Rams release Corey Harkey and Dan Orlovosky, and Sean McVay stays in touch with Aaron Donald

The courtship of Aaron Donald continues for Rams coach Sean McVay.

While team executives deal with the agents of their star defensive lineman, McVay occasionally reaches out by phone to the three-time Pro Bowl player, who with one week to go before the season opener remains a holdout because of a contract dispute.

“I’m kind of chasing him around,” McVay joked Saturday, “You know, like chasing a girl in high school.”

McVay made his comments a few hours after the deadline for NFL teams to cut their rosters from 90 players to 53.

Donald is not among the 53 names on the Rams’ roster. He is listed below, under “DNR,” which stands for did not report.

McVay said his conversations with Donald have been strictly football-related. The first-year coach remains optimistic that Donald will report this week, in time to prepare for next Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts at the Coliseum.

“He’s a guy that I enjoy talking to,” McVay said, “and I’ll enjoy it a lot more when I see him in person.”

Donald’s arrival would further change a roster that is expected to evolve in the next few days after general manager Les Snead scans the waiver wire. The Rams are in the fifth position in the waiver-wire claim order, and they will be looking for players that could fortify the team and replace those who survived the initial cut.

“We’ve had an eye on a handful of guys that could be subject to being released that might potentially upgrade us,” McVay said.

Veteran tight end Cory Harkey and quarterback Dan Orlovsky were among those released by the Rams on Saturday.

Harkey’s spot had appeared somewhat secure after Temarrick Hemingway suffered a knee injury in the third preseason game.

But Harkey, who was scheduled to make $1.3 million this season, was let go a few hours after the Rams announced that they had traded a 2018 seventh-round draft pick to the Washington Redskins for tight end Derek Carrier.

“When you lose a Temarrick Hemingway, who was going to be a big part of what we wanted to do, [Carrier] was a guy that we had potentially targeted knowing the depth that the Redskins had at that position,” said McVay, who coached Carrier in Washington the last two seasons.

Receivers Nelson Spruce and Paul McRoberts, rookie fullback Sam Rogers, offensive linemen Cody Wichmann and Pace Murphy, defensive lineman Mike Purcell, linebacker Josh Forrest and cornerback Mike Jordan were among those waived.

“Wanna thank the RamsNFL for the opportunity to live out my dreams it’s been real ForeverThankful” tweeted Jordan, who started two games last season.

Former USC running back Justin Davis, who signed as an undrafted free agent, made the team as the third running back behind starter Todd Gurley and backup Malcolm Brown.

Tight end Johnny Mundt and cornerback Dominique Hatfield are other undrafted rookies who made the cut.

Releasing players for the first time as a head coach was not easy, McVay said.

“Being in this role for the first time where you’re kind of the first one delivering that information, it definitely has a different feeling to it,” he said. “But as long as you deal with these guys openly and honestly… an unfortunate and a tough day went as well as it could of, I guess is the best way to put it.”

Several of the younger players who were cut are expected to be among 10 players the Rams can sign to the practice squad.

Orlovsky, signed to mentor young quarterbacks Jared Goff and Sean Mannion, also could return. Had he been on the roster for the opener, the full value of his near-$1.1-million contract would be guaranteed. If he is re-signed after the first game it is not.

“He’s definitely a guy that could be a possibility for us to bring back in Week 2,” McVay said.

For now, McVay remains focused on getting the roster set for the opener. He would be thrilled if the Rams are forced to make an adjustment because of Donald’s return.

“We’re going to try to come to a solution and a conclusion to this,” he said, before light-heartedly adding, “I can’t tell you how happy I’ll be, hopefully, if I don’t have to answer any more of these questions about it.”

Other players waived:

DT Omarius Bryant; WR K.D. Cannon; K Travis Coons; CB Carlos Davis; LB Kevin Davis; OL Michael Dunn; OL Jake Eldrenkamp; DB Tyquwan Glass; RB Aaron Green; DB Isaiah Johnson; OL Alex Kozan; LB Willie Mays; LB Cassanova McKinzy; LB Andy Mulumba; LB Folarin Orimolade; DB Aarion Penton; WR Shakeir Ryan; DL Casey Sayles; WR Brandon Shippen; LB Carlos Thompson; RB Lenard Tillery; LB Davis Tull; TE Travis Wilson.

gary.klein@latimes.com

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