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THOUSAND OAKS >> The only real benefit to going undrafted in the NFL is the player’s ability to choose, as a free agent, his destination. Offensive linemen Jake Eldrenkamp chose a challenge.
Even before the end of the seventh round last month, the Rams already had been in touch with Eldrenkamp’s agent, to signify their desire to sign him. The interest came with one caveat: the Rams wanted Eldrenkamp to be a center, a position he hadn’t played since high school.
No problem. Eldrenkamp, a solid tackle and guard during his four-year college career at Washington, looked relatively smooth as he snapped the ball during the Rams’ two-day rookie mini-camp at Cal Lutheran, which ended Saturday afternoon.
“I love it,” Eldrenkamp said. “I think it’s the best fit for me. My game is about the mental side as much as the physical side. When you talk about applying my strengths to the game, I think center is the best place to do it.”
As a free agent, Eldrenkamp could have picked a different team to sign with, one that might have kept him within his comfort zone at guard. But Eldrenkamp made a decision that could boost his NFL future.
Not only did Eldrenkamp choose center, the position that likely bests fits his body type and skill set at the NFL level, but he chose the Rams, whose situation at center isn’t exactly secure. Coach Sean McVay said Saturday that Eldrenkamp would get a chance to compete for the job.
After last season, the Rams released incumbent center Tim Barnes, then made a failed attempt to sign restricted free agent Ryan Groy. Then ended up signing John Sullivan, a veteran with whom McVay worked in Washington, but a player with a significant injury past.
Behind Sullivan is only Demetrius Rhaney, a special-teams contributor and a natural guard who has started only one game in two seasons. The Rams did not draft a center -- or any offensive lineman -- this year, but shortly after, they signed Eldrenkamp and Anthony McMeans from New Mexico State.
It’s not ridiculous to think that Eldrenkamp, well regarded by Rams offensive line coach Aaron Kromer, could make the roster in the fall as the backup center.
“He’s a guy that’s got good movement,” McVay said. “He’s got some flexibility to be able to play on the interior line, but he was a guy that Coach Kromer, our scouts, did a nice job identifying as a player that we feel like could project well with some of the things we’re looking for. It’ll be exciting to kind of watch him.”
“I think the biggest difference for most guys is just having to make all the calls,” Eldrenkamp said, “and knowing how every piece of the offense works together. That’s something that I’d been doing in Washington, so it was a pretty easy carry-over. That wasn’t too hard, but that trips a lot of guys up. The physical side is, you’ve just got to square your feet up and get the ball back.”
WATCHING EYES
The Rams’ veteran players were allowed to use the practice facility during the rookie camp. Linebacker Robert Quinn watched a bit of the practices, but the most notable viewer was quarterback Jared Goff.
A year ago, Goff was a rookie-camp participant. Now he enters the 2017 as the clear-cut starting quarterback, and Rams coaches took note of Goff’s effort to be more of a leader.
“I love it, that he’s around,” offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur said. “I don’t think, if you go around the league, you’re going to find too many teams where the starting quarterback is sitting there watching these rookies in their rookie mini-camp. I know he’s excited about some of the pieces we’ve added. I think it’s great for us, as an organization.”
The Rams will return to the field on May 23 for the third and final phase of their offseason workouts. That’s when the rookies will join the veterans, and Goff will get a chance to throw to newly drafted teammates such as receivers Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds and tight end Gerald Everett.
It also will be another opportunity for the Rams’ new coaches to evaluate Goff. Thus far, they seem impressed with Goff’s offseason work.
“I’ll be honest with you. I think he’s a little more accurate than I anticipated,” LaFleur said.
That got me excited. Obviously he’s got a big arm. Until you work with a guy, you don’t really know. I studied him coming out in the draft, and I knew he had some of the characteristics that you look for. He is a natural thrower. He’s tough and he’s throwing the ball with surprisingly, really good accuracy.”
THROWBACK DAYS
The Rams announced that they will wear their 1980s-style blue-and-gold throwback uniforms for the Oct. 8 home game against Seattle and the Dec. 31 home game (and season finale) against San Francisco.
The NFL allows teams to wear throwback uniforms twice a year. The Rams previously announced that they will wear blue and white helmets, and mostly white uniforms at home, in 2017, and they’re expected to have a full-uniform rebrand for the 2019 season.
[www.dailynews.com]
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