierlein of nfl.com.
“Vincent is smallish for the interior and lacks ideal length, but he does show some hand quickness,” the draft expert said in his evaluation. “He needs to be able to play in the gaps and disrupt the blocking scheme, but he appears to lack explosiveness despite his decent lateral quickness.”
But another reason for Vincent’s drop in the draft: injuries.
In 2019, he sustained a torn labrum which prevented him from lining up in a single game. He also only played a combined six games in 2018 and in 2020. He was able to provide a spark for the Buckeyes in 2021 and 2022 — going on to play in 22 combined games and delivering six tackles for a loss, 48 total tackles and 20 solo stops.
Vincent was more known as a run-stuffer at OSU. He only produced 2.5 career sacks from 2018 to 2022. Zierlein pointed out how Vincent was missing a necessary twitch movement in beating blockers during passing situations. But he also discovered how Vincent stuck with a singular blocker for two long…lacking the necessary hand arsenal to evade the block.
Vincent is coming in more as a depth piece but heads to a unit that lost Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson to free agency.
Rams Waive 3 Including Past Southern California Standout
Meanwhile, the Rams have already began to clean some partial house with their 2023 roster. But involving their undrafted rookies from 2023.
Announced by the team on Tuesday, the Rams announced a waive/no recall for three players: Tyler Hudson (wide receiver), Matthew Jester (linebacker) and Jaiden Woodbey (defensive back).
Of the three, it’s the latter player with ties to Southern California. Though Woodbey played in the ACC with Florida State and Boston College, he’s originally from the Inland Empire — having grown up in Fontana, California.
Woodbey starred at Upland High School before transferring and finishing out his prep career at St. John Bosco in Bellflower. He went on to earn a five-star ranking by 247Sports and was the 27th best prospect for the 2018 class by ESPN.
Hudson, meanwhile, originally signed his UDFA deal with the Rams following the 2023 draft. Like Woodbey, he also played ACC football but for Louisville. Hudson only played one season for the Cardinals as he came over from Central Arkansas. His lone campaign with Louisville resulted in a 1,034-yard season.
Jester came to the Rams from the Ivy League. He starred for Princeton and became a team captain for the Tigers. He went on to produce back-to-back 30 tackle seasons including hitting 25 solo stops in 2021. He also ended his Princeton career with 18.5 tackles and 10.5 career sacks.