The Los Angeles Rams have signed safety Maximus Pulley off of the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. In a corresponding move, they have placed running back Ronnie Rivers on injured reserve.
Pulley played five years of college football at Western Kentucky and Wofford College. Throughout his career, he recorded 186 tackles, 16 passes defended, and seven interceptions. In his final year at Wofford, Pulley earned First-Team All-America honors from the Associated Press and was a First-Team All-Southern Conference selection. As a senior, he led the conference with five interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns. Pulley was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which recognizes the FCS' top defensive player.
While Pulley went undrafted, he was signed by the Eagles as an undrafted free agent . Pulley was part of the team's roster cuts following the preseason, but was quickly signed to the practice squad. He was activated to the team's active roster for Week 2 against the Titans.
During the preseason, Pulley was the 12th-highest-graded safety via Pro Football Focus. He was also credited with 16 tackles and five stops, splitting his time at free safety and in the box.
Much of Pulley's impact for the Rams will likely come on special teams. Pulley played 47 snaps on special teams during the preseason, recording three tackles. That's also where he contributed in his regular season debut last week.
With the Rams signing Pulley off of the Eagles' practice squad, he immediately joins their active roster. The Rams' decision to sign Pulley could also put Tanner Ingle 's roster spot in jeopardy. Against the Giants , Ingle took a 15-yard penalty on a kickoff return, which set the Giants up at midfield and in position to score. Ingle's penalty put the Giants at their own 49-yard line, and they kicked a field goal seven plays later.
"I trust Tanner [Ingle] to be able to learn from that," said head coach Sean McVay on Tuesday. "But we can't put the ball around midfield where they get a good return and then we tack on an extra 15."
It wouldn't be surprising to see Pulley appear on special teams this week as the Rams get set to take on the Denver Broncos . The Rams also play the Eagles in Week 4, and Pulley may be able to provide some intel.
After two weeks, the Rams rank last in special teams DVOA with their kickoff unit ranking 27th. Given the Rams' struggles on special teams through two weeks, Pulley could have an opportunity to make an immediate impact. While he may not contribute on defense right away, his limited experience in Vic Fangio's defense is a bonus. However, his special teams value could be put to use by the Rams right away.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/onsi as Rams Sign Safety Maximus Pulley Off Eagles Practice Squad to Help Special Teams .
