Just days after being released, veteran defensive tackle Cam Thomas has re-signed with the Rams, according to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Los Angeles has waived guard David Arkin in a corresponding roster move, per Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
Signed in 2014 to act as a cog in the middle of Pittsburgh’s 3-4 defense, Thomas never became a key factor in the Steel City, starting only 10 games during his time with the club. After playing on more than 40% of the Steelers’ defensive snaps in 2014, Thomas struggled to get on the field in 2015, seeing action on less than 17% of plays. A 330-pound run stuffer is never going to generate much in the way of traditional stats, but Pro Football Focus wasn’t a fan of Thomas’ work last season, assigning him below-average grades against both the pass and the run.
Nevertheless, the 29-year-old Thomas, who spent the first four years of his career with the Chargers, can still find a role as an early-down player in today’s NFL. Thomas has 85 games of experience under his belt, and he didn’t go completely unnoticed on the open market, as he took a March visit with the Seahawks. Seattle ended up re-signing its own defensive tackle free agent, Ahtyba Rubin, and Thomas languished in free agency until signing with Los Angeles in June.
Arkin, 29 next month, has spent time with the Cowboys, Colts, and Dolphins, but didn’t appear in the NFL last season. He signed a futures deal with the Rams in January.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.