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Rams notes: Rookie TE Bayer focuses on his own play
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d8f6f0ec-ec48-52b9-9f2d-25457cd729eb.html
For Rams rookie tight end Alex Bayer, the main competition on the football field comes from within.
“Honestly, I try not to look at it as if I’m trying to beat out other guys; I’m just trying to play football to the best of my ability,’’ he said following the Rams’ 26-24 exhibition loss to the New Orleans Saints at the Edward Jones Dome Friday. “I’m trying to make the team, obviously, but mainly, I’m focused on being my best and bringing out the best in the guys around me.
“The other tight ends have been extremely helpful. Our goal is to be the best tight end unit in the NFL, so anything we can do to help each other, that’s what we’re going to do.’’
The 6-foot-4, 258-pound Bayer enjoyed a solid pro debut Friday when he led the Rams in receiving with five catches for 71 yards, including a 42-yarder down the middle from Austin Davis on a game-ending drive that helped get the home team into position for a game-winning field-goal attempt as time expired.
Unfortunately for the Rams, Greg Zuerlein’s 59-yard kick sailed wide left.
Even in defeat, Bayer’s first NFL experience was positive.
“I was a little nervous at first, but after that first play, once you get those pads popping, it’s just another football game,’’ said Bayer, an undrafted free agent from Bowling Green.
Bayer was on the Rams’ radar early and has the attention of coach Jeff Fisher.
“We liked what we saw — the athleticism, the pass-catching ability,’’ Fisher said. Tight ends coach “Rob Boras went out to have a private workout with him the week before the draft. We were kind of hoping he’d slip. He did and so far it’s worked out for us.
“He’s taken a lot of snaps here in camp and played a lot of snaps, 40 to 45, last night. He’s hanging in there and continues to make the plays. He’s reliable, getting to the right spot and the young quarterbacks trust him.’’
The Rams thought enough of Bayer to give him a $10,000 signing bonus as well as a chance to win a job. The team traditionally has carried four tight ends and with defensive-lineman-turned-tight-end Mason Brodine done for the season after fracturing his ankle Friday, the other tight ends on the roster are veterans Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks and Cory Harkey and Justice Cunningham, who finished the last season on the Rams’ practice squad.
“Coming out of college, people saw me more as a pass-catcher,’’ said Bayer, 23, who caught 37 passes for 593 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. “But I took that to heart and have really worked to improve my blocking. The big thing is footwork, especially when it comes to playing fullback, something that’s new to me.
“It’s just a matter of working hard and making the needed adjustments. I don’t have the breakaway speed to compete in this league, so I have to block and I have to contribute on special teams.’’
FINAL DRIVE CLARIFIED
After watching film and talking with the players, Fisher had a little better idea of what happened just before Zuerlein’s 59-yard field goal try as time expired.
With the Rams driving and facing a third-and-10 play at New Orleans’ 31, a botched snap followed by a spike attempt by quarterback Austin Davis resulted in both a 10-yard penalty and a 10-second clock runoff.
“Once you get through it and start talking to people and get to the bottom of things, there was some miscommunication issues up front,’’ the coach said. Rookie center Demetrius Rhaney “wasn’t sure when he was supposed to snap the ball, so he just snapped it. ... When the ball comes up and the quarterback’s not ready for it, sometimes you have problems and that’s what happened. Obviously the ball hit the ground and Austin picked it up and spiked it.
“So it was the correct call.’’
MISSED KICKS
Fisher remains as confident as ever in Zuerlein in spite of the late-game misses from 46 and 59 yards.
“Our snapper, our back-up snapper (Jorgen Hus), is a good back-up snapper,’’ the coach said. “He’s been getting a lot of snaps in preseason and will continue to do so. But he has not worked a lot with (holder Johnny Hekker) and Greg thus far in camp, and there’s a difference between his ball and (starter Jake McQuaide’s) ball.
“While you wouldn’t classify them as bad snaps, the snaps were different. ... That can change and affect the whole process, and it did last night.’’
Fisher continued: “I’m not concerned about Greg. The snaps hit Johnny’s hands a little differently and it just happened.’’
RAM-BLINGS
The team returns to practice Monday with a 3:30 p.m. workout at Rams Park that is free and open to the public.
Other open-to-the-public workouts are slated for Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) and Thursday (3:30 p.m.)
The Rams host the Green Bay Packers in a 3 p.m. Saturday game at the Edward Jones Dome.
• Tight end Reggie Jordan, a Hazelwood Central product who went on to star at Missouri Western, has been placed on injured reserve by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jordan, 23, was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in May. To fill the roster spot the Jags signed tight end Fendi Onobun, who was selected by the Rams in the sixth round of the 2010 draft.
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_d8f6f0ec-ec48-52b9-9f2d-25457cd729eb.html
For Rams rookie tight end Alex Bayer, the main competition on the football field comes from within.
“Honestly, I try not to look at it as if I’m trying to beat out other guys; I’m just trying to play football to the best of my ability,’’ he said following the Rams’ 26-24 exhibition loss to the New Orleans Saints at the Edward Jones Dome Friday. “I’m trying to make the team, obviously, but mainly, I’m focused on being my best and bringing out the best in the guys around me.
“The other tight ends have been extremely helpful. Our goal is to be the best tight end unit in the NFL, so anything we can do to help each other, that’s what we’re going to do.’’
The 6-foot-4, 258-pound Bayer enjoyed a solid pro debut Friday when he led the Rams in receiving with five catches for 71 yards, including a 42-yarder down the middle from Austin Davis on a game-ending drive that helped get the home team into position for a game-winning field-goal attempt as time expired.
Unfortunately for the Rams, Greg Zuerlein’s 59-yard kick sailed wide left.
Even in defeat, Bayer’s first NFL experience was positive.
“I was a little nervous at first, but after that first play, once you get those pads popping, it’s just another football game,’’ said Bayer, an undrafted free agent from Bowling Green.
Bayer was on the Rams’ radar early and has the attention of coach Jeff Fisher.
“We liked what we saw — the athleticism, the pass-catching ability,’’ Fisher said. Tight ends coach “Rob Boras went out to have a private workout with him the week before the draft. We were kind of hoping he’d slip. He did and so far it’s worked out for us.
“He’s taken a lot of snaps here in camp and played a lot of snaps, 40 to 45, last night. He’s hanging in there and continues to make the plays. He’s reliable, getting to the right spot and the young quarterbacks trust him.’’
The Rams thought enough of Bayer to give him a $10,000 signing bonus as well as a chance to win a job. The team traditionally has carried four tight ends and with defensive-lineman-turned-tight-end Mason Brodine done for the season after fracturing his ankle Friday, the other tight ends on the roster are veterans Jared Cook, Lance Kendricks and Cory Harkey and Justice Cunningham, who finished the last season on the Rams’ practice squad.
“Coming out of college, people saw me more as a pass-catcher,’’ said Bayer, 23, who caught 37 passes for 593 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. “But I took that to heart and have really worked to improve my blocking. The big thing is footwork, especially when it comes to playing fullback, something that’s new to me.
“It’s just a matter of working hard and making the needed adjustments. I don’t have the breakaway speed to compete in this league, so I have to block and I have to contribute on special teams.’’
FINAL DRIVE CLARIFIED
After watching film and talking with the players, Fisher had a little better idea of what happened just before Zuerlein’s 59-yard field goal try as time expired.
With the Rams driving and facing a third-and-10 play at New Orleans’ 31, a botched snap followed by a spike attempt by quarterback Austin Davis resulted in both a 10-yard penalty and a 10-second clock runoff.
“Once you get through it and start talking to people and get to the bottom of things, there was some miscommunication issues up front,’’ the coach said. Rookie center Demetrius Rhaney “wasn’t sure when he was supposed to snap the ball, so he just snapped it. ... When the ball comes up and the quarterback’s not ready for it, sometimes you have problems and that’s what happened. Obviously the ball hit the ground and Austin picked it up and spiked it.
“So it was the correct call.’’
MISSED KICKS
Fisher remains as confident as ever in Zuerlein in spite of the late-game misses from 46 and 59 yards.
“Our snapper, our back-up snapper (Jorgen Hus), is a good back-up snapper,’’ the coach said. “He’s been getting a lot of snaps in preseason and will continue to do so. But he has not worked a lot with (holder Johnny Hekker) and Greg thus far in camp, and there’s a difference between his ball and (starter Jake McQuaide’s) ball.
“While you wouldn’t classify them as bad snaps, the snaps were different. ... That can change and affect the whole process, and it did last night.’’
Fisher continued: “I’m not concerned about Greg. The snaps hit Johnny’s hands a little differently and it just happened.’’
RAM-BLINGS
The team returns to practice Monday with a 3:30 p.m. workout at Rams Park that is free and open to the public.
Other open-to-the-public workouts are slated for Tuesday (5:30 p.m.) and Thursday (3:30 p.m.)
The Rams host the Green Bay Packers in a 3 p.m. Saturday game at the Edward Jones Dome.
• Tight end Reggie Jordan, a Hazelwood Central product who went on to star at Missouri Western, has been placed on injured reserve by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Jordan, 23, was signed as an undrafted rookie free agent in May. To fill the roster spot the Jags signed tight end Fendi Onobun, who was selected by the Rams in the sixth round of the 2010 draft.
