The Rams made a special teams-focused addition on Tuesday, signing safety Maximus Pulley off the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad and clearing a roster spot by placing running back Ronnie Rivers on injured reserve.
Pulley arrives with a résumé built on production at the FCS level and a recent stop in Philadelphia. Over five college seasons at Western Kentucky and Wofford College, he piled up 186 tackles, 16 passes defended and seven interceptions.
His final season at Wofford was especially decorated: he earned First-Team All-America honors from the Associated Press, was a First-Team All-Southern Conference selection, led the conference with five interceptions and took two of them back for touchdowns. He was also a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the FCS’ top defensive player.
Maximus Pulley with a PICK-6 for the second straight week! Wofford goes up 45-7 at VMI. pic.twitter.com/EdeQWfIky0
Though he went undrafted, the Eagles brought Pulley in as an undrafted free agent. He survived the preseason only briefly before landing on the practice squad, then got elevated to the active roster for Week 2 against the Titans.
His preseason work gave him some traction, too. Pro Football Focus had Pulley as the 12th-highest-graded safety, and he finished with 16 tackles and five stops while splitting time at free safety and in the box.
Love seeing this type of stuff from young guys… flying downhill and attacking through the alley with zero wasted movement. Excellent rep from Maximus Pulley. pic.twitter.com/KaiphMpWnW
For the Rams, the immediate value is expected to come on special teams. Pulley logged 47 special teams snaps in the preseason and made three tackles, and that’s where he also saw action in his regular-season debut last week.
His arrival could have ripple effects beyond special teams. Tanner Ingle’s spot may now be under pressure after his 15-yard penalty on a kickoff return against the Giants.
That penalty moved New York to midfield, and the Giants eventually turned the possession into a field goal seven plays later. Asked about the mistake Tuesday, Sean McVay said, “I trust Tanner [Ingle] to be able to learn from that,” before adding, “But we can't put the ball around midfield where they get a good return and then we tack on an extra 15.”
Pulley could be in line to make his Rams debut on special teams this week against the Denver Broncos. The Rams also face the Eagles in Week 4, which gives him a chance to provide some intel from his brief time in Philadelphia.
The move comes with Los Angeles searching for answers on special teams. Through two weeks, the Rams rank last in special teams DVOA, and their kickoff unit sits 27th. Pulley may not be asked to help on defense right away, but with his limited experience in Vic Fangio’s system and his special teams background, he gives the Rams a player they can use immediately.
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