WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – The Los Angeles Rams have acquired cornerback Roger McCreary and a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick from the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick.
In a corresponding move to make room for McCreary on their 53-man roster, the Rams placed wide receiver Tutu Atwell on Injured Reserve.
Head coach Sean McVay on Monday said the move was influenced in part by the Rams being banged up at cornerback. Los Angeles has already been without Ahkello Witherspoon (broken clavicle) for the last six weeks, and Darious Williams came out of Week 7 against the Jaguars with a shoulder injury, though McVay left the door open for him to potentially play this week against the Saints.
"We were looking to be able to just add some depth," McVay said. "He's a guy that (we) respect from playing against him earlier this year, has some inside-outside flex. Actually, (assistant head coach/pass game coordinator) Aubrey (Pleasant) coached him in the Senior Bowl when he was coming out of Auburn, and so we're excited to get him in. ... Just talked to him, he'll get packed and we'll get him out here, and then we'll see what it looks like to be able to get him going for this week. But excited to be able to add him, respect his game from going against them. I've heard great things about the human being from people that have been around him. Aubrey enjoyed coaching him at the Senior Bowl, and he'll be able to add some depth to our group, and we're excited about it."
McCreary, 25, has 33 total tackles, two passes defensed and one interception in eight games (three starts) with the Titans this season. In Week 2 against the Rams, he had seven total tackles and one pass defensed, and his overall performance left a positive impression on McVay and the coaching staff.
"I think just the competitiveness," McVay said. "I think what (Titans defensive coordinator) Dennard (Wilson) asks of that slot position and that system in general, activated as a blitzer inside on some of the run fits, the lateral movement and the short-space quickness to be able to guard guys on a two-way go. They'll play some vision zone, and they play some matchup stuff where he's in man or he's sticky, based on some of the principles that they play, and all of that you could see could do at a high level. But I just respected and I liked the competitor. I saw a competitive player on tape, played big at the point of attack, would get his face dirty if he was involved in the run fit, they could blitz him internally, externally."
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound cornerback posted 253 total tackles, 17 passes defensed, three interceptions and four sacks across 55 games (38 starts) in three-and-a-half seasons in Tennessee. McCreary originally entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick (35th overall) by the Titans in 2022.
