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LATSCH: Keenum Excited for Fresh Start with St. Louis Rams
September 3, 2014 6:02 PM
http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/09/03/latsch-keenum-excited-for-fresh-start-with-st-louis-rams/
ST. LOUIS — It’s been a busy few days for Case Keenum, the quarterback who was waived by the Houston Texans and then received a fresh start when he was claimed by the Rams.
“I’m very excited,” Keenum said Wednesday. “I have been excited ever since I heard word, 3 o’clock the other day. So it’s been kind of whirlwind of a couple of days. I’ve already had two practices. So I’m excited to get in here and learn the system and do my best to contribute to the team.”
How quickly the 26-year-old can contribute to his new team will likely be determined by how quickly he can learn a new offensive system, which is not exactly an easy task.
Keenum said Wednesday learning any system in the NFL is tough, but he’s excited to learn new stuff with his new team.
“It’s being able to I guess translate into what I know and how I run things and then get the terminology obviously,” he said. “It’s like speaking another language. So I’m just trying to learn another language as fast as I can.”
Keenum was a standout at the University of Houston and then signed with the Texans in as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2012. After a year on the practice squad he ended up starting eight games in 2013.
Houston lost each of those games — the Texans finished with a league-worst 2-14 record — but Keenum showed some flashes of his potential. He threw for 350 yards and three touchdowns in his second start, against the Colts, and then followed that up with a three-touchdown performance the next week against the Cardinals.
Keenum’s eight-game stats were modest, but not a bad start for a young quarterback on a struggling team. He completed 54.2 percent of his passes for 1,760 yards, with nine touchdowns against six interceptions, and a QB rating of 78.2.
The Brownwood, Texas, native showed enough good things that the Rams were interested when he was released, which came after the Texans added quarterback Ryan Mallett in a trade with the Patriots.
“Because of injury Case got a lot of experience last year, started eight games,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “You look at the body of work, no, he didn’t win any of those games but there was some really good things that you saw out of a young player. We spent a lot of time evaluating those games and felt like he’d be a good option to come in here and try to develop as a three or a two. We just wanted him in the mix. You’re going to get as many good players as you can.”
In St. Louis, Keenum joins a quarterback group that includes veteran starter Shaun Hill, inexperienced Austin Davis and sixth-round pick Garrett Gilbert, who was added to the practice squad after being released by the Rams in the final cutdown to 53 players.
Keenum said Wednesday he hasn’t talked to the coaching staff yet about his role and how he fits in with his new team. That’s OK because he’s got other things on his mind right now anyway.
“Right now it’s just trying to get in and get acclimated,” he said. “For me, my job is every day coming in just whatever I can do to be the best teammate that I can be and help contribute to this team in any way.”
But he is excited for his fresh start in the Gateway City.
“Yeah, anytime you get a fresh start, new offense, new team — I think a team that’s obviously got a lot of talented players and is headed in a great direction,” Keenum said. “I’m excited to be a part of it.”
