The Los Angeles Rams released linebacker Tomon Fox in the first wave of roster cuts, ProFootballTalk reported. Fox is now a free agent.
It is the oldest ritual in the league: the August purge. Teams start with more players than they can keep, and the bottom of the roster gets cleared first. Fox was part of that first clearing. He is not a name that moves the headline meter. He is the kind of player who gets a phone call and a chance to try out again somewhere else.
The Rams made a choice. They would rather keep another player at another position, or perhaps a younger linebacker with more special-teams upside. That is how first-wave cuts work. You release the players you think you can survive without. Fox's release says the Rams believe their front seven is already settled enough to move on.
History says these moves often look smarter in September than they do in December. Players let go this early sometimes resurface and make a team regret the decision. The Rams are betting their existing depth is better. That is a fair bet, as long as they stay healthy.
Fox will now enter the waiver market. Some team will give him a look. What he does with that look is up to him. The Rams have already shown what they think. They think the roster is fine without him.