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The Los Angeles Rams shook up their roster as the 2025 trade deadline approached, announcing they were adding two-time Pro Bowler Jake McQuaide. McQuaide, a long snapper, is in his 15th NFL season. He has ties to the franchise that go back to before their time in LA. His arrival follows a telling series of comments from Rams head coach Sean McVay. The Rams hope it helps them shore up what has been a long-standing issue. Rams Sign Pro Bowl LS Jake McQuaide Before Trade Deadline McQuaide broke into the league with the Rams as an undrafted free agent after five seasons as a former walk-on at Ohio State in 2011. “The Rams signed longsnapper Jake McQuaide to the practice squad,” The Athletic’s Nate Atkins reported on X on November 4. “He spent a decade with the Rams and reached Pro Bowls in 2016 and 2017. He’ll turn 38 next month.” McQuaide spent the first 10 years of his career with the Rams in St. Louis. He earned his Pro Bowl nods during their first two seasons back in LA before stints with the Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, and Minnesota Vikings. Notably, McQuaide was a member of the 2010 Buckeyes team that went 12-1 and won the Sugar Bowl, but had their victories vacated over “Tattoogate,” in which former NFLer Terrell Pryor and four of his teammates improperly benefited from selling and receiving items and services. McQuaide was not implicated in the scandal. Pryor, who asserted that he paid for his tattoos, Dan Herron, DeVier Posey, and Mike Adams all made it to the NFL, along with McQuaide. Sean McVay Telegraphed Rams’ Move McVay has harped on the special teams, and particularly the Rams’ kicking game, multiple times this season. He did so again on Monday during his day-after media availability following the win over the New Orleans Saints. McVay compared past instances to the Rams’ current woes, noting what is “different” this time is the volume and relatively short distance of Joshua Karty’s missed field goals and extra points. Karty is 10-for-15 on field goals and 23-for-26 on point-after tries. Brandon McManus of the Green Bay Packers is the only player who has attempted at least as many field goals and has a worse conversion rate. But McVay harped on fostering a positive environment and spread the blame around. “The important thing is it takes the snap, the hold, the kick in a certain timing and trajectory. There’s a responsibility for the protection to be able to prevent penetration or shorter edges. And if we are operating within the timing that we expect, the location of the snap, and then, ultimately, the kick gets up, and the location is consistent. Those are the things,” McVay said on November 3. “There’s not one all-encompassing issue.” For now, it appears McVay is looking for more consistency in the operation around Karty before making any decisions on the Rams’ former sixth-round pick (No. 209 overall in 2024). Rams Cut UDFA OL The Rams were not done, needing to make room for McQuaide on the 53-man roster. They also parted ways with some of their depth along the offensive line. “To make room for McQuaide, the Rams terminated offensive lineman Wyatt Bowles from the practice squad,” TheRams.com’s Stu Jackson wrote as part of the overall press release on November 4. Bowles has yet to see action during the regular season.
