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Rams have a cornerback battle
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_967d896b-deb4-5530-a4df-9e07e854c0e5.html
Rookie E.J. Gaines took over at cornerback when Trumaine Johnson suffered a knee injury in the third game of the 2014 preseason and performed admirably.
Now Johnson wants his job back.
“We battled a little bit last year for it; he got an injury, so I just kind of filled in for him when he was out,” Gaines said in a Saturday interview. “So he’s back healthy ... and ready to compete.”
But as far as Gaines is concerned, the competition could be postponed for a while. Early in practice Sunday night, Gaines got stepped on and wrenched his knee. He walked off under his own power, but with a limp, and was done for the evening.
The Rams don’t think the injury is serious but won’t know for sure until getting test results.
“Don’t know,” coach Jeff Fisher said after Sunday’s practice at Rams Park. “Going to have to do some tests. He got stepped on, which is encouraging as opposed to other things (such as getting a foot caught in the turf). We’ll find out. Right now, they’re not too concerned. He’s very sore, but that typically can happen when you get stepped on.”
The three-ring circus that is the center competition may be the headliner on offense when it comes to position battles. But the main event on the other side of the ball is Johnson vs. Gaines for the starting cornerback spot opposite Janoris Jenkins.
“It’ll be great competition,” Fisher said before the injury. “We’ve got a rookie from last year that played really solid defense for us.”
That would be Gaines.
“We’ve got a starter that unfortunately suffered a significant injury in the preseason and really never made it back other than some sub stuff towards the end,” Fisher continued.
That would be Johnson.
The 188th player taken in the 2014 draft, Gaines ended up starting 15 games last season. He finished with 105 tackles, two interceptions and a team-high 14 pass breakups. The former University of Missouri star missed the regular-season finale because of a concussion but made the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team.
All in all, the sixth-round pick from Independence, Mo., rated as a late-round steal.
Because of a back injury that carried over from the end of last season, Gaines sat out the Rams’ OTA practices in June, and really didn’t do much the entire offseason except rehab work on the back.
He spent most of the five-week break between the end of OTAs in June and the start of training camp Friday continuing his rehab work in St. Louis, frequently shuttling back to his hometown in the Kansas City area.
Because of the back injury, he opened camp a little behind Johnson. Even if Gaines misses only a week or two with Sunday’s knee injury, that’ll put him that much further behind what apparently is a very fit Johnson.
“Trumaine is in as good of condition as we’ve seen since he’s been here,” Fisher said.
Johnson also spent most of the summer break working in St. Louis. Not because he was hurt, but because he wanted to.
“I got work in Monday through Friday,” Johnson said. “I took trips here and there to go see the family. But I wanted to stay here and lift with my guys. Got the same trainers here. Got the same strength and conditioning coach. Everything is here as far as the weight room, the field work, and treatment.”
And it wasn’t really rehab work. Johnson said the knee injury, which sidelined him for seven games last season, was 100 percent by the end of the year. But he realizes this is a big year, not just in terms of re-claiming the starting job, but also because he’s scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of 2015.
A big cornerback at 6-2, 208, Johnson has 20 starts in three seasons with the Rams. He has shown some playmaking ability with eight career interceptions and can be a physical presence with that size.
He was playing well after he returned from the knee injury last season, before a brutal day against the New York Giants on Dec. 21. Johnson chalked that up to just a bad day at the office.
“Playing corner, it’s a hard job,” he said. “I accept it. You get beat one play, you make a play another play. So you’ve got to forget about (the bad plays). You’ve got to have a ‘next play’ mentality.”
Although his game still needs polish, Johnson said things have slowed down for him. He has improved his recognition skills, which frequently comes only with experience, and can read plays more easily.
“I’m a vet now,” he said. “There’s younger guys looking up to me.”
Johnson welcomes the competition with Gaines, saying, “It’s good for both of us.”
And Gaines isn’t hung up on the fact that he must prove himself all over again after his breakout rookie year.
“I’m all right with that,” Gaines said Saturday. “I’m perfectly fine with that. And Trumaine, we’re good friends and everything. But you know, competition is competition.”
For Gaines, the battle with Johnson is only half of the competition. He’s also competing with second-year man Lamarcus Joyner for the starting nickel back job.
“Lamarcus’ situation, what a difference a year makes, for a young player to come back in year two and finally just get it,” Fisher said. “He gets it now. So he’ll be productive for us.”
Gaines saw time at nickel back over the second half of last season after Joyner went down with a groin injury Nov. 9 against Arizona, and more than held his own. Gaines’ latest injury could give Joyner a chance to hold the lead at nickel back.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_967d896b-deb4-5530-a4df-9e07e854c0e5.html
Rookie E.J. Gaines took over at cornerback when Trumaine Johnson suffered a knee injury in the third game of the 2014 preseason and performed admirably.
Now Johnson wants his job back.
“We battled a little bit last year for it; he got an injury, so I just kind of filled in for him when he was out,” Gaines said in a Saturday interview. “So he’s back healthy ... and ready to compete.”
But as far as Gaines is concerned, the competition could be postponed for a while. Early in practice Sunday night, Gaines got stepped on and wrenched his knee. He walked off under his own power, but with a limp, and was done for the evening.
The Rams don’t think the injury is serious but won’t know for sure until getting test results.
“Don’t know,” coach Jeff Fisher said after Sunday’s practice at Rams Park. “Going to have to do some tests. He got stepped on, which is encouraging as opposed to other things (such as getting a foot caught in the turf). We’ll find out. Right now, they’re not too concerned. He’s very sore, but that typically can happen when you get stepped on.”
The three-ring circus that is the center competition may be the headliner on offense when it comes to position battles. But the main event on the other side of the ball is Johnson vs. Gaines for the starting cornerback spot opposite Janoris Jenkins.
“It’ll be great competition,” Fisher said before the injury. “We’ve got a rookie from last year that played really solid defense for us.”
That would be Gaines.
“We’ve got a starter that unfortunately suffered a significant injury in the preseason and really never made it back other than some sub stuff towards the end,” Fisher continued.
That would be Johnson.
The 188th player taken in the 2014 draft, Gaines ended up starting 15 games last season. He finished with 105 tackles, two interceptions and a team-high 14 pass breakups. The former University of Missouri star missed the regular-season finale because of a concussion but made the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie team.
All in all, the sixth-round pick from Independence, Mo., rated as a late-round steal.
Because of a back injury that carried over from the end of last season, Gaines sat out the Rams’ OTA practices in June, and really didn’t do much the entire offseason except rehab work on the back.
He spent most of the five-week break between the end of OTAs in June and the start of training camp Friday continuing his rehab work in St. Louis, frequently shuttling back to his hometown in the Kansas City area.
Because of the back injury, he opened camp a little behind Johnson. Even if Gaines misses only a week or two with Sunday’s knee injury, that’ll put him that much further behind what apparently is a very fit Johnson.
“Trumaine is in as good of condition as we’ve seen since he’s been here,” Fisher said.
Johnson also spent most of the summer break working in St. Louis. Not because he was hurt, but because he wanted to.
“I got work in Monday through Friday,” Johnson said. “I took trips here and there to go see the family. But I wanted to stay here and lift with my guys. Got the same trainers here. Got the same strength and conditioning coach. Everything is here as far as the weight room, the field work, and treatment.”
And it wasn’t really rehab work. Johnson said the knee injury, which sidelined him for seven games last season, was 100 percent by the end of the year. But he realizes this is a big year, not just in terms of re-claiming the starting job, but also because he’s scheduled for unrestricted free agency at the end of 2015.
A big cornerback at 6-2, 208, Johnson has 20 starts in three seasons with the Rams. He has shown some playmaking ability with eight career interceptions and can be a physical presence with that size.
He was playing well after he returned from the knee injury last season, before a brutal day against the New York Giants on Dec. 21. Johnson chalked that up to just a bad day at the office.
“Playing corner, it’s a hard job,” he said. “I accept it. You get beat one play, you make a play another play. So you’ve got to forget about (the bad plays). You’ve got to have a ‘next play’ mentality.”
Although his game still needs polish, Johnson said things have slowed down for him. He has improved his recognition skills, which frequently comes only with experience, and can read plays more easily.
“I’m a vet now,” he said. “There’s younger guys looking up to me.”
Johnson welcomes the competition with Gaines, saying, “It’s good for both of us.”
And Gaines isn’t hung up on the fact that he must prove himself all over again after his breakout rookie year.
“I’m all right with that,” Gaines said Saturday. “I’m perfectly fine with that. And Trumaine, we’re good friends and everything. But you know, competition is competition.”
For Gaines, the battle with Johnson is only half of the competition. He’s also competing with second-year man Lamarcus Joyner for the starting nickel back job.
“Lamarcus’ situation, what a difference a year makes, for a young player to come back in year two and finally just get it,” Fisher said. “He gets it now. So he’ll be productive for us.”
Gaines saw time at nickel back over the second half of last season after Joyner went down with a groin injury Nov. 9 against Arizona, and more than held his own. Gaines’ latest injury could give Joyner a chance to hold the lead at nickel back.