Rams To Waive OLB Terrell Lewis

The Rams are set to let go of a recent third-round draft pick as they are reportedly waiving outside linebacker Terrell Lewis, according to Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic. It’s a bit of a surprising move considering the team lacks much depth at outside linebacker.

Lewis was largely considered a risky steal when he was selected by Los Angeles in the third round. The Alabama-product rose up draft boards early in his collegiate career before a torn ACL sidelined him for the entire 2018 season. After appearing in 11 games in 2016 with little playing time as Terrell Hall, he legally changed his last name to Lewis going into his sophomore year. After tearing a ligament in the first game with “Lewis” on his jersey, he would miss the next ten games, returning for the regular season finale and a postseason run that would include an SEC Championship game and two College Football Playoff games. His first collegiate start would be in the Crimson Tide’s National Championship win over Georgia in overtime.

Between the two long-term injuries he suffered in college and only appearing in 26 games over four years, scouts were iffy on Lewis’s durability. But after a strong redshirt junior season that saw Lewis rack up 31 tackles, six sacks, and 11.5 tackles for loss, and saw him play in 11 of the team’s 13 games that year, Lewis had a strong opportunity in the NFL Draft. Evaluating entering the draft early with his injury history led Lewis to an easy decision and he became a Ram.

Unfortunately for both parties, Lewis’s professional career has been more of the same. He spent the first four weeks of his rookie season on the team’s non-football injury list and would miss five more games later in the year, including a playoff loss to the Packers. His second year with the Rams last season started off promising. After showing a healthy start to the year, Lewis earned his first start in the NFL and tallied a sack in three straight games. He followed that up with three straight starts before eventually, the injury bug struck again. After two games with diminishing playing time, Lewis would sit out the rest of the season, including a four-game playoff run that culminated in a Super Bowl win over the Bengals.

This year, once again, started off with promise. Lewis was a constant presence rotating into the Rams linebacking corps behind a usual starting lineup of Bobby Wagner, Ernest Jones, Leonard Floyd, and Justin Hollins. Lewis often split time with Hollins, eventually taking over his starting spot after Hollins was waived in late-November. But after only three starts, Lewis found himself on the injured list once again. Lewis injured his back in a loss to the Chiefs, suffering a disc bulge that limited his flexibility. He’s now missed the last two games and it appears that the Rams have seen enough.

With Lewis out, the Rams have not really gone the replacement route. They have begun to incorporate some linebacking reserves like rookie seventh-round pick Daniel Hardy, undrafted rookie Keir Thomas, and Christian Rozeboom, but, for the most part, the Rams have been playing far fewer four-linebacker sets, relying on their top-three linebackers, Wagner, Jones, and Floyd.

Lewis will head to waivers where he may be lucky enough to find his way to a team with the patience and depth at outside linebacker to weather any potential future absences. He still provides impressive measurables and pass rushing ability for any teams willing to stake a claim on the waiver wire.