Rams release veteran linebackers Tomon Fox and Monty Rice in first wave of roster cuts

Two veteran linebackers were among the early departures as Los Angeles trimmed its roster toward the regular-season limit, clearing new options for players still seeking a role elsewhere.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The Los Angeles Rams began shaping their initial 53-man roster on Saturday by releasing linebacker Tomon Fox and linebacker Monty Rice, according to the NFL transaction report referenced by Yahoo Sports. The move represents the next step in a cutdown process that typically filters out depth players and creates space for the final mix of experience, special teams value, and scheme fits.

Fox and Rice were both brought to Los Angeles earlier in the offseason as free agents. With their release, each player is immediately free to sign with another team, giving them a chance to attach to a new defensive staff that is still evaluating linebacker depth ahead of the regular season. In roster terms, the Rams are treating this as a reset moment, moving on from two veterans early in the cut cycle rather than carrying them through later, more restrictive stages of trimming.

Both players were positioned to compete for snaps in a linebacker group that must cover the full range of NFL usage, from base defense to nickel packages and special teams roles. While the Rams did not release detailed explanations in the report cited by Yahoo, NFL teams generally cut for a mix of factors, including practice performance, availability, fit in defensive calls, and how a player affects the overall roster balance once the team fills the rest of the positions required by the salary-cap and roster rules.

These releases also underscore how quickly the league’s offseason signings can change once the calendar shifts from training camp work to roster deadlines. Free-agent additions often receive opportunities to win jobs or provide insurance at key positions, but early cuts show that the margin for roster spots can tighten quickly once coaches settle on their core rotation.

For the players, the immediate next chapter matters. Because both Fox and Rice are now released, they can pursue opportunities with teams that are short on linebacker depth due to performance evaluations, late injuries, or strategic preferences for certain coverage responsibilities. For the Rams, the decision continues the club’s broader roster-building process, in which each early move can influence how many training-camp acquisitions remain, how the team stacks its special teams unit, and how much experience the final linebacker group carries into Week 1.

Why It Matters

Early cut decisions can report which roles the team values most in the final linebacker rotation and on special teams.
Released veterans can quickly become targets for other teams still finalizing depth, offering them another path to a regular-season role.
Roster turnover like this reflects the high-stakes job competition that occurs between late camp and the 53-man deadline.
For Los Angeles, each cut reshapes the remaining practice competition and affects how the coaching staff builds depth behind starters.

Sources

Key Facts

The Rams released linebackers Tomon Fox and Monty Rice in the first wave of roster cuts referenced Saturday.
The move is listed through the NFL transaction report cited by Yahoo Sports.
Fox and Rice signed with the Rams earlier in the offseason as free agents.
Following the releases, both players are free to sign with other teams.