- Joined
- Jan 16, 2013
- Messages
- 23,002
- Name
- Dennis
THOUSAND OAKS – To understand where E.J. Gaines is at the moment it’s important to remember everything he’s been through the past 24 months. To do so is a case study in the roller-coaster ride professional sports sometimes takes its participants, rising as high as the imagination is willing and as low as it can bear.
For now, the ride has leveled off, with Gaines returning from more than a year-long battle with foot and leg injuries that cost him his entire second season and all of the first three games of this year.
It’s time Gaines will never get back, frustration he wouldn’t wish on anyone and a grueling match of mental gymnastics in which he battled pain, worry, apprehension and impatience.
“Frustration beyond frustration,” is how Gaines described it.
He finally made it back to the field on Sunday in the Rams’ 17-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals, steadying the Rams secondary with seven tackles and two passes defended. His presence completes the Rams’ cornerback picture, the eventual depth chart consisting of Gaines as the starter opposite Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner in the slot and Troy Hill a valuable reserve in nickel and dime packages.
“There was no evidence of any injury, or anything,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He just went out there and played like he did a year ago.”
It’s a cornerback vision the Rams conceptualized almost from the moment Janoris Jenkins bolted last March to the New York Giants in free agency. In fact, it was the comfort level the Rams used in letting Jenkins walk.
Gaines was the Rams’ safety net, his surgically repaired foot that cost him all of 2015 healing sufficiently enough to enable him to ease the blow of Jenkins’ departure.
Ideally, perhaps even provide an improvement.
But that would all have to wait after Gaines suffered various leg injuries during training camp – partly the result of some compensation he was making for the foot that inadvertently affected his legs.
Bottom line, his return was pushed back by three games.
His disdain is impossible to disguise.
“I’m a player that hates missing football games,” Gaines said. “Whether it’s a full season like last year or three games to begin this season, missing games isn’t something I want any part of. Both situations were mentally challenging and frustrating.
So imagine the satisfaction in not only returning to the field Sunday against the Cardinals, but also contributing.
“Just being back out there, making plays, helping out,” it’s a feeling I can’t really describe,” Gaines said.
Not that it makes up for the last year or so.
Or the opportunity lost.
“I wouldn’t ask that on anyone,” he said.
And who knows how things might have changed in the Rams secondary had what seemed to be the natural course of things not been interrupted by injuries. In fact, had you canvassed Rams people 14 months ago you’d have been hard-pressed to predict things would have unfolded as they did.
Two years ago Gaines was a surprise rookie starter for the Rams, pressed into duty when Johnson went down with an injury. To the casual observer Gaines was a sixth-round pick afterthought, a not nearly tall enough and not particularly flashy project who, if things broke right in training camp, might be a special teams player or practice squad candidate.
But the Rams liked the savvy, toughness and maturity of the Missouri born and bred defensive back, so when Johnson went down it was Gaines who eventually filled his spot opposite Jenkins.
If anyone worried Gaines would be a raw rookie simply occupying the position rather than excelling in it, they soon discovered the University of Missouri product was about to bring much more to the job than anyone expected.
Gaines was a stout run defender and tackler, totaling 70 tackles to fall within the top five Run Stop Percentage defender as accumulated by Pro Football Focus.
He was also impressive in pass defense, allowing just one touchdown reception and surrendering a respectable 9.6 yards per catch.
It was all the Rams could expect from Gaines and more, and by the time training camp opened for the 2015 it was Gaines, not Johnson, who was expected to start alongside Jenkins. Projecting even further ahead, the future of the Rams secondary looked more and more like Jenkins and Gaines as the long-term starting tandem with Johnson likely leaving as a free agent in 2016.
That rackety sound you hear is the roller coaster ride getting ready to take a plunge, on which the futures of Jenkins, Johnson and Gaines were buckled in.
Gaines never had a chance to fight off Johnson for the starting job after suffering a Lisfranc foot injury in training camp that required season-ending surgery. The domino affect was far reaching: Johnson regained his job opposite Jenkins – by default – then put together a career year in a contract season that landed him the franchise tag distinction from the Rams and a $14 million pay day for 2016.
In doing so, the Rams essentially chose Johnson over fellow free agent Jenkins – who left for New York – and gave a vote of confidence to Gaines and the strides he was making as a player and in rehabilitation.
In fact, when Gaines returned to the practice field last June for OTA’s, Jenkins and starting safety Rodney McLeod were gone, and he Johnson and Joyner were penciled in as the primary starters.
“It’s crazy to see how the room has changed,” Gaines remarked.
It’s taken some time for the picture to finally come into focus, but Sunday’s win over the Cardinals finally revealed the vision. Gaines, Johnson and Joyner provide athletic ability, coverage skills, intellect and toughness in a young, skilled cornerback rotation that complements a ferocious Rams pass rush.
“Glad to have him back,” Johnson said. “Real glad to have him back.”
And Gaines quickly alleviated any concerns about having to shake off any rust by immediately jumping into the action.
“I was just trying to help any way I could,” Gaines said. “Just trying to be as physical as I could on the outside opposite Trumaine, who is really physical on the other side. Just add to that, mostly. And moving forward, I’m focused on stopping these receivers from going down field and protect against the long ball.”
For now, the roller-coaster ride has leveled.
[www.ocregister.com]
Contact the writer: vbonsignore@scng.com
For now, the ride has leveled off, with Gaines returning from more than a year-long battle with foot and leg injuries that cost him his entire second season and all of the first three games of this year.
It’s time Gaines will never get back, frustration he wouldn’t wish on anyone and a grueling match of mental gymnastics in which he battled pain, worry, apprehension and impatience.
“Frustration beyond frustration,” is how Gaines described it.
He finally made it back to the field on Sunday in the Rams’ 17-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals, steadying the Rams secondary with seven tackles and two passes defended. His presence completes the Rams’ cornerback picture, the eventual depth chart consisting of Gaines as the starter opposite Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner in the slot and Troy Hill a valuable reserve in nickel and dime packages.
“There was no evidence of any injury, or anything,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He just went out there and played like he did a year ago.”
It’s a cornerback vision the Rams conceptualized almost from the moment Janoris Jenkins bolted last March to the New York Giants in free agency. In fact, it was the comfort level the Rams used in letting Jenkins walk.
Gaines was the Rams’ safety net, his surgically repaired foot that cost him all of 2015 healing sufficiently enough to enable him to ease the blow of Jenkins’ departure.
Ideally, perhaps even provide an improvement.
But that would all have to wait after Gaines suffered various leg injuries during training camp – partly the result of some compensation he was making for the foot that inadvertently affected his legs.
Bottom line, his return was pushed back by three games.
His disdain is impossible to disguise.
“I’m a player that hates missing football games,” Gaines said. “Whether it’s a full season like last year or three games to begin this season, missing games isn’t something I want any part of. Both situations were mentally challenging and frustrating.
So imagine the satisfaction in not only returning to the field Sunday against the Cardinals, but also contributing.
“Just being back out there, making plays, helping out,” it’s a feeling I can’t really describe,” Gaines said.
Not that it makes up for the last year or so.
Or the opportunity lost.
“I wouldn’t ask that on anyone,” he said.
And who knows how things might have changed in the Rams secondary had what seemed to be the natural course of things not been interrupted by injuries. In fact, had you canvassed Rams people 14 months ago you’d have been hard-pressed to predict things would have unfolded as they did.
Two years ago Gaines was a surprise rookie starter for the Rams, pressed into duty when Johnson went down with an injury. To the casual observer Gaines was a sixth-round pick afterthought, a not nearly tall enough and not particularly flashy project who, if things broke right in training camp, might be a special teams player or practice squad candidate.
But the Rams liked the savvy, toughness and maturity of the Missouri born and bred defensive back, so when Johnson went down it was Gaines who eventually filled his spot opposite Jenkins.
If anyone worried Gaines would be a raw rookie simply occupying the position rather than excelling in it, they soon discovered the University of Missouri product was about to bring much more to the job than anyone expected.
Gaines was a stout run defender and tackler, totaling 70 tackles to fall within the top five Run Stop Percentage defender as accumulated by Pro Football Focus.
He was also impressive in pass defense, allowing just one touchdown reception and surrendering a respectable 9.6 yards per catch.
It was all the Rams could expect from Gaines and more, and by the time training camp opened for the 2015 it was Gaines, not Johnson, who was expected to start alongside Jenkins. Projecting even further ahead, the future of the Rams secondary looked more and more like Jenkins and Gaines as the long-term starting tandem with Johnson likely leaving as a free agent in 2016.
That rackety sound you hear is the roller coaster ride getting ready to take a plunge, on which the futures of Jenkins, Johnson and Gaines were buckled in.
Gaines never had a chance to fight off Johnson for the starting job after suffering a Lisfranc foot injury in training camp that required season-ending surgery. The domino affect was far reaching: Johnson regained his job opposite Jenkins – by default – then put together a career year in a contract season that landed him the franchise tag distinction from the Rams and a $14 million pay day for 2016.
In doing so, the Rams essentially chose Johnson over fellow free agent Jenkins – who left for New York – and gave a vote of confidence to Gaines and the strides he was making as a player and in rehabilitation.
In fact, when Gaines returned to the practice field last June for OTA’s, Jenkins and starting safety Rodney McLeod were gone, and he Johnson and Joyner were penciled in as the primary starters.
“It’s crazy to see how the room has changed,” Gaines remarked.
It’s taken some time for the picture to finally come into focus, but Sunday’s win over the Cardinals finally revealed the vision. Gaines, Johnson and Joyner provide athletic ability, coverage skills, intellect and toughness in a young, skilled cornerback rotation that complements a ferocious Rams pass rush.
“Glad to have him back,” Johnson said. “Real glad to have him back.”
And Gaines quickly alleviated any concerns about having to shake off any rust by immediately jumping into the action.
“I was just trying to help any way I could,” Gaines said. “Just trying to be as physical as I could on the outside opposite Trumaine, who is really physical on the other side. Just add to that, mostly. And moving forward, I’m focused on stopping these receivers from going down field and protect against the long ball.”
For now, the roller-coaster ride has leveled.
[www.ocregister.com]
Contact the writer: vbonsignore@scng.com
