E.J. Gaines could add clarity to Rams’ CB competition

E.J. Gaines could add clarity to Rams’ cornerback competition

By Jack Wang, Los Angeles Daily News

[www.dailynews.com]

IRVINE >> The competition opened more than five months ago, when the Rams allowed Janoris Jenkins to walk away as a free agent. The team is still searching for his replacement.

The Rams certainly have options to start at cornerback opposite Trumaine Johnson, whom they retained with a franchise tag this offseason. They’re just figuring out whether the nod goes to E.J. Gaines, Coty Sensabaugh, or Lamarcus Joyner.

“It’s like playing a video game, and you have three cornerbacks and they’re all 99s,” Joyner said. “Who do you play?”

For the record, Joyner’s official Madden 17 rating is 75. Gaines is slightly ahead at 79, while Sensabaugh — who signed just days after Jenkins’ departure — sits at 71. (Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is the only Ram in the 90s, with an overall rating of 98.) But we can forgive Joyner for his enthusiasm.

Besides the Keenum-Goff competition at quarterback, the defensive backfield may be the team’s most scrutinized position group. The defensive line, anchored by Donald, is arguably the finest in the NFL. The linebackers are a talented group, though Alec Ogletree’s transition to the middle will be key.

The secondary? Pro Football Focus ranked it 27th in the league, citing not only the loss of Jenkins but of safety Rodney McLeod. PFF is kinder to the corners — ranking them 13th — but in two preseason games, the Rams have allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 50 of 71 passes for 566 yards and three touchdowns.

Head coach Jeff Fisher said Sunday that the cornerback race remains “up in the air.” In a 21-20 win over Kansas City a day earlier, Sensabaugh shouldered the heaviest workload with 44 defensive snaps. Joyner played 30 snaps before being ejected for fighting Chiefs receiver Jeremy Maclin. Gaines, who entered the game in the second quarter, chipped in 22.

It’s Gaines’ performance that may be most encouraging. Before a Lisfranc injury (foot) robbed him of the entire 2015 season, the former sixth-round pick led the team with 15 passes defensed. Returning to game action for the first time on Saturday, he notched three solo tackles.

“Just kind of reminiscent of the E.J. that we had a couple of years ago,” Fisher said, adding that he plans to increase Gaines’ reps.

For Gaines, the year off has felt more like five — an absence that has him eager to make up for lost time. Although a pulled hamstring and a sprained ankle have slowed him in training camp, he’s fully confident again in his health.

“They’ve been taking care of me in camp and making sure I’m getting explosion and strength in my foot and everything,” he said. “It’s just, you can’t really simulate a live game. Getting out here (on Saturday) was good for me.”

INJURY REPORT

Receiver Bradley Marquez is not expected to miss more than one preseason game after suffering a right ankle injury on Saturday.

“When we left the Coliseum, there was some concern,” Fisher said Sunday. “Today was a good day. It’s good to get good news from the medical staff. Hopefully, he’ll have a chance to come back this week.”

Marquez appeared in all 16 games as a rookie last year, recording 13 catches for 88 yards in addition to his contributions on special teams.

Undrafted rookie Nelson Spruce, who made a team-high six catches in a preseason-opening win against the Cowboys, remains sidelined with a sprained left knee and is unlikely to practice this week.