The St. Louis Rams didn't wait long to throw in the towel on Isaiah Battle.
Battle, an offensive tackle taken in the fifth round of the NFL Supplemental Draft in July, was among 20 players waived by the Rams on Saturday as the team cut its roster to 53 players.
The move represents a sharp shift in opinion on Battle, a former Clemson standout whose off-the-field transgressions kept him off draft boards. General manager Les Snead said at the time of the selection that the Rams had planned to bring along Battle slowly with an eye on 2016.
Battle was the first player taken in the supplemental draft since the Browns selected Josh Gordon in 2012. By choosing Battle, the Rams forfeited their fifth-round pick in the 2016 draft.
"We felt it was an opportunity to get an earlier-round value for a later-round price," Snead said in July. "He's going to practice what would've been his final year of college eligibility with us, go through our offseason program, and then start his rookie season a year from now.
"This will allow us to bring him along gradually both on and off the field. Now it's up to Isaiah and us to go work to reach his potential as a person and player."
And now, a change in plans. This would be considered poor return on investment for a regime that can't afford too many more swings and misses.
It remains to be seen whether another team is willing to take a what could be a costly chance on Battle. If a team signs him, they'll have to pay $80,000 in bonus guarantees, someone who has seen Battle's contract told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.
Update: Isaiah Battle has been signed to the Rams practice squad after clearing waivers, the team announced on Sunday.
