Britt has more to give at wide receiver
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_2636ae60-1ba1-5525-952d-db3098221eaa.html
Kenny Britt feels he has a lot more to offer at wide receiver — to the point where he says his earlier seasons in the NFL were wasted years.
“There’s definitely more that I feel like I can give,” he said. “There’s more that I want to get out of my career. As I’m going (through) my career, I think I’ve let myself down the last six years.”
That may be a harsh self-assessment for the former first-round pick, selected No. 30 overall by the Tennessee Titans out of Rutgers in 2009. But that’s how Britt feels.
“I’ve got a chip on my shoulder this year and I’ve got a lot to prove,” he said. “Every year I went through, at the end of the season I always said I had more (to give). And I don’t want to leave this season saying I had left something out there on the field, or I just missed that one by a step or two.”
Britt, still only 26, is actually coming off one of his most productive NFL seasons. Signed to a one-year “prove-it” deal during the 2013-14 offseason, he caught a career-high 48 passes for the Rams in 2014, and his 748 reception yards were just off his previous career high of 775 yards for the Titans in 2010.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say they were wasted (seasons),” coach Jeff Fisher said, when asked about Britt’s comments. “I think in life, if anybody who has something to do over again, they’ll do it better. Kenny was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He made some choices that probably didn’t work out best for him.
“I knew he was young. I knew he had it in him. His production last year, I think speaks for itself. I can appreciate his higher expectations for this year”
In his three seasons with Fisher as his head coach, Britt has averaged 44 catches for 741 yards and five touchdowns per season. His per-catch average in those seasons is a healthy 16.9 yards. That time period encompasses the 2009 and 2010 campaigns in Tennessee plus last season in St. Louis.
Monster numbers? No. But pretty good production.
In his three years away from Fisher — 2011 through 2013 — Britt averaged 24 catches for 325 yards and just over two TDs a season. His per-catch average in that span was 13.3 yards. Because of a knee injury, he played only three games in 2011.
Even during his time with Fisher in Tennessee, numerous off-field issues plagued Britt. But he has appeared to have matured with the Rams.
Apparently, there’s something about playing for Fisher that brings out the best in Britt.
“There’s definitely something to that because Fisher, he’s a coach that lets you be yourself in the locker room, on the field, and off the field,” Britt said. “He treats you like a man instead of a child.
“You want to be comfortable and be yourself instead of being uptight and watching what you have to say and what you have to do. I’m definitely more relaxed. And when you go out there relaxed, you play better.”
A happy Britt is a fun Britt.
“Definitely. We all know that,” Britt said, laughing.
Britt’s high-energy, upbeat personality last season was contagious in the wide receiver room. Surprisingly, given his past troubles, he developed into the leader of the unit in a 2014 campaign that revived his career.
So when he became a free agent again in March, there really wasn’t any doubt about where he wanted to play in 2015.
“To tell you the truth, no,” Britt replied. “Not in my mind and not in my family’s mind, my wife’s mind. I know where I wanted to be all along coming out of the season. It’s great to be back.”
He signed a two-year, $9.15 million contract with the Rams on March 13. With incentives, the contract can max out at $14 million, but he would have to post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, among other things, to do so.
The Rams haven’t had an 800-yard receiver — much less a 1,000-yard one — since Torry Holt’s 1,189 yards in 2007.
So even though Fisher says “there’s some opportunity for more production” with Britt, a breakout season will be easier said than done given what appears to be a renewed commitment to the running game in 2015.
Also, the Rams have had a tendency to spread the ball around under Fisher. Things could change under new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, but tight end Jared Cook, and wide receivers Brian Quick and Tavon Austin among others, are going to want the football, too.
None of which has dimmed Britt’s hopes for the coming campaign.
“Jeff Fisher, he likes to pound the ball, but we’ve also got wide receivers that can go out there and catch,” Britt said. “And we’ve got a quarterback (Nick Foles) this year that can go out there and let it go. So I’m excited to see what happens this year.”
