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Kellen Heard is the St. Louis Rams newest defensive tackle, claimed off waivers from the Buffalo Bills. He adds depth to a position hit hard by injuries during the closing weeks of training camp and the preseason.
Heard measures 6-foot-6, 339 pounds. Big and tall, which seems to be a theme since Mike Waufle took over as the Rams defensive line coach, coming over from the Giants were tall defensive linemen were emphasized by general manager Jerry Reese. After all, if you can't sack the quarterback, at least you can at least make it hard for him to see.
The Oakland Raiders originally signed Heard as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2010, and he spent the year on their practice squad. The Bills signed him away from the Raiders' practice squad in December of 2010.
He played in 14 games with the Bills last season, playing a total of 259 snaps with an overall grade of -0.4 from Pro Football Focus. The negative mark largely stems from five penalties. Against the run, he came out with a 0.7 grade, the same number he had as a pass rusher. Heard had two sacks, both against New England, one quarterback hit and six quarterback pressures.