MANHATTAN BEACH – On the day Rams tried to provide as many answers as possible to their players about the relocation process from St. Louis to Los Angeles, one of the biggest questions of all stood quietly in a corner of a Manhattan Beach hotel ballroom Friday.
Only this one had very little to do with housing options or training camp sites or where the Rams will eventually set up headquarters.
There will be clarification on all of those matters in the coming months, much to the delight of the Rams wife and girlfriends who sent their significant others to L.A. armed with a litany of questions that need addressing.
“A lot of what we talked to about today were questions on behalf of our wives and girlfriends,” said Rams middle linebacker Alec Ogletree, who might already be in line to win the NFL’s Smartest Man of the Year award.
After all, a happy wife is a happy life.
“We just want to know where we’re playing football,” Ogletree said, laughing. “The wives and girlfriends wanted answers to all the other important stuff.”
All in due time.
Case Keenum, on the other hand, represents a conundrum of a completely different sort. And his ability to provide clarity might determine how decisively the Rams step back into their former Southern California home.
Keenum is the Rams starting quarterback, although that distinction comes with an important qualifier: For now.
If training camp were to start tomorrow, Keenum would get first team reps. The spot on the depth chart is somewhat earned – Keenum having stabilized the position by finishing last season 3-1 – but is mostly bestowed thanks to the nosedive previous starter Nick Foles took over the first 12 games before being replaced.
Keenum taking over coincided with tight ends coach Rob Boras being named the offensive coordinator to replace the fired Frank Cignetti Jr. The offense became a little less predictable and considerably more versatile. Points went up, the Rams won three out of their last four games and Keenum completed 76 of 125 passes for 828 yards and four touchdowns against just one interception.
“We put together some momentum,” he said.
And it earned him the role of de facto starter.
But with the calendar having just turned to March and training camp still four months away and the Rams not exactly acting shy about the possibility of adding a quarterback or two, who knows how much longer “for now” lasts.
The Rams have the 15th pick in next April’s draft, which could put them in line add Memphis gunslinger Paxton Lynch. And with a pair of picks in the second round at No. 43 and 45 they could look to Michigan State’s Connor Cook.
Meanwhile, free agency opens next week and the Rams have been linked to everyone from Peyton Manning to Brock Osweiler to Robert Griffin III.
Point is, Keenum isn’t taking anything for granted. Especially after spending most of last week hearing about all the possible replacements the Rams were scouting at the NFL combine.
“Everybody asks about the combine, and that’s (300) or so employees trying to come take our jobs, especially the quarterback position. It’s tough,” Keenum said. “As a reporter or a journalist, it’s probably the same. There’s probably 14 or 15 people lined up ready to take your job if you’re not producing. So that’s the way I I approach my work and my job.”
Nevertheless, Keenum finds at least a little comfort in the Rams having his back to this extent. Having bounced around from Houston to the Rams as an un-drafted prospect in 2012 and started a total of 15 games over his first four seasons, even the slightest bit of confidence expressed by his bosses goes a long way.
“It’s the first time that I’ve had a coach believe in me through the offseason like this,” Keenum said. “So, I’m excited about the position that I’m in and the position the team is in. I think we’re poised to make that next step and be a playoff contender.” Hopefully, with him leading the way.
“We’ve had some great meetings,” Keenum said about the feedback he’s gotten from Rams head coach Jeff Fisher. “And we obviously finished the year with some good momentum, I think we had some good continuity.. The way I’m treating it is the way I’ve always treated every offseason that I’ve been a part of and I’m going to treat it like I’m the starter. That’s my mindset, I’m going to get ready to play.
“The nice thing now is I have some confidence, the coach is saying some nice things ands I think we believe in the same things. I’m going to continue to believe in myself and my teammates. And I’m going to continue to compete. I know that in this league, that’s what the whole league is about. It’s about competition.”
It’s something Keenum knows all too well. And he’s bracing for more of the same over the next few months. He’s the Rams starting quarterback, but it’s no secret they are intent on adding a quarterback or two to the roster by training camp.
