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If Kenny Britt’s second season with the St. Louis Rams is anything like his second with the Tennessee Titans, he may be in for the best year of his [still] young NFL career. Britt, who won’t turn 27 until mid-September, has already played six seasons in the league.
In 2009, Britt’s rookie season, he got off to a relatively respectable start to his career, playing in all 16 games, hauling in 42 catches for 701 yards, and three scores.
Statistically, it’s not that far off from his first season in St. Louis. Last year, Britt [for only the second time in his career] played in all 16 games, caught 48 passes for 748 yards, again with three touchdowns.
In 2010, Britt’s sophomore year, he hit career highs in both yardage [775] and touchdowns [9], despite playing in only 12 games.
And while none of the aforementioned figures were, or are, good enough to earn Britt a trip to the Pro Bowl, the 700-yard threshold for a receiver not named Torry Holt has been ever-elusive in St. Louis since the legendary Rams’ receiver left town in 2008. Many have tried, but come up short.
Your leading receivers for the St. Louis Rams for each season since 2008:
Your leading receivers for the St. Louis Rams for each season since 2008:
The team’s leading receiver, Britt stated he wanted a fresh start in 2014, and at the conclusion of the 2013 season, made proclamations of being "a No. 1 receiver somewhere.” Statistically, I suppose, Britt stayed true to his word, and the Rams re-signed him on a two year, $14 million dollar deal last Thursday.
The question is whether or not Britt, like his second season with the Titans, can build on a respectable start in a new home. He’s healthy, he’s working hard, and he’s done and said all the things you’d want to hear from a leader on the team.
But there are other factors that come into play.
Is he really the Rams’ number one receiver? Brian Quick was clearly the favorite in the early going of the 2014 season. He caught 39 passes in seven games prior to be lost for the season [shoulder]. Britt had only 28 receptions at the time. It goes without saying Quick's injury opened up the door for Britt to become more heavily featured in the offense. If Quick comes back healthy, he could be the receiver primed for a breakout year. The Rams could also just as easily select the NFL Draft’s top receiver with the 10th overall pick.
Brian Schottenheimer will be calling plays at the University of Georgia this fall, so it remains to be seen how that - the promotion of Frank Cignetti - impacts the offensive play-calling. Sam Bradford won’t be under center either. Britt will need to build a rapport with the Rams’ new QB, Nick Foles...or potentially a signal-caller they take early in the upcoming draft.
There are a lot of variables and moving pieces that’ll factor into Britt’s potential numbers in the upcoming year. It’s way too early to call it, but I’m going to ask you to regardless. What’s the over/under on Kenny Britt’s receiving yards in 2015? He’s making $14 million over two years, so I’ll set it at 800.