Rams Cut Kevin Williams and Four Others, Place Michael Pleasant on Injured Reserve

The Rams waived five players and placed defensive back Michael Pleasant on injured reserve to reduce their active roster to 69 Saturday.

Nine more must be dropped by next Tuesday to reach the National Football League’s first mandatory limit of 60.

Those released were wide receiver Kevin Williams, linebackers Mike McDonald, Doug Barnett and Duke Schamel, and placekicker Ken Potter.

Potter, from UCLA, kicked a 31-yard field goal in Thursday night’s 39-7 win over the St. Louis Cardinals, but incumbent Mike Lansford kicked field goals of 27 and 53 yards earlier in the game.

Williams, a free agent from USC, had played with the Los Angeles Express and Denver Gold in the United States Football League.

Barnett was a four-year veteran from Azusa Pacific. The Rams signed McDonald, from USC, primarily as a kick snapper before the 1983 playoffs. Schamel was a rookie free agent from South Dakota.

Pleasant, from Oklahoma, has a knee injury and also was severely burned in a traffic accident during the off-season.