Rams Make More Cuts to Whittle Down Roster by Deadline

LOS ANGELES, CA -- The Los Angeles Rams waived undrafted rookie defensive back Jordan Lomax today to complete reducing their roster to the 75-player limit by the 1 p.m. deadline.

Two injured players waived on Monday went unclaimed and were placed on injured reserve today -- running back Zach Laskey and receiver Marquez North.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said days when mandatory cuts are required are not easy.

"The most important thing is the guys that we released here over the last couple of days, in addition to those that aren't going to make the final roster, those are guys that have done nothing but compete for an opportunity at a roster spot but also helped us to get better so you have to show appreciation for that," Fisher told reporters at the team's training camp at UC Irvine.

It was the team's last practice at the Irvine facility.

"You can't say enough about our partner here, UC Irvine and everybody involved," Fisher said. "It was just a great camp, great facility, very convenient. We really appreciate them allowing us to use the facility in an effort to get ready for the season."

The Rams will fly to Minnesota Wednesday for Thursday's exhibition finale against the Minnesota Vikings, then practice at California Lutheran University for the regular season, which begins with a Sept. 12 game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.

The Rams waived 13 players on Monday and terminated the contract of defensive end Quinton Coples, who has played four seasons in the NFL.

Coples was signed by the Rams during the off-season after being released by the Miami Dolphins in February.

Fisher said Coples was among the players released in connection with the first mandatory cutdown date to give him a better opportunity to sign with another team.

"Out of fairness to a player like 'Q,' I didn't see him making the team and that's exactly what I told him," Fisher said. "I wanted to give him a chance and give him an opportunity to get out there early to see if he could find work. If not, we're going to keep the door open for him."

The 6-foot-6-inch Coples, a natural defensive end, was given time as defensive tackle "just to give him a chance" to be seen there, Fisher said.

"I really appreciated everything that he did, his attitude and going from end to tackle," Fisher said. "If you've never been in there, is quite a change. He worked really hard at it."

Coples made two tackles in each of the Rams first two preseason games and none Saturday. He was chosen in the first round of the 2012 draft by the New York Jets out of North Carolina and spent three full seasons with the team and part of a fourth before being released in November.

Two other players with NFL game experience were among those waived -- tight end Jake Stoneburner and center Brian Folkerts, along with quarterback Dylan Thompson, who was with the San Francisco 49ers last season but did not play

The other eight players waived were all undrafted rookies -- kicker Taylor Bertolet; tight end Benson Browne; safety Michael Caputo; defensive tackle Zach Colvin; linebacker Darreon Herring; long snapper Jeff Overbaugh; receiver David Richards; and tackle Jordan Swindle.

The Rams must reduce their roster to the regular-season 53-player limit by Saturday.

City News Service