Did LA Rams rookie Tanner Brown just kick himself off the team?

Did LA Rams rookie Tanner Brown just kick himself off the team?

[ramblinfan.com]

Bret Stuter



The LA Rams signed two rookie kickers to compete for the spot vacated by Pro Bowl veteran kicker Matt Gay. The Rams signed North Carolina State kicker Christopher Dunn, followed by another kicker signing, the second time being Oklahoma State kicker Tanner Brown. While neither rookie kicker was known for a tremendously powerful kicking leg, both were extremely accurate in college, almost to the point of being automatic within 40 yards.

With what seemed to be no time at all, the LA Rams announced that the team had waived kicker Christopher Dunn. While a bit of a surprise, the news had meant that the Rams roster had settled in on Tanner Brown, who was by default the Rams new starting kicker.


But what if he isn't?

Many expected Dunn's release to be followed by a veteran kicker, someone who had experienced the challenges of placekicking in the NFL before. But the Rams did not sign anyone. In fact, the Rams did not even bring any other kickers to compete.

The LA Rams appeared to place all of their eggs in one basket, and that basket was Tanner Brown. But there were some limits over what the Rams would ask Tanner Brown to do.

Did LA Rams rookie Tanner Brown just kick himself off the team?

In the end, Tanner Brown finished three preseason games with a horrible streak of kicking just two of four field goals, but making all four of four extra points. He missed a 46 yard attempt in the first preseason game against the LA Chargers, and a 39-yard field goal attempt against the Denver Broncos.

No, Tanner Brown did not lose three preseason games for the LA Rams. If you want to play that blame game, you will need to look elsewhere. But the strategy behind adding kicker Tanner Brown was the fact that while he was not the most powerful placekicker that the NFL had seen, he was incredibly accurate at kicking field goals within 40 yards. That is most certainly not true right now either.

Did LA Rams rookie kicker Tanner Brown just kick himself off the team? Or did he simply force the Rams' front office to open a kicker competition once more? The Carolina Panthers recently released K Matthew Wright, and the New England Patriots are likely to release veteran K Nick Folk.

One thing is certain. The days of counting on a field goal kicker to make three points for the LA Rams appear to be long gone, if only temporarily, once more.