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Rams notebook: TE Cunningham promoted from the practice squad
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_342fe222-75c4-551a-b954-638d6706e01b.html
Rams tight end Justice Cunningham arrived at work on Thursday morning and learned that he had been promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
“Came out of nowhere, but I appreciate coach ‘Fish’ giving me the chance. I really do,” Cunningham said as players prepared to take a few days off to close out the Rams’ bye week.
The players are off until Tuesday, when they begin preparations for the Oct. 25 game against the Cleveland Browns at the Edward Jones Dome.
Cunningham, a 6-foot-3, 258-pounder out of the University of South Carolina, was selected by Indianapolis in the seventh round of the 2013 draft. He played in one game with the Colts before being waived, and he has been with the Rams ever since.
He spent the last four weeks of 2013 and most of 2014 on the practice squad. He was activated late last season but has yet to appear in a game with the Rams.
“I feel a lot more comfortable as far as the playbook, knowing the schedule and the day-to-day here,” the 24-year-old Cunningham said. “My approach doesn’t change. Every day, I work and prepare for that week’s game. I have to put it out there every week, to make the most of every rep, to show the coaches that I can do whatever is asked of me.”
After practice Thursday, Cunningham stuck to his regular post-practice routine with some extra work catching balls from the JUGS gun.
“Hard work pays off,” he said.
Cunningham replaces guard Rodger Saffold on the roster. Saffold hurt his right shoulder last weekend in Green Bay and has been placed on injured reserve. He will have surgery in the next few days and is done for the season.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Cunningham’s promotion also is tied to the fact that tight end Lance Kendricks underwent surgery on Monday to repair a torn ligament in his finger. The injury came in the team’s season-opening overtime win over Seattle.
“Courageous effort since the Seattle game with the injury,” the coach said. Kendricks “will be questionable for Cleveland, so we needed to get Justice up on the roster. Justice has earned the right, and so we’ll be fine until Lance is ready to come back. And he may be back for Cleveland, we just don’t know.”
Fisher said that Cunningham can fill a number of roles.
“Special teams ... He knows the offense and he can play on the line,” the coach said. “He can play the fullback position, do all the same things that Lance has done — good blocker, strong, physical. Good hands, can get open.”
As expected, the Rams re-signed versatile running back Trey Watts to fill out the practice squad. Watts, who was released Monday, was back at practice Thursday.
HANGING WITH HAYES
Defensive end William Hayes launched his “Hanging with Hayes” program earlier this week. Each month, he will treat a group of youngsters from Covenant House Missouri to a movie and concessions as a reward for their involvement with Covenant House programs designed to empower youth to create their own path from homelessness to independence.
Before each movie, Hayes and the youngsters will meet to discuss the challenges and successes they are facing.
The program is operated through the Big Play Hayes Foundation and designed to assist and uplift youth experiencing homelessness and other significant life challenges.
“Our philosophy is to change the world by changing one life at a time, and I’m confident that we can do that through this program,” Hayes said.
Hayes informally started the program after first meeting youth from Covenant House last October at a team-building event he hosted during his year of service to the homeless community. Struck by the teens’ resiliency, strength and vulnerability, he decided to continue the relationship and invited them to a movie two weeks later. He went on to host two additional movie nights during the 2014 season.
“The challenges these kids have to deal with at their age is unbelievable, but how they’ve handled their situation is what inspires me the most,” Hayes said. “After I first met them, I wanted to build upon our relationship and help them grow in any way I could. Just hanging out and getting to know one another made the world of a difference. Through this program, my goal is to ultimately help them gain access to a permanent, stable and safe living environment.”
RAM-BLINGS
Players not practicing on Thursday were cornerback Janoris Jenkins, defensive end Robert Quinn, wide receiver Kenny Britt, linebacker Darren Bates and safety Christian Bryant. Also sitting out were the team’s injured players: tight end Kendricks (finger), defensive end Chris Long (knee) and linebacker Alec Ogletree (broken leg). Long and Ogletree, did, however, watch the workout.
• Cornerback Brandon McGee, a Rams draft pick in 2013, has been signed to the New York Giants practice squad. The Giants worked out ex-Illini wide receiver A.J. Jenkins and defensive back Greg Reid, who was in camp with the Rams in 2014, on Tuesday.
• Also Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys worked out former Rams running back Isaiah Pead and ex-Mizzou linebacker Zaviar Gooden.
• By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_342fe222-75c4-551a-b954-638d6706e01b.html
Rams tight end Justice Cunningham arrived at work on Thursday morning and learned that he had been promoted from the practice squad to the 53-man roster.
“Came out of nowhere, but I appreciate coach ‘Fish’ giving me the chance. I really do,” Cunningham said as players prepared to take a few days off to close out the Rams’ bye week.
The players are off until Tuesday, when they begin preparations for the Oct. 25 game against the Cleveland Browns at the Edward Jones Dome.
Cunningham, a 6-foot-3, 258-pounder out of the University of South Carolina, was selected by Indianapolis in the seventh round of the 2013 draft. He played in one game with the Colts before being waived, and he has been with the Rams ever since.
He spent the last four weeks of 2013 and most of 2014 on the practice squad. He was activated late last season but has yet to appear in a game with the Rams.
“I feel a lot more comfortable as far as the playbook, knowing the schedule and the day-to-day here,” the 24-year-old Cunningham said. “My approach doesn’t change. Every day, I work and prepare for that week’s game. I have to put it out there every week, to make the most of every rep, to show the coaches that I can do whatever is asked of me.”
After practice Thursday, Cunningham stuck to his regular post-practice routine with some extra work catching balls from the JUGS gun.
“Hard work pays off,” he said.
Cunningham replaces guard Rodger Saffold on the roster. Saffold hurt his right shoulder last weekend in Green Bay and has been placed on injured reserve. He will have surgery in the next few days and is done for the season.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Cunningham’s promotion also is tied to the fact that tight end Lance Kendricks underwent surgery on Monday to repair a torn ligament in his finger. The injury came in the team’s season-opening overtime win over Seattle.
“Courageous effort since the Seattle game with the injury,” the coach said. Kendricks “will be questionable for Cleveland, so we needed to get Justice up on the roster. Justice has earned the right, and so we’ll be fine until Lance is ready to come back. And he may be back for Cleveland, we just don’t know.”
Fisher said that Cunningham can fill a number of roles.
“Special teams ... He knows the offense and he can play on the line,” the coach said. “He can play the fullback position, do all the same things that Lance has done — good blocker, strong, physical. Good hands, can get open.”
As expected, the Rams re-signed versatile running back Trey Watts to fill out the practice squad. Watts, who was released Monday, was back at practice Thursday.
HANGING WITH HAYES
Defensive end William Hayes launched his “Hanging with Hayes” program earlier this week. Each month, he will treat a group of youngsters from Covenant House Missouri to a movie and concessions as a reward for their involvement with Covenant House programs designed to empower youth to create their own path from homelessness to independence.
Before each movie, Hayes and the youngsters will meet to discuss the challenges and successes they are facing.
The program is operated through the Big Play Hayes Foundation and designed to assist and uplift youth experiencing homelessness and other significant life challenges.
“Our philosophy is to change the world by changing one life at a time, and I’m confident that we can do that through this program,” Hayes said.
Hayes informally started the program after first meeting youth from Covenant House last October at a team-building event he hosted during his year of service to the homeless community. Struck by the teens’ resiliency, strength and vulnerability, he decided to continue the relationship and invited them to a movie two weeks later. He went on to host two additional movie nights during the 2014 season.
“The challenges these kids have to deal with at their age is unbelievable, but how they’ve handled their situation is what inspires me the most,” Hayes said. “After I first met them, I wanted to build upon our relationship and help them grow in any way I could. Just hanging out and getting to know one another made the world of a difference. Through this program, my goal is to ultimately help them gain access to a permanent, stable and safe living environment.”
RAM-BLINGS
Players not practicing on Thursday were cornerback Janoris Jenkins, defensive end Robert Quinn, wide receiver Kenny Britt, linebacker Darren Bates and safety Christian Bryant. Also sitting out were the team’s injured players: tight end Kendricks (finger), defensive end Chris Long (knee) and linebacker Alec Ogletree (broken leg). Long and Ogletree, did, however, watch the workout.
• Cornerback Brandon McGee, a Rams draft pick in 2013, has been signed to the New York Giants practice squad. The Giants worked out ex-Illini wide receiver A.J. Jenkins and defensive back Greg Reid, who was in camp with the Rams in 2014, on Tuesday.
• Also Tuesday, the Dallas Cowboys worked out former Rams running back Isaiah Pead and ex-Mizzou linebacker Zaviar Gooden.
