Rams, Falcons, sign Perkins & Benkert to practice squads Sunday

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Both former UVA quarterbacks who were cut by NFL teams on Saturday were signed to those respective teams’ 16-man practice squads on Sunday.

The Los Angeles Rams signed former Cavalier quarterback Bryce Perkins to its practice squad, as did the Atlanta Falcons with former Wahoo signal-caller Kurt Benkert.

Benkert battled against another former UVA quarterback, 39-year-old Matt Schaub, in training camp for the backup position to starter Matt Ryan. Reports said that Benkert has looked more comfortable in commanding the offense and has displayed full use of his arm strength during camp.

While the Falcons assigned Benkert to the practice squad for the third consecutive season, the club also signed another quarterback to its practice squad. Kyle Lauletta, a fourth-round draft pick by the New York Giants in 2018, was signed. The Falcons indicated that they will likely carry at least a third quarterback in case Ryan or Schaub are affected by Covid-19.

Meanwhile, the Rams didn’t waste any time in signing Perkins to their practice roster. The former record-breaking UVA QB has impressed the LA coaching staff in camp, so much that it released quarterback Josh Love last week.

“Bryce brings a lot of energy daily and he’s a great kid,” Rams starting quarterback Jared Goff told Sports Illustrated’s Eric D. Williams. “He’s done a really good job. I was extremely impressed early on with his recall of the offense. He’s been a joy to have in the [quarterback] room.”