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Trio of rookies boosts competition for Rams RB spot
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_5c0e7091-9607-5506-97b5-f963416f1e3a.html
The Rams caught some by surprise when they used the 10th pick in the NFL draft to select University of Georgia standout Todd Gurley.
Coming off November knee surgery, Gurley is patiently and diligently working his rehab program these days as his teammates go through organized team activities (OTAs) at Rams Park. But even without Gurley, the competition at running back figures to be stiff as the Rams work toward training camp and eventually settling on a 53-man roster.
Tre Mason, who ran for 765 yards and scored five touchdowns in 12 games as a rookie last year, figures to see the bulk of the carries until Gurley is 100 percent. Also back is third-year pro Benny Cunningham, who scored four times while rushing for 246 yards, catching 45 passes for 352 yards and leading the team in kickoff returns, averaging 27.5 yards.
During the draft, the Rams traded 2013 rushing leader Zac Stacy to the New York Jets.
The other returning backs on the roster are special teams leader Chase Reynolds, 2012 second-round draft pick Isaiah Pead and second-year pro Trey Watts, who showed some promise after being signed as an undrafted free agent.
But Pead is is coming off surgery for an ACL injury suffered early in last year’s preseason and Watts has been suspended for the first four games of 2015 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
That leaves an intriguing trio of undrafted rookie free agents: Malcom Brown from Texas, Terrence Franks from Texas State and fullback Zach Laskey from Georgia Tech.
One of the nation’s more heralded backs coming out of high school in suburban San Antonio, Brown never quite lived up to expectations with the Longhorns, but he still managed to put together a solid career. He scored 27 touchdowns, and his 2,678 career yards rank ninth all-time for the Longhorns.
Brown’s career was slowed by injury early and by the Longhorns’ depth during his junior and senior seasons.
“It was a situation that was pretty similar to what we have here; lots of good, young backs looking for carries,” the 21-year-old said. “It just comes down to working hard every day and making sure that you make the most of the opportunities you get.”
Brown, who stands 5 feet 11 and weighs 224 pounds, is a physical downhill runner who’s known for getting yards after contact. He enjoyed his best college season as a junior in 2013, when he rushed for 904 yards, caught 17 passes for 195 yards and scored 11 times. That season, he had five 100-yard rushing games.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity the Rams have given me and I’m going to try and contribute any way I can,” Brown said. “I realize that special teams will be huge for me. I have to show the coaches what I can do and try to make the most of every single rep.”
At Texas, Brown worked with three different offensive coordinators.
“That’s kind of a blessing in disguise now because I’m able to adjust quickly,” he said. “The big difference here is that everything’s done a lot faster, so you really have to be ready to go with the flow.”
While Brown was courted by virtually every major college program in the nation, Franks accepted the one Division I offer he received and ended up at Texas State in San Marcos.
The Houston-area product finished his college career with 2,045 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards a carry. His best season came as a freshman in 2011, when he ran for 863 yards and scored nine times.
The 5-9, 203-pounder rushed for 712 yards and scored 11 times last fall and enjoyed a career day against Idaho. Scoring on runs of 95, 70 and 70 yards, Franks had 284 yards on just 15 carries to lead the Bobcats in a 35-30 win over the Vandals.
“I’m a speed back,” said Franks, 22, who was clocked at 4.3 in the 40 during college. “And I’ve also had some experience on special teams: kick return, punt return, gunner. I just have to keep working and grinding every day. The NFL’s all about competition and I’m looking to work my way up.”
In the NFL these days, true fullbacks are a dying breed, and Laskey would seem to have his hands full with the Rams, who like to use tight ends Cory Harkey and Lance Kendricks as blockers out of the backfield. But Laskey (6-2, 225) doesn’t appear to be your typical fullback. In four seasons with the Ramblin’ Wreck, he rushed for 2,033 yards, including 851 last fall, and scored 17 touchdowns. As a receiver, the 22-year-old averaged 15 yards a catch and scored four TDs in his career.
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_5c0e7091-9607-5506-97b5-f963416f1e3a.html
The Rams caught some by surprise when they used the 10th pick in the NFL draft to select University of Georgia standout Todd Gurley.
Coming off November knee surgery, Gurley is patiently and diligently working his rehab program these days as his teammates go through organized team activities (OTAs) at Rams Park. But even without Gurley, the competition at running back figures to be stiff as the Rams work toward training camp and eventually settling on a 53-man roster.
Tre Mason, who ran for 765 yards and scored five touchdowns in 12 games as a rookie last year, figures to see the bulk of the carries until Gurley is 100 percent. Also back is third-year pro Benny Cunningham, who scored four times while rushing for 246 yards, catching 45 passes for 352 yards and leading the team in kickoff returns, averaging 27.5 yards.
During the draft, the Rams traded 2013 rushing leader Zac Stacy to the New York Jets.
The other returning backs on the roster are special teams leader Chase Reynolds, 2012 second-round draft pick Isaiah Pead and second-year pro Trey Watts, who showed some promise after being signed as an undrafted free agent.
But Pead is is coming off surgery for an ACL injury suffered early in last year’s preseason and Watts has been suspended for the first four games of 2015 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
That leaves an intriguing trio of undrafted rookie free agents: Malcom Brown from Texas, Terrence Franks from Texas State and fullback Zach Laskey from Georgia Tech.
One of the nation’s more heralded backs coming out of high school in suburban San Antonio, Brown never quite lived up to expectations with the Longhorns, but he still managed to put together a solid career. He scored 27 touchdowns, and his 2,678 career yards rank ninth all-time for the Longhorns.
Brown’s career was slowed by injury early and by the Longhorns’ depth during his junior and senior seasons.
“It was a situation that was pretty similar to what we have here; lots of good, young backs looking for carries,” the 21-year-old said. “It just comes down to working hard every day and making sure that you make the most of the opportunities you get.”
Brown, who stands 5 feet 11 and weighs 224 pounds, is a physical downhill runner who’s known for getting yards after contact. He enjoyed his best college season as a junior in 2013, when he rushed for 904 yards, caught 17 passes for 195 yards and scored 11 times. That season, he had five 100-yard rushing games.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity the Rams have given me and I’m going to try and contribute any way I can,” Brown said. “I realize that special teams will be huge for me. I have to show the coaches what I can do and try to make the most of every single rep.”
At Texas, Brown worked with three different offensive coordinators.
“That’s kind of a blessing in disguise now because I’m able to adjust quickly,” he said. “The big difference here is that everything’s done a lot faster, so you really have to be ready to go with the flow.”
While Brown was courted by virtually every major college program in the nation, Franks accepted the one Division I offer he received and ended up at Texas State in San Marcos.
The Houston-area product finished his college career with 2,045 yards and 24 touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards a carry. His best season came as a freshman in 2011, when he ran for 863 yards and scored nine times.
The 5-9, 203-pounder rushed for 712 yards and scored 11 times last fall and enjoyed a career day against Idaho. Scoring on runs of 95, 70 and 70 yards, Franks had 284 yards on just 15 carries to lead the Bobcats in a 35-30 win over the Vandals.
“I’m a speed back,” said Franks, 22, who was clocked at 4.3 in the 40 during college. “And I’ve also had some experience on special teams: kick return, punt return, gunner. I just have to keep working and grinding every day. The NFL’s all about competition and I’m looking to work my way up.”
In the NFL these days, true fullbacks are a dying breed, and Laskey would seem to have his hands full with the Rams, who like to use tight ends Cory Harkey and Lance Kendricks as blockers out of the backfield. But Laskey (6-2, 225) doesn’t appear to be your typical fullback. In four seasons with the Ramblin’ Wreck, he rushed for 2,033 yards, including 851 last fall, and scored 17 touchdowns. As a receiver, the 22-year-old averaged 15 yards a catch and scored four TDs in his career.
