Christian

Rozeboom

Horn and LB Claudin Cherelus both did not practice due to concussions suffered in Week 12. It will be a tall task to pass protocol to play in Week 13. Also not practicing was LB Christian Rozeboom (hip/hamstring). The Panthers will enter Week 13 against the Rams banged up defensively.

Rozeboom entered the league as a UDFA with the Chiefs but found a permanent home with the Rams in LA. He steadily earned more playing time, culminating in a breakout 2024 campaign. Rozeboom made 11 starts across 17 appearances and led the team with 135 combined tackles. He logged five TFLs, four pass breakups, and one interception. Rozeboom will compete for a starting role in Carolina during training camp.

Rozeboom has played in all 17 regular season games for the Rams over the last two seasons and started five games for them last year. The former UDFA wound up totaling a season-high 48 tackles and one interception for the Rams, and could be in line for a larger role this upcoming season.

Hoecht is a former undrafted free agent who caught on with the Rams ahead of the 2020 season. Through four seasons, Hoecht has carved out a nice career for himself, starting 26 of the 51 games he’s appeared in while also starting all 17 games last season. In what was essentially a contract year for Hoecht, the veteran linebacker totaled 81 tackles, six sacks, and seven TFLs — all career highs. In addition to Hoecht, the Rams are also expected to let linebacker Christian Rozeboom and defensive tackle Jonah Williams test the free agent market.

The team also tendered Shaun Jolly and Christian Rozeboom. All three will return to LA for the veteran minimum salary. Hoecht appeared in all 17 games for the Rams in 2022. Six of them were starts. He tallied 4.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Rozeboom is a small-school hero. He posted 100-plus tackles in all four seasons on campus. This past year, which included First-Team All-FCS honors, he added six TFL, two sacks, two interceptions, three forced fumbles and two recovered fumbles. The 6-foot-2, 225-pounder is known as a strong athlete. He’ll have to prove that to earn a Day 3 call.

Rozeboom has been a very productive player over the last two seasons for the Jackrabbits -- and was solid his freshman year as well -- while being named an FCS All-American by several publications. As Haley notes, the 6-foot-2, 225-pound linebacker is a three-time All-MVFC first-teamer, and he leads all active FCS players in career tackles with 364. Haley also writes that he “plays with an edge,” and NFL teams will surely be watching Rozeboom to see if he can help their roster in 2020 and beyond.