Rams no longer challenge their foot problems.
The Rams signed a kicker on Wednesday. Harrison Mevis to the practice squad to compete against sophomore professionals Joshua Carty. The move comes a day after the team signed veteran long snapper Jake McQuaid to compete with Alex Ward.
“It's all about trying to find some solutions and get some consistency on field goals,” coach Sean McVay said on Wednesday. “I think it’s important to have good competition in some places where we think we can improve the game.”
The Rams prepare for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara.
The Rams are 6-2, and their losses to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles and 49ers were the result of problems in the kicking game that resurfaced without dire consequences in last Sunday's rout of the New Orleans Saints.
Against the Saints, Carty missed a 39-yard field goal attempt and an extra point attempt. Carty made 10 of 15 field goals and 23 of 26 extra point attempts.
McVay said after the game that the Rams would evaluate “every aspect of where we go with this operation.”
On Tuesday, they turned to McQuaid, 37, who played for the Rams from 2011 to 2020 and was part of a special teams team that also included kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter/owner Johnny Hecker.
“If everything goes well with Jake, we expect him to be our best player,” McVay said.
On Wednesday, they brought in Mevis, who made 89 of Missouri's 106 field goal attempts, including one from 61 yards. In the United Soccer League last season, he made 20 of 21 field goals.
So Carty and Mevis will duel during extended special teams practice this week.
“Wednesday and Thursday we'll execute more than usual and we'll really be able to use this as a competition,” McVay said.
