Rams' undrafted tight ends are the ones to watch this offseason
Cameron DaSilva
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Making an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent is never easy, especially on a team that just reached the Super Bowl and is returning most of its starters. That’s the uphill battle the Rams’ undrafted rookies face, yet at least one such player has made the team every year since 2015.
If the Rams are to continue that streak this year, it might be with a tight end.
They signed a handful of players at the position following the draft, two of which stand out as guys who could make the 53-man roster. Keenen Brown from Texas State and Romello Brooker out of Houston could make a strong impression this offseason and earn a spot on the final roster.
Pro Football Focus listed the top five tight ends in combined first downs and touchdowns in non-Power 5 conferences – or Group of Five, as they’re often called. Two Rams undrafted free agents, Brown and Brooker, were in the top five.
@PFF
No Group of 5 TE had more receiving conversions than new Jaguars TE Josh Oliver did in 2018
11:47 AM - May 13, 2019
Brown is an athletic tight end with requisite speed for the position, running a 4.75 40-yard dash at the combine. He’s also big enough at 6-foot-2, 250 pounds with 34.5-inch arms. He needs work as a blocker, but Brown is dangerous after the catch.
As for Booker, he flew further under the radar. He wasn’t invited to the combine and in college, he caught just 42 passes for 464 yards – 409 yards of which came in 2018 alone. He’s a bigger tight end at 6-5, 253 pounds, and so his movement skills aren’t quite on par with Brown. He still ran a respectable 4.82 40-yard dash at his pro day, showing he’s fast enough to be a receiving threat in the NFL.
Brooker is the better blocker of the two, and with Gerald Everett potentially becoming the primary tight end, the Rams might be looking for blocking tight ends instead of pass-catching ones.
In order for either Brown or Brooker to make the team, they’ll need to bump Johnny Mundt from the roster first. It’s hard to imagine the Rams keeping four tight ends, so beating out Mundt is step one.
Keep an eye on both undrafted rookies this offseason as they look to impress the coaches during OTAs, minicamp and eventually training camp. The Rams are clearly looking to add tight end talent, which bodes well for their chances.
