Tag: marquise copeland

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’ 23 most important players for 2023 – No. 19: DE Marquise Copeland

Marquise Copeland is in line to be a full-time starter this year, playing alongside Aaron Donald up front

Marquise Copeland was re-signed by the Los Angeles Rams this offseason and he’s now in line to start along the defensive line. He needs to earn that spot first but given the Rams’ lack of depth up front, there’s a good chance he’ll be on the field next to Aaron Donald for the first snaps in Week 1.

Copeland has never been a full-time starter before but the Rams are putting their faith in the former undrafted free agent. While he may not be the run defender that A’Shawn Robinson is, Copeland has good upside and is just 26 years old.

Hopefully he can stay healthy all season because the Rams need playmakers up front.

Rams re-sign DL Marquise Copeland to 1-year deal

The Rams are bringing back Marquise Copeland, giving him a 1-year deal

The Los Angeles Rams are bringing back another one of their own free agents. The team announced on Monday that defensive lineman Marquise Copeland has been re-signed to a one-year deal.

The Rams opted not to tender Copeland as a restricted free agent, which would’ve cost them about $3 million for one year. Instead, they allowed Copeland to test free agency and will now keep him on a deal that’s presumably cheaper than the tender would’ve cost them.

Copeland is a good player for the Rams to keep around after losing Greg Gaines and with A’Shawn Robinson potentially signing with another team in free agency. Copeland played 15 games and made nine starts last season, recording one sack and 31 total tackles.

He could be in line to be a starter alongside Aaron Donald next season, depending on who the Rams add in the draft and free agency.

Copeland is only the second player to sign a free-agent contract with the Rams this offseason, joining Coleman Shelton. They still have yet to bring in an outside player this year.

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4 restricted free agents the Saints should pursue in their next wave of signings

Restricted free agents don’t count into the compensatory draft picks formula. These are 4 names the Saints should pursue in their next wave of signings:

How much consideration are the New Orleans Saints giving to their projected compensatory draft picks in 2024? The team doesn’t usually pay much mind to how their moves in free agency cost them draft assets later on down the road, but if there’s a year to be careful about it, it’s this one. The Saints currently projected to receive three or four comp picks in the 2024 draft between rounds four, five, and six, which would do a lot to help them restock the roster with affordable depth on rookie contracts.

But signing free agents wipes out the comp picks you’d otherwise receive — most times. There are a couple of loopholes, though. For one thing, any free agents who were cut by their last team do not count (and we’ve highlighted four possible targets here). For another, players who carry restricted free agent status (usually those with just three or fewer years’ experience) also don’t count. So what’s the catch?

These are usually young players who haven’t earned a long-term extension with their last team either due to injury or inconsistent play; the Saints’ own list of unsigned restricted free agents includes wide receiver Marquez Callaway, defensive tackle Malcolm Roach, and linebackers Chase Hansen and Andrew Dowell.

There’s a tradeoff in signing them to guard future comp picks just like in signing veterans who were released by their last team due to their age, injury, or decreased production. But sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough. Here are four names who should be on the Saints’ radar:

Rams not expected to tender Marquise Copeland as a restricted free agent

The Rams aren’t expected to tender Marquise Copeland, so he’ll become an unrestricted free agent.

Marquise Copeland is a restricted free agent for the Los Angeles Rams, but it appears he’ll have a chance to choose where he plays in 2023. According to the Charlotte Observer’s Mike Kaye, the Rams aren’t expected to place a tender on Copeland, which will make him an unrestricted free agent this year.

Copeland began his career with the Rams in 2019 by signing as an undrafted interior defender out of Cincinnati. After failing to log a snap in 2019, Copeland was active in 25 games since 2020 and started in nine games for the Rams in 2022.

The 25-year-old interior defender had a career year with the Rams in 2022, registering 31 tackles, two tackles for loss, and he notched his first career sack. Copeland also recorded an interception in the Wild Card showdown against the Arizona Cardinals in 2021 en route to the Rams winning the Super Bowl.

With Copeland likely headed toward free agency, the Panthers could emerge as a suitor due to his familiarity with Carolina’s defensive system. And upon the news of the Rams not tendering Copeland, all eyes will be on what the team decides to do with Greg Gaines and A’Shawn Robinson in free agency.

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Rams injuries: Jacob Harris tore his pec, Marquise Copeland has high ankle sprain

Sean McVay shared updates on Jacob Harris and Marquise Copeland, who both got hurt during Thursday’s win

Sean McVay shared a couple of injury updates coming out of Thursday night’s thrilling win over the Las Vegas Raiders, sharing some disappointing news on two players.

Jacob Harris tore his pec on special teams and will require surgery, which will end his season. Marquise Copeland suffered a high ankle sprain, but McVay isn’t sure how long he’ll be out. That injury typically sidelines a player for multiple weeks, so with four games left, his season could be in doubt, too.

Jacob Harris, unfortunately, he tore his pec, so he is going to need surgery. Then Marquise Copeland had a high ankle sprain, so we’ll see what his status is in the coming couple days,” McVay said.

The Rams are running thin on defensive linemen with Copeland now out. He joins Aaron Donald and A’Shawn Robinson on the shelf, though it remains to be seen if Donald can play against the Packers in Week 15.

Harris is primarily a special teams contributor, but a valuable one at that.