30 Raymond Calais RB

Calais (coach's decision) won't play in Sunday's game against the Eagles, Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Calais was signed off Tampa Bay's practice squad by the Rams Sept. 6 but has yet to make his NFL debut. Darrell Henderson and Xavier Jones will operate as the team's depth running backs with Calais sidelined.

The Rams signed Calais off Tampa Bay's practice squad on Sunday, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

The Buccaneers waived Calais on Saturday and hoped to stash him on the practice squad, but the Rams saw enough potential in the rookie seventh-round pick to justify adding him to the active roster. Calais is somewhat undersized (5-foot-8, 188 pounds), but he boasts impressive quickness and potential utility in the return game.

Calais will be waived by the Buccaneers, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

The seventh-round pick's chances of sticking on Tampa Bay's regular-season roster were thwarted by the Bucs' additions of veteran backs Leonard Fournette and LeSean McCoy. Calais will have an opportunity to resurface on the team's practice squad if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

Calais was mentioned by coach Bruce Arians as a candidate for kickoff returns in the wake of the knee injury suffered by T.J. Logan in Thursday's practice, Scott Smith of the team's official site reports.

Logan is scheduled to undergo surgery for the injury Saturday, and although the ailment hasn't been classified as a season-ending one for the moment, he's expected to miss a significant amount of time. That opens up opportunity for Calais, who is facing an uphill battle for a roster spot as a seventh-round rookie. Calais' elite quickness and college resume both make a strong case for his candidacy, as he compiled 2,493 kickoff return yards and two touchdowns over his four seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette. However, Logan's injury doesn't automatically clear a path for Calais to the job, considering Arians also mentioned Calais' fellow first-year position mate Ke'Shawn Vaughn as a possibility for return duties as well Friday.

Calais has been activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list, Greg Auman of The Athletic reports.

Calais was placed on the COVID list back on July 31but was back at the team's facility Thursday. The 2020 seventh-round selection has an uphill battle for reps in training camp, as he'll compete with the likes of Ronald Jones, LeSean McCoy, and Dare Ogunbowale, among others.

The Buccaneers placed Calais (illness) on the reserve/COVID-19 list Friday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Calais is the second Bucs rookie running back after Ke'Shawn Vaughn to occupy the list, the result of either testing positive for COVID and having recent contact with someone who did. In a backfield with Ronald Jones, LeSean McCoy, Vaughn and Dare Ogunbowale, Calais, a 2020 seventh-round pick, likely will have a difficult time carving out much playing time, let alone finding a spot on the regular-season roster. First, though, Calais needs to complete the protocols of the COVID list.

Calais, whom the Buccaneers selected in the seventh round of the 2020 draft, could slot into both change-of-pace and returner roles during his rookie season, Jenna Laine of ESPN.com reports. "[He's] a joystick," coach Bruce Arians said of Calais. "He's one of those guys who runs a 4.33. He's a running back/receiver/kick returner that's just one of those guys I love to play with. I think both (along with third-round pick Ke'Shawn Vaughn) of those guys are gonna find a role in our ballclub."

The Louisiana-Lafayette product checks in at just 5-foot-8 and 188 pounds, which underscores the fact he'll clearly be at his best in space. Arians' lauding of Calais as a versatile asset notwithstanding, the rookie hasn't quite put much on tape as a pass catcher to date, as he finished his four-year college career with a modest 17 receptions on 23 targets. The other aspects of Calais' game are much more proven, however. The 22-year-old compiled his 1,845 career rushing yards at an eye-popping 7.8 yards per carry and added an impressive 2,493 yards (and two touchdowns) on kickoff returns, with the latter tally qualifying as the fourth highest in all of college football over the last four seasons. Taking Calais' special teams proficiency specifically into account, he could present a legitimate and immediate threat to the return opportunities of T.J. Logan (thumb) and Dare Ogunbowale.

The Buccaneers selected Calais in the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft, 245th overall.

Calais served as a top option in Louisiana's backfield committee from 2018-19, and he compiled 1,845 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns across his four-year career with the team. He wasn't often asked to handle receiving duties, however, and his ultimate success in Tampa Bay could come down to his ability to develop in pass protection and on third down. Calais stands to compete for a reserve role as a rookie.