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The Los Angeles Rams have added their third newest player in a span of five days. This time keeping an NFC West rival within the division.
Former Arizona Cardinal Offensive tackle Ryan Pope, who also had a brief stint with the San Francisco 49ers, became the latest to be claimed off waivers by the Rams on Wednesday, first reported by Aaron Wilson of Sports Talk 790 on iHeartRadio.
The 24-year-old Pope is a towering figure at 6-foot-7, 315-pounds who is now in his sixth NFL stop. Pope joins cornerback Donovan Olumba and another CB in Tyler Hall as the additions claimed off waivers.
Pope Has L.A. Region Ties with Another Ram Claimed Off Waivers
Pope’s journey eerily becomes relatable to another Ram who was recently claimed off waivers: The cornerback and specialist Hall. Before playing for the Atlanta Falcons and then finding his way to the Rams, Hall starred at nearby Serra High in Gardena, California and then gravitated toward the Mountain West Conference by playing for Wyoming.
Turns out Pope adds more L.A. region/MWC representation to the Rams.
Before being picked up by the Rams and his tenures in the NFC West, Pope spent his prep and junior college years 35 minutes south of SoFi Stadium.
Pope emerged as a two-star tackle prospect by 247Sports out of Lakewood High. He also played basketball for the Lancers. Pope, though, had a quiet recruiting experience out of high school and wound up going the junior college route by attending Long Beach City College.
Turned out Pope only needed one year to get on national radars and become an NCAA qualifier for the four-year level. He spearheaded a Vikings trenches that went on to win the Beach Bowl in 2014, which put a cap on a 9-2 season. Pope ultimately choose to stay in Southern California and transferred to San Diego State.
After taking a redshirt year in 2015, Pope went on to play in 55 offensive line snaps according to Pro Football Focus during his redshirt sophomore season, including the 2016 Las Vegas Bowl where the Aztecs trounced the Houston Cougars 34-10.
The following season, Pope became a starter at right tackle for 11 games including the 2017 Armed Forces Bowl against Army. That game saw SDSU carve out 255 rushing yards and average 12.1 yards per carry despite the 42-35 loss.
The 2018 season was Pope’s best year, as he landed on the All-MWC Second Team by manning both right and left tackle for the Aztecs. He also became a team captain.
Pope, however, was never drafted in the 2019 period and has since become an NFL journeyman tackle: First signing with the Detroit Lions on a rookie contract in May 2019 before joining the 49ers on September 2.
Where Does Pope Fit on the Rams’ Line?
For some Ram fans, the addition of Pope may come off as perplexing. As some see it as asking why the team decided to add to the tackle room after all – especially with Andrew Whitworth aging and the Rams not pursuing a left tackle in the draft or during the spring free agency period.
The move obviously gives the Rams some depth before their first preseason game against the Chargers. However, one follower of the Rams, Downtown Rams CEO Jake Ellenbogen, likes the addition.
HUB Football, which offers camps for aspiring NFL players looking to find a roster plus has Rams legend Az-Zahir Hakim as one of the coaches, had Pope at one of their camps. The Twitter account praised Pope’s latest news.
According to the unofficial depth chart released on Tuesday, the Rams have an opening for the fourth right tackle spot. In all likelihood, Pope will be plugged there.
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