And now it begins for the Los Angeles Rams: The road to 53.
This is once again an emotional time of the year for players who grinded away with the hope of making the final roster. But like every NFL team between now and the 1 p.m. PT deadline for Tuesday, August 31, the Rams are in the process of fulfilling the league rule of having 53 guys ready for the season.
The Rams have gotten the ball rolling by waiving six players on Monday, August 30.
A Breakdown of Who Got Let Go
The most impacted position group that felt the brunt of cuts? The defensive backs.
Of the six released, three represented that position group. On the other side, one wide receiver was let go.
Meanwhile, the Rams cut loose two members of the offensive trenches. Here’s the list:
Troy Warner Was First Reported Release
The younger sibling of San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner was among the first six to go, reported at 11:18 a.m. PT by NFL radio personality Aaron Wilson.
Los Angeles Rams cut Troy Warner, according to a league source
Warner arrived to the Rams as an undrafted free agent out of Brigham Young University (BYU). According to Pro Football Focus, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Warner saw 67 total snaps in the three August preseason games. He only managed five tackles but missed two.
Warner was facing an uphill battle to stay on with the safety group anyway, especially with J.R. Reed and JuJu Hughes taking the majority of the defensive snaps. The other players released are:
Brontae Harris, cornerback
Like Warner, Brontae Harris arrived to the Rams as an undrafted rookie out of Alabama-Birmingham.
Harris, though, received a low 30.8 overall defensive grade by PFF. Harris was also the most targeted Rams CB during the preseason, with quarterbacks throwing to him 17 times through three games – allowing 12 catches for 110 yards.
Harris leaves the Rams with this defensive highlight: A tipped interception against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Brontae Harris comes up with the pick 👀
Jeremiah Haydel, wide receiver
The first skill position offensive player to go is the former Texas State standout Jeremiah Haydel.
Haydel is also the third member of the undrafted 2021 Rams class to be released. The 6-foot, 170-pounder only saw three plays in the Saturday, August 28 road game versus the Denver Broncos.
Jeremiah Kolone, offensive guard
The 26-year-old Kolone was re-added to the Rams during training camp. But is now waived once again.
Kolone first joined the team as an undrafted free agent out of San Jose State on April 29, 2019. Kolone saw 49 offensive plays against Denver, but struggled in pass protection and only run blocked on seven plays per PFF.
Jordan Meredith, offensive guard
The former Western Kentucky Hilltopper is the fourth UDFA to be released.
The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder was the highest graded offensive player following the L.A. Chargers contest.
Highest Graded #Rams from yesterday’s preseason matchup:
Offense – RG Jordan Meredith (78.5)
Defense – FS JR Reed (90.3)
Meredith, though, could return to the Rams, as practice squad is one possibility. Though currently the heavy favorites to return are Warner and Harris.
I would imagine a couple of these guys are practice squad candidates if they clear waivers, including Harris and Warner.
Donovan Olumba, cornerback
Including his brief stint in the Canadian Football League (2021 season), the 25-year-old Olumba will now be searching for his fifth professional football home since his arrival to the league in 2018.
Olumba was first added to the Rams on Friday, August 6, after the team waived Dayan Lake. However, he went from 50 snaps against the Raiders to 22 defensive plays versus the Broncos.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Rams’ road to 53.
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Rams Roster Cut Tracker: Brother of NFC West LB Among First to Go