The Los Angeles Rams, a team many of us expected to be Super Bowl bound after they brought in Myles Garrett this offseason, just made a wild move: they signed Blake Grupe off the Jets’ practice squad as their new kicker. Yeah, you read that right. They’re going back to the Jets to fix their kicking game, which is, honestly, a massive storyline that isn’t going away anytime soon.
Kicking Themselves Over A Kicker
This move screams desperation, but you can’t blame Sean McVay for trying everything after their recent loss to the Buffalo Bills. Losing in Week 6 and still trying to figure out your special teams is definitely not ideal. The problem? Ex-Jet Harrison Mevis, their previous kicker, was a massive liability. The dude went 5-for-9 on field goals, including bricking a potential game-winner on Monday night. You literally can’t make that stuff up. Mevis was easily the weakest link on that roster before he got cut on Tuesday. So, the Rams are hoping Grupe can somehow be the answer, even though he hasn’t even attempted a single kick for the Jets all season. That’s a huge gamble, especially for a team with such high expectations. They have to keep trying, even if it’s just for the future, because this problem has been lingering.
Bolstering The Roster, Hoping For Special Teams Spark
Beyond the kicking drama, the Rams also added cornerback Damarion Williams. Williams was a fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens back in 2022. This could be a move to give them some depth with Jaylen Watson dealing with injuries, but Williams might also be someone they’re eyeing to bolster their special teams. He spent some time with our Seahawks in 2024, and has also been with the Buccaneers for the last two years. Williams is a smaller corner, listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, with arms under 30 inches. But here’s the kicker, no pun intended: he actually played 134 special teams snaps as a rookie in 2022. He hasn’t played much since, but maybe the Rams are hoping to rekindle that spark. They’re certainly leaving no stone unturned when it comes to their “third unit” problems.
The Rams just lost to the Buffalo Bills on October 12, and Bills outside linebacker Bradley Chubb was talking smack about it just two days later. The pressure is on for L.A. to make these roster moves stick and get their special teams figured out. If they don’t, those Super Bowl predictions are going to start looking pretty silly. They gotta keep trying until they get it right.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Turf Show Times.
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