Part of the reason the Los Angeles Rams traded back in the fourth round of the draft this year was to gather extra picks in the seventh round, which they planned to use on a kicker. After losing Greg Zuerlein in free agency, the Rams knew they had to find someone to take his place – someone hopefully as clutch and accurate as the man they called “Greg The Leg.”
In Round 7, the Rams selected Sam Sloman from Miami of Ohio, drafting him over presumed top kicker Rodrigo Blankenship. The team showed interest in Sloman before the draft, so his selection wasn’t a surprise, and now he’ll get a chance to be the Rams’ primary kicker in 2020.
Part of what caught their eye about Sloman was his clutch factor. This stat was shared by Rams senior personnel executive Brian Xanders, which is certainly encouraging as Sloman enters the kicking battle.
“In the second half or overtime during the last two years, he went 27 out of 29. So when the score is tight or it’s getting close to the end of the game, he’s been clutch,” Xanders said.
Another trait that Xanders highlighted was Sloman’s kicking technique, which allows him to generate a lot of power. He compared it to a golf swing because of the angle of approach that Sloman takes with his kicks.
“I’ve done kickers for 20 something years now and one nuance of kicking is the angle of approach. He’s very consistent of being a really short angle behind the ball, which allows you to get more power. It’s almost like a powerful golf swing,” Xanders said.
Lastly, he loves Sloman’s competitiveness and the improvement he made during his career at Miami.
“I think the third positive with him is he’s gotten better every year and what’s ascended with him is his power and explosion. He’s a powerful guy, he’s a weather kicker and he’s a competitor. He just wants to take everybody’s job,” Xanders said.
Sloman will have to beat out Lirim Hajrullahu – who’s out making 75- and 77-yard kicks in practice – and Austin MacGinnis, who had a strong track record in the XFL this past season, in order to be the team’s primary kicker. But he has the traits of an NFL starter and someone who can really help the Rams.
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