Will Case Keenum Be The Answer At Quarterback For The St. Louis Rams?

Many should have seen this coming, as the final cuts were made, it was imminent that the St. Louis Rams would go through the scraps and try to pick up a quarterback to get some depth behind Shaun Hill. To do that, head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead signed former Houston Texans quarterback Case Keenum.

To start the season will be veteran quarterback Shaun Hill who is the best choice as he has had the offseason to gain familiarity with the scheme and has built chemistry with the receivers. The only other choice would be backup quarterback Austin Davis who hasn’t taken a snap outside the preseason in his career.

With Keenum, the Rams are getting a quarterback with starting ability and has some starting experience. Although he went 0-8 last season with Houston,, but that’s hardly his fault, as he was merely the guy holding the wheel after the ship hit the iceberg and Matt Schaub was mutinied.

Keenum threw for 1,760 yards, nine touchdowns, six interceptions, and completed 54.2 percent of his passes in eight starts that all ended up in losses. Although that may not look too impressive, for a quarterback thrown into the fire, it isn’t too bad. 

In fact, Keenum kept the Texans in a lot of the games he started, only losing one game by more than one score which was a 25-3 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Other than that he notably lost to the Chiefs 17-16, Colts 27-24, Cardinals 27-24, and Patriots 34-31.

A loss is a loss, but with the Texans who lost three of their previous six games by more than one score, this feat is somewhat impressive.

There is some potential there both for the team and for the player. Keenum gets a fresh start, and the Rams get  a backup with some starting ability. The new Rams quarterback has a lot of potential and good skill set, somebody that if you build around, might be able to be successful. Although Keenum may not be in the Rams’ future plans the team now has a backup with a little starting experience now. 

This kid can flat out play and isn’t afraid to take chances. He’s not the tallest guy, but if your offense needs a spark, Keenum is your guy. In college Keenum was one of the most highly productive quarterbacks in college football history, setting the record for passing yardage in a career.

Last season he had some flashes of that potential, but he is too inconsistent. If Shaun Hill struggles early on, and the Rams have nothing to lose you have to wonder if they see what they have in Keenum and if they will hand him the reigns.