St. Louis Rams Roster Preview: Special Teams

Special Teams Players on the Roster: Greg Zuerlein, Johnny Hekker, Michael Palardy, Jake McQuaide, Tyler Ott

Nearly every successful team in the NFL makes sure they are strong in all three phases of the game – offense, defense and special teams. While special teams are often overlooked by fans, teams know that it is imperative to have strong special teams units.

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The St. Louis Rams have been building to become one of the better, young special teams units in the NFL over the past few seasons. With kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter Johnny Hekker, they are doing just that. Combine that with returners such as Benny Cunningham and Tavon Austin and Jeff Fisher is building towards a solid unit.

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The group is highlighted by punter Johnny Hekker. His 46.5 yards per punt average was good for eighth in the NFL, but his net punting average of 42.3 was good for fourth in the NFL. Hekker blasted 33 punts inside the opponents 20 yard line, good for third in the NFL. His punts averaged just a 6.9 yards per return average, good for seventh in the NFL. All of these stats show how complete a punter Hekker is, combining power and precision with hang time to allow his punt coverage units to be successful.

Handling the kicking duties is Greg Zuerlein, a player who has had an up-and-down career despite having one of the strongest legs in the NFL. He is entering his fourth NFL season and hit 80 percent of his kicks in 2014. While it was not nearly as good as his 92.9 percent in 2013, it was a solid season.

Zuerlein also handled the kickoff duties for the Rams for the third consecutive season. He produced 38 touchbacks on 73 total kickoffs. On average opponents started at the 24 yard line.

The Rams will likely have a battle for the long snapper spot between Jake McQuaide and Tyler Ott. McQuaide will be returning for his fifth NFL season, but the Rams will be bringing Ott to Training Camp. While it is an overlooked position, ensuring consistent snaps is vital for any special teams unit.

The Rams also have good return teams, using Austin to return punts and Cunningham to return kickoffs. Austin returned 35 punts for 391 yards, good for an 11.2 yards per return average. That average placed him fifth in the NFL. He also returned a punt for a touchdown, and proved to be one of the more dynamic special teams weapons in the NFL.

Cunningham was one of the more dynamic kick returners in the NFL, completing the returns group. He returned 35 kickoffs for 963 yards, good for a 27.5 yards per return average. Like Austin, Cunningham was fifth in the NFL in return average. While he did not have a touchdown, he was one of the most consistent return men in the NFL.

The Rams use Chris Givens as the “up man” on kickoff returns, where he uses his toughness to block for Cunningham.

Nov 23, 2014; San Diego, CA, USA; St. Louis Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein (4) against the San Diego Chargers during the first quarter at Qualcomm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Rams also have a pair of core special teams players that stand out above the rest – Darren Bates and Chase Reynolds. Both play important parts in coverage units and are relentless players that make an impact. Bates recorded nine special teams tackles while Bates had 16. Bates’ 16 special teams tackles was tied for 5th in the NFL, just two behind the leaders Matthew Slater of the Patriots and Justin Bethel of the Arizona Cardinals. These standout special teams players bolster a strong group.

Projected Depth Chart

K – Greg Zuerlein

P – Johnny Hekker

LS – Jake McQuaide

PR – Tavon Austin

KR – Benny Cunningham; Chris Givens; Tavon Austin

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