reporters ponder keenum

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November 16, 2015 at 9:19 pm #34264

zn
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Keenum in, Foles out as starting QB

Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/keenum-in-foles-out-as-starting-qb/article_a0b08018-4332-58eb-9846-0f57b660505e.html

To say that Case Keenum’s return to St. Louis was on the undercard of quarterback trades last March 10 would be understatement.

When the Rams sent a seventh-rounder to the Houston Texans for Keenum, he thought he might get some air time that night on ESPN. No such luck. Alas, that was the same day the Rams swapped Sam Bradford to Philadelphia for Nick Foles.

Turns out Keenum’s SportsCenter moment is coming eight months later. On Monday, Rams coach Jeff Fisher announced that Foles was being benched in favor of Keenum, the former record-setting signal caller at the University of Houston.

Fisher stopped short of saying it’s Keenum’s job forever, but he made it pretty clear this isn’t a one-week trial, either.

“As I told Case, he doesn’t have a short leash,” Fisher said. “I’m gonna let him play. I’m gonna let him use his legs, and let him make some plays.”

Fisher’s track record, long before his time in St. Louis, is that he doesn’t make quarterback changes lightly and he doesn’t like quarterback controversies.

“It’s not a quarterback controversy,” Fisher said. “Right now, all three of those guys in the (quarterback) room understand exactly what’s going on. I talked to all three of them together, and I don’t expect Nick to like it because he’s a competitor. But he understands.”

Fisher said the decision to make a switch was a byproduct of looking at the big picture on offense and trying to combat its lack of production.

Little more than an hour before his regularly scheduled 5 p.m. media session Monday, Fisher said he met with Foles, Keenum and rookie Sean Mannion, plus quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke to discuss the change.

“This is my decision,” Fisher said. “Nobody came down the hall and said this is what we need to do. As I told the quarterbacks, the lack of production is not Nick’s fault. The lack of production is a collective offensive effort and coaching. But we need more production, and it starts with that position.”

The Rams (4-5) have scored fewer than 20 points in five of their nine games — all five of which were losses. They rank 31st in total offense and 32nd (or last) in passing offense.

Foles ranks 28th in completion percentage (56.6 percent) and is 29th in passer rating (79.5) among NFL quarterbacks. Overall, he just hasn’t seemed like the same quarterback since that four-interception day Oct. 11 against Green Bay, missing open receivers either through errant passes or just not seeing them, period.

On several occasions over the past several weeks, Fisher has made it a point to say the team needs play better around Foles. He reiterated that point Monday.

“The receivers need to play better, the tight ends need to play better, Greg Robinson needs to play better,” Fisher said. “Nick didn’t fumble the ball on the 17-yard line.”

No, that was backup running back Tre Mason against Chicago, leading to a Bears field goal.

“Nor did he give up two explosive plays over 80 yards,” Fisher continued.

No, that was the Rams’ defense yielding touchdown receptions of 87 yards to tight end Zach Miller and 83 yards to Jeremy Langford of the Bears.

“We all need to play better,” Fisher said. “But I’m confident right now this is the right decision for us as we move forward.”

In the Bradford trade, the Rams also sent Philadelphia a fifth-round pick in last spring’s draft in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2015 (which the Rams used for offensive lineman Andrew Donnal) and a second-rounder in ’16.

The Rams could still owe Philly a fourth-round pick in 2016 if Bradford plays in fewer than 50 percent of the Eagles’ offensive plays this season. But even with Bradford now hurt, it doesn’t appear the Rams will end up owing the Eagles that pick.

“By no means do we regret the trade, by no means do we regret the extension,” Fisher said. “Nick is a good quarterback. He’s captain of the football team. But at this point, right now, based on where we are offensively, I feel like this is the direction we have to go. … Nick also understands that he eventually will be under center for us again.”

Before he had even thrown a pass in preseason play, the Rams signed Foles to a $26 million contract extension through the 2017 season on Aug. 7. The deal included $13.79 million in guaranteed money, plus incentives that could max out the contract at $39.5 million.

When asked how Foles could re-establish himself, Fisher said: “You know what? Nick just needs a break. He just needs a break right now. He’s going to continue to work. He’ll run scout team. He’ll be prepared to play. But he just needs to get more experience under his belt in this offense.”

Besides the terminology and scheme changes in coming to St. Louis from Philadelphia, Foles also had to re-acquaint himself with taking snaps under center.

“Nick is full of energy and he just loves to play, and he’s competitive,” Fisher said. “As I’ve said numerous times, even when things go bad, it’s OK (to Foles). He believes he’s gonna come back and get it done. That’s good. I love those qualities in him. I love the leadership qualities in him.

“… There was a few times when, had (Foles) been a little bit more patient and went through the progression, the ball would’ve gone to the correct place and we may have extended some drives,” Fisher said.

But for now and the immediate future, it’s all about Keenum, who finished his college career as the NCAA’s all-time leader in passing yards (19,127) and touchdown passes (155). Signed as an undrafted rookie by Houston in 2012, Keenum spent the entire 2012 season on the Texans’ practice squad.

He started eight games for Houston over the second half of the 2013 season following an injury to Matt Schaub but was waived at the end of the 2014 preseason and claimed by St. Louis.

Keenum spent the first seven games of last season on the Rams’ active roster without playing, then spent seven more games on the practice squad. But Houston re-signed him to its active roster last Dec. 15, and he started the final two games for the Texans — both victories.

Fisher was impressed enough with what he saw of Keenum on the practice field in 2014 to spend that seventh-round pick to get him back.

November 16, 2015 at 9:19 pm #34254

Agamemnon
Participant

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/keenum-has-that-it-factor-in-huddle/article_8ece5c0f-1d4e-5c6b-a81a-d5c1e1222de5.html
Keenum has that ‘it’ factor in huddle
August 21, 2015 11:20 pm • By Jim Thomas

It’s not unusual to see coach Jeff Fisher eavesdropping on the offensive huddle during practice at Rams Park.

“I want to hear what’s going on,” Fisher said. “It’s the quarterback’s huddle, and there’s more to operating a huddle than just calling the play.”

Is the quarterback reminding players about situations, down and distance? Does he have command of the huddle?

Case Keenum did last season, even while on the Rams practice squad.

“That’s one of the reasons why we brought him back,” Fisher said. “He’s got that enthusiasm and that ‘it’ factor in the huddle.”

Keenum was in Houston last March, either driving to or coming back from training — he forgets which — when he got the call.

“It was Fish on my phone,” Keenum recalled. “He said, ‘What are you doing? I just traded for you.’ “

When Keenum saw the tease on ESPN later that day — Rams in quarterback trade — he thought he might get some air time on SportsCenter. Alas, that was the same day the Rams swapped Sam Bradford to Philadelphia for Nick Foles. So the deal that brought Keenum here from Houston for a seventh-rounder was almost an afterthought that day.

Keenum is no afterthought on the Rams’ roster, however. He’s fighting for the No. 2 QB spot behind Austin Davis this preseason. And given the team’s forced reliance on backup quarterbacks lately, it’s a position of significance.

The Rams’ last 25 regular-season games, in fact, have been started by backup quarterbacks. Over the past four seasons, 31 of 64 Rams games, dating back to Steve Spagnuolo’s final season as head coach in 2011, have been manned by a backup QB.

Heading into preseason game No. 2, Sunday at Tennessee, Keenum has the lead over Austin Davis for the No. 2 job.

“I’m trying not to compare,” Keenum said recently. “I never compare. For me, I’m preparing to play. I’ve been around this league long enough to know that I’ve started a year as a No. 3, and I started eight games.

“I’ve started a year on another team, really fifth-string, and then started a couple games for that team as well. So I know that anything can happen at any point.”

Keenum, 27, was tremendously productive in college at the University of Houston, finishing his college career as the NCAA’s career leader in passing yards (19,127) and touchdown passes (155).

He entered the NFL as an undrafted rookie with the Houston Texans in 2012, spending that season on the Texans’ practice squad. In 2013, an injury to starter Matt Schaub against the Rams opened the door for Keenum to start eight games.

Cut by the Texans on Aug. 31, 2014 after they acquired QB Ryan Mallett, Keenum was claimed on waivers by the Rams, who needed help after Sam Bradford’s season-ending knee injury in their third preseason game (against Cleveland).

Keenum spent part of last season on the Rams’ active roster, without appearing in a game, and spent the second half of the season on their practice squad. Until Dec. 15, that is, when Houston — once again with injury problems at the position — signed him off the Rams’ practice squad onto their active roster. “I left pretty quickly,” Keenum said. “The Texans called on Sunday and I was on a flight Monday morning.”

Next thing he knew, Keenum was in Houston watching film on Baltimore when he got a call from Rams quarterbacks coach Frank Cignetti.

“Are you in Houston right now?” Cignetti asked.

“Yeah, Coach. I am. Sorry,” Keenum replied. “I didn’t get a chance to say ‘bye’ or anything.’ “

That’s how quickly it happened. Keenum ended up starting the final two games of 2014 for the Texans, winning both contests. But with last year’s Rams backup, Shaun Hill, off to Minnesota in free agency, Keenum returned to St. Louis via that other quarterback trade in March.

Keenum must have done something right in his first stint in St. Louis to have the team expend a draft pick to bring him back.

“I think it’s a good fit,” Keenum said. “I love playing for (Fisher). I’ve been really blessed to have some great coaches, and he is right there at the top of that list with a bunch of other guys that I’ve had.”

Cignetti, now the Rams’ offensive coordinator, spent a lot of time with Keenum last season.

“We talked a lot of ball,” Keenum said. “Not just our offense, just kind of ball in general. So it was kinda getting on the same page with him. We think a lot alike, which really helps me. I think that’s what a quarterback’s job is — to see the (opposing) defense through his coordinator’s and through his quarterback coach’s eyes.”

While with the Rams last season, Keenum spent a lot of time before games working with Cignetti. They’d go out on the field early and do individual stuff.

“The game’s not too fast for him,” Cignetti said. “He processes information very well. Very smart. He’s a rhythmic passer. Very accurate. He can run the offense.

“We ask our quarterbacks to keep us out of a bad play, so he can come to the line of scrimmage, recognize the defense right (away), make the proper adjustments.”

The coaches could see many of those traits in him on the practice field during his 3½ months with the team last season. “No question,” Cignetti said. “You could just see his functional intelligence.”

And his huddle presence.

“I like to think that I know when the huddle needs a little bit of humor in it,” Keenum said. “It just depends on the situation. I try to just be awkward and just random. Maybe mention that somebody’s fly is unzipped on the sideline or something.”

Naturally, there are times when a more serious approach is needed. Perhaps to regain attention in the huddle, regain focus on the task at hand.

“Just over time, it’s stuff you learn,” Keenum said. “It’s just football, and it’s just playing quarterback, and it’s leadership skills. You can pick that up from anywhere and anybody.”

Agamemnon

November 17, 2015 at 2:41 am #34265

zn
Moderator

Rams turn to Case Keenum to provide a spark, but it might not last long

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/23765/rams-turn-to-case-keenum-to-provide-a-spark-but-it-might-not-last-long

EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams coach Jeff Fisher named Case Keenum his new starting quarterback on Monday evening, sending Nick Foles to the bench just nine games into his tenure with the team.

Some takeaways from Fisher’s decision and what it means for the Rams at quarterback, in both the short and long term:

1. With his team at 4-5 and flailing in the NFC playoff chase, Fisher made the right move here. Let’s not get it confused: Foles wasn’t the only problem for the Rams’ offense. They need more production from the offensive line and all of their pass-catchers. But, as Fisher put it, this is an offense sorely in need of some sort of a spark. The Rams are 31st in the NFL in yards per game and last in passing yards per game. Foles simply didn’t look comfortable in the pocket and hadn’t showed signs of improving in the past four or five weeks.

2. Keenum probably isn’t a major upgrade, let alone a panacea for the offense. So what does he bring to the table that Foles doesn’t? Fisher mentioned Keenum’s mobility and ability to extend plays with his legs multiple times at Monday’s news conference. Foles rarely makes plays outside of the pocket and part of his lack of comfort in the pocket stemmed from the amount of pressure the offensive line has allowed. The offensive line was already struggling, and now has lost guard Jamon Brown and tackle Darrell Williams for the season. Having a quarterback who is more willing to stay in the pocket when pressure arrives and is capable of escaping that pressure to make plays when he leaves the pocket is probably a good idea, given the state of the offensive line.

3. Just because Keenum is the starter now doesn’t mean he will be permanently, or even for the rest of the season. When Austin Davis replaced an injured Shaun Hill last year, he went on to start eight games. Davis went 3-5 in those starts before the job went back to Hill. But Davis held the job that long because he played well in his first few starts. Davis’ fearless, frenetic style worked for a few weeks before he played better defenses with a better idea of how to stop him. In hindsight, the Rams probably should have kept closer tabs on Davis and gone back to Hill before the spark fizzled. That probably won’t happen again. Fisher said Monday that Keenum won’t have a short leash, but he also said that “Nick also understands that he eventually will be under center for us again.” My expectation is that Keenum will get a chance to give the Rams the spark Fisher seeks and his hook won’t come out for three or four weeks. But if Keenum struggles or is struggling after getting a few opportunities, Fisher will go back to Foles before Keenum gets the same number of starts Davis did in 2014.

4. The Rams liked Keenum enough that they traded a 2016 draft pick to reacquire him from the Houston Texans after the Texans signed him from the St. Louis practice squad late last season. Keenum impressed the Rams with his work ethic and mobility on the practice field and then earned even more respect for winning two games for Houston at the end of the year. Keenum threw for 435 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in those two victories, one of which came against the Rams’ opponent this week, the Baltimore Ravens.

5. This quarterback change should serve as yet another reminder that the Rams still don’t have their long-term quarterback solution on the roster. Yes, they signed Foles to an extension before he ever played a snap for them, but the Rams structured his deal so they can get out of it relatively easily without much of a cap hit after next year. Keenum will get a chance to state his case, but his previous 10 starts don’t offer much hope he can be more than a spot starter. Third-round rookie Sean Mannion hasn’t had many reps in practice as the team’s third quarterback and he doesn’t appear to be close to competing for the backup job yet, not to mention the starting job. The Rams’ decision to pass on quarterbacks repeatedly in the draft, especially when they had extra picks from their 2012 trade with Washington, has left them with a number of other teams in quarterback purgatory. Until that gets fixed with someone capable of playing even average football on a weekly basis, it’s going to be hard for the Rams to have the playoff breakthrough they seek.

November 17, 2015 at 8:06 am #34274

Dak
Participant

Well, Foles was playing so poorly that I don’t think Fisher had any choice. But, yeah, Case Keenum isn’t going to lead this team to the Super Bowl. Time to address the passing game this offseason, I’d say.

November 17, 2015 at 9:40 am #34277

wv
Participant

What a train-wreck the offense has been.

Might as well try Case.

w
v

November 17, 2015 at 11:10 am #34287

zn
Moderator

from nfl.com

Overview

Keenum has been one of the most highly productive quarterbacks in college football history, setting the record for overall pass yardage in a career. If numbers were pure projections to the next level, Keenum would be the undisputed top pick. Unfortunately for him, his height might limit him as he moves to the next level. It’s obvious that Keenum is an accurate and prolific passer working from inside the pocket. How that production translates to the NFL is the big question.

Analysis

Strengths Keenum had an ungodly amount of production while at Houston. He is a good, mechanical thrower who makes quick decisions within the scheme. He understands how to read defenses and pick his spots in zones. He is an accurate thrower who puts good touch on his throws to lead his receivers. He is good to extend the play and work outside the pocket.

Weaknesses Keenum is an undersized prospect, which hurts his value. Like Russell Wilson, he will need to show he can throw effectively from the pocket. He also could be considered the product of an effective, high-octane collegiate spread offense

November 17, 2015 at 11:31 am #34300

zn
Moderator

Mod moment.

Some of these belong more in the thread about Foles so I moved em.

http://theramshuddle.com/topic/qb-change/#post-34280

November 18, 2015 at 1:52 am #34319

zn
Moderator

Keenum now front and center as Rams QB

Jim Thomas

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/keenum-now-front-and-center-as-rams-qb/article_6736f72e-226b-51ea-80fb-5fe947a83e31.html

Backup quarterbacks don’t do many interviews, so with a sense for the moment, Case Keenum spelled out his name — first and last — for the assemblage of reporters Tuesday at Rams Park.

“In case you were wondering,” he said, smiling.

And when backup quarterbacks do in fact get interviewed, the PR staff doesn’t hurriedly put up a team backdrop behind them. As of Monday, however, Keenum no longer is the backup quarterback. So yes, he got the full backdrop treatment for his media session following Tuesday’s practice.

Welcome to the backdrop, Case.

“Yeah, I made it,” Keenum said. “Is this where I stand?”

The Rams certainly hope Keenum knows where to stand Sunday in Baltimore. They need him to stand tall in the pocket — all 6-1 of him. And when that’s impossible, they hope he can use his legs to maneuver out of trouble and help rescue their 31st-ranked offense and 32nd-ranked passing game.

“I’m ready,” Keenum said. “I’ve been prepared, and that’s what I do every week is I get ready to play. I’m excited for my chance. I really am. I’m excited to go out there and compete again.

“You don’t get many chances to play in this league. I definitely count it as a blessing, and to have a second chance to come out and compete is incredible.”

Actually, it’s more than a second chance. If the former University of Houston Cougar were a cat, he’d be well on his way to nine lives. bouncing on and off the rosters — both 53-man and practice squad — of the Houston Texans and Rams since entering the league in 2012. He has been cut, signed, traded, promoted, demoted.

“I’ve been on a lot of sides of the quarterback position in this business,” Keenum said. “I’ve been named the starter after a guy that gets injured. Been a backup now for while. Been replaced as a starter.

“I’ve been a No. 4 guy on one team, and then starting the next week for another team. So I’ve kinda been through it all.”

So he can empathize with what Nick Foles, the man he has replaced in the starting lineup, is going through.

“Nick’s one of my best friends,” Keenum said. “I have the utmost respect for Nick. That’s the first person I talked to after Coach Fisher told us (about the QB switch). We have a great relationship and I have his back no matter what.

“Nobody cares more about this team, loves the guys on this team, respects the guys on this team more. … Just one of the best guys I know.”

As an example, Keenum said Foles gave the squad an impassioned speech at the team meeting Saturday night on the eve of the Chicago game.

“It moved me,” Keenum said. “One of the best I ever heard pregame. Everybody in this locker room knows how much he cares about this team, and nobody has a doubt in him as a player or a person.”

But it’s the Keenum show now. Whether the Rams make something of this season or fall short of the playoffs for the 11th consecutive season, depends largely on whether he can provide a spark to the offense.

It’s a tall task considering Keenum had yet to take even a regular-season practice snap with the starting offense — not one — until this week. That’s in nearly 1½ seasons with the Rams. In theory, he knows the playbook as well as anyone at Rams Park. Now he must apply that knowledge in “real life” if you will.

“I try to visualize when I’m not playing,” Keenum said. “I try to prepare like I am (playing). My routine is quite similar. I try to prepare and be the most mentally ready that I can be every time I step on the practice field.

“Now, instead of sitting back there visualizing it, doing fake reps on air, I get the real reps. Which is a whole lot better than sitting back there ‘on air’ doing that.”

Keenum already has a good rapport with offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, dating back to last season.

“We talked a lot of ball,” Keenum said. “Not even our offense last year; just kind of ball in general. So kinda getting on the same page with him. We think a lot alike.”

They spent a lot of time working together last year before games — just Cignetti and Keenum out on the field early working some individual stuff on game days. When a quarterback can see the game plan and see the opposing defense through the coordinator’s eyes, that’s a good first step.

“What we liked about Case is the game’s not too fast for him,” Cignetti said during camp. “He processes information very well. Very smart. He’s a rhythmic passer. Very accurate.”

Fisher liked what he saw of Keenum so much that he traded a seventh-rounder to Houston to get him back last March after the Texans had signed him off the Rams’ practice squad last December.

“What we saw in Case here on the practice field was special,” Fisher said. “His instincts, his mobility, his arm strength, his anticipation. Mind you, it was just practice, it was running scout team.

“When he got to go two-minute against the defense, it was there. And he’s won games. He’s proven it. He’s won games in Houston with a team that had significant injuries around him, and found ways to win games.

“So we’re gonna trust his mobility, and his ability to extend plays and things, and just give us an offensive spark that we need.”

Part of the challenge is establishing as much chemistry and rapport with the starting receivers as possible in a compressed time frame. Keenum hasn’t thrown much to the Rams top receivers since training camp.

“I’ve seen Case ball before,” tight end Jared Cook said. “He brings a pretty good change-up into the lineup. Runs a little bit. Different trajectory on the ball, the way it comes out. He’s a little bit shorter than Nick. So we’ll see.”[

November 18, 2015 at 3:26 pm #34368

zn
Moderator

After playing many roles, Case Keenum unfazed by task of starting for Rams

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/23800/after-playing-many-roles-case-keenum-unfazed-by-task-of-starting-for-rams

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Since entering the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2012, Case Keenum has found himself in nearly every scenario a player can experience in the league.

Keenum has been on a practice squad, run the scout team, been a starter and a backup. He has been released. He has been traded. You name it, he has done it. All of which makes Keenum uniquely qualified to handle just about anything, including his new role as the St. Louis Rams’ starting quarterback.

“Yeah, I’ve been on a lot of sides of the quarterback position,” Keenum said. “I’ve been named the starter after a guy that gets injured or whatever it is. I’ve been a backup now for a while. I’ve been replaced as a starter. I’ve been a No. 4 guy on one team and then starting the next week for another team. I’ve kind of been through it all.

“You have to be ready when you get a chance. I’m ready. I’ve been prepared and that’s what I do every week, is I get ready to play. I’m excited for my chance, I really am. I’m excited to go out there and compete again. You don’t get many chances to play in this league. I definitely count it as a blessing. To have a second chance to come out and compete is incredible.”

For Keenum, the chance to start his first game with the Rams — he started 10 in two stints with the Houston Texans — might be incredible, but it’s also a little bittersweet. When Rams coach Jeff Fisher informed Keenum, Nick Foles and Sean Mannion that Keenum would be taking the starting job from Foles on Monday, Keenum’s first instinct was to reach out to Foles and support his friend.

“Nick’s one of my best friends,” Keenum said. “We’ve been fighting hard together to play the best that our position can play. I have the utmost respect for Nick. That’s the first person that I talked to after Coach Fisher told us. We have a great relationship and I have his back no matter what.”

Now it’s Foles’ turn to have Keenum’s back.

Keenum had a short stay in St. Louis last year after the Rams claimed him on waivers from Houston. He spent part of the season on the active roster and another part on the practice squad before the Texans re-signed him to step in for their injured quarterbacks. The Rams then traded for Keenum in March with an eye toward making him Foles’ primary backup.

Having had about half a season with the Rams in 2014 and more than half of this year, Keenum is comfortable in coordinator Frank Cignetti’s offense. Nothing will be scaled back to get Keenum up to speed this week.

“He’s been preparing himself to play week in and week out,” Fisher said. “[He] understands the offense, so we just want to be mindful of the things that he really likes. There’s some different things. We made some minor adjustments in the plan just because there’s some things that he sees and sees a little differently than Nick and they prefer. It’s all good. All it does is hopefully translates into first downs.”

In some ways, the Rams might actually expand what they do with Keenum in the lineup. Upon naming Keenum the starter, Fisher cited his ability to extend plays with his legs as one of the primary reasons for the move. Fisher and the Rams are hoping Keenum can provide “a spark,” at least something that can give the Rams a temporary lift while Foles catches his breath.

Through the first nine games, Foles was 14-of-35 for 138 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions for a passer rating of 51.8 and a QBR of 8.7 when he was outside of the pocket. Naturally, the Rams didn’t ask him to leave the pocket much, limiting the amount of bootlegs and roll-outs they asked Foles to run.

Logic would dictate if the Rams believe Keenum can make plays with his legs, that could be a new wrinkle this week. In his 10 starts, Keenum is 21-of-43 for 398 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions for a passer rating of 86.5 and a QBR of 43.7 when outside the pocket.

“I think that Case has shown that he can extend plays,” Fisher said. “I mean, scramble around, extend plays and make throws down the field. So, yeah, there are some things that we can do a little bit differently.”

Keenum took his first extended reps with the starters on Tuesday and acknowledged that though he has a good rapport with the Rams receivers and tight ends, developing chemistry is always an ongoing process.

But other than the extra reps in practice and where his name sits on the depth chart, Keenum seems unfazed by his latest task.

“You may dot a few more I’s and cross a few more T’s when you’re thinking about the plan,” Keenum said. “I try to visualize when I’m not playing, I try to prepare like I am. My routine is quite similar. I try to prepare and be the most mentally ready that I can be every time I step on the practice field. Now, instead of sitting back there visualizing it doing fake reps on air, I get the real reps, which is a lot better.”

For Keenum, it’s a change in role, but it’s nothing new.[
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