The Los Angeles Rams made an unexpected move on Tuesday night when they waived veteran cornerback Jerry Jacobs with an injury settlement. The team just signed Jacobs last month after Derion Kendrick tore his ACL and Darious Williams strained his hamstring, so his stint in Los Angeles was brief.
While we don’t know what injury Jacobs suffered, or when it happened, it’s obvious that A) it was somewhat serious and B) the Rams didn’t feel he would be able to contribute this year. With Jacobs now out of the picture, it opens the door for the other backup cornerbacks with roster cuts looming.
As of now, Tre’Davious White, Williams and Cobie Durant are the only locks for the 53-man roster. Quentin Lake is expected to be the team’s “star” defender, covering the slot, so he’s technically like a cornerback. The same goes for Russ Yeast, who’s also expected to make the team.
So that gives the Rams five players who can play corner. Even still, it’s likely they will keep at least one more true cornerback beyond those five.
The candidates? Tre Tomlinson, Shaun Jolly, Charles Woods, Josh Wallace, Cameron McCutcheon and Cam Lampkin. There isn’t a starting-caliber cornerback in that group, but there is plenty of youth and upside.
Tomlinson, Jolly and Wallace would seem like the top candidates to make the team now, though Woods has received some high praise from Sean McVay this summer, too. He and Wallace are undrafted rookies, with Tomlinson being a former sixth-round pick in his second NFL season.
Tomlinson made the 53-man roster last year but he’s struggled with penalties in each of the last two preseasons. Jolly is more of a slot corner, which the Rams don’t exactly need. Wallace is primarily a boundary corner, playing 58 of his 66 total snaps on the outside this preseason. Woods, on the other hand, has yet to play a single snap as an outside corner.
It’s tough to discern who the Rams will end up keeping now that Jacobs is gone. It is a good sign, however, of Williams’ impending return.
Fortunately, the Rams have plenty of depth at safety, which includes two players who can cover the slot, so that helps with the overall talent in the secondary.
One other possibility is keeping a safety such as Jaylen McCollough, who has impressed in the preseason and caught the eye of Sean McVay for his physicality and instincts. Jacobs was by no means a lock for the 53-man roster but given his experience and recent arrival, he seemed likely to make it at cornerback.