The Los Angeles Rams added Blake Grupe as their new kicker (for now), and they’ve added some other players including cornerback Damarion Williams. Williams could be a signing to help while Jaylen Watson deals with his injuries, but Williams could also be someone to bolster L.A.‘s special teams.
Sean McVay said all options were on the table after their loss to the Buffalo Bills, and the Rams should leave no stone unturned.
Going into Week 6 isn’t the ideal time to tweak your special teams, but it happens, and the Rams either overcome it or they don’t.
Even if L.A. doesn’t fix its third unit for the 2026 season, they have to keep trying for their future. So, like the moves or not, the Rams are trying out some things, and that’s what they’ll have to keep doing until the get it right, if they get it right. Keep trying.
The Rams have been trying to fix or improve their special teams on a consistent level for a while now. It’s a massive storyline that likely won’t be going away anytime until the issues are fixed. If the issues are fixed.
“Additionally, the Rams signed cornerback Damarion Williams to give them some depth on the practice squad. Williams was a fourth-round pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. Given Jaylen Watson’s injuries, the Rams need some cornerback depth. Williams spent time with the Seahawks in 2024 and has also been with the Buccaneers over the last two years.
Williams is a smaller cornerback at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, with arms measuring less than 30 inches. However, he may bring some special teams value. He played 134 special teams snaps in 2022 as a rookie, but has not played much since.“
“The Los Angeles Rams, the team many predicted to win the Super Bowl after acquiring Myles Garrett in the offseason, have signed Blake Grupe off the Jets’ practice squad this week after a struggling start to the season from Ex-Jet Harrison Mevis.
You read that right. Los Angeles is going back to the Jets to solve its kicking problems.
The jokes write themselves.
Rams turn to Jets for help
Before he was cut on Tuesday, Mevis was easily the weakest link to the Rams roster. He went 5-9 on field goals including missing a potential game-winner on Monday night. Grupe, meanwhile, hasn’t even attempted a kick for the Jets so far this season.“
“Watch Bills outside linebacker Bradley Chubb speak following the Buffalo Bills practice at UC Irvine in Newport Beach, California on October 14, 2026.”
“Jackson appealed the suspension.
“Hearing officer Derrick Brooks, jointly appointed by the NFL and the NFLPA, has reduced the two game suspension of Los Angeles Rams offensive lineman Alaric Jackson to one game,” Michael Signora, the NFL’s senior vice president of football and international communications, said on social media.
Jackson must sit out Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals but is eligible to return for an Oct. 25 game against the Las Vegas Raiders.“
“Gregg Rosenthal and Jourdan Rodrigue preview the Week 6 matchup between the Cardinals and the Rams.”
“The Los Angeles Rams are set to enter Week 6 the healthiest they’ve been in weeks ahead of their matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. While the Rams didn’t practice on Wednesday, each player’s status is an estimation. On the injury report Rams had only one player who was estimated to not participate. That player was tight end Davis Allen, who would have missed practice with a foot injury. Outside of Allen, the Rams only had five other players listed, with four of them limited.“
“Josh Allen played his purest form of football on Monday night, accepting the passing game might not be his best avenue toward victory and instead using his legs to rack up 121 rushing yards. He’s one of very few quarterbacks who carries elite value as a rusher and truly forces defenses to defend every play twice. It made for a nightmare for Los Angeles’ defense Monday.
It wasn’t a scintillating Sunday for Bock Purdy, who was made uncomfortable by Seattle’s defense. But what Purdy did amid the challenges only reinforced his position atop the Index. His touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks and ensuing two-point conversion were fantastic examples of his never-quit playstyle that, to this point, hasn’t hurt him much.
Jared Goff is quietly putting together a stellar season, torching Arizona with ease while pushing his TD-INT ratio to a perfect 12-0.
Next Gen Stats insight (via NFL Pro): Josh Allen rushed for 107 yards on scrambles in the Bills’ Week 5 win over the Rams, the most by any player this season and third-most in a game in the Next Gen Stats era. Since 2016, Allen has rushed for 100+ yards on scrambles twice, while the entire rest of the NFL has also done so just twice.“
“Here are three lessons from that contest the Rams can take into this week.
“The tight ends will always be open if the offense is patient
The Lions dismantled the Cardinals, and the Rams should do the same on offense. Arizona does not have enough talent on defense to keep up, and its only chance is if it’s able to take advantage of Alaric Jackson being suspended. To combat this, the Rams should give David Quessenberry some help while moving the pocket to the right periodically.“
“Less than a week after a shocking 37-34 overtime loss to the Buffalo Bills that bordered on criminal negligence, Sean McVay and the Rams (2-3) return to the house that Stan Kroenke built looking to salvage their season against a Cardinals (1-4) team that has lost four straight games.
For the Cardinals, another loss might have fans dreaming at night about Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and the upcoming 2027 NFL Draft.
For the Rams, another defeat and it’s time to sound the alarm on a season that once had such high Super Bowl aspirations before it began. “
“As measured by per-game averages, Higbee was sneakily the Rams’ most productive tight end last season. Sidelined by an ankle injury, Higbee played only 10 games but produced 25 catches for 281 yards and three touchdowns. That pace would have led the room in receiving yards over Parkinson, the actual leader with 408, had Higbee stayed healthy.
And he did that while managing residual discomfort in his knee from Joseph’s years-old cheap shot. It’s not just his statistical production in 2026. Higbee is moving fluidly. He looks athletic. Almost young.
The longest-tenured Ram – call it a tie with defensive lineman Aaron Donald, who’s also in his 11th season with the team after a two-year absence – Higbee has four seasons of at least 500 receiving yards. He would have had another in 2023, when he closed at 495, had he not missed two games.“
“3 college kickers coming out this year with Greg Zeurlein leg strength…
Tate Sandell Oklahoma (he’s the one I’d draft)
Peyton Woodring Georgia
Lucas Carniero Ole Miss
Kicker, linebacker (with speed and size), and WR are the Rams biggest needs. Whether McVay sees it that way is another matter.“ -JeffinBranson
Rams Coaches: A Look-Back at the Last 20 Years and Beyond
The purpose of this post is not to celebrate or bash Sean McVay. It is to put some perspective on our recent past with some pathetic coaches and anemic front offices that we kept for far too long. The focus here is head coaches.
McVay is one of the best coaches we have ever had, but he has two major flaws that are really showing themselves this season:
His stubbornness with play-calling and favoring/shunning certain players knows no limits – no matter how many times he says he has to be better after a particular lickin’ that many saw coming
He can’t seem to be able to prepare a team for a full game. He’s usually excellent for a half, but that half has to carry us to the win – unless maybe we wake up in the last two minutes.
But as proof of the positive side, here’s a list of coaches from Ramblin’ Fan and their records since the move to St Louis in 1995. Coaches with winning records are highlighted; and, of course, Vermeil won us our first Super Bowl after the 1999 season.
Below that list are coaches from before 1995 with significant winning records. Note that Chuck Knox was also HC from 1992 – 1994, but his record was 15-33 for that campaign.
Certainly, the Ramily has felt much pain over the years. Let’s hope brighter days are ahead of us.
