Smith secured both of his targets for 57 yards and returned one punt for 31 yards during Thursday's 38-37 overtime loss to the Seahawks.
On a third-and-9 play early in the third quarter, Smith was able to burn past Devon Witherspoon and snag a dart from Matthew Stafford for a 48-yard gain, leading to a Harrison Mevis field goal a few plays later. Smith has shown the ability to make explosive plays when called upon in recent weeks, including a 51-yard catch in Week 13 against Carolina. Fellow backups Jordan Whittington and Tutu Atwell combined for a single catch for 19 yards, while Konata Mumpfield earned a whopping eight targets, which he turned into three catches for 40 yards. If Davante Adams (knee/hamstring) isn't able to go for a Week 17 matchup in Atlanta on Monday, Dec. 29, Mumpfield and Smith seem like the primary candidates for a role increase behind Puka Nacua.
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Rams' Xavier Smith: Sees little usage
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Smith failed to record a target during Sunday's 41-34 victory against the Lions.
Sunday marked the first time since Week 6 that Smith was held without a catch, and more concerning was a steep drop in playing time; Smith was only on the field for three snaps on offense. Tutu Atwell returned but only earned four snaps of his own, while Konata Mumpfield and his 32 snaps marked the highest usage out of the backup wideouts. Even with Davante Adams (hamstring) potentially unavailable for a pivotal Week 16 matchup on the road against division-rival Seattle, Smith's most likely contribution for the Rams will be on special teams.
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Rams' Xavier Smith: Limited usage in blowout win
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Smith secured his only target for six yards and returned three punts for 46 yards during Sunday's 45-17 victory against the Cardinals.
A week removed from a career-high 82 yard performance against the Panthers, Smith regressed back to his typical stat line against the Cardinals. Smith took the field for just 21 snaps on offense, which was still a fair amount more than fellow backup Jordan Whittington's 12. Konata Mumpfield did get an extended look with 32 snaps on offense, but none of the trio of backups managed to earn more than a single target and combined for just 16 yards receiving, leaving them difficult to trust in fantasy playoff lineups with a high-stakes showdown against the Lions up next in Week 15.
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Rams' Xavier Smith: Cleared of concussion
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Smith (concussion) doesn't have an injury designation for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Smith was able to practice in full Friday, and he has cleared the league's concussion protocol and is set to suit up for Sunday's contest. The punt returner missed last Sunday's victory over the Buccaneers due to the concussion he suffered against the Seahawks in Week 11. The 28-year-old will look to add to his 142 punt return yards in Sunday's clash.
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Rams' Xavier Smith: Returns to full participation
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Smith (concussion) logged a full practice Wednesday, Adam Grosbard of The Orange County Register reports.
Smith missed the Rams' Week 12 win over the Buccaneers after logging a pair of limited practices. His return to a full session Wednesday is positive, but it's unclear if he has cleared the league's concussion protocol -- a necessary step before he can return in Week 13 against the Panthers.
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Rams' Xavier Smith: Inactive against Tampa Bay
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Smith (concussion) is inactive for Sunday night's game versus Tampa Bay.
Smith was concussed last Sunday against the Seahawks and will miss this one against the Bucs, allowing Jordan Whittington and Konata Mumpfield opportunities to play more snaps behind Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Across 10 games this season, Smith has a 7-85-0 receiving line on 10 targets.
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Rams' Xavier Smith: One long catch in limited duty
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Smith caught his only target for 36 yards and returned two punts for 21 yards during Sunday's 14-9 victory against the Texans.
Despite Smith's role appearing to remain the exact same from last year to present, he managed to make the most of his pair of snaps on offense. Smith caught a deep ball from Matthew Stafford in the third quarter for 36 yards, a key play on the Rams' second and final touchdown drive of the day. Despite the impressive catch, Smith's value for the Rams will likely remain on special teams for the duration of the season, with the Titans next up on the docket Week 2.
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Rams' Xavier Smith: Sticks to special teams in Week 15
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Smith returned one punt for 10 yards while playing all 13 of his snaps on special teams in Thursday's 12-6 win over the 49ers.
Smith was one of seven Rams receivers active Thursday, but he went without any snaps on offense for the second straight game while the other six wideouts all worked ahead of him. He'll continue to bring most of his value to the Rams in the return game.
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Xavier Smith: Returns to practice squad
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Smith reverted to the Rams' practice squad Monday.
Smith was elevated for his third and final eligible time for Sunday's loss to the Packers. The 27-year-old saw two targets in the matchup, catching both for a total of six yards. If he's going to suit up in Week 7, after the team's bye week, he'll need to be signed to the 53-man roster or waived and re-signed.
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Xavier Smith: Back with practice squad
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Smith reverted to the Rams' practice squad Monday, per the NFL's official transaction log.
Smith was elevated ahead of Sunday's loss to the Bears, most notably returning one punt for 17 yards while playing 10 snaps with the special-teams unit. He failed to record any stats on offense, playing two snaps in the contest. Smith can be elevated one more time before Los Angeles would have to sign him to its active roster.
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Rams' Xavier Smith: Elevated from practice squad
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The Rams elevated Smith from their practice squad to the active roster Saturday, Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic reports.
Smith signed with the Rams' practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster at the conclusion of training camp. He is in line to make his NFL debut Sunday against the 49ers if he's active for the contest, and he would provide depth at wide receiver with Cooper Kupp (ankle) and Puka Nacua (knee) sidelined.
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Xavier Smith: Joins Rams' practice squad
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Smith signed with the Rams' practice squad Wednesday, Stu Jackson of the team's official site reports.
The 26-year-old wideout failed to make the Rams' initial 53-man roster Tuesday, but he's now returning to Los Angeles as a practice-squad player. Smith impressed throughout the Rams' three preseason contests, racking up 126 total yards on 17 touches.
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Rams' Xavier Smith: Snags four catches
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Smith caught all four targets for 20 yards and returned two kickoffs for 47 yards during Sunday's 13-12 preseason victory against the Cowboys.
Notably, Smith played in 76 percent of the snaps on offense, more than all but three other players. The second-year pro out of Florida A&M is firmly on the cut line for the final 53-man roster bubble, with Puka Nacua (Knee), Cooper Kupp, Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell and Jordan Whittington all almost assured to secure a spot. Smith, Tyler Johnson, Drake Stoops, Sam Wiglusz and JJ Laap will be competing for what likely will be the final wide-receiver spot on the roster, as the Rams kept just six wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster in 2023. Smith's kick-returning ability could be the key in standing out from the crowd and making the cut.
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Xavier Smith: Signs to LA's practice squad
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The Rams signed Smith to their practice squad, Stu Jackson of the Rams' official site reports.
Smith was unable to make the Rams' 53-man roster, but the undrafted free agent cleared waivers and will now join the team's practice squad. The rookie wideout did not do enough to secure an active roster spot, but he'll have the opportunity to impress in practice and possibly provide a depth option if the Ram's wide receiver corps deal with injury issues this season.
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Xavier Smith: Waived by LAR
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The Rams waived Smith on Tuesday.
Smith was signed as an undrafted free agent in May, but he'll likely have to start his rookie season on a practice-squad deal after clearing waivers. The Florida A&M product played 24 snaps (15 offensive) during the Rams' preseason finale but wasn't targeted.
