Rams fans probably never thought they’d see the day where the team moved on from All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker, but that very day may be upon us soon. The reason? Corey Bojorquez and his powerful left leg.
The Rams signed Bojorquez this offseason after the Bills declined to tender him as a restricted free agent, giving him a one-year deal worth about $1 million. Most people brushed the move off as nothing of significance, but as we inch closer to the regular season, it seems more and more likely that Bojorquez will be the team’s punter in 2021.
In fact, he may have locked up the job on Saturday night against the Broncos with a near-perfect performance. He punted five times for 277 yards, an average of 55.4 yards per punt. It helps that the game was in Denver where the air is thin in the higher altitude, but that shouldn’t take away from the night he had.
Here were his five punts:
- 39 yards to Broncos’ 38-yard line
- 67 yards to Broncos’ 19-yard line
- 48 yards to Broncos’ 1-yard line
- 70 yards to Broncos’ 1-yard line
- 53 yards to Broncos’ 37-yard line
Admittedly, his first kick wasn’t anything to write home about, but his next three were about as good as it gets – and his fifth punt had excellent hangtime. His 67-yarder traveled about 80 yards, too, before bouncing backwards and losing yardage.
Sean McVay said after the game that “Corey came out here and did an excellent job.”
“Really pleased with him. He had a good look in his eye and I thought he did an excellent job tonight,” McVay continued.
Hekker remains on the reserve/COVID-19 list and missed the last two preseason games, including a full week of practice. That obviously hurt his chances of staving off Bojorquez, and it didn’t help that the former Bills punter put together his best performance of the preseason against Denver.
The Rams can save $3.75 million by cutting Hekker, and better yet, they can get the same savings if they trade him – along with receiving a late-round pick in return, most likely. That money can carry over into next year when they’ll have to re-sign players such as Sebastian Joseph-Day, Darious Williams and possibly Joe Noteboom.
Hekker wasn’t great last season and is the highest-paid punter in the league. The possibility of saving money and getting a draft pick for him is an enticing one, even if he is the Rams’ longest-tenured player on the team.
With final cuts coming before Tuesday afternoon, the Rams could be preparing to move on from Hekker.