Tag: Troy Reeder

Sean McVay explains why Rams are waiting so long to activate either John Johnson III or Troy Reeder

John Johnson III and Troy Reeder could both be ready to play but the Rams are waiting to use their final IR activation spot

John Johnson III went down with a shoulder injury in the Rams’ Week 2 loss to the Cardinals. It was expected to sideline him for 4-6 weeks, but he’s remained on injured reserve for the last 11 weeks.

It’s a similar situation for Troy Reeder, who was placed on IR with a hamstring injury in Week 8 and has been out ever since.

Both players have missed much more time than originally anticipated, but it’s not because their recoveries are taking longer than expected. It’s strictly a personnel decision that’s forced the Rams to take their time with both players.

Teams can only designate eight players to return from injured reserve and the Rams have already used seven of those spots, so they have just one left. Sean McVay explained on Monday that they’re waiting to use their final activation in case an injury occurs at either safety or tight end in the final five weeks, despite both players being ready to return.

“It’s interesting because we have that one spot left and what’s unique in terms of being able to utilize that for the return off of IR with the amount of slots that you do have,” McVay said. “Both of those guys could be physically ready and both of those guys would represent our team getting better. The unique thing that Les (Snead) and I and some of the defensive coaches were talking about earlier is if you were to have an injury at one of those positions, it maybe makes it a little bit easier or gives you some clarity in terms of, OK, if we had something at safety, let’s bring JJ back. If we had something at inside linebacker, let’s get Troy back. Those are ongoing conversations but as of right now, we’re still working through that. We would love to have the availability to bring them both back. It’s a tough situation. Nobody to blame but us for that. We’ll handle it accordingly, but I don’t have a clear-cut answer on that for you. They both could be available, but we only have one of those guys that we could actually bring back.”

Johnson is widely viewed as the better player, but the Rams have also found a safety rotation that’s worked in recent weeks. They’re lacking depth at inside linebacker behind Christian Rozeboom and Omar Speights, but Reeder likely wouldn’t unseat either player in the starting lineup if activated.

The only way they can bring back both players is if they make the playoffs. Teams are given an extra two return spots in the postseason, which would allow the Rams to activate one player now and two more in the playoffs.

Rams have a big roster decision to make because of the NFL’s injured reserve rules

The Rams can only activate one more player off IR this season, so will it be John Johnson III or Troy Reeder?

Injuries have been a major issue for the Los Angeles Rams this season, losing several key starters for multiple games at a time. It was particularly problematic early in the year when Puka Nacua, Steve Avila, Jonah Jackson, Joe Noteboom and Darious Williams were all on injured reserve at the same time. All five of those players have since been activated, but John Johnson III and Troy Reeder are two starters who remain on IR.

They’re both eligible to be activated as early as this week after missing the last four-plus games, but it’s not as simple as just adding them to the 53-man roster. The NFL’s rules for injured reserve present the Rams with a tough decision. Teams can only designate up to eight players to return from IR in a single season and the Rams have already used seven: the five aforementioned players, as well as KT Leveston and Larrell Murchison.

That leaves them with just one more activation spot available. So will it be Johnson or will it be Reeder? The player who isn’t designated to return will miss the remainder of the regular season, with a possibility of returning for the playoffs when teams are given two more activation spots.

“With ‘JJ’, you have him and you have Troy Reeder (as) guys where you have that one spot available,” McVay said last week. “Tyler Higbee wouldn’t count towards that. I think what you do is you take it a week at a time. I would say that Higbee’s a couple weeks away. J.J. could be on a week-to-week thing, as is Troy Reeder.”

Johnson’s return is taking longer than expected, which could be a sign that the Rams don’t plan on activating him at all this season. He went out with a shoulder injury in Week 2 and was expected to miss 4-6 weeks, which would’ve put him on track to return around Week 8.

It’s now Week 12 and McVay is still saying it’s a “week-to-week thing.” Johnson posted on Instagram last week that he “can’t wait to get back,” with the hashtag #FreeJJ, which could be taken as him saying he’s ready to return already.

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The tricky part with both of these players is their replacements are performing well. The Rams have found a ton of success with the group of Kam Curl, Quentin Lake, Kamren Kinchens and Jaylen McCollough, so it’s unclear if Johnson would even take back his starting role.

At linebacker, Omar Speights and Christian Rozeboom have stood out in a positive way with Reeder sidelined, improving the middle of the Rams defense. Would the Rams really take Speights off the field and put Reeder back in?

It won’t be an easy decision either way, and McVay hasn’t given any indication as to which way the Rams are leaning. Johnson’s return would come at the expense of playing time for the team’s young, emerging safeties, while Reeder’s would take Speights out of the starting lineup.

The smarter move might be to activate Johnson and start him alongside Curl, allowing Lake to move back to the “star” role of covering the slot. That would probably improve the cornerback group, limiting snaps for Ahkello Witherspoon, who’s exclusively a boundary corner.

Rams place LB Troy Reeder on IR with hamstring injury

Troy Reeder will miss the Rams’ next four games with a hamstring injury after landing on IR

Troy Reeder was already ruled out for Week 8 but he’ll now miss three additionally games, too. On Thursday, the Rams placed Reeder on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

He missed practice all week and was ruled out Wednesday, so the Rams have prepared to be without him in this game.

Reeder has started all six games so far this season and was the defensive signal caller, wearing the green dot as the guy relaying the calls to the rest of the defense.

The Rams haven’t said who will replace him as the signal caller, but one candidate is Quentin Lake.

With Reeder out, Christian Rozeboom is expected to take on a larger role at linebacker, with Omar Speights and Jake Hummel potentially getting an opportunity on defense, too.

It doesn’t sound like the Rams plan to make a change at LB anytime soon

Omar Speights and Jacob Hummel shined in the preseason but it doesn’t sound like the Rams are looking to make a change at LB right now

There was a lot of excitement about undrafted rookie linebacker Omar Speights in the preseason after he shined in the first two exhibition games for the Los Angeles Rams. Even before the third preseason game, Speights had earned a spot on the 53-man roster, with Les Snead calling him someone who would be active on game days.

Snead was accurate in saying that because Speights has been up all four weeks, but he hasn’t played a single defensive snap yet. The same goes for Jacob Hummel, who also stood out in a positive way during the preseason.

Meanwhile, Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom, have struggled badly in the middle of the Rams’ defense. Of the 55 linebackers in the NFL who have played at least 159 snaps this season, Reeder ranks 38th and Rozeboom is 47th in total defensive grade, per Pro Football Focus.

They’ve taken poor angles to ball carriers, have a hard time getting off blocks and Rozeboom has allowed 17 catches for 159 yards and a touchdown on only 18 targets. It doesn’t sound like the Rams are planning to make a change at linebacker anytime soon, though.

Sean McVay was asked Wednesday how the team develops young players like them and what it’ll take for them to get an opportunity on game days, responding by saying they do get reps in practice but it hasn’t gotten to the point where they’ve earned snaps on Sundays.

“Those guys do get reps in these settings,” he said. “The preseason is somewhat similar, but very different than the regular season in terms of the things that we’re asking, the types of schemes that are being seen by the opposing offenses. You continue to give those guys opportunities throughout the course of these practices. If it got to a point where we felt like that was the best option for us, then those guys would be out there.”

The Rams have one more game before their Week 6 bye, a matchup with the Packers this Sunday. Green Bay ranks second in the NFL in rushing, so this will be yet another test for the Rams’ linebackers.

Perhaps if Reeder and Rozeboom struggle again, McVay and Chris Shula might consider making a change during the bye. But based on the coach’s comments, it doesn’t sound like that’s in the cards right now.

Who wore the green dot on defense for the Rams in Week 1?

Sean McVay chose not to reveal which defender would wear the green dot, but we found out who it was on Sunday night.

Every NFL defense has one player who wears a headset in their helmet, allowing them to relay play calls from the coaching staff to the other players on the field. That player was Ernest Jones last season but when he was traded to the Tennessee Titans a few weeks ago, it was unclear which player would step in and wear the green dot as the signal caller on defense.

Sean McVay opted not to tell the media which player would take on that very important responsibility but in Sunday night’s season opener against the Lions, we found out who it was. Only four players were on the field for every defensive snap: Kamren Curl, Troy Reeder, Quentin Lake and Tre’Davious White. That narrowed down the possible signal callers a bit.

We could rule out White considering he’s an outside cornerback, a position that typically doesn’t relay play calls. So was it Curl, Lake or Reeder?

After examining some photos from Sunday’s game, we now know it was Reeder calling out the plays on defense; he had the green sticker on his helmet.

You can see it in the photo below.

(Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

What does this mean exactly? Well, fans should get used to seeing Reeder on the field a lot this season. The defensive signal caller typically plays every snap each week because he has the responsibility of telling the rest of the players the call from Chris Shula.

Fortunately, Reeder played pretty well in the opener against the Lions so he’s not as much of a liability as some believed he would be. Unless he starts to struggle badly, he’s the new leader in the middle of the defense.

Who steps up at LB for the Rams with Ernest Jones gone?

The Rams not only have to replace their starting linebacker, but also their defensive signal caller. So who steps up?

Much has changed with the Los Angele Rams’ defense this year, beyond just the retirement of Aaron Donald and the departure of Raheem Morris. One of the biggest changes just happened this week when the Rams traded Ernest Jones to the Titans for a late-round pick swap.

The move came as a major surprise, especially with just two weeks until the start of the regular season. It’s even more shocking when you consider how little proven talent Los Angeles had at inside linebacker behind Jones.

With the fourth-year veteran gone, the Rams kept five linebackers on the 53-man roster: Troy Reeder, Christian Rozeboom, Jacob Hummel, Omar Speights and Elias Neal, all of whom entered the NFL as undrafted players. The question now is which one replaces Jones as not only the starting linebacker, but the defensive signal caller – a job that goes to someone who’s expected to play every snap each week.

As promising as Speights looked in the preseason, he’s probably not ready to go from undrafted rookie to defensive signal caller. The same goes for Neal. Hummel is someone the Rams like a lot, too, but he’s never been a full-time starter before.

That leaves Rozeboom and Reeder. Rozeboom began last season as the second linebacker next to Jones but his playing time dwindled as the season went on after Reeder started to get more snaps.

Both players got the entire preseason off, a signal that they earned the trust of the coaching staff. However, it appears Reeder is ahead of Rozeboom in the pecking order. For one, he got a press conference with reporters Wednesday, the same day both coordinators and Kyren Williams did. The Rams don’t typically give backups pressers and it’s telling that Reeder got one before Rozeboom any every other inside linebacker.

Defensive coordinator Chris Shula mentioned Reeder’s consistency and intelligence on the field Wednesday, mentioning that he had a strong performance in camp.

“Yeah, he’s just a consistent guy. No matter what, consistent demeanor, rarely makes a mistake, very smart and above the neck,” Shula said. “It’s like having a coach on the field so always enjoyed working with him and am excited to continue to do that.

“He had a good camp. He played fast. He plays hard and kind of the same as he has always been.”

Shula said the Rams are expected to have a linebacker wear the green dot as the defensive signal caller rather than giving it to someone such as Kamren Curl or Quentin Lake in the secondary. With Reeder being someone who’s had that responsibility before, he would be the natural fit to replace Jones as the primary inside linebacker.

That probably won’t excite fans who have memories of Reeder missing tackles and giving up big plays in coverage, but at this point in time, he seems like the Rams’ preferred option. That doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t change during the season, especially if someone such as Speights catches on quickly, but for now, Reeder appears to be Jones’ replacement in the middle of the defense.

Jordan Fuller (ankle) is day-to-day, uncertain to play vs. Lions

Jordan Fuller suffered an ankle injury in the season finale and is uncertain to play on Sunday against the Lions

Jordan Fuller suffered an ankle injury in the Rams’ win over the 49ers on Sunday, causing him to exit the game after just 12 snaps. Sean McVay shared an update on the starting safety’s status Monday and while it’s not a season-ending injury, it is one that could keep him out for Sunday’s contest against the Lions.

McVay said both Fuller and Troy Reeder (knee) are considered day-to-day and uncertain to play in the first round of the playoffs. Reeder is a backup linebacker and typically sits third on the depth chart, but Fuller is a team captain and plays every snap when healthy.

If Fuller can’t play on Sunday, Russ Yeast would step in alongside John Johnson III.

As big a loss as Fuller would be, Yeast played well against the 49ers on Sunday. He had a team-high seven tackles and broke up two passes deep down the field to prevent big plays by the 49ers.

Rams reunite with Troy Reeder, sign him to practice squad

The Rams have brought back Troy Reeder, signing him to their practice squad

The Los Angeles Rams began signing players to their practice squad on Wednesday after finalizing their initial 53-man roster, adding 15 players – 14 of which were with the team this offseason. The only player who wasn’t on the Rams’ 90-man roster was Troy Reeder, who Los Angeles reunited with Wednesday.

He’s back with the Rams, landing on their practice squad after spending three years with the team from 2019-2021. Reeder was a polarizing player within the fan base, going through his share of struggles, especially in coverage.

He did have back-to-back seasons of 80-plus tackles, though, and he started 25 games for the Rams in three seasons, so he has experience in this system.

Reeder will be insurance in case Ernest Jones, Christian Rozeboom or Jake Hummel gets hurt this season, so he’s not a bad backup to have on the practice squad.

Vikings 90-man roster player profile: LB Troy Reeder

After spending a season with the Los Angeles Chargers, Troy Reeder returns to play for Kevin O’Connell. Can he make the roster?

Welcome to the beginning of our 2023 season preview content!

Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at each player on the roster in-depth with backgrounds and how they currently project forward on the Minnesota Vikings roster.

What is the best-case scenario? What is the worst-case scenario? What should we expect from them during the preseason and beyond? We will break all of that down here.

As a staff, all of us at Vikings Wire ranked the entire 90-man roster 1-90 and will be releasing player profiles in reverse order.

Vikings sign LB Troy Reeder from Chargers

The Minnesota Vikings announced that they’ve signed linebacker Troy Reeder, who previously spent time with the Los Angeles Chargers & Rams.

The Minnesota Vikings have added linebacker depth to their roster by signing Troy Reeder, the team announced Wednesday evening. Reeder previously played for the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles Rams.

This move is likely just extra insurance for a linebacker group that needs depth. Earlier this offseason, the Vikings released longtime veteran Eric Kendricks and worked with Jordan Hicks to restructure his contract.

During Reeder’s four-year career, he’s been much more of a depth piece and special teams player, accumulating 143 tackles, five sacks, and three forced fumbles.

It’s not a splashy move, but head coach Kevin O’Connell has some familiarity with him from their tenure together with the Rams, and this move provides the Vikings with the flexibility to take the best player available in the NFL Draft.

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