Blake Grupe Rams Move Explained After Chase Mevis Struggles

The Los Angeles Rams signed kicker Blake Grupe after their Week 5 loss to the Buffalo Bills, si.com‘s Blaine Grisak reported. The Blake Grupe Rams move followed Chase Mevis going 5-for-7 through five games and having a potential overtime winner blocked.

Grupe has made 86 of 105 career field-goal attempts, including 19 of 27 from beyond 50 yards. Those numbers give Los Angeles a measurable basis for the change without establishing Grupe as a permanent answer.

Sports Illustrated reported that the Rams changed kickers after Mevis’ early-season struggles. The move also leaves Los Angeles to evaluate whether Grupe’s career range translates into a reliable role.

Key Takeaways

• Sports Illustrated reported that the Rams signed Grupe off the New York Jets’ practice squad after the Week 5 loss to Buffalo.
• Mevis missed from 48 and 50 yards in consecutive weeks, including a blocked potential game-winning kick against the Bills.
• Grupe has converted 86 of 105 career field-goal attempts and 19 of 27 tries from beyond 50 yards.

Why the Rams Made the Kicker Change

Sports Illustrated reported that Mevis missed from 48 yards in one game, then missed from 50 yards against Buffalo before his potential overtime winner was blocked. Those attempts came during a five-game stretch in which he converted five of seven field-goal tries.

Mevis’ shorter-range numbers were stronger. Sports Illustrated reported that he was perfect on extra points and 19-for-20 on field goals inside 45 yards, making the longer attempts the clearest statistical issue in the available figures.

Sports Illustrated also reported that Mevis made a game-winning field goal for the Rams against the Chicago Bears in overtime last season. His departure therefore followed a recent successful kick as well as the early-season misses, rather than a record made up entirely of failures.

The Rams made another special-teams roster change before moving on from Mevis. Sports Illustrated reported that Los Angeles released Xavier Smith after Week 3 and changed kickers after Week 5.

Blake Grupe Rams Numbers Show Range With Caveats

Grupe’s career numbers include an 81.9 percent field-goal rate and a 19-for-27 record from beyond 50 yards, Sports Illustrated reported. His career long is 60 yards.

Sports Illustrated reported that Grupe made a 60-yard field goal with the Indianapolis Colts after leaving the New Orleans Saints. The kick is part of his documented career history, but it does not by itself establish how the Rams’ evaluation will end.

His Indianapolis preseason numbers supplied a counterpoint. Sports Illustrated reported that Grupe went 2-for-4, missing once inside 40 yards and once beyond 50 yards, before losing the Colts’ training-camp competition to Spencer Shrader.

What Grupe Changes For Rams Special Teams

Sports Illustrated reported that Grupe entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and spent three seasons with New Orleans. The same report said he was released by the Saints before finding another opportunity with Indianapolis.

That career path gives the Rams a kicker with regular-season experience and a documented 60-yard make, while his Indianapolis preseason results show why the move should be evaluated through more than one number. The available comparison includes Mevis’ 5-for-7 start and Grupe’s 86-for-105 career record, but the figures cover different sample sizes.

Sports Illustrated reported that Los Angeles could consider adding Tanner Brown or Joshua Karty to the practice squad. Such a move would give the Rams another kicker option while Grupe competes for the role created by Mevis’ departure.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Blake Grupe enter the NFL

Sports Illustrated reported that Grupe entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He spent three seasons with the Saints, was released by New Orleans, joined Indianapolis and made a 60-yard field goal before losing the Colts’ training-camp competition to Spencer Shrader.

What happened to Xavier Smith before the Rams changed kickers

Sports Illustrated reported that the Rams released Smith after Week 3, before changing kickers after Week 5. The timing places the Smith move earlier in the team’s sequence of special-teams changes, with Grupe later arriving from the Jets’ practice squad.

Sports Illustrated reported that the Rams could consider adding Tanner Brown or Joshua Karty to the practice squad, leaving the team’s kicker evaluation open after Grupe’s signing.