By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, Jun. 04 2008
How often does an NFL player struggle through a decidedly subpar season, then
get promoted? That's what has happened to Rams wide receiver Drew Bennett, and
he's itching to justify the move.
Bennett, who signed a six-year, $30 million free-agent deal last year, joins
Torry Holt in the starting lineup after the February release of 35-year-old
Isaac Bruce.
"Drew's got an opportunity now to really step up his game, and he knows that,"
coach Scott Linehan said. "So, the expectation is that he takes advantage of it
and has a great year for us."
The Rams' slide to 3-13 in 2007 was wrenching for all involved, but perhaps
none more so than Bennett. In six years at Tennessee, the former UCLA walk-on
collected 273 receptions, 4,033 yards and 25 touchdowns. In the three seasons
before becoming a free agent, he averaged 61 catches, 907 yards and six TDs.
He was a first-teamer for five years with the Titans, and he acknowledges that
he underestimated the impact of accepting the No. 3 spot with the Rams.
"I think that I had a different expectation of what I would do as a 3 here and
how I'd feel about it … standing on the sideline as much as I did," Bennett
said during a break in organized team activities at Rams Park. "There were
definitely guys that deserved to play ahead of me, two future Hall of Fame
guys. That's not the issue; the issue was the situation I was in."
The Rams were attracted by Bennett's size — 6 feet 5 and 206 pounds. Plus, he
was slightly younger than Kevin Curtis, who had left for Philadelphia as a free
agent after four seasons here.
Seeking to quickly impress his new teammates and fans, Bennett, 29, said he
"wanted to come in here the first season and do big things. And that didn't
happen."
A thigh injury kept him out of the regular-season opener. He was slowed for
another month or so by a sore hamstring, a result of compensating for the bad
quad.
"I wanted to go out there and run, and I couldn't," Bennett said. "There's no
good feeling going to sleep when you're in that situation, where you're beat up
a little bit and you're not playing as much as you want to and the team's not
doing well."
He said he regained his burst at about the midway point of the season. But like
the Rams, Bennett never really got untracked. His most productive outing was a
six-catch, 63-yard effort against Cleveland.
For a wideout who in 2004 hauled in 80 passes for 1,247 yards and 11
touchdowns, that was hardly something to brag about to the folks back home in
Orinda, Calif.
"It was an extremely frustrating season … extremely frustrating," Bennett said.
"Especially, I think everything's magnified when you're 3-13."
A number of significant changes have taken place since the end of the season.
Billy Devaney was hired as personnel chief and Linehan overhauled his coaching
staff, including the addition of veteran Al Saunders as offensive coordinator.
The atmosphere is changing, Bennett insisted. "There's definitely a new
energy," he said. "I love the new offense. I think that we're going to be in
good shape."
Especially, Bennett pointed out, if the early returns on quarterback Marc
Bulger pan out. "It's a complicated offense, and Bulger's an extremely smart
quarterback," Bennett said. "He loves having multiple protections and multiple
looks, a bunch of shifts and things like that. He loves being in control of all
that stuff. … It's a great situation."
One that will be enhanced if Bennett is able to prove that his first season
with the Rams was an aberration and not a regression.
"I'm extremely happy now about my role and what they expect from me this year
and about what I expect from myself," he said. "I want to prove to people that
I'm worth the energy and the money that the team spent to get me."
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Wednesday, Jun. 04 2008
How often does an NFL player struggle through a decidedly subpar season, then
get promoted? That's what has happened to Rams wide receiver Drew Bennett, and
he's itching to justify the move.
Bennett, who signed a six-year, $30 million free-agent deal last year, joins
Torry Holt in the starting lineup after the February release of 35-year-old
Isaac Bruce.
"Drew's got an opportunity now to really step up his game, and he knows that,"
coach Scott Linehan said. "So, the expectation is that he takes advantage of it
and has a great year for us."
The Rams' slide to 3-13 in 2007 was wrenching for all involved, but perhaps
none more so than Bennett. In six years at Tennessee, the former UCLA walk-on
collected 273 receptions, 4,033 yards and 25 touchdowns. In the three seasons
before becoming a free agent, he averaged 61 catches, 907 yards and six TDs.
He was a first-teamer for five years with the Titans, and he acknowledges that
he underestimated the impact of accepting the No. 3 spot with the Rams.
"I think that I had a different expectation of what I would do as a 3 here and
how I'd feel about it … standing on the sideline as much as I did," Bennett
said during a break in organized team activities at Rams Park. "There were
definitely guys that deserved to play ahead of me, two future Hall of Fame
guys. That's not the issue; the issue was the situation I was in."
The Rams were attracted by Bennett's size — 6 feet 5 and 206 pounds. Plus, he
was slightly younger than Kevin Curtis, who had left for Philadelphia as a free
agent after four seasons here.
Seeking to quickly impress his new teammates and fans, Bennett, 29, said he
"wanted to come in here the first season and do big things. And that didn't
happen."
A thigh injury kept him out of the regular-season opener. He was slowed for
another month or so by a sore hamstring, a result of compensating for the bad
quad.
"I wanted to go out there and run, and I couldn't," Bennett said. "There's no
good feeling going to sleep when you're in that situation, where you're beat up
a little bit and you're not playing as much as you want to and the team's not
doing well."
He said he regained his burst at about the midway point of the season. But like
the Rams, Bennett never really got untracked. His most productive outing was a
six-catch, 63-yard effort against Cleveland.
For a wideout who in 2004 hauled in 80 passes for 1,247 yards and 11
touchdowns, that was hardly something to brag about to the folks back home in
Orinda, Calif.
"It was an extremely frustrating season … extremely frustrating," Bennett said.
"Especially, I think everything's magnified when you're 3-13."
A number of significant changes have taken place since the end of the season.
Billy Devaney was hired as personnel chief and Linehan overhauled his coaching
staff, including the addition of veteran Al Saunders as offensive coordinator.
The atmosphere is changing, Bennett insisted. "There's definitely a new
energy," he said. "I love the new offense. I think that we're going to be in
good shape."
Especially, Bennett pointed out, if the early returns on quarterback Marc
Bulger pan out. "It's a complicated offense, and Bulger's an extremely smart
quarterback," Bennett said. "He loves having multiple protections and multiple
looks, a bunch of shifts and things like that. He loves being in control of all
that stuff. … It's a great situation."
One that will be enhanced if Bennett is able to prove that his first season
with the Rams was an aberration and not a regression.
"I'm extremely happy now about my role and what they expect from me this year
and about what I expect from myself," he said. "I want to prove to people that
I'm worth the energy and the money that the team spent to get me."