Tag: Logan Bruss

Will Rams snap NFL’s longest active streak of drafting offense first?

The Rams are tied with the Chargers and Steelers for the longest active streaks of drafting offense first. Will they snap it this year?

Before Sean McVay arrived in 2017, the Los Angeles Rams fielded an anemic offense for years. From 2007 to 2016, they never ranked higher than 21st in points scored and finished last in the NFL in scoring three times.

It’s hardly surprising that he and the Rams have sunk a lot of resources into the offense over the last seven years, being an offensive-minded coach, but this year’s draft class could be more about helping the defense.

Just about every mock draft has the Rams targeting a defensive player in the first round, whether it’s an edge rusher, a cornerback or a defensive tackle to help fill the void left by Aaron Donald. If the Rams do draft a defensive player with their first pick, it’ll snap a four-year streak of Los Angeles taking an offensive player first – tied for the longest active streak in the NFL with the Steelers and Chargers.

Here’s a look at each of the Rams’ top draft picks under McVay.

  • 2023: OL Steve Avila (36th)
  • 2022: OL Logan Bruss (104th)
  • 2021: WR Tutu Atwell (57th)
  • 2020: RB Cam Akers (52nd)
  • 2019: S Taylor Rapp (61st)
  • 2018: OL Joe Noteboom (89th)
  • 2017: TE Gerald Everett (44th)

Going all the way back to 2013, Rapp is still the only defensive player drafted first by the Rams, so it’s been a heavily skewed toward the offense for the last 11 years. That just goes to show it hasn’t been completely because of McVay.

Les Snead, of course, has been the Rams’ GM since 2012, and he’s the primary decision-maker when it comes to draft picks – in conjunction with his head coach.

All signs point toward the Rams taking a defensive player first this year, given their needs on that side of the ball. However, no one should be surprised if they select a wide receiver in Round 1, or potentially an offensive tackle to be the long-term solution behind either Alaric Jackson or Rob Havenstein.

Rams sign 10 players to futures contracts, including Logan Bruss

The Rams signed 10 players to futures contracts on Monday, including Logan Bruss

With the 2023 season coming to a close, the Los Angeles Rams took care of some roster housekeeping on Monday. They signed 10 players to futures contracts, bringing back most of their practice squad players for the 2024 offseason.

Among the players signed to futures deals were Logan Bruss and A.J. Arcuri, two former draft picks along the offensive line. They’ll also keep quarterback Dresser Winn around for at least the start of the offseason.

Below is the complete list of 10 players the Rams signed on Monday.

  • A.J. Arcuri
  • Logan Bruss
  • Cory Durden
  • Olakunle Fatukasi
  • Tanner Ingle
  • Mike McAllister
  • Cameron McCutcheon
  • Zachary Thomas
  • Zach VanValkenburg
  • Dresser Winn

Les Snead on Logan Bruss: Facing Aaron Donald ‘probably set him back a little bit’

Trying to block Aaron Donald probably didn’t help Logan Bruss as he was learning a new position

Just one year after drafting Logan Bruss with their top pick in the 2022 draft, the Los Angeles Rams waived the former third-rounder. It was their most surprising move from cutdown day, releasing the struggling lineman before his second season in the NFL even began.

It didn’t help that Bruss tore his ACL last preseason and missed his entire rookie year, but Bruss had a chance to prove himself this offseason – especially with how uncertain the Rams’ offensive line was. After playing poorly at right guard, Los Angeles tried moving him back to his college position of right tackle. That didn’t go much better.

Rams GM Les Snead spoke about the decision to cut Bruss and what went wrong in the last 16 months. He pointed to two things: his torn ACL and Aaron Donald. Bruss is back on the Rams’ practice squad but it’s still been a disappointing year for the former third-round pick.

“So obviously we didn’t think Logan was there yet. The goal is to still try to get him there,” Snead said. “I think from the start with Logan, he came in playing right tackle from Wisconsin, we moved him to guard. He got introduced to the NFL trying to block Aaron Donald while trying to learn a new position. That probably set him back a little bit. Then the ACL, then because of some injuries, we moved him back to right tackle. So there’s been a lot that’s occurred with Logan.”

No lineman wants to block No. 99. Not in practice on Wednesday and certainly not on Sundays. For some players, facing a future Hall of Famer can help but that doesn’t appear to have been the case for Bruss.

Bruss was supposed to be one of the Rams’ top linemen after he was drafted, hopefully solving their woes at guard. He can’t help that he tore his ACL, but he needed to play better in training camp and the preseason this year to earn a roster spot.

Ultimately, the Rams liked Kevin Dotson better, who they traded for this weekend, and they also preferred Zach Thomas, who they signed off the Bears’ practice squad last year.

Now, what I can say is there’s also been a lot that occurred with someone like Zach Thomas that we poached last year and he may have handled that situation better than Logan and is one of the reasons we kept him,” Snead continued. “But, don’t want to give up on Logan yet. Jacked that he wants to come back because that’s not easy. When we draft a player, release him, and probably release a player a little earlier than we would normally do, it’s a lot easier for him to say, ‘Maybe a new ecosystem, new environment’s better for me.’ He really liked what was going on here. Felt like this was the best place for him to have a shot of improving and getting to where he thinks he can be and where we think he can be.”

Bruss landing on the practice squad is great news for both him and the Rams. He gets to continue working with a coaching staff he’s familiar with, while the Rams still have a shot at developing him into a starting lineman.

He still has a lot of work to do to become that, but the Rams haven’t given up hope just yet.

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Salary cap impact of Rams cutting Logan Bruss and Robert Rochell

Here’s how much dead money the Rams will take on after cutting Logan Bruss and Robert Rochell

Two of the biggest surprise cuts by the Rams on Tuesday were Logan Bruss and Robert Rochell. They were among the team’s final cuts, along with Tyler Johnson, which suggests it was a tough call for the Rams to make.

Bruss was just a third-round pick in 2022, while Rochell was selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. Now, both players are off the 53-man roster. It’s not only a tough look for the organization to part with two relatively early picks, but there’s also a financial cost of cutting them.

According to Over The Cap, the Rams will take on nearly $1 million in total dead money the next two years as a result of cutting Bruss and Rochell. Here’s a breakdown of each player’s dead cap hit in 2023 and 2024; they’re the only two Rams players with dead cap hits in 2024 right now.

Logan Bruss

  • 2023: $212,255
  • 2024: $424,510
  • Total: $636,765

Robert Rochell

  • 2023: $172,731
  • 2024: $172,731
  • Total: $345,462

Grand total: $982,227

It’s not a huge number in the grand scheme of things, but that’s almost $1 million the Rams won’t get back as a result of cutting Bruss and Rochell. They’d rather keep better players and eat that dead money than keep guys who won’t contribute, and now they’ll still have the chance to sign them to the practice squad.

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Logan Bruss, Robert Rochell clear waivers after going unclaimed

The Rams are likely happy that Logan Bruss and Robert Rochell went unclaimed, allowing LA to sign them to the practice squad

Sean McVay said Tuesday after the Rams cut Logan Bruss that they’d like to bring him back on the practice squad. Well, they now have the chance to.

According to the NFL transaction sheet, Bruss cleared waivers after going unclaimed. The same goes for Robert Rochell, who was waived on Tuesday as part of final roster cuts.

The only Rams player who got claimed off waivers was Quindell Johnson, who is headed to Chicago after both the Bears and Raiders put in a claim for him. Everyone else who was cut by the Rams and subject to waivers went unclaimed, giving Los Angeles a lot of options for the practice squad.

Had a team claimed Bruss, it would have taken on the remainder of his contract. While it was shocking to see the Rams cut the 2022 third-round pick, the fact that no one claimed him shows how he’s viewed around the league.

Here’s the list of players cut by the Rams this week who were subject to waivers.

  • LB Kelechi Anyalebechi
  • WR Braxton Burmeister
  • DB Timarcus Davis
  • DB Tyon Davis
  • DB Vincent Gray
  • WR Tyler Hudson
  • DB Tanner Ingle
  • DB Jordan Jones
  • OL Sean Maginn
  • WR Lance McCutcheon
  • TE Camren McDonald
  • TE Christian Sims
  • DT Taron Vincent
  • OL A.J. Arcuri
  • K Tanner Brown
  • DE T.J. Carter
  • OLB Daniel Hardy
  • DB Quindell Johnson
  • TE Nikola Kalinic
  • OL Mike McAllister
  • DB Cameron McCutcheon
  • OL Grant Miller
  • WR Xavier Smith
  • OLB Keir Thomas
  • WR Austin Trammell
  • QB Dresser Winn
  • LB Jaiden Woodbey
  • OL Logan Bruss
  • WR Tyler Johnson
  • DB Robert Rochell

Waived/Injured:

  • DB Rashad Torrence
  • LB De’Andre Square
  • LB Ryan Smenda

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Sean McVay explains the Logan Bruss cut, hopes to get him on practice squad

Sean McVay explained the decision to cut Logan Bruss, the Rams’ top pick in 2022, and what’s next for him

There was no bigger surprise cut for the Rams on Tuesday than second-year lineman Logan Bruss. He was the team’s top pick in the 2022 draft, going in the third round at No. 103 overall – a pick the Rams were so excited about that a scout jumped into the pool at their draft house to celebrate.

Less than two years later, Bruss is on the waiver wire and potentially heading to a new team. It was always a possibility that the Rams would cut him after he struggled at right guard and didn’t perform much better at right tackle this offseason. However, few expected this to happen so quickly.

Sean McVay explained the decision to reporters on Tuesday and made it clear that the Rams still hope to work with Bruss on the practice squad if he clears waivers.

“Really, we just had an open mind with competition at every single spot and we felt like the 10 guys that we kept did a good job of earning those spots,” McVay said. “Obviously, with Kevin Dotson being a late add he has a body of work and a resume and Logan is somebody that we still want to be able to continue to work with. Hopefully we’ll be able to get him back on the practice squad, but it was really just as simple as keeping an open mind and some of those other guys we felt like earned their spots.”

So basically, the other 10 linemen that made the team were just … better. What really hurt Bruss’ chances was the acquisition of Kevin Dotson, but he still should have been able to beat out Zach Thomas, who’s a second-year lineman and former sixth-round pick by the Bears in 2022.

There’s no question Thomas earned his spot and he was the better player in the preseason, which shows the Rams weren’t playing favorites based on where someone was drafted – a true open competition along the offensive line.

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Players recently cut that could interest the Detroit Lions

Here are some recently cut players that stand out as guys Lions GM Brad Holmes could go after.

Roster cutdowns can be an opportunity to build up a roster. Players who didn’t make one team, for whatever reason, might wind up being a good fit for another. For the Detroit Lions and GM Brad Holmes, it’s an opportunity to potentially churn the bottom of the roster even after the initial 53-man unit has been established.

Waiver claims right after the roster cutdown aren’t terribly common. but they do happen. This is how the Lions added Romeo Okwara to the roster back in 2017. There is now an opportunity for another player or two to join Okwara as a roster cutdown waiver claim who can become a long-term Lion.

The Lions are 18th in the waiver wire order by virtue of their 9-8 finish in 2022; the waiver wire order is based on the final result of the prior season at this point. Remember: players claimed on waivers go directly to the 53-man active roster, which means someone who initially made the Lions would have to be removed from the active roster — be it a cut or a move to the injured reserve.

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While I don’t expect the Lions to be very active on the waiver claim front, there are a few players who got cut by other teams that could fit roles in Detroit. Here are some that stand out as players GM Brad Holmes could go after.

Rams’ 4 most surprising cuts to get roster down to 53 players

Here are the 4 most surprising cuts made by the Rams on Tuesday, including their top pick from 2022, Logan Bruss

Tuesday was the deadline for all 32 teams in the NFL to trim their rosters down to 53 players ahead of Week 1. The Los Angeles Rams have officially made the moves necessary to reduce their roster to 53 players, and a few of them were a bit surprising.

When going from 90 players from the start of training camp to 53 players before Week 1 kicks off, you are bound to have a handful of moves that shock fans. Throughout practices and the preseason, certain players could either earn or lose a roster spot due to how they perform.

With the roster moves now official, here are the four most surprising players who were released by the Rams on Tuesday.

Rams release Logan Bruss, Robert Rochell and Tyler Johnson

The Rams have released 2022 third-rounder Logan Bruss, 2021 fourth-rounder Robert Rochell and veteran Tyler Johnson

The Rams were sitting at 56 players for hours before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, needing to cut three more to get the roster to 53. In the final wave of cuts, the Rams had two big surprises.

In addition to Tyler Johnson, they released 2022 third-rounder Logan Bruss and 2021 fourth-rounder Robert Rochell. The roster is now down to 53 players and it doesn’t include a kicker.

Bruss is a massive surprise because he was just a third-round pick last year and the Rams’ top selection in the draft. He missed his entire rookie season with a torn ACL, but he’s now healthy and available. He just hasn’t impressed thus far, even moving from guard to tackle in an attempt to give him some added comfort.

Rochell was a raw prospect coming out of Central Arkansas but the cornerback hasn’t developed in his two-plus years as a pro. He has the athleticism to be an NFL cornerback but his coverage skills are lacking, as is his tackling ability.

Logan Bruss is day-to-day after suffering lateral ankle sprain vs. Raiders

Logan Bruss sprained his ankle against the Raiders on Saturday and is considered day-to-day

Logan Bruss was forced to leave Saturday’s game against the Raiders early after twisting his ankle on a pass-blocking rep, limiting him to just 16 snaps on offense. It was another unfortunate setback for the second-year lineman, who missed his entire rookie season and is now moving from guard to tackle.

Sean McVay provided an update on Bruss’ status Sunday, saying he has a lateral ankle sprain and is considered day-to-day. It fortunately doesn’t sound like anything too serious, but hopefully he’ll be able to practice this week against the Broncos.

“Just got a lateral ankle sprain and we’ll take it a day at a time with him,” McVay said.

Bruss has struggled this preseason, giving up five pressures and one sack already despite only playing 42 snaps in pass protection. He was solid in run blocking against the Chargers, earning a PFF grade of 75.2 in that department in Week 1.

He’s still expected to make the 53-man roster but Bruss needs to take some positive steps at some point soon.

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