All things Higbee

Rams coaches quick to praise rookie Tyler Higbee

http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20160816/rams-coaches-quick-to-praise-rookie-tyler-higbee

Rich Hammond

IRVINE >> Perhaps the most important praise, for the Rams and their rookie tight end Tyler Higbee, came from offensive coordinator Rob Boras, who ran across the field Tuesday to issue loud praise.

“Good job, Tyler!,” Boras said of the jumbo rookie, who had made not a big catch, but a big block.

These are the moments the Rams are watching for, to see if Higbee suffers any drop-off in his practice habits. Thus far, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound receiver, dubbed “Little Baby Gronk” by teammate Todd Gurley — in tribute to NFL star Rob Gronkowski — hasn’t seemed too small for any moment in training camp.

“He’s handled the installation well,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “We’re putting him in some situations that he wasn’t asked to do in college, and handling it very well. Every day is a learning experience, and he’s going to see some things in the run game and protections that he’s got to improve, but he’s just a mentally tough kid that is determined to succeed.”

The Rams, and those who watch them in preseason, quickly are learning that Higbee might be more than a serviceable tight end. He might be a major contributor to their offense, and soon.

Higbee has been sharing significant reps with incumbent tight end Lance Kendricks, who has been solid in his five seasons with the Rams, but Higbee is making the eye-popping plays.

Last season, as a senior at Western Kentucky, Higbee averaged 14.8 yards per catch, and eight of his 38 catches were for touchdowns.

Perhaps only his legal issues — Higbee was arrested in April and faces an assault charge in Ohio — kept Higbee from being drafted higher. The Rams took him in the fourth round and haven’t been disappointed.

In his first preseason game, last Saturday against Dallas, Higbee and quarterback Jared Goff connected three times (for 35 yards) and a second-quarter drive, and that’s probably no coincidence.

Goff and Higbee are training-camp roommates at UC Irvine, and the shared living space has allowed the two rookies to learn together off the field.

“I think it helps in terms of understanding the offense,” Higbee said. “After we have our meetings, we go back and kind of go over the script for the next day’s practice, or go over certain plays. It’s good hearing the quarterback, as far as what he looks for, and it helps me understand the offense.”

GOLDEN GIRL?

Rams defensive end Robert Quinn flew to Rio de Janeiro this week to watch his sister, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, compete in the Olympics, in the 100-meter hurdles, for Puerto Rico. Robert and Jasmine’s mother, Maria, is a native of Puerto Rico.

Camacho-Quinn posted the third-best time in 100-meter heat races Tuesday and will be one of 24 athletes competing in today’s semifinals. The top eight then will race for medals tonight. In June, Camacho-Quinn, who attends Kentucky, won an NCAA championship in the 100 hurdles.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Fisher, who said he expected Quinn to be back for Saturday’s preseason game against Kansas City at the Coliseum. “It’s the right thing to do.”

INJURY UPDATE

The Rams were without two other defensive starters Tuesday: linebacker Mark Barron and safety Maurice Alexander. Both players watched practice from the field and Fisher gave no specifics about either and said, “They were just held out of practice today. Nothing big.”

Offensive lineman Rodger Saffold was a part-time participant in drills for a second consecutive day.

Fisher said he had “nothing to report” on starting right tackle Rob Havenstein, who has missed all of training camp with a foot injury.

E.J. Gaines, in contention for a starting job at cornerback, returned from a hamstring injury and took some first-team reps opposite Trumaine Johnson.

GOFF UPDATE

Goff got a few reps with the first-team offense near the end of Tuesday’s practice, and Fisher gave no indication how much Goff will play against the Chiefs on Saturday. Fisher previously said Goff “quite likely” would get first-team reps in that game.

Goff had something of a rough practice Tuesday, when — during work with the second team — he threw an interception, fumbled one snap and later stumbled while dropping back.

RAM REMAKE?

Backup offensive lineman Eric Kush, quickly becoming known as one of the funniest of the Rams, recently indicated on social media that he wanted to do a remake of “Ram It,” the rap song and video performed by some members of the 1985 Rams.

Was Kush serious? He said he hasn’t brought up the idea to teammates yet.

“I’m definitely not opposed to doing it,” Kush said. “I have a feeling some people might want to do it. I think it would be a good time.”