Rams punter Johnny Hekker reboots after subpar season...

Rams punter Johnny Hekker reboots after subpar season​

[www.ocregister.com]

The last time the Rams held spring workouts, in the pre-pandemic days of 2019, punter Johnny Hekker was among friends in his eighth year working with the same long snapper, placekicker and special teams coordinator.

But following snapper Jake McQuaide’s departure to the Dallas Cowboys this winter, and a year after kicker Greg Zuerlein and coordinator John Fassel left L.A. for Dallas, Hekker is the last remaining star of the specialist unit that helped the Rams to the 2018 NFC championship.

In fact, with defensive lineman Michael Brockers traded to the Detroit Lions, Hekker is the longest-serving member of the entire Rams roster as he prepares for his 10th season.

“Now and then I’ll look around and say, ‘Hey, you remember when that guy was here?’” Hekker, 31, said of banter with teammates. “And I realize none of them were here when said player was around.”

Hekker also realizes his own time with the Rams will end sooner or later.

The possibility it would be sooner rose in April when the Rams signed former Bills punter Corey Bojorquez to a one-year contract.

General Manager Les Snead and coach Sean McVay quickly described the signing as COVID-19 insurance and said Hekker doesn’t face competition from Bojorquez or 2020 practice squad punter Brandon Wright.

But Hekker said Thursday he isn’t taking his job for granted.

“When push comes to shove, they have to make the best decision for this roster,” the four-time All-Pro said of the GM and coach. “There’s no running around the financial aspect of it, too. So you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

“Corey’s wildly talented. For me, for a second, to not think this is a competition, and not prepare myself every day like it is a competition, would be doing myself and this team a disservice.

“Every time I step on the field, or in the weight room or in a meeting, it’s a competition.”

Hekker is the NFL’s highest-paid punter. According to overthecap.com, releasing him now, before the third year of a five-year, $18.8 million contract, would save the Rams $3.75 million against the 2021 salary cap, more than the $1.2 million it would cost them in dead cap money.

He also averaged a career-low 45.6 yards per punt in 2020, even though he was named the NFL’s special teams player of the week and player of the month for October after a Monday night win over the Bears in which he put all five of his punts inside the 10-yard line, including 57- and 63-yarders.

“I’m my own biggest critic, so I’m never going to be really happy with my performance. I think last season I definitely did not perform to the best of my abilities,” said Hekker, who thinks he “got maybe ahead of myself mentally and wasn’t focusing on the little things.”

Meanwhile, Bojorquez, 24, a Bellflower native who played at Mayfair High in Lakewood and Cerritos College before going on to New Mexico, averaged a league-high 50.8 yards per punt in his third year in Buffalo.

“I’m happy for the competition, happy to have Corey here,” Hekker said. “He’s a great, young guy that works really hard. Him and Brandon are both guys that are sound technically and are going to keep me on my Ps and Qs.”

Rams kicker Matt Gay, getting ready for his first full season, said Hekker is smart to treat this as a competition.

“I think Johnny has the right mindset for it,” Gay said. “They’re both great punters, and it’s been fun watching them going at it.”

It’s a year of change on the Rams’ special teams, which aim to reverse a decline.

Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis has replaced John Bonamego a year after Bonamego replaced Fassel. A full year of Gay should help, and he’s backed up by Austin MacGinnis. Long snappers Steven Wirtell and Matthew Orzech, both acquired this year, will battle to replace McQuaide. Punt returner Nsimba Webster could be replaced by wide receiver Tutu Atwell, a second-round draft pick. Wide receiver Jacob Harris, a fourth-round pick, is one of several rookies expected to make an impact in kick coverage.

Two weeks of voluntary OTAs end Friday. Three days of mandatory minicamp start Tuesday in Thousand Oaks.

It has been different for Hekker.

“A lot of the football stuff hasn’t changed. The guys I’m around have changed quite a bit,” Hekker said. “I’m definitely starting to feel like the old guy, but I’m still having a ton of fun showing up every day and giving it everything I’ve got.”