Tag: Kamren Kinchens

Kamren Kinchens with 103-yard pick-six for Rams against Seahawks

Kamren Kinchens with a team record interception return for a Rams touchdown

The Los Angeles Rams gave up a couple of touchdowns late in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Instead of folding, the Rams revved up after the break. They scored 17 straight points bridging the third and fourth quarters to take a 20-13 lead.

The touchdown in the fourth quarter was of the spectacular variety, as in a team record.

Karem Kinchens, who had 11 interceptions over his last two seasons in college at Miami, picked Geno Smith and returned the interceptions 103 yards.

The return was tied for the fourth-longest in league history.

Rams snap counts: LA benches two DBs, Blake Corum rises to RB2

Breaking down the Rams’ snap counts from Sunday’s loss to the Packers, which shows a big shakeup on defense

After starting 1-3 and struggling badly against the pass on defense, the Los Angeles Rams thought it was a good time to shake up the secondary. They made several changes to the defensive backfield on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, including the decision to bench Tre’Davious White by making him a healthy scratch for the first time in his career.

Offensively, the Rams mostly kept the status quo. However, Blake Corum did take over as the No. 2 running back behind Kyren Williams. He replaced Ronnie Rivers in that role, playing a season-high 11 snaps in the 24-19 loss.

We broke down the snap counts below, starting with the offense.

Offense

After playing the third-most snaps of the Rams’ receivers last week, Demarcus Robinson played most of the game on Sunday, only missing two snaps. Jordan Whittington was a close second with a 92% snap share, and that was with missing the end of the game due to a shoulder injury. Tutu Atwell was WR3 again, with Tyler Johnson (11 snaps) and Xavier Smith (8 snaps) operating as the reserves.

At running back, Kyren Williams played 86% of the snaps, which is about his average for the year. Corum, not Ronnie Rivers, was his backup, with the rookie playing a season-high 11 snaps. He touched the ball six times on those 11 plays, rushing for 25 yards on five carries and catching an 8-yard screen pass.

Colby Parkinson remains the No. 1 tight end, playing 79% of the snaps. Hunter Long played 22% and Davis Allen played 4%, so the Rams did mix in some 12 personnel again on Sunday.

All five starting linemen played the entire game again, which is a good sign for their continuity.

Defense

The defense is where the biggest changes were made by the coaching staff, specifically in the secondary. White was benched after four games of being a starter, sitting this game out as a healthy scratch. In his place, the Rams gave Ahkello Witherspoon a prominent role (81%) and Darious Williams played 49% of the snaps in his season debut. Cobie Durant was a major factor in this game, playing all but three snaps.

Josh Wallace was also given a big opportunity as an undrafted rookie, playing 31 snaps, mostly as the nickel corner in the “star” role. That allowed Quentin Lake to be a more traditional safety, once again playing every snap on defense alongside Kamren Curl.

You’ll notice Kamren Kinchens’ name is missing from the list above and that’s because he was the other defensive back benched by Chris Shula. The rookie had been struggling in place of John Johnson III, so the Rams took him out of the lineup and gave him zero defensive snaps. That opened the door for Jaylen McCollough to play more, getting on the field for 15 snaps, coming up with a key pick-six on one of those plays.

At inside linebacker, it was still Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom manning the middle, but Reeder played just 86% of the snaps despite being the signal caller with the green dot. Rozeboom played 71% of the game as the No. 2 linebacker.

Byron Young continues to be the top option at edge rusher, playing 80% of the snaps. Jared Verse and Michael Hoecht were almost an even split, with Verse playing 69% and Hoecht plating 64%. They were the only three edge rushers again.

Kobie Turner played 81% of the snaps as the top defensive lineman, with Braden Fiske being the next-closest player at 51%. Bobby Brown, Neville Gallimore and Tyler Davis continue to rotate along the front, with Jonah Williams playing one snap in his debut with the team.

6 plays that cost the Rams in their overtime loss to the Lions

The Rams missed opportunities on these 6 plays against the Lions on Sunday night

The opportunities were there for the Los Angeles Rams in Sunday night’s loss to the Detroit Lions, but they were unable to capitalize. Every game has missed opportunities for both teams but the Rams will be kicking themselves about six specific plays in their overtime loss.

If they execute properly on these plays, they likely beat the Lions and start the season 1-0. From a failed fourth-down conversion to a costly penalty by a rookie defender, these six plays cost the Rams the most against the Lions at Ford Field.

Failed fourth-and-4 from Lions’ 23

It’s hard to blame Sean McVay for going for it in this situation. The score was 3-3 and the Lions aren’t a team you necessarily beat with field goals, so McVay wanted to stay aggressive and go for six instead of settling for three points. It was still early in the game, with about 6 minutes left in the second quarter, so they had plenty of time to make up for it.

It’s just unfortunate that the ball went through Cooper Kupp’s hands while trying to make a catch against tight coverage. Had he picked up the first, the Rams could’ve gone up 10-3 instead of allowing the Lions to lead 10-3 on the ensuing drive.

Matthew Stafford’s interception in end zone

This play was even costlier than the failed fourth-down conversion. The Rams had nothing going on offense in the first half but they put together a nice drive before halftime. On second-and-goal from the 8, Stafford floated a pass to Tyler Johnson in the end zone and it was picked off by Kerby Joseph, taking at least three points off the board for the Rams.

If that pass falls incomplete, at worst the Rams run one more play and settle for the field goal to make it 10-6. Better yet, they might’ve scored on third down to tie the game. An interception was the worst possible outcome.

Jameson Williams’ 52-yard touchdown catch

Tre’Davious White had a decent game but this rep was not one he wants to watch again. He got burned by a double-move, grabbed Williams and still let him run wide open down the left sideline for a 52-yard touchdown despite White being flagged for illegal contact.

It came on third-and-3 from the Lions’ own 48-yard line, too, so it’s not as if they were in field goal range. If White stays with Williams and forces an incompletion, the Lions either punt or go for it on fourth down instead of going up 17-3 early in the third quarter.

A.J. Arcuri’s holding penalty on Jordan Whittington’s touchdown

It’s always painful when penalties take points off the board. Arcuri’s holding penalty on the goal line when the Rams ran a perfect jet sweep to Whittington on second-and-1 was a backbreaker. It negated the touchdown and put the Rams in second-and-11, which forced them to take the field goal instead of a touchdown – a four-point swing. Whittington’s touchdown would’ve tied the game at 17 and given the Rams even more momentum.

Warren McClendon Jr.’s false start in fourth quarter

Leading 20-17, the Rams got the ball back with a chance to really put the game away late in the fourth quarter. From their own 20-yard line, they had second-and-12 with 2:31 left to play. There’s no guarantee they would’ve converted on the next two plays, but McClendon was called for a false start to make it second-and-17.

A 7-yard run by Kyren Williams set up third-and-10, but the bad news is Williams went out of bounds instead of staying in and forcing the Lions to use their timeout. Stafford’s third-and-10 pass was incomplete so the Lions got the ball back with two timeouts and 2:11 to play, eventually kicking a game-tying field goal.

Kamren Kinchens’ personal foul

On the Lions’ final drive of regulation, they got a huge assist from the rookie Kinchens. Sam LaPorta caught an 18-yard pass over the middle and Kinchens landed a helmet-to-helmet hit on the tight end, leading to a 15-yard penalty. So the Lions went from their own 36 to the Rams’ 31 in one play, already putting them in field goal range while trailing by just three points.

It was one of just five snaps played by Kinchens, but it was a very costly one.

How does John Johnson’s return impact the Rams secondary?

John Johnson III is back with the Rams, which complicates the depth chart in LA’s secondary

The Los Angeles Rams appeared to be done adding pieces to their secondary after drafting Kamren Kinchens and signing Kamren Curl, but Les Snead and Sean McVay made another notable move on defense this week. The Rams and John Johnson III agreed to terms on a new deal, bringing back the veteran safety for the second straight year.

Johnson didn’t earn a starting role until the second half of last season but the Rams clearly liked the way he played enough to add him to the mix again at safety. His return does complicate things in a secondary that already had several questions to answer.

The only certainties right now are that Curl and Darious Williams will be starters at safety and corner, respectively. Tre’Davious White is likely to be another starting cornerback, but that’s contingent on his health as he recovers from a torn Achilles. It remains to be seen who will cover the slot in the “star” role, a position Quentin Lake played last season, because Russ Yeast and Derion Kendrick are both getting reps there.

Could Lake be moving back to a more traditional safety role next to Curl? And if so, where does that leave Kinchens on the depth chart? And now that Johnson is back, does Kinchens have any chance to start as a rookie?

Last season, Johnson played most of his snaps as a deep safety. Assuming the Rams want to play him there again, he would be a natural fit to start next to Curl, who has been more of a box and slot defender in his career. The Rams have never really deployed a true free and strong safety under McVay, seeking safeties who can play either spot, so they might see Curl and Johnson as interchangeable.

Details of Johnson’s contract haven’t been released yet so we don’t know if the Rams are paying him starter money or the veteran minimum again like last year. That won’t determine his role, but it could be an indication of the team’s plan for him.

The biggest questions on defense following this signing are with Lake and Kinchens. The return of Johnson could mean the Rams want to keep Lake as the “star” and allow Johnson to compete with Yeast and Kinchens next to Curl. It’s hard to imagine Lake falling out of favor so much after a strong 2023 season that the Rams felt the need to replace him by signing Johnson.

No matter how things shake out, the Rams now have more depth and leadership in the secondary than they did a week ago. Johnson was fine with a backup role initially last season before working his way into a starting spot, so he’s a team player through and through.

This is a smart move by Snead and McVay, one that will guard against youth and inexperience creating weaknesses at safety.

New draft video reveals Rams landed 4 of the top 50 players on their 2024 big board

A new behind-the-scenes video from the Rams’ war room revealed that they landed 4 of the top 50 players on their big board

Every team goes into the NFL draft with a different arrangement of prospects on the big board. One team might have a player ranked 30th, whereas another has him further down the board at No. 60.

We’ll never find out exactly how the Los Angeles Rams laid out their big board for the 2024 draft but a new behind-the-scenes video from the war room does tell us something very interesting. During the latest episode of “Behind The Grind,” director of scouting strategy James Gladstone told Les Snead and Sean McVay that the Rams landed four of the top 50 players on their board by drafting Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Blake Corum and Kamren Kinchens in the first three rounds.

“Verse, Kinchens, Fiske and then we got Corum, you’d be walking away with four players in the top 50 of our overall (inaudible),” Gladstone said.

Snead was understandably thrilled about the Rams’ first four picks in the draft, coming away with four players the team feels can have an immediate impact in 2024.

“This is going to be good, though. I’m actually jacked,” Snead said.

McVay felt the same way when the Rams were set to pick Kinchens at No. 99 overall.

“If you told me that at 99, we’d be able to pull off the (expletive) safety, I’d say no (expletive) way,” McVay said.

Verse and Fiske were obviously in their top 50, going 19th and 39th overall, respectively. The Rams moved up from No. 52 to 39 in order to select Fiske because they feared he wouldn’t be there at their original slot.

Corum was drafted 83rd overall and the Rams got Kinchens at No. 99, so based on their board, which had both in the top 50, those were certified steals. No wonder the front office and coaching staff are elated about the 2024 class they came away with.

Rams sign two more draft picks, only Jared Verse left to sign

The Rams signed two more of the 2024 draft picks, leaving Jared Verse as the last one left to sign

The Los Angeles Rams got the majority of their 2024 draft class under contract earlier this week, inking seven of their 10 rookies to four-year deals. On Thursday, they signed two more players, Kamren Kinchens and Brennan Jackson, bringing the total to nine, according to ProFootballTalk.

That leaves just one rookie from the Rams’ draft class to sign: Jared Verse, their first-rounder. Verse has yet to sign his rookie contract, not that it’s anything to worry about. Some deals simply take longer to get done, especially when it comes to first- and second-rounders.

Verse was the 19th overall pick in Round 1 out of Florida State. Spotrac projects his contract will be for four years and worth a total of $15.13 million, with a signing bonus of $7.83 million.

Braden Fiske, Kamren Kinchens highlighted as instant-impact rookies in 2024

ESPN highlighted 10 defensive rookies outside Round 1 who could have instant impacts in 2024 and the Rams had two players selected

The Los Angeles Rams most likely wouldn’t have made the playoffs last season if not for the immediate contributions from rookies such as Puka Nacua, Kobie Turner and Byron Young. After selecting another 10 players in this year’s draft, the Rams hope to get a similar impact from their 2024 class, too.

Jared Verse is most likely going to be a Day 1 starter opposite Young at outside linebacker, but there are two other defenders who could help the Rams right away, too.

ESPN highlighted 10 rookies drafted outside the first round on both offense and defense and the Rams had two defenders selected: Braden Fiske and Kamren Kinchens. ESPN sees both of them as players who should help the Rams early on in 2024, potentially lining up as starters in Week 1.

Here’s what was written about Fiske as an instant-impact player for the Rams, who was ranked first by ESPN.

The Rams had an Aaron Donald-sized hole to (try to) fill at defensive tackle, and Fiske should help fill that void immediately. He lives behind the line of scrimmage as a disruptive force, cruising to six sacks over his final five college games and then crushing the pre-draft process. The Rams’ confidence in his skill set was confirmed by trading up via a package that included a 2025 second-round pick.

No one can replace Aaron Donald for the Rams but the addition of Fiske will certainly help Los Angeles fill that void in the middle of the defense. He’s a disruptive defensive tackle who wreaks havoc as a pass rusher and lives in the backfield when teams try to run the ball.

As for Kinchens, the Rams looked past his athletic limitations after running a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash, selecting him in the third round at No. 99 overall. He could be a Day 1 starter next to Kamren Curl and he should help them create more turnovers on the backend; he had 11 interceptions in the last two seasons combined.

The Rams let Jordan Fuller leave in free agency and saw safety as a position of need in free agency and the draft, signing Curl before drafting Kinchens, so the secondary will have an all-new look.

Kinchens was ranked sixth, so ESPN views him highly too.

Part of what I admire about the Rams’ draft strategy is their willingness to compromise on testing thresholds when a player’s tape is too good to ignore. That was the case with Kinchens, despite some teams’ pause over his 4.65-second run in the 40-yard dash at the combine. His overall tape was excellent — 11 picks over the past two years — and he could start next to Kamren Curl from Day 1.

If the Rams can get meaningful contributions from Verse, Fiske and Kinchens on defense, it’ll go a long way toward helping lessen the pain of losing Donald to retirement.

Rams continue to forge new defensive identity in 2024 NFL draft

Under new defensive coordinator Chris Shula, the Rams are forging a new defensive identity on that side of the ball, and it’s exciting to see

The 2024 NFL draft has officially concluded and on paper, early draft analyst grades are ranking the Rams’ 2024 haul amongst the best in the league. What we’ve learned over the course of the last 72 hours is this: The Rams defense is taking on a new identity. And frankly, it’s exciting.

The Rams made 10 selections over the course of the NFL draft, with five of the first six selections allocated to adding much-needed talent to the defensive side of the ball, filling glaring roster voids at outside linebacker, defensive line, and safety.

The selections of Jared Verse, Braden Fiske, Kamren Kinchens, Brennan Jackson and Tyler Davis reveal similar traits between the five, and could be interpreted as a new defensive identity. This defense intends to inflict a relentlessness and physicality that could draw comparisons to famed Rams defenses of the past.

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

It’s still unclear what wrinkles new defensive coordinator Chris Shula will fold into the Rams defensive scheme. He’s been a part of the Rams coaching staff since the beginning of the Sean McVay era and has served under prior coordinators Wade Phillips, Brandon Staley, and recently departed Raheem Morris.

One thing is clear, though: He has a plethora of young talent to galvanize into a formidable defensive unit. And the Rams fan base is excited to see how it materializes.

Watch highlights of new Rams safety Kam Kinchens, a ballhawk in the secondary

With the Rams finding a new safety in the NFL draft, fans have high hopes for Kam Kinchens. Here are some of his collegiate highlights.

A solid safety prospect with limited concerns and tremendous upside, Miami’s Kamren Kinches is a young, athletic defender who possesses the ball-tracking ability of a corner and the aggressiveness of a linebacker.

Kinches was drafted with the 99th overall pick in the third round by the Los Angeles Rams and many expect him to compete for a starting job this season. At the very least, Kinches will be a rotational player that will develop into a starter.

He played three years for the Hurricanes, totaling 14 pass deflections and 11 career interceptions. He was also a 2022 first-team All-American selection.

A player who was receiving second-round love throughout the pre-draft process, for the Rams to select a player of this quality is nothing short of a steal. Check out two highlight reels from his last two seasons, showing exactly what type of player the Rams are getting with their 99th overall selection.

2023 Highlights

2022 Highlights

Kamren Kinchens is in company of Sean Taylor, Ed Reed with 11 career INTs

Kamren Kinchens is one of three Miami players with 10+ interceptions in the last 25 years. The other two are Ed Reed and Sean Taylor.

Given the lack of proven talent on defense, the Los Angeles Rams seemed to exceed expectations on that side of the ball in 2023. If there’s one thing they lacked, though, it was turnovers. The Rams ranked 30th in takeaways and 23rd in interceptions, picking off just 10 passes in the regular season.

That’s fewer than new safety Kamren Kinchens had in his last two seasons at Miami alone. Kinchens, who the Rams drafted 99th overall on Friday night, is a certified ballhawk. He picked off 11 passes in the last two years, the only player in college football with at least 10 interceptions since 2022, according to Dane Brugler’s draft guide for The Athletic.

He had six interceptions and 12 passes defensed in 2022 before adding five interceptions and 10 passes defensed last season. It’s rare for a player to create so many turnovers in a two-year span, and this stat puts it into perspective.

According to Brugler, Kinchens is one of three Miami defenders with at least 10 interceptions in the last 25 years. The other two? Sean Taylor and Ed Reed. Talk about elite company.

That’s the sort of playmaking ability Kinchens brings to the Rams defense as a rookie, potentially taking over as a starter from Day 1 next to another Kamren, Kamren Curl.