Safety Quindell Johnson and wide receiver Quintez Cephus are the latest additions
It’s been a busy week for the Los Angeles Rams pro player personnel office, balancing street free agent additions and returnees from designation lists against losses due to injuries. But with the signings of safety Quindell Johnson and wide receiver Quintez Cephus, the Rams now officially return to a full complement of bodies on the practice squad and stand one short of a full active 53.
Johnson begins his second term in L.A. He was originally signed by the Rams as a 2023 undrafted free agent ( their highest paid UDFA) out of Memphis. After the Rams let him go in final cuts, he joined the Chicago Bears and played in nine games, charting no starts, 35 defensive snaps, and another 106 on special teams. The Bears cut him loose on August 29.
Turf Show Times did a capsule profile of Johnson back in May 2023.
He has NFL safety size and length at 6’ 201 lbs., along with 9 1/2” hands and 33” arms… Timed a 4.55 forty and 4.24 shuttle. He also logged a 32.5 vertical and 10’ long jump.
Well-rounded and versatile defender in both coverage and run support. Last year, he played almost 300 snaps as a deep free safety, another 150+ in the box, and 275+ out in the slot.
Better in zone coverage than man. Appears to a step slow in reaction time to breaks and double moves when tasked with one on one situations. Has the length to recover and play from trail position at the college level, but it won’t fly as a pro. He’s smooth both going forward and backpedaling…
Both Johnson and Cephus fit the Rams pattern on making lower-level additions based on familiarity. Defensive Coordinator Chris Shula, Assistant Head Coach Aubrey Pleasant and safeties coach Chris Beake all have worked with Johnson. Cephus has history with Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, playing together in 2020 and 2021.
Turf Show Times also did a capsule review of Cephus earlier today.
A fifth round pick (by Detroit Lions) out of Wisconsin in 2020… Playing with Matthew Stafford in 2020, Cephus caught 20 of 35 targets for 349 yards and two touchdowns. Stafford’s passer rating on throws to Cephus was 112.6 with 15 first downs…
Cephus played in only five games in 2021 prior to landing on season-ending IR with a shoulder injury,.. appeared in four games for the Lions in 2022 and has not been back in the NFL since… suspended for the entire 2023 season due to violating the league’s gambling policies…
Does either addition move the needle?
Both additions are likely inexpensive filler. With the Rams down to $3.2mil in cap space, trying to find replacements that are realistic possibilities of an upgrade are limited.
In theory, the Cephus/Stafford connection appears to offer possible value, but Cephus hasn’t played in the NFL since early 2022. Although Johnson was the Rams highest paid UDFA, he didn’t impress these same coaches enough to be kept around in his first stint with the Rams.
As of today, the Rams active roster (52)
Probable starters in bold
QB- Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Garappolo, Stetson Bennett
RB- Kyren Williams, Ronnie Rivers, Blake Corum, Cody Schrader
WR- Demarcus Robinson, Tyler Johnson, TuTu Atwell, Jordan Whittington, Cooper Kupp
TE- Colby Parkinson, Davis Allen, Hunter Long
OL- Alaric Jackson, Logan Bruss, Beaux Limmer, Kevin Dotson, Rob Havenstein, Warren McClendon, Geron Christian, Justin Dedich, Dylan McMahon
ST- Jay Ward, Ethan Evans, Josh Karty
DL- Kobie Turner, Bobby Brown, Braden Fiske, Tyler Davis, Neville Gallimore, Desjuan Johnson
E- Byron Young, Jared Verse, Michael Hoecht, Nick Hampton, Brennan Jackson
ILB- Troy Reeder, Christian Rozeboom, Jake Hummel, Omar Speights, Elias Neal
S- Kam Curl, Quentin Lake, Kam Kinchens, Jaylen McCollough
CB- Tre White, DeCobie Durant, Josh Wallace, Charles Woods, Cam Lampkin
The practice squad (17)
WR- Xavier Smith, Drake Stoops, Sam Wiglusz, Quintez Cephus
TE- Nikols Kalinic, Miller Forristall
OL- AJ Arcuri, Mike McAllister
ST- Tanner Brown
DL- Cory Durden, David Olajiga
E- Zach VanValkenburg, Keir Thomas
S- Tanner Ingle, Quindell Johnson
CB- Ahkello Witherspoon, Shaun Jolly
