The Los Angeles Rams terminated the contracts of third-string quarterback Dan Orlovsky and reserve tight end Cory Harkey, waived 31 players, placed tight end Temarrick Hemingway on the reserve/injured list and running back Lance Dunbar on the reserve/physically unable to perform list to reach the NFL's 53-player regular-season limit.
The Rams also acquired tight end Derek Carrier from the Washington Redskins in exchange for a seventh-round choice in the 2018 NFL draft.
Linebacker Josh Forrest and wide receiver Nelson Spruce were among four players waived with an injury designation, allowing them to be placed on the team's injured reserve list should they clear waivers.
Forrest played 10 games with the Rams as a rookie in 2016, with four starts after being chosen in the sixth round of the NFL draft. as a rookie in 2016. Spruce made the 53-player roster in 2016 as an undrafted rookie free agent, but never played in a regular-season game because of a calf injury sustained in the preseason opener.
Four other players who played with the Rams last season were also cut -- Cody Wichmann, who started 11 games at right guard in 2016 and seven as a rookie in 2015, cornerback Michael Jordan, who played five games and started two, safety Isaiah Johnson, who played three games in 2016, and offensive tackle Pace Murphy, who played the final two games.
Fullback Sam Rogers was the only player chosen by the Rams in the 2017 NFL draft to be waived. The Rams selected Rogers with the second of their sixth- round picks out of Virginia Tech.
Three players who played NFL regular-season games with other teams were waived -- kicker Travis Coons, linebacker Andy Mulumba and nose tackle Mike Purcell.
Sports
Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
Seven players who participated in past NFL training camps were waived -- running back Aaron Green, outside linebackers Cassanova McKinzy, Carlos Thompson and Davis Tull, receivers Paul McRoberts and Brandon Shippen and tight end Travis Wilson, a former San Clemente High and Utah quarterback.
Green also participated in the Rams 2016 training camp. His uncle Gary Green played cornerback for the Rams in 1984 and 1985.
Fifteen undrafted rookies were among the 31 players waived -- defensive tackles Omarius Bryant and Casey Sayles, wide receivers K.D. Cannon and Shakeir Ryan, offensive linemen Parker Collins, Michael Dunn and Alex Kozan, cornerback Carlos Davis, linebacker Kevin Davis and Folarin Orimolade, center Jake
Eldrenkamp, cornerbacks Tyquwan Glass and Aarion Penton, outside linebacker Willie Mays III and running back Lenard Tillery.
Mays is not related to the Baseball Hall of Fame center fielder.
Kevin Davis and Tillery were waived with injury designations. The cutting of Orlovsky leaves the Rams with two quarterbacks on their roster -- starter Jared Goff and backup Sean Mannion.
The 34-year-old Orlovsky has spent 12 seasons in the NFL, including the past three with the Detroit Lions. Orlovsky did not see any regular seasonaction in 2016.
Orlovsky signed with the Rams July 20 and played in three of their four preseason games, including starting Thursday's 24-10 preseason loss to the Green Bay Packers, completing 16 of 300 passes for 149 yards and one touchdown and had two passes intercepted.
Rams coach Sean McVay called Orlovsky "definitely a guy that could be a possibility for us to bring back in Week 2."
"I think very highly of Dan," McVay said. "I've heard a lot of great things about Dan from other people in the coaching world that have been with him and he certainly lived up to that reputation."
McVay coached Carrier in 2015 and 2016 as Washington's offensive coordinator.
"Derek is a great guy," McVay said. "He brings some versatility to the position. (Carrier) was a guy that we had potentially targeted knowing the depth that the Redskins had at that position. We feel fortunate to be able to acquire Derek. He is going to be a big help to us."
The acquisition of Carrier prompted the Rams to waive Harkey, McVay said. Harkey is an alumnus of Chino Hills High and UCLA who played five seasons with the Rams and was their starting tight end in 2013 and 2014 when they played in St. Louis.
"(I) can't say enough things about what he represents in terms of the toughness, the leadership, the character, all those good things that you want your players to embody," McVay said.
All NFL teams were required to reduce their rosters to the 53-player limit before 1 p.m. Saturday. Teams often make changes to their rosters between the time they are required to get to the 53-player limit and the start of the regular season as they sign players cut by other teams and cut others to make room for them on their rosters.
Teams may begin signing players to the 10-player practice squads Sunday.
