Chris Smith II #29 of the Las Vegas Raiders looks on against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Los Angeles Rams spent a good part of their day on Wednesday placing players on injured reserve. However, the Rams also announced that they added multiple players to their roster, including former Las Vegas Raiders defensive back Chris Smith.
The Rams are dealing with various injuries in their secondary, and Smith was one of two additions to the group.
LA also made their final call on a young specialist.
Rams Awarded Former Raiders DB Chris Smith II Off Waivers
GettyChris Smith II of the Las Vegas Raiders in the tunnel before facing the Arizona Cardinals.
The Rams were awarded Smith off Waivers from the Raiders, who selected him with the No. 170 overall pick of the 2023 draft. Las Vegas waived Smith on Tuesday. He has logged 3 total tackles in nine games this season.
He has seen his role skew more toward special teams as his career has progressed. Smith played three defensive snaps compared to 156 on special teams for the Raiders this season.
“New #Rams SAF Chris Smith II was picked 4 spots ahead of Warren McClendon Jr., 5 spots ahead of Davis Allen and 7 spots ahead of Puka Nacua in 2023,” “Downtown Rams” host Jake Ellenbogen posted on X on November 19.
“Clearly the #Rams liked the former safety out of Georgia.”
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked Smith as the 10th-best safety in his draft class, projecting a range from the third to the fourth round. Smith has 10 combined stops in his career.
Rams Sign Ex-Titans Rookie UDFA CB Alex Johnson
GettyAlex Johnson #39 of the Indianapolis Colts on the field against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Rams signed Alex Johnson to their practice squad. Like Smith, Johnson should bolster the Rams’ secondary. A rookie undrafted free agent, Johnson began the season with the New York Giants. However, he has also spent time with the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans.
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projected Johnson to be a priority free agent before the draft cycle.
“Tall nickel cornerback who could get some looks as a backup safety. Johnson is a relatively fluid athlete with good explosion numbers and adequate top-end speed. He frequently covers the slot in man or zone,” Zierlein wrote pre-draft.
“Allows too much operating space for opponents in his man coverage. He doesn’t play with the burst or instincts to make many plays on the football but he’s usually in pretty good position to make quick tackles. He does a good job of playing with vision and recognition from zone but falls below average in run support. Johnson’s traits give him a chance to fight for a practice-squad spot.”
With Smith and Johnson, the Rams have provided depth at spots where they lost Quentin Lake (elbow) and Ahkello Witherspoon (collarbone), respectively, to injured reserve.
Rams Get Proactive With Harrison Mevis
GettyHarrison Mevis #92 of the Los Angeles Rams kicks a field goal against the Florida Gators.
The Rams’ most obvious move was signing Harrison Mevis to the 53-man roster from their practice squad ahead of facing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on “Sunday Night Football.”
Mevis had been called up twice since signing with the Rams’ practice squad, meaning the team had one more elevation at its disposal. After that, the Rams would have had to sign Mevis to the 53-man roster to use him in another game this season.
Instead, the Rams skip ahead and make the inevitable decision.
Mevis has gone 9-for-9 on extra point attempts, but has yet to attempt a field goal, since taking over for 2024 sixth-round draft pick Joshua Karty.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He’s based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
More Heavy on Rams
Loading more stories
