11 Los Angeles Rams Who Won't Return Next Season
6. Russ Yeast
Another young DB on the chopping block, Russ Yeast showed none of that second-year improvement that we saw from Kendrick.
Yeast was an even later draft pick, being the third-last selection of the entire 2022 NFL Draft, and he earned an ugly 57.4 overall grade from PFF as a rookie. He followed that up with a 57.0 in 2023, grading out at 82nd among 95 qualifying safeties.
His stats when targeted in coverage were also significantly worse than Kendrick's, allowing a 115.7 passer rating on 41 looks in 2023. His 21.8% missed tackle rate is especially egregious for a safety.
Being 24 years old with 10 NFL starts under his belt and on a cheap contract, Yeast is another guy that would be fine to stash on the practice squad. There's also a much better chance that he actually clears waivers than Kendrick.
But for Yeast, it's not even a lock that he'd be worth one of those practice squad spots. He may just be released and left to pursue other opportunities.