Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › JT & other PD guys on players – Britt, Gaines, Franklin
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August 13, 2014 at 1:32 am #3893
RamBillParticipantHigh-energy Britt has helped liven Rams receiver corps
• By Jim ThomasKenny Britt is a walking, talking cup of espresso. With emphasis on the talking. From the moment the wide receivers show up in the morning to lift weights, Britt is a high-energy wake-up call at Rams Park — smiling, taunting, teasing, joking.
Fellow wide receiver Brian Quick chuckles at the thought.
“I wouldn’t call it trash-talking,” Quick said. “He’s having fun. A lot of guys, they don’t take it personally. We’re being competitive, and that’s what comes with it when you come out here and play this game.”
Does he ever shut up? Veteran wide receivers coach Ray Sherman didn’t think twice before answering:
“No. He’s always talking,” Sherman said, shaking his head. “He keeps things going. Even in the meetings. It’s just fun to have him in there. He’s just always upbeat. Always. And I love that because he brings that energy into the room.”
That energy has livened the wide receiver room. Even some who are normally pretty quiet, such as Austin Pettis.
Pettis is “very smart, but he may not say too much,” Sherman said. “Now, he’s yah, yah, yah. He’s yacking.”
It’s reached the point in the few short months Britt has been around, that when things are quiet and Britt’s around, the wide receivers are puzzled.
“When we don’t hear him, you know something’s wrong,” Quick said. “Or something’s up. So we get him fired up.”
Those quiet moments have been few and far between. Who would’ve thought when the Rams signed him to a modest one-year contract April 5, that he would turn into the sparkplug of the wideouts?
“Kenny’s always had that type of personality,” coach Jeff Fisher said. “He loves the game. He’s not afraid to voice his opinion, and he’s pulling the young guys along with him. He practices one speed, and that’s full. That’s a good example.”
Kenny Britt, leader? Yes, this is the same Kenny Britt who had a long list of off-field issues dating back to his days with Fisher as a Tennessee Titan. The same Kenny Britt who created a stir when a sex tape popped up on his Instagram account and became public knowledge on the third day of the draft.
(Fortunately for Britt, Michael Sam was drafted that same day, taking over the NFL news cycle.)
Britt calls his apparent maturation process a coming of age.
“Remember, I came in (the NFL) at 20 years old as a young guy,” he said. “Each year, you learn a little bit more about yourself, and how you work and how you play.”
And suddenly, he steps into the wide receiver room for the first time as a Ram, and he’s the veteran of the group.
“People are looking at me as one of the old guys on the team,” said Britt, a month shy of his 26th birthday. “You’ve definitely got to change some things in your life.”
Who knows if this new, improved Britt will have staying power? But Sherman, who has coached the likes of Terrell Owens, Donald Driver and Robert Ferguson as a receivers coach —not to mention Cris Carter and Randy Moss as Minnesota’s offensive coordinator in ’99— is delighted with what he’s seen from Britt so far.
Dating back to the early ’90s when Sherman and Fisher were on George Seifert’s staff in San Francisco, Sherman says he learned not to prejudge a player based on what happened with a previous team.
“In spite of what has happened there, they come in with a clean slate,” Sherman said. “So I’m gonna judge them on what they’re doing here. I can’t worry about what happened there —that’s dead and gone.
“And I tell you what, (Britt) has been a joy to have. He’s a smart kid. He’s very conscientious. He wants to do the right thing. He studies. He prepares. And he’s like that when he’s in the classroom, and on the field. I mean I love what he brings to the table.”
Another byproduct of Britt’s presence has been the relationship he’s struck with Quick. Let’s not call it a bromance just yet, but …
“They kind of hit it off when Kenny first got here,” Sherman said. “They spend time together. They work together. They taunt. It’s just nice to see.
“And Kenny, he’s an imposing player. Physical. Strong. Fast. And Brian is sorta like that. Same kind of guy. Similar bodies. Similar style.”
Britt is 6-3, 223; Quick is 6-3, 218. One of the things Britt does best, and that Quick still needs to work on, is coming down with the contested ball, the so-called 50-50 ball in traffic.
It’s something Sherman has stressed to the receivers in the meeting room and also on the practice field. Going up and getting the ball at its highest point; grabbing it before your feet hit the ground.
Simply watching Britt go up and get the football in practice has helped. Quick concedes that he tries to mimic some of Britt’s work.
“So I do it exactly how he does it,” Quick said. “I learn from him all the time. He’s a veteran. He’s been there before; he’s been in certain situations I haven’t been in. So he tells me, I listen, and then I watch him. And that’s a good thing.”
Britt has enjoyed the process of taking Quick under his wing and says he’s actually learned some stuff from Quick, too.
“It’s actually wonderful,” Britt said. “Me just being a big guy and being a physical guy. And being in the league for so long, I’ve learned a lot from a lot of guys … on my route running and using my body down the field.”
The Rams are hoping some of that rubs off, not just on Quick but on the entire receiver corps.
August 13, 2014 at 1:36 am #3894RamBillParticipantRams notebook: Mizzou’s Gaines makes the most of preseason start
• By Joe LyonsAlready pumped up about his NFL preseason game, Rams rookie cornerback E.J. Gaines received an added adrenaline boost when he was given a starting nod Friday against the New Orleans Saints.
“It was definitely a surprise,’’ the sixth-round draft choice from the University of Missouri said. “I didn’t actually find out until an hour before the game, so that kind of changed my mindset.
“A little nervous at first. It was exciting, though, to be able to get in there and get my first start, to prove myself and prove that I could play at this level.’’
Gaines, a 5-foot-10, 190-pounder from suburban Kansas City, was on the field for 51 defensive plays, nine more than any other Ram, and also participated on six special-teams snaps. He led the team with six tackles, four solos and two assists.
“I felt like I played well, but I also feel like I have a lot to learn. We all do,’’ said Gaines, who took advantage of the added playing time with starting cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson sitting out the preseason opener.
Gaines’ play in camp has caught the eye of those around him.
“He’s just making plays,’’ coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s very instinctive, a very conscientious, smart player. He’s picked the defense up really well and made plays. He’s a football player. He tackles, he covers, he’s got ball skills, so we’ll continue to get him some reps.’’
Asked about the young defenders in camp, third-year safety Rodney McLeod said, “No. 33, Gaines, that guy seems to get his hands on the rock almost every day in practice.’’
Gaines was a four-year standout at Missouri, making starts in the final 37 games of his career and earning All-SEC honors last fall as a senior. He said his “Welcome to the NFL’’moment came seconds into Friday’s game.
“When I got out there, the first person I lined up against was Marques Colston,’’ Gaines said. “That was like ‘Wow’ for me because I’ve been watching him play for a while, since I was in high school.’’
Gaines said working against the Rams’ receivers helped prepare him for the preseason debut and that he will continue to work to fine-tune his game.
“I’m working on everything, really,’’ he said. “Just trying to become a complete corner. I’m working a lot on my press-man (coverage), we didn’t do a lot of that at Mizzou. The defensive coaches have been working with me, helping me get more physical with receivers at the line of scrimmage.’’
On a team loaded with young talent in the secondary, Gaines knows he’s in a battle to earn a roster spot.
“It’s tough not to think about that stuff, especially being the competitive-type person we all are,’’ he said. “But the key is just coming out here and trying to get better along with your teammates. At the end of the day, these guys are my teammates and this is a family. It’s all about trying to help each other get better.’’
THE ‘A’ CONNECTION
Wide receiver Austin Franklin, a rookie free agent from New Mexico State, also had a debut to remember, hauling in a 15-yard touchdown pass from Austin Davis early in the fourth quarter.
“First game, getting that first touchdown, I was real proud,’’ the 5-11, 190-pound Franklin said. “When I scored, I honestly didn’t know what to do, so I just pointed to the crowd.’’
With the Rams facing a third-and-10 play, Franklin ran a post pattern, using his body to hold off the defender.
“As soon as (the defensive back) opened his hips, I knew I had to cut across his face and get open,’’ Franklin said. “Austin threw me a great pass, right there — it was the ‘A’ connection, Austin to Austin.’’
At New Mexico State, Franklin led the Aggies in receiving the last two seasons. Last fall, despite missing four games for academic reasons, he finished with 52 catches for 670 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games.
“When I get in there, I just have to show them I can play,’’ the 21-year-old said. “I’m trying to focus on the little things, certain routes, my footwork, because I know that those little things are what’s going to help get me on the field.’’
RAM-BLINGS
After a sluggish workout Monday, the team showed a bit more life Tuesday.
During a run-blocking drill, right tackle Joe Barksdale and rookie defensive end Michael Sam got into a scuffle that included a few punches. It was quickly broken up.
Another rookie, No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson, really seemed to thrive in the run-blocking drills.
Tavon Austin made a couple of nice grabs while McLeod picked off a deflected pass to highlight the “team” session.
• Today’s special teams practice is closed to the public. Thursday’s workout, scheduled for 3:30-5:30 p.m., is free and open to the public.
• No major changes on the injury front, except that defensive end William Hayes sat out Tuesday’s workout. Also missing were cornerback Janoris Jenkins (hamstring), fullback Kadeem Jones (hamstring), linebacker James Laurinaitis (ankle), defensive tackle Michael Brockers (ankle), guard-tackle Rodger Saffold, guard Brandon Washington, center-guard Barrett Jones, safety Matt Daniels and cornerback Darren Woodard.
• As expected, DE/TE Mason Brodine (fractured ankle) was placed on the injured reserve list.
In another NFL move Tuesday, the Miami Dolphins waived TE Raymond Webber, a Miller Career grad who went on to play at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
• Former NFL exec Gil Brandt, of Sirius XM NFL Radio, made a stop at Rams Park on Tuesday along with broadcast partner Alex Marvez.
Jim Thomas of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
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