Rams cut Harrison Mevis, sign Blake Grupe after Bills loss
TLDR: The Rams released kicker Harrison Mevis and signed Blake Grupe off the Jets practice squad Tuesday, less than a day after Mevis had a 48-yard overtime winner blocked in a 37-34 loss to Buffalo.
Sean McVay said he'd evaluate everything. That evaluation took about 12 hours, and Mevis didn't pass it.
A kicker change for the #Rams: They’re releasing Harrison Mevis and signing Blake Grupe off the #Jets’ practice squad, sources tell me and @RapSheet. A move at the position after last night’s overtime blocked field goal.
Monday night was ugly from the start. Mevis pushed a 50-yarder wide left on the Rams' opening drive. Then in overtime, with a 48-yarder to win the game, Greg Rousseau got a hand on it. Buffalo took the ball back, Josh Allen drove them into range, and Tyler Bass kicked the winner. McVay didn't do the usual coach thing of protecting his guy after the game. He put it on the field goal unit by name.
After last night's game, coach Sean McVay said he would evaluate everything in the special teams unit: "In the kicking game, especially, with our PAT/field goal (unit), not even close to good enough. It cost us the game." Now, a major change.
Mevis had it coming. He'd made just 5 of his last 9 field goal tries, and only 1 of his last 4 over the past 2 games. It's also a long-running problem for this team. Since the start of last season the Rams have had 3 field goal attempts blocked, tied for the most in the league, and Monday was the 5th game in that stretch that special teams cost them. When you're trying to win a Super Bowl, you can't keep losing games on kicks.
Now for the replacement, who's basically the opposite of Mevis. Mevis was the big-legged "Thiccer Kicker" from Missouri. Grupe is tiny. Before the move even happened, longtime Colts reporter Mike Chappell was lobbying for it, partly just for the size swap.
McVay should attempt to sign Blake Grupe off Jets PS. If for no other reason than the dramatic transition from 6-0, 245-pound Harrison Mevis to 5-7, 157-pound Grupe. Grupe was perfect with Colts last season - 10/10 FGs, 11/11 PATs. Set franchise record with 60 FG.
The résumé is up and down. Grupe opened last season in New Orleans and went 18-for-26 before the Saints cut him. Then he went to Indianapolis and didn't miss a field goal. The Colts let him go anyway, and the Jets claimed him off waivers when rosters were cut to 53. He never got into a game for them and ended up on the practice squad as kicking insurance. Now he's going to a contender.
New #Rams K Blake Grupe was claimed off waivers by the #Jets after rosters were pared to 53. He never kicked for them and was moved to the practice squad. Grupe heads to LA under ST coordinator Bubba Ventrone. Both previously with the #Colts, though not at the same time.
Don't buy the reunion story going around. Grupe and special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone were both in Indianapolis, just not at the same time, so this isn't a coach bringing his old kicker with him. Ventrone got the Rams job in January. Some people think the wrong guy is taking the fall for a unit that keeps getting kicks blocked.
Blame the big kicker and not the special teams coach
That's the thing to keep an eye on. A blocked kick usually comes down to protection, not the kicker, and a new leg doesn't fix the guys up front. If Grupe hits everything and the Rams still get kicks blocked, the questions will move from the kicker to Ventrone. McVay has already shown he's not waiting around. For now Grupe has the job, and he'll get some pressure kicks soon enough.
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