In his first, and only, game with the Rams, kicker Blake Grupe suffered a torn ACL while making a tackle during a kick return. Which leaves the Rams without a kicker. For the second straight week.
On Monday, coach Sean McVay told reporters that the Rams will be adding a new kicker very soon.
“We’re in the process,” McVay said. “[Assistant General Manager] John McKay, [special-teams coordinator] Bubba [Ventrone], [General Manager] Les Snead, those guys are working on some different options. Certainly, we’ll have something here in the next day or two.”
McVay was also asked about the 156-pound Grupe’s decision to attempt a shoulder-to-shoulder tackle during the return that resulted in his injury.
“[H]e did an instinctual thing to try to knock him out of bounds,” McVay said. “You’d like us to shoulder leverage the ball up on the front line first so that it doesn’t get spit out to him. But maybe you go lower and avoid the knee injury. It was kind of one of those deals that I felt terrible. He does a great job converting on his kick. Then right after that you’re like, ‘You got to be shitting me.’ I feel terrible for him. The only thing I’d say is maybe go low instead of taking him on high.”
It’s a tough situation for any kicker, especially one who is the smallest player on the field. His choice was to try to apply a shoulder hit or basically get trampled.
For the Rams, it’s a matter of finding the right guy to replace the guy who replaced Harrison Mevis. They’re reportedly working out Brandon McManus and Matt Prater on Tuesday.
