Cutdown days near for Rams' roster long shots/PD

Cutdown days near for Rams’ roster long shots
• By Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/cutdown-days-near-for-rams-roster-long-shots/article_12cdf2ce-1a9a-5fdd-b1d7-6d0d95495e05.html

In the NFL, late August is the time when dreams meet harsh reality. All of the 89 players currently on the Rams’ roster are among the best in the world at what they do. You don’t get this far without having something.

But for some, that won’t be enough. When the Rams take on Cleveland at FirstEnergy Stadium tonight, it may the final football game some of them play. That’s because it’s that time of the year – cutdown time. The roster must be reduced to 75 players no later than Tuesday, so 14 must go by then.

A week from today, Aug. 30, the roster must be reduced to the regular-season limit of 53 players — meaning 22 more pink slips. Coach Jeff Fisher’s advice to the bottom half of the roster is basic, but rings true.

“I tell them not to worry about next week,” Fisher said. “Just pay attention to their football, stay in the (play)book, study, prepare. Don’t be distracted because it’s a road game, and just go out and do the best you can.”

For an organization that hasn’t had a winning record since 2003, there aren’t many final roster spots available – maybe a half dozen or so. But there’s still time to make an impression, or even change the head coach’s mind, starting with tonight’s 7 p.m. kickoff.

“Yeah, there’s some things that could change,” Fisher said. “Our roster may look a little bit different than years past because we may have more depth at one position; we may go a little heavier at one position versus another position.

“So they can’t waste their time trying to figure out what’s gonna happen, because things can change on a daily basis.”

With that in mind, our annual look at a few roster long shots at Rams Park:

WR T.J. MOE

It’s hard for Moe, the former University of Missouri star, to avoid looking at the numbers at wide receiver and wondering how the math will work out in his favor.

“You’ve got the five guys back that were on the team last year,” he said. “You got two guys that were on the practice squad here last year (Emory Blake and Justin Veltung). And you’ve got another guy that’s been around for five years and was a first-round pick (Kenny Britt).”

“So if not here, hopefully somewhere else. I’d like to be playing football. I think I can play in this league. We’ll find out if anybody agrees with me.”

Moe caught 92 passes at Mizzou in 2010 but hasn’t gotten many chances so far this preseason what with the Rams looking at no fewer than 23 receivers, backs and tight ends.

He was in for 11 plays on offense and 10 on special teams in the preseason opener against New Orleans. Against Green Bay, it was 13 plays on offense and two on special teams. Entering tonight’s game in Cleveland, he has been targeted only once, catching the pass for a 4-yard gain vs. the Saints.

With the camp roster expanded to 90 players these days, and the end of two-a-days under the latest collective bargaining agreement, there are some practices in which Moe doesn’t even get much work in 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 drills. There’s just too many players and not enough practice time.

“Offensively, I’m just trying to get some reps,” he said.

But he’s not complaining.

“There’s been a lot of guys in a lot worse spots than me that have made it through, and made teams, and made a good career out of it,” Moe said.

This would be an ideal spot for Moe, given his career at Mizzou. He grew up 15 minutes from Rams Park, attending Fort Zumwalt West High in St. Charles County.

But it may have to be on the practice squad if it’s going to happen.

Moe concedes: “Really, I’m just fighting for my life here.”

RB TREY WATTS

After missing about a week of training camp with a hamstring injury, Watts was dressed and ready to go in the preseason opener against New Orleans.

“We went out there to test it, see how it felt, and it felt pretty good,” Watts said. “So I got a little excited and hyped up. Emotions were flowing and everything like that.”

But the Rams medical staff decided to err on the side of caution and held Watts out of the contest.

“It was kind of a bummer not to be able to get out there and go play with everybody else getting their first reps,” said Watts, the son of former Oklahoma gridiron hero J.C. Watts.

Despite a highly productive career at Tulsa, where he showed prowess both as a ball-carrier and pass-catcher, Watts didn’t get invited to the NFL scouting combine. He did participate in the NFL Players Association college all-star game, but 40 times of 4.68 and 4.75 seconds at his pro day killed any chances to be drafted.

Watts looks faster than that, and seems to play faster than that, and has some elusiveness in his running style.

“I feel like I’ve gotten faster since my pro day,” he said. “I feel faster, I feel quicker, more explosive than I did even last year at Tulsa. The 40’s not always the greatest representation of someone’s speed. I think for me, I’m a great example of that.”

Watts made his belated preseason debut against Green Bay, carrying three times for 19 yards and catching a pass for 8 yards. Fisher said he’d like to give Watts more work against the Browns, and with Isaiah Pead now on injured reserve with a season-ending knee injury, there’s a sliver of opportunity for Watts.

“I need to be able to show I can run down on kickoff or on punt team … as well as being able to carry the ball,” he said. “If you want to be on this team as a running back, you’ve pretty much got to play special teams.”

WR JORDAN HARRIS

Harris believes God told him to give up basketball in favor of football, and it certainly turned out to be a great move at Bryant University, a Football Championship Subdivision program in Smithfield, R.I.

Bryant set the Northeast Conference career record for receiving yards (3,735 yards), and also set school records for career catches (193) and career receiving touchdowns (31).

He then cemented his status as the school’s most celebrated football player by becoming the first Bryant player to sign an NFL contract. That was with Indianapolis as an undrafted rookie, but he lasted only a week there before being released after the Colts’ rookie minicamp.

He was out of work for only one day before the Rams called.

“My faith has brought me a long way,” Harris said. “It’s brought me this far. I don’t know what the Lord has planned for me, but I know he has a plan.”

Harris has good size (6-2, 215), decent speed (4.51) and good hands. Like Moe, the numbers game at wide receiver doesn’t look promising and Harris hasn’t gotten much work in exhibition play, with one catch for 26 yards. But like many in his spot, Harris just wants to get his foot in the door.

“The practice squad is definitely a great option,” he said.