Rams cut 13 players, including draft pick

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams cut 13 players Tuesday and placed cornerback Jerametrius Butler, who had season-ending knee surgery, on injured reserve.

The most notable cuts were sixth-round pick Dante Ridgeway, a wide receiver, and oft-injured offensive tackle Grant Williams, who started 11 games when the Rams were needy at right tackle.

Others released were linebacker Louis Ayeni, punter Bryan Barker, wide receivers Michael Coleman and Brandon Middleton, defensive ends Clifford Dukes and Vontrell Jamison, kicker Remy Hamilton, tight end Erik Jensen, cornerback Duvol Thompson, linebacker Jeremy Loyd and offensive tackle Matt Morgan.

The moves left the team with 65 players.

Martz would not discuss the cuts, but said rookie quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had made the team. Fitzpatrick is a seventh-round pick from Harvard who impressed Monday with clock awareness and savvy.

"He just continues to just kind of stun me, really," Martz said. "Without telling him, he stands in the huddle and lets that clock go down, scrambles when he's backed up on a pass instead of making a risky throw, hits a couple of big plays on third down.

"Has he made this roster? Yeah, he's made this roster. Absolutely. He made this thing about three weeks ago in my mind."

Where that leaves Jeff Smoker, the third-stringer last year, is unclear.

"If you have four good ones, you keep them, don't you?" Martz said. "Who knows? I know, but you won't know."