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http://www.dailynews.com/sports/20161028/rams-kenny-britt-having-career-year-after-qb-carousel
THOUSAND OAKS — Sitting in the Rams locker room, Kenny Britt is shouting to no one in particular.
“First-round draft pick from Rutgers University,” he says. “First ever! Can’t take that! That’ll be in history. That’ll be there from now on until I die — and then after that!”
The 28-year-old has had an up-and-down career, but there’s a reason why he was drafted 30th overall out of Rutgers in 2009. At 6-foot-3, 223 pounds, his frame screams “prototype receiver.” During one practice this year, he casually did a standing backflip. Two weeks ago in Detroit, he finished off a juggling, one-handed catch by clamping the ball between his legs.
The numbers are there too. Seven games into his eighth season, Britt is in on pace to finish with 1,222 receiving yards — a figure that would top his career high by 447. It would also make him the Rams’ first 1,000-yard receiver since Torry Holt nearly a decade ago.
What’s behind the renaissance of a player once dismissed as a first-round bust? One factor might be a steadier relationship with his quarterback. Britt has already played with nine starters — as well as six offensive coordinators — since entering the league, never catching passes from the same person through a full season.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Britt says. “Different quarterbacks, different coordinators, different playbooks — each year for me is like a new start and a new beginning. It’s like I’m a rookie again, all around.”
During his first two years in the league, Britt split time with Titans quarterbacks Vince Young and Kerry Collins. He would have played a full 16-game slate with Matt Hasselbeck in 2011, but tore his ACL and MCL in his third outing. After the injury, Hasselbeck described Britt as “probably the most talented player on this team at any position.”
Over the next two years, Tennessee started not only Hasselbeck, but Jake Locker and Ryan Fitzpatrick. In 2013, Britt caught just 11 passes for 93 yards and was inactive through his final four games.
After the Titans tried and failed to trade him away, the Rams signed him as a free agent. But St. Louis didn’t offer any more consistency under center. Britt arrived in 2014 expecting to play with Sam Bradford, practicing with the former No. 1 pick through OTAs and training camp. In a radio interview that August, Britt said, “I never had a quarterback with that accuracy.”
Less than two weeks later, Bradford tore his ACL — leaving Britt to play eight games apiece with journeymen Austin Davis and Shaun Hill. He still finished with 748 receiving yards, the second-highest total of his career.
Few would consider Case Keenum an above-average NFL quarterback, let alone a superstar. He has thrown seven interceptions in his past three games, and boasts a passer rating (77.5) that ranks 28th in the league. But since supplanting Nick Foles last season, Keenum has started 12 games with Britt — already more than any quarterback in his career except Young and Locker.
Britt has responded, ranking 11th in the league with 535 receiving yards. Among top-20 receivers, only three can best his catch rate of 68.8 percent. On 16 fewer targets, he has produced 236 more yards than fellow receiver Tavon Austin, whom the Rams just signed to a four-year, $42 million extension.
“The comfort that Case and Kenny have right now is real,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said earlier this month.
“Normally,” Britt says, “we just look at each other and know what’s going on.”
How long this connection lasts is unclear, particularly with Keenum coming off an ugly four-pick performance. Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has insisted he will stick with Keenum as his starter, but fans and media have clamored for a look at Jared Goff, the rookie who cost the Rams six premium draft picks.
If a switch happens, well, at least Britt has experience adjusting to new faces.
“We’ve got to start in the classroom, talk to each other, watching film,” he says. “‘OK, this is how it is — what are you thinking? What am I thinking?’
“If you have a quarterback and a receiver on the same page, no one’s going to stop you but yourself.”
KENNY BRITT FILE
In less than eight full NFL seasons, Rams receiver Kenny Britt has already played with nine starting quarterbacks. Here’s a look at his year-to-year production, along with his quarterbacks — and their respective number of starts — and offensive coordinators.
2009
75 targets, 42 catches, 701 yards, 3 TD
Quarterback: Vince Young (10 starts), Kerry Collins (6 starts)
Offensive coordinator: Mike Heimerdinger
2010
73 targets, 42 catches, 775 yards, 9 TD
QB: Vince Young (7), Kerry Collins (5)
OC: Mike Heimerdinger*
2011**
26 targets, 17 catches, 289 yards, 3 TD
QB: Matt Hasselbeck (3)
OC: Chris Palmer
2012
90 targets, 45 catches, 589 yards, 4 TD
QB: Jake Locker (9), Matt Hasselbeck (5)
OC: Chris Palmer / Dowell Loggains
2013
35 targets, 11 catches, 96 yards, 0 TD
QB: Jake Locker (6), Ryan Fitzpatrick (6)
OC: Dowell Loggains
2014
84 targets, 48 catches, 748 yards, 3 TD
QB: Austin Davis (8), Shaun Hill (8)
OC: Brian Schottenheimer
2015
72 targets, 36 catches, 681 yards, 3 TD
QB: Nick Foles (11), Case Keenum (5)
OC: Frank Cignetti / Rob Boras
2016
48 targets, 33 catches, 535 yards, 2 TD
QB: Case Keenum (7)
OC: Rob Boras
*Mike Heimerdinger remained the Titans’ offensive coordinator through the entire 2010 season despite being diagnosed with cancer in November. He died in September 2011.
**Britt would have played with Hasselbeck for the entire 2011 season, but he tore his ACL on Sept. 25.
Note: Only starting quarterbacks who played games with Britt were included on this list. That left out names such as Sam Bradford – who worked with Britt as a starter for an entire offseason before tearing his ACL – and Rusty Smith, who started one game for the Titans in 2010 when Britt was out with an injured hamstring.
THOUSAND OAKS — Sitting in the Rams locker room, Kenny Britt is shouting to no one in particular.
“First-round draft pick from Rutgers University,” he says. “First ever! Can’t take that! That’ll be in history. That’ll be there from now on until I die — and then after that!”
The 28-year-old has had an up-and-down career, but there’s a reason why he was drafted 30th overall out of Rutgers in 2009. At 6-foot-3, 223 pounds, his frame screams “prototype receiver.” During one practice this year, he casually did a standing backflip. Two weeks ago in Detroit, he finished off a juggling, one-handed catch by clamping the ball between his legs.
The numbers are there too. Seven games into his eighth season, Britt is in on pace to finish with 1,222 receiving yards — a figure that would top his career high by 447. It would also make him the Rams’ first 1,000-yard receiver since Torry Holt nearly a decade ago.
What’s behind the renaissance of a player once dismissed as a first-round bust? One factor might be a steadier relationship with his quarterback. Britt has already played with nine starters — as well as six offensive coordinators — since entering the league, never catching passes from the same person through a full season.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Britt says. “Different quarterbacks, different coordinators, different playbooks — each year for me is like a new start and a new beginning. It’s like I’m a rookie again, all around.”
During his first two years in the league, Britt split time with Titans quarterbacks Vince Young and Kerry Collins. He would have played a full 16-game slate with Matt Hasselbeck in 2011, but tore his ACL and MCL in his third outing. After the injury, Hasselbeck described Britt as “probably the most talented player on this team at any position.”
Over the next two years, Tennessee started not only Hasselbeck, but Jake Locker and Ryan Fitzpatrick. In 2013, Britt caught just 11 passes for 93 yards and was inactive through his final four games.
After the Titans tried and failed to trade him away, the Rams signed him as a free agent. But St. Louis didn’t offer any more consistency under center. Britt arrived in 2014 expecting to play with Sam Bradford, practicing with the former No. 1 pick through OTAs and training camp. In a radio interview that August, Britt said, “I never had a quarterback with that accuracy.”
Less than two weeks later, Bradford tore his ACL — leaving Britt to play eight games apiece with journeymen Austin Davis and Shaun Hill. He still finished with 748 receiving yards, the second-highest total of his career.
Few would consider Case Keenum an above-average NFL quarterback, let alone a superstar. He has thrown seven interceptions in his past three games, and boasts a passer rating (77.5) that ranks 28th in the league. But since supplanting Nick Foles last season, Keenum has started 12 games with Britt — already more than any quarterback in his career except Young and Locker.
Britt has responded, ranking 11th in the league with 535 receiving yards. Among top-20 receivers, only three can best his catch rate of 68.8 percent. On 16 fewer targets, he has produced 236 more yards than fellow receiver Tavon Austin, whom the Rams just signed to a four-year, $42 million extension.
“The comfort that Case and Kenny have right now is real,” offensive coordinator Rob Boras said earlier this month.
“Normally,” Britt says, “we just look at each other and know what’s going on.”
How long this connection lasts is unclear, particularly with Keenum coming off an ugly four-pick performance. Rams head coach Jeff Fisher has insisted he will stick with Keenum as his starter, but fans and media have clamored for a look at Jared Goff, the rookie who cost the Rams six premium draft picks.
If a switch happens, well, at least Britt has experience adjusting to new faces.
“We’ve got to start in the classroom, talk to each other, watching film,” he says. “‘OK, this is how it is — what are you thinking? What am I thinking?’
“If you have a quarterback and a receiver on the same page, no one’s going to stop you but yourself.”
KENNY BRITT FILE
In less than eight full NFL seasons, Rams receiver Kenny Britt has already played with nine starting quarterbacks. Here’s a look at his year-to-year production, along with his quarterbacks — and their respective number of starts — and offensive coordinators.
2009
75 targets, 42 catches, 701 yards, 3 TD
Quarterback: Vince Young (10 starts), Kerry Collins (6 starts)
Offensive coordinator: Mike Heimerdinger
2010
73 targets, 42 catches, 775 yards, 9 TD
QB: Vince Young (7), Kerry Collins (5)
OC: Mike Heimerdinger*
2011**
26 targets, 17 catches, 289 yards, 3 TD
QB: Matt Hasselbeck (3)
OC: Chris Palmer
2012
90 targets, 45 catches, 589 yards, 4 TD
QB: Jake Locker (9), Matt Hasselbeck (5)
OC: Chris Palmer / Dowell Loggains
2013
35 targets, 11 catches, 96 yards, 0 TD
QB: Jake Locker (6), Ryan Fitzpatrick (6)
OC: Dowell Loggains
2014
84 targets, 48 catches, 748 yards, 3 TD
QB: Austin Davis (8), Shaun Hill (8)
OC: Brian Schottenheimer
2015
72 targets, 36 catches, 681 yards, 3 TD
QB: Nick Foles (11), Case Keenum (5)
OC: Frank Cignetti / Rob Boras
2016
48 targets, 33 catches, 535 yards, 2 TD
QB: Case Keenum (7)
OC: Rob Boras
*Mike Heimerdinger remained the Titans’ offensive coordinator through the entire 2010 season despite being diagnosed with cancer in November. He died in September 2011.
**Britt would have played with Hasselbeck for the entire 2011 season, but he tore his ACL on Sept. 25.
Note: Only starting quarterbacks who played games with Britt were included on this list. That left out names such as Sam Bradford – who worked with Britt as a starter for an entire offseason before tearing his ACL – and Rusty Smith, who started one game for the Titans in 2010 when Britt was out with an injured hamstring.
