Tag: Kam Kinchens

Rams rookie Kam Kinchens had some fantastic quotes after his two-INT game

Kam Kinchens quoted Ed Reed and explained what happened on his two interceptions in an entertaining post-game interview with reporters

Kam Kinchens has bounced between being a key backup and reserve player throughout the first eight weeks of the season, but he delivered when his number was called on Sunday afternoon in Seattle. With Kam Curl banged up and limited to playing just half the snaps, Kinchens stepped up and made two of the biggest plays in the Rams’ 26-20 win.

The first was a 103-yard pick-six, the longest interception return for a touchdown in Rams history and the fourth-longest in NFL history. It came with the score tied at 13 and the Seahawks in position to take a fourth-quarter lead, but Kinchens took advantage of Geno Smith’s awful decision and returned the pick to the house.

The next time Seattle got to the red zone, Kinchens struck again. He made a diving interception on another bad throw by Smith, preventing the Seahawks from scoring any points when they were trailing 20-13 with 6:10 left in the fourth quarter.

After the win, Kinchens had some fantastic quotes during his session with reporters. He talked about almost dropping the ball before getting to the end zone, a quote Ed Reed always told him at Miami and the relief he felt knowing DK Metcalf wasn’t on the field to chase him down on his long return.

On almost dropping the ball before the goal line: “It’s crazy because we made a point of emphasis in the meeting on Friday about dropping the ball before you get to the end zone. I wasn’t sure where I was in the end zone, but I was thinking, like, ‘Dang, most of the time, they’re probably running thinking they got in the end zone, so dropped the ball and I made sure to run to it and pick it up before I did anything else.”

On whether he heard it was the longest interception return in Rams history: “No, I didn’t hear nothing. I was tired. I was tired.”

On when he knew he was going to return the interception for a touchdown: “When I picked the ball up and saw nobody in front of me. And then when I saw (Byron Young) kind of make that block, I knew nobody else was catching me. And they didn’t have DK on the field so I didn’t have to worry about him running me down.”

On picking off a second pass in the fourth quarter: “Every time I do catch a pick, Ed Reed at Miami always told me, ‘If you catch one, it’s not illegal to catch another one. So I try to go out there and catch as many as I can. I want to catch, eight, 10.”

On what happened during his second interception: “The play thought on that one was, all props to (Quentin Lake). It was just one of those things, you’re in the moment and he’s telling me, ‘Watch your guy. Watch your guy.’ And as he slides back, just capitalize on mistakes. Geno threw the ball and I was able to catch it.”

Kinchens is a charismatic rookie with a terrific personality, and he showed on Sunday that he can be a playmaker for the Rams, too. A certified ball hawk in college, Kinchens has carried those ball skills to the NFL and already has two picks midway through his rookie year.

If he keeps making plays like the ones he made on Sunday, he’ll have plenty more postgame interviews to come, too.

Kam Kinchens almost made the worst mistake on his pick-six and Sean McVay didn’t miss it

Kam Kinchens almost dropped the ball before reaching the end zone and Sean McVay is “going to get him on the team meeting”

Rookie safety Kam Kinchens made the play of his young NFL career on Sunday afternoon when he picked off Geno Smith in the end zone and returned it 103 yards for a touchdown to give the Rams a 20-13 lead. Los Angeles went from potentially giving up the lead when the game was tied 13-13 in the fourth quarter to taking a seven-point lead thanks to the outstanding play from the rookie out of Miami.

If you watch the play all the way through, though, Kinchens almost made the ultimate mistake on his return. He nearly added himself to the embarrassing reel of players dropping the ball before crossing the goal line, which happened just last week with Jets receiver Malachi Corley.

On the NFL GSIS play-by-play, it officially went down as an interception return of 102 yards, followed by a fumble at the 1-yard line and recovered by Kinchens. However, NFL.com and ESPN have it as a 103-yard return.

He definitely did drop the ball, but it looks like he reached the end zone before doing so. Crisis averted.

That’s not going to stop Sean McVay from calling him out in a team meeting, however.

“I’m going to get him on the team meeting, though, because I don’t know if he finished,” McVay said after the game, smiling. “We always show these guys not finishing all the way through the end zone and if he’s added to the reel, he’s lucky that he had the presence to realize, ‘What the heck was I doing?’ and get back on it. I didn’t see the finish, but I had heard about it.”

McVay, of course, loved the way his young safety stepped up in the red zone with two big interceptions to keep points off the board for Seattle.

“Those were two huge plays that we had to have, or I’m not sitting here feeling the way that I do,” he said of Kinchens’ two interceptions.

Watch: Rams rookie Kam Kinchens turns awful Geno Smith throw into 103-yard pick-six

Kam Kinchens with a Rams-record 103-yard pick-six for the lead!

It hasn’t been a great start to the year for Rams rookie Kam Kinchens but he delivered with the play of his life on Sunday against the Seahawks. With the score tied at 13 in the fourth quarter, Kinchens picked off Geno Smith in the end zone and returned it 103 yards for a touchdown.

It was a terrible throw by Smith, who was under pressure from Byron Young, but it was an even better play by Kinchens. He had the awareness to take it out of the end zone and return it the length of the field rather than going down for a touchback.

There was a flag thrown on the play for a low block but officials picked it up and ruled there was no penalty.

According to the FOX broadcast, Kinchens is now tied for the fourth-longest pick-six in NFL history. His 103-yard interception return for a touchdown is also the longest in Rams history.

Rams rookie S Kam Kinchens to have ‘elevated role’ with John Johnson out

Kam Kinchens will play a much larger role on defense for the Rams with John Johnson III out

The Los Angeles Rams have been forced to lean on more backups than they’d like in the early portion of the season because of all the injuries they’ve suffered. The injury bug has now bitten the safety group where John Johnson III will miss at least the next four games with a shoulder injury.

The Rams have Quentin Lake and Jaylen McCollough who can both play safety, but it appears they’re turning to rookie third-rounder Kam Kinchens in Johnson’s absence, allowing Lake to remain as the team’s slot defender.

Kinchens has only played 14 defensive snaps this season and they haven’t exactly gone well, drawing a penalty for unnecessary roughness on the Lions’ game-tying drive and allowing a 32-yard reception to Marvin Harrison Jr. against the Cardinals.

However, he’s in line for an “elevated role” and the Rams are confident he’s ready to step up.

“Obviously when that happens, guys have to step up so he’ll definitely take on an elevated role and so will some other guys too,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “He’s a really mature rookie, has been since the day he got here. Loves football. He’s a guy that we knew when the pads come on, he comes to life. Really good ball skills, really good communication. Really excited about him.”

Kinchens was a ball hawk in college, picking off six passes in 2022 and five in 2023 – leading the nation each year. He also broke up four passes as a freshman in 2021, showing he knows how to find the ball and make plays.

There will certainly be some growing pains for the rookie, especially as he replaces a reliable veteran like Johnson, but Kinchens has a high ceiling and could make an immediate impact.

How a bumper crop of unexpected free agents impacts the safety class in the 2024 NFL draft

How a bumper crop of unexpected free agents impacts the safety class in the 2024 NFL draft

It’s hard to get draft analysts and talent evaluators to agree on pretty much anything, but it’s difficult to find anyone bullish on this year’s draft class at safety. It became a bit of a parlor game during last week’s NFL Scouting Combine to try and figure out if any safeties would be selected before the end of the second round of the 2024 NFL draft.

It’s not a strong safety class. In my personal rankings, two safeties are ranked in the top 50: Utah’s Cole Bishop and Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin. They are No. 38 and 40, respectively — and I’m higher on both than most analysts.

In short, the draft supply at safety isn’t looking all that good. And with each passing few hours, the safety class keeps becoming less and less important for teams looking for immediate help.

That’s because the free agent market has suddenly, unexpectedly become flooded with quality starters. Over the past few days, a decent crop of free agent safeties have been joined by a veritable who’s-who at the position.

Since the NFL Scouting Combine safety workouts last week, all of these safeties have been released by their teams:

Kevin Byard, Eagles

Rayshawn Jenkins, Jaguars

Jordan Poyer, Bills

Jamal Adams, Seahawks

Quandre Diggs, Seahawks

Justin Simmons, Broncos

These are not insignificant players. Poyer was an All-Pro in 2022. Simmons earned second-team All-Pro status in four of the last five seasons. Byard was fifth in tackles by a safety last season and a first-team All-Pro in 2021. Diggs ranks third in the NFL overall in interceptions since 2019.

Earlier in the offseason, Chicago dumped veteran stalwart Eddie Jackson and Detroit released longtime starter Tracy Walker.

They join a group that already features appealing starters like Xavier McKinney of the Giants, Detroit’s C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Kam Curl from Washington, and Buffalo’s Micah Hyde—and that’s far from a complete list of safeties worthy of signing around the league. Heck, while I was producing this very article, the Steelers cut experienced starter Keanu Neal.

All of a sudden, the free agent supply of starting safeties has gone from a decent but limited pool to a well-stocked lake full of players. Teams can find other fish in that abundant sea. Presumably, the high supply should keep the costs down in landing one of the free agents, too.

What does that mean for the draft class?

Perhaps the easiest way to answer that is by asking a hypothetical question:

Pretend you’re an NFL GM and need a starting safety in 2024. Would you rather sign an established veteran for what will likely seem under market value, or would you take a risk on the thinnest (at the top anyway) draft class at any position?

That doesn’t seem like a difficult choice. That’s bad news for 2024 draft prospects like Caden Bullock, Kam Kinchens, Jaden Hicks and Dadrion Taylor-Demeson (a personal fave). Those potential Day 2 selections could very well get pushed down the draft priority chart into Day 3 because teams won’t have the urgency to reach for them, knowing better, more proven option to provide immediate help are readily available.

And that might ultimately benefit the safety class. They’re less apt to be tossed into the deep end of the pool without any swim lessons or floatation devices. They can develop more at their own pace without the pressure of “perform or else!” It could also allow individual teams to be more patient in targeting a specific player who seems like a great fit instead of rushing to snatch a safety who might not profile as well for its defense.

As for its draft stock, however, it sure looks rough for the safety class as the NFL approaches free agency with more safeties hitting the open market by the hour.