Tag: Ahkello Witherspoon

Rams sign CB Ahkello Witherspoon to active roster, make 2 other moves

The Rams made a series of roster moves on Tuesday, highlighted by signing CB Ahkello Witherspoon to the active roster.

Tuesday was a busy day for the Rams’ front office. Cooper Kupp dominated the headlines with reports that he could be traded but behind the scenes, the team made several roster moves, including signing CB Ahkello Witherspoon to the active roster.

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Witherspoon rejoined the Rams in September after starting all 17 games for the organization last season. Witherspoon played the last three games on the Rams’ practice squad before signing to the active roster.

To make room earlier this week, Elias Neal was waived on Monday. Neal cleared waivers and was signed to the Rams’ practice squad.

The team also placed OLB Zach VanValkenburg on the practice squad injury list.

With Joe Noteboom, Puka Nacua and possibly others set to return within the next three weeks, the Rams are expected to make several more roster moves within the next 21 days.

Rams only promote one player from the practice squad for Week 7 vs. Raiders

Ahkello Witherspoon is the only player being activated from the practice squad this week

Teams are allowed to activate up to two players from the practice squad each week and the Rams typically take advantage by bringing up the maximum of two. This week, however, they’re only using one of their allotted elevations.

The team announced Saturday that it has promoted Ahkello Witherspoon from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Raiders, the second straight game he’s been activated for. Witherspoon started at cornerback in Week 5 against the Packers and played 81% of the snaps in his season debut after playing and starting all 17 games with the Rams last season.

Xavier Smith had been promoted from the practice squad in each of the last three games but because teams are only allowed to activate the same player three times in one season, the Rams decided to sign him to the active roster in order to allow him to play on game day.

Rams snap counts: LA benches two DBs, Blake Corum rises to RB2

Breaking down the Rams’ snap counts from Sunday’s loss to the Packers, which shows a big shakeup on defense

After starting 1-3 and struggling badly against the pass on defense, the Los Angeles Rams thought it was a good time to shake up the secondary. They made several changes to the defensive backfield on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, including the decision to bench Tre’Davious White by making him a healthy scratch for the first time in his career.

Offensively, the Rams mostly kept the status quo. However, Blake Corum did take over as the No. 2 running back behind Kyren Williams. He replaced Ronnie Rivers in that role, playing a season-high 11 snaps in the 24-19 loss.

We broke down the snap counts below, starting with the offense.

Offense

After playing the third-most snaps of the Rams’ receivers last week, Demarcus Robinson played most of the game on Sunday, only missing two snaps. Jordan Whittington was a close second with a 92% snap share, and that was with missing the end of the game due to a shoulder injury. Tutu Atwell was WR3 again, with Tyler Johnson (11 snaps) and Xavier Smith (8 snaps) operating as the reserves.

At running back, Kyren Williams played 86% of the snaps, which is about his average for the year. Corum, not Ronnie Rivers, was his backup, with the rookie playing a season-high 11 snaps. He touched the ball six times on those 11 plays, rushing for 25 yards on five carries and catching an 8-yard screen pass.

Colby Parkinson remains the No. 1 tight end, playing 79% of the snaps. Hunter Long played 22% and Davis Allen played 4%, so the Rams did mix in some 12 personnel again on Sunday.

All five starting linemen played the entire game again, which is a good sign for their continuity.

Defense

The defense is where the biggest changes were made by the coaching staff, specifically in the secondary. White was benched after four games of being a starter, sitting this game out as a healthy scratch. In his place, the Rams gave Ahkello Witherspoon a prominent role (81%) and Darious Williams played 49% of the snaps in his season debut. Cobie Durant was a major factor in this game, playing all but three snaps.

Josh Wallace was also given a big opportunity as an undrafted rookie, playing 31 snaps, mostly as the nickel corner in the “star” role. That allowed Quentin Lake to be a more traditional safety, once again playing every snap on defense alongside Kamren Curl.

You’ll notice Kamren Kinchens’ name is missing from the list above and that’s because he was the other defensive back benched by Chris Shula. The rookie had been struggling in place of John Johnson III, so the Rams took him out of the lineup and gave him zero defensive snaps. That opened the door for Jaylen McCollough to play more, getting on the field for 15 snaps, coming up with a key pick-six on one of those plays.

At inside linebacker, it was still Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom manning the middle, but Reeder played just 86% of the snaps despite being the signal caller with the green dot. Rozeboom played 71% of the game as the No. 2 linebacker.

Byron Young continues to be the top option at edge rusher, playing 80% of the snaps. Jared Verse and Michael Hoecht were almost an even split, with Verse playing 69% and Hoecht plating 64%. They were the only three edge rushers again.

Kobie Turner played 81% of the snaps as the top defensive lineman, with Braden Fiske being the next-closest player at 51%. Bobby Brown, Neville Gallimore and Tyler Davis continue to rotate along the front, with Jonah Williams playing one snap in his debut with the team.

Rams elevate Ahkello Witherspoon, Xavier Smith from practice squad

The Rams have brought up Ahkello Witherspoon and Xavier Smith from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against the Bears

The Los Angeles Rams’ practice squad elevations for Week 4 are quite notable. The team announced Saturday it has promoted cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon and return specialist Xavier Smith to the game-day roster, making them eligible to play against the Chicago Bears.

Sean McVay indicated that Witherspoon could be elevated for the first time this week and it was certain that Smith would be promoted again after his 38-yard punt return to help lift the Rams last week against the 49ers.

Witherspoon played and started all 17 games for the Rams last season and signed to the practice squad earlier this month with all the injuries they’ve suffered at cornerback. It’s unclear how much he might play against the Bears, if at all, but at least the Rams have another option in the secondary.

Smith will remain the Rams’ return specialist moving forward, earning that role when given his first opportunity last week.

Ahkello Witherspoon could be promoted to active roster for Sunday vs. Bears

Are the Rams considering a change at cornerback?

Tre’Davious White and Cobie Durant haven’t exactly gotten off to hot starts this season, struggling a bit in the first three games. The Rams’ options behind them are limited because of injuries to Darious Williams and Derion Kendrick, which led to the signing of Ahkello Witherspoon.

Currently, Witherspoon is on the practice squad but he’s a candidate to be elevated to the active roster this weekend, Sean McVay said Friday. Witherspoon wasn’t with a team during training camp so he’s needed time to ramp up his activity, and this could be the week he gets some snaps at cornerback.

The Rams will announce their practice squad elevations on Saturday so we’ll find out then if Witherspoon will be available on game day.

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At the very least, Witherspoon can provide some depth at cornerback alongside backups Charles Woods, Josh Wallace and Cam Lampkin. He has more experience than all three combined and started all 17 games last season, so that could be valuable for Chris Shula and McVay.

Rams are signing veteran CB Ahkello Witherspoon

The Rams are bringing back Ahkello Witherspoon to help fill out their banged-up cornerback group

Ty Nsekhe isn’t the only player the Los Angeles Rams are reuniting with. The team is also bringing back a familiar cornerback.

According to Jordan Schultz, the Rams are signing veteran corner Ahkello Witherspoon. Jake Ellenbogen of Downtown Rams was first to report the move. He played all 17 games with the Rams last season, leading the team with three interceptions and 14 pass breakups.

The Rams are getting thin at cornerback after losing Darious Williams to a hamstring injury that landed him on IR for at least four games. Cobie Durant also injured his toe in Week 1 and is considered day-to-day.

If Durant is unable to play on Sunday against the Cardinals, it’s possible Witherspoon will step in opposite Tre’Davious White as a starting cornerback for Week 2.

4 free-agent CBs the Rams should consider signing with Darious Williams out

Darious Williams is out at least four games and the Rams’ CB group is getting thin already

Things are quickly unraveling for the Los Angeles Rams at cornerback. Derion Kendrick is out for the year with a torn ACL and now Darious Williams has landed on injured reserve with a hamstring strain that he suffered on the second day of training camp.

Tre’Davious White is healthy but Cobie Durant, who will replace Williams, has a hamstring injury of his own that limited him in practice Wednesday. It’s possible that if Durant can’t play, either Charles Woods or Josh Wallace – two undrafted rookies – will be elevated into a starting role.

It’s especially concerning for this week against the Lions, but the Rams also need to think about the following three weeks when Williams will also be out. Here are four free-agent corners the Rams could consider signing to help round out the depth chart while Williams is sidelined.

Xavien Howard: It’s slightly surprising that Howard is still a free agent after being cut by the Dolphins in the spring. He’s a ball hawk who has 29 career interceptions, typically playing his best in zone coverage – a staple of the Rams defense. He’s now 31 years old and hasn’t practiced at all this year, so it is risky to sign him but he’s probably the most talented corner available.

Ahkello Witherspoon: Witherspoon was the Rams’ best cornerback last season, playing every regular-season game and recording three interceptions. Yes, he got torched in his last game as a Ram against the Lions, but he’s familiar with Los Angeles’ scheme and should be able to pick things up pretty quickly if signed.

Duke Shelley: The veteran played 11 games with the Rams last season, primarily as a special teams contributor. He did play 76 snaps on defense and has the ability to play in the slot or on the outside. Shelley has decent ball skills and broke up two passes in limited playing time last year.

Steven Nelson: Nelson, a 31-year-old veteran, played all 17 games for the Texans last season and has suited up in at least 15 games in each of the last six years. Like Williams, he’s primarily a boundary cornerback so he could help fill in on the outside opposite White.

Should Texans sign former San Francisco 49ers CB before regular season?

Bleacher Report believes that the Houston Texans should sign cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon before the start of the regular season.

Cornerback remains a question mark entering the 2024 season for the Houston Texans.

Starter wise? Houston is content with breakout star Derek Stingley Jr. and rookie standout Kamari Lassiter.

Depth-wise? There are questions entering the final week of training camp.  Houston hasn’t seen former first-round pick Jeff Okduah play because of a shoulder injury.

The Texans have also seen hit-or-miss play from backups like C.J. Henderson, Mike Ford and D’Angelo Ross through three preseason outings.

DeMeco Ryans might not look to bring in any new names before roster cutdowns, but he could target a former player from his days with the San Francisco 49ers.

Bleacher Report thinks that while the Texans might not need to bring in defensive back depth, one of the top names to watch is free-agent Ahkello Witherspoon. 

“It’s hard to find too many needs that the Texans must address now. They had a ton of cap space this season and have been proactive in addressing any faults on the current roster. Cornerback could be the exception, though. Their answer there was to throw some short-term contracts on Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson. Both are former first-round picks with varying levels of disappointment thus far. Ahkello Witherspoon isn’t a shutdown corner, but he was a solid starter for the Rams last season. He played all 17 games and gave up a passer rating of 75.7.” –  Bleacher Report

Witherspoon, a former third-round pick out of Colorado, spent four seasons under Ryans’ watch before bouncing around the NFC West with Seattle and Los Angeles. He’s capable of playing both in the nickel near the line of scrimmage or on the boundary.

Witherspoon, 29, has the knowledge and frame to fit in Ryans’ defense as a depth piece. The transition period would take no time, meaning he’ll be cleared to debut for Houston perhaps no later than Week 2’s matchup against the Chicago Bears at home.

The Texans still have one more preseason game, so anyone could catch the ground and earn their spot on the final 53-man roster. If Henderson, Ford, Ross, Kris, Myles Bryant and Desmond King all struggle, Ryans could be looking to target a name in free agency.

5 free-agent cornerbacks the Panthers could target after losing out on Stephon Gilmore

With Stephon Gilmore now off the street, the Panthers could look to target one of these five free-agent cornerbacks:

Despite the months-long build, the reunion between the Carolina Panthers and cornerback Stephon Gilmore was simply not to be.

As announced on Monday, the Minnesota Vikings have signed the Rock Hill, S.C. native to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million. That decision may have burned the Panthers, who reportedly offered Gilmore a pact of their own.

While Carolina probably wasn’t looking to match financials on the agreement, Gilmore’s move up north hurts a bit more considering the setback to Dane Jackson—a projected starter for the defense this season. Jackson, according to head coach Dave Canales, is expected to miss approximately six weeks after sustaining a “significant” hamstring injury.

But are there any similar options out there for the corner-needy Panthers?

Here are five possible free-agent targets with Gilmore now off the board:

Eli Apple

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Yeah, yeah . . . most of you are probably rolling your eyes at this first entry. But if the Panthers are looking for a veteran corner with experience manning the outside, then this Apple doesn’t far fall from the tree.

The former 10th overall pick has started in 34 of his 41 games since 2021, when he was featured by the then-AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. Per Pro Football Focus, he allowed a 104.3 passer rating as a Miami Dolphin this past season—producing a better mark than the likes of Taron Johnson, Carlton Davis III and James Bradberry.

Rashad Fenton

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Fenton may be another tough sell to those of you reading this. Not only did he miss the entire 2023 season after being placed on injured reserve by the Arizona Cardinals, but his 2022 (the last NFL campaign he did play) was undoubtedly his worst offering as a pro.

But like Apple, Fenton is a vet who has picked up reps on the outside. Plus, his three full years with the Kansas City Chiefs yielded some nice results—as he earned PFF coverage grades of 78.4, 75.0 and 81.1 from 2019 to 2021.

Adoree’ Jackson

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This fella may be more of what you’re looking for, Panthers fans.

A slightly bigger name than Apple and Fenton, Jackson offers a solid track record over his seven-year NFL career. Save for this last season for the New York Giants, the former first-rounder has never earned a PFF coverage grade of under 66.8.

 

J.C. Jackson

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From one Jackson to another, J.C. has also built up a decent résumé. Are the 28-year-old’s best days, however, already behind him?

Jackson was a standout for Bill Belichick’s defense in New England up until 2021, when he reeled in a Second-team All-Pro nod and his first Pro Bowl selection. But it’s been a bumpy ride since, as he struggled in his short stint with the Los Angeles Chargers as well as in his brief return to the Patriots.

Ahkello Witherspoon

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Witherspoon could be the best-case scenario of these options.

For one, the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder fits the mold of the long and rangy cornerback Canales and general manager Dan Morgan became accustomed to during their days in Seattle. He also has experience in a similar scheme, with Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero having served as a secondary coach and passing game coordinator for a year under Raheem Morris—Witherspoon’s coordinator from 2023.

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Sean McVay won’t rule out Ahkello Witherspoon returning amid Rams’ CB injuries

With the cornerback group taking some hits on the injury front, the Rams would be open to bringing Ahkello Witherspoon back

Through only two days of training camp, the Los Angeles Rams’ cornerback group has already taken a couple of hits. Derion Kendrick tore his ACL on the first day of practice, and Darious Williams suffered a hamstring injury on the final play of Thursday’s session, though the severity is not yet known.

Cornerback depth could become a concern but if they’re looking for some veteran help, there’s a familiar face who’s still available: Ahkello Witherspoon.

Witherspoon has remained a free agent all offseason and the Rams could be open to a reunion. Sean McVay was asked Thursday if he would consider bringing Witherspoon back and he wouldn’t rule it out after seeing how well he played in 2023.

“I would never eliminate it,” McVay said. “I thought he did a really good job. I loved working with Akhello last year and that’s definitely something that you wouldn’t eliminate.”

In more general terms, McVay said the Rams will consider bringing in a veteran to help with the depth, which will prevent starters and key backups from being overworked in practice.

“There’s a possibility of that,” he said. “We have some depth right now but being two days in and then having kind of a de-loaded day and then we will turn it back up on Saturday. We’ll look at those things. The thing you want to make sure you don’t do is when you get short on that depth, other guys have to pick up the slack and then it can kind of have an accumulation of some workloads that you want be mindful of. We’ll definitely take that into consideration.”

McVay went on to discuss the Rams’ cornerback group further, mentioning Tre Tomlinson, Josh Wallace and Charles Woods as players he’s noticed in practice. He then said the team won’t rush Tre’Davious White too much as he recovers from a torn Achilles, so “maybe Ahkello is a possibility for us.”

The Rams came into camp with good depth at cornerback but it’s certainly being tested by the recent Kendrick and Williams injuries.