defensive tackle Kellen Heard

[Anonymous]

stltoday.com
Rams add Ganaway, Heard to active roster
40 minutes ago • BY JIM THOMAS

The roster-shaping continued for the Rams on Saturday with the team claiming two players off the waiver wire: running back Terrance Ganaway of the New York Jets and defensive tackle Kellen Heard from the Buffalo Bills.

Heard was a Coach Waufle guy.

Waufle was the DL coach with Oakland before he joined the Rams.

They had Heard in training camp as a UDFA in 2010. So Waufle coached him then. On cutdown day they put him on the practice squad and Buffalo grabbed him.

He was hurt all through OTAs this spring with, ironically, a high ankle sprain.

So it looks to me that they grabbed a guy Wauffle already knew.

Waufle has a thing for tallish DTs apparently.

 

[ramsince62]

What's with the running back?

 

[libertadrocks]

What's with the running back?

He's a big boy too. RB/FB hybrid. Good in short yardage.

Provides insurance in case SJ goes down in short yardage situations as both Richardson and Pead are lighter backs. Could also end up pushing Miller for his job if he develops as a blocker.

I like the pick-up. I woulda cut someone besides Murphy but... what can you do

 

[Anonymous]

What's with the running back?

He;s a power back. This is a run-oriented team built around a power back. If Jackson misses time--and he does virtually every season--they need a power back in the mix with Richardson and Pead. Ganaway is their bargain Jackson knock-off, just in case.

BTW just read the other response--I really don't think there's any FB to this guy, I don't think he has ever played it. I just think he's an inactive unless Jackson misses time and then, like you said, they need a power back in there since their entire offense is built around it.

 

[Username]

I would have absolutely no problem with running Richardson in short yardage situations

 

[libertadrocks]

What's with the running back?

He;s a power back. This is a run-oriented team built around a power back. If Jackson misses time--and he does virtually every season--they need a power back in the mix with Richardson and Pead. Ganaway is their bargain Jackson knock-off, just in case.

BTW just read the other response--I really don't think there's any FB to this guy, I don't think he has ever played it. I just think he's an inactive unless Jackson misses time and then, like you said, they need a power back in there since their entire offense is built around it.

The Jets tried him there, and rotoworld has speculated he could be in the hunt for snaps at FB with us.

 

[-X-]

I would have absolutely no problem with running Richardson in short yardage situations

Ditto. Dude runs violently, and with a purpose.

 

[Anonymous]

I would have absolutely no problem with running Richardson in short yardage situations

Ditto. Dude runs violently, and with a purpose.

Well me too, except, Ganaway has 40 pounds on him, and I think they value that for a reason. Besides, power running is not just on short yardage. It's a strategy and approach to the game that encompasses 1st downs too.

 

[Angry Ram]

I hope this Heard fella can step in for Brockers. I'm glad he has experience.

Man, suddenly a perceived strength on this team is suddenly a unit bein gambled on. 1st the exodous of our CBs, now the DL is thin. This better work out.

 

[Username]

I would have absolutely no problem with running Richardson in short yardage situations

Ditto. Dude runs violently, and with a purpose.

Well me too, except, Ganaway has 40 pounds on him, and I think they value that for a reason. Besides, power running is not just on short yardage. It's a strategy and approach to the game that encompasses 1st downs too.

I would guess that he gets an average of 0 carries the entire year. Isn't he just probably someone that knows the system, and can run in practice?

 

[Anonymous]

I would have absolutely no problem with running Richardson in short yardage situations

Ditto. Dude runs violently, and with a purpose.

Well me too, except, Ganaway has 40 pounds on him, and I think they value that for a reason. Besides, power running is not just on short yardage. It's a strategy and approach to the game that encompasses 1st downs too.

I would guess that he gets an average of 0 carries the entire year. Isn't he just probably someone that knows the system, and can run in practice?

But he doesn't know the system.

Like I said, I think it's no coincidence that they went after a heftier back with Jackson's history of missing time.

I don;t know how many carries he gets because I don't know how fast he will get up to speed with this offense.

 

[-X-]

I would have absolutely no problem with running Richardson in short yardage situations

Ditto. Dude runs violently, and with a purpose.

Well me too, except, Ganaway has 40 pounds on him, and I think they value that for a reason. Besides, power running is not just on short yardage. It's a strategy and approach to the game that encompasses 1st downs too.

I would guess that he gets an average of 0 carries the entire year. Isn't he just probably someone that knows the system, and can run in practice?

But he doesn't know the system.

Like I said, I think it's no coincidence that they went after a heftier back with Jackson's history of missing time.

I don;t know how many carries he gets because I don't know how fast he will get up to speed with this offense.

Yeah, but Ganaway's uncle is Jeremiah Trotter - who was drafted by the Eagles - who play their games in Philadelphia - which is where Kevin Bacon was born. BOOM. Championship.

 

[brokeu91]

What's with the running back?

He;s a power back. This is a run-oriented team built around a power back. If Jackson misses time--and he does virtually every season--they need a power back in the mix with Richardson and Pead. Ganaway is their bargain Jackson knock-off, just in case.

BTW just read the other response--I really don't think there's any FB to this guy, I don't think he has ever played it. I just think he's an inactive unless Jackson misses time and then, like you said, they need a power back in there since their entire offense is built around it.

I know Fisher's teams tended to have a power back, but Chris Johnson thrived in his offense and he's nothing close to a power back. I'm not saying that Pead and Richardson is necessarily ready to carry the entire load, but Richardson does remind me of Johnson in a way. And at times, Pead played a bit bigger than he is.

 

[Anonymous]

What's with the running back?

He;s a power back. This is a run-oriented team built around a power back. If Jackson misses time--and he does virtually every season--they need a power back in the mix with Richardson and Pead. Ganaway is their bargain Jackson knock-off, just in case.

BTW just read the other response--I really don't think there's any FB to this guy, I don't think he has ever played it. I just think he's an inactive unless Jackson misses time and then, like you said, they need a power back in there since their entire offense is built around it.

I know Fisher's teams tended to have a power back, but Chris Johnson thrived in his offense and he's nothing close to a power back. I'm not saying that Pead and Richardson is necessarily ready to carry the entire load, but Richardson does remind me of Johnson in a way. And at times, Pead played a bit bigger than he is.

But, see, I didn't say Fisher's offense is always built around a power back. Everyone knows about Chris Johnson. I said the Rams offense is built around a power back.

Fisher makes the most out of good RBs regardless of the style and he inherited Jackson. I don't think they want to subtract all those kinds of running plays if Jackson misses time. Better just to plug in another guy who can run them with power. Otherwise there's very little explanation for why they added a 240 lb back to the roster.

Besides, as a rule, even with Johnson, Fisher did include a power component. Until he lost White in 2010, Fisher always gave him a portion of the snaps. This time it's just in reverse--Jackson gets the bulk of the carries, and Pead/Richardson get some too. If Jackson misses time, with Ganaway, ideally (cause who knows if he comes through), they keep the Jackson portion of the offense going. Maybe not--and in fact probably not--the same proportions, but still.

It doesn't matter how Pead and Richardson play. They're NOT 240 lbs. And that makes a difference.

I would imagine if the universe got scrambled and Richardson were the starter and there was no SJ, they would still give a portion of the carries to a bigger guy.

 

[Speeps]

We have to remember that in Tennessee, Fisher had little control over the teams personnel. In STL he has a lot of say. What we're seeing is guys and types of players Fisher wants. Unlike Tennessee, he was given players and told to coach, regardless of if he wanted them or not.

 

[-X-]

What's with the running back?

He;s a power back. This is a run-oriented team built around a power back. If Jackson misses time--and he does virtually every season--they need a power back in the mix with Richardson and Pead. Ganaway is their bargain Jackson knock-off, just in case.

BTW just read the other response--I really don't think there's any FB to this guy, I don't think he has ever played it. I just think he's an inactive unless Jackson misses time and then, like you said, they need a power back in there since their entire offense is built around it.

I know Fisher's teams tended to have a power back, but Chris Johnson thrived in his offense and he's nothing close to a power back. I'm not saying that Pead and Richardson is necessarily ready to carry the entire load, but Richardson does remind me of Johnson in a way. And at times, Pead played a bit bigger than he is.

Yeah, we'll have to see how this plays out. To date, there haven't been any public statements about this guy's potential role. I agree about C.J., but that was Heimerdinger's offense. I don't know how much Fisher is involved in this offense, so we could always look at Schottenheimer's preference in the running game. Leon Washington, Thomas Jones, L.T., and Shonn Greene were the feature backs, and all were 220 lbs or heavier.

I'd like to think that if Fisher has any say, he'd prefer to have either Pead or Richardson take the bulk of the carries in the UNLIKELY event that Jackson has the flu or something, but who knows. It's all about putting the best guy on the field to give this team the best chance for success (according to Snead), so as far as I'm concerned, nothing is predetermined here.

 

[Anonymous]

We have to remember that in Tennessee, Fisher had little control over the teams personnel. In STL he has a lot of say. What we're seeing is guys and types of players Fisher wants. Unlike Tennessee, he was given players and told to coach, regardless of if he wanted them or not.

Actually he had a lot of control in Tennessee, especially after he won a power show-down with their previous GM, Reese. That was 2006. Before that Reese would confer very hard with Fisher about the kinds of players Fisher wanted. After Reese was gone it was all Fisher--with only one exception. Adams forced Young on him. But that's an exception.