Leckey moves into starting role as Rams center
BY STEVE KORTE
News-Democrat
ST. LOUIS --
The St. Louis Rams' depth on the offensive line already is being tested.
Nick Leckey has moved into a starting role with center Brett Romberg hampered by a broken hand, and rookies John Greco and Roy Schuening now are key backups with
Mark Setterstrom and Brandon Gorin out for the season with injuries.
Rams coach Scott Linehan said Leckey is making a run at the starting job after not even being mentioned as a candidate for that role at the start of training camp.
Romberg and
Richie Incognito were supposed to battle to be the starting center, but Incognito has moved back to right guard where he played last season.
"Sometimes there's an opportunity that arises because of an injury, but at this point, Nick Leckey has really made a statement for the center position," Linehan said. "There's nothing that Brett did do or didn't do, he just hasn't been able to be as effective because of his hand. Nick has gone in there and played really well."
As for Greco and Schuening, who were added during the 2008 NFL Draft to lend depth to an offensive line that was riddled with injuries last season, the future is now.
"There is a reason why they are here, we just are asking them (to be contributors) a little sooner," Linehan said. "It just gives them an opportunity now to get more snaps than what they would have gotten to this point. So in a lot of ways that is good for those two."
Leckey said he feels better prepared mentally to be a starter now than he did last season when he thrust into starting lineup at right guard for two games due to injuries.
"I feel that right now my focus is better," Leckey said. "In the past, I dwelled on things too much. I let it linger instead of just looking forward. In the past, maybe I was looking behind me a little bit, which never helps you out."
Leckey and the rest of the Rams' starting offensive line paved the way for Antonio Pittman and Brian Leonard to rush for 105 yards in the first half of a 7-6 win over the San Diego Chargers last Saturday.
"That always make the o-line happy," Leckey said. "Whenever you rush for over 100 yards on a really good defense, and I know they were missing a bunch of their guy, but anytime you can rush for that many yards, it's always a good thing."
Leckey said it was sad to see Setterstrom being carted off the field with a fractured knee cap last Saturday in a scene eerily similar to last season when he was carted off with a torn ACL in his knee in Week 3 vs. Tampa Bay.
"For him to just get off rehabbing and finally have the confidence to stand on his knee, it's heart-breaking to me," Leckey said. "He's such a tremendous player and such a good guy to have around by you in the locker room. Anytime you have one of your fellow o-linemen go down, it's heartbreaking."
Linehan said Greco, a third-round pick out of the University of Toledo, will work at right guard behind Incognito and right tackle behind
Alex Barron. Roy Schuening has been working at left guard behind Jacob Bell.
"I never played guard until I came here, but I caught on quick," Greco said. "Knowing the tackle spots, you are required to know the guard stuff, too. I know the plays. It's just a little bit different footwork."
Greco started 49 consecutive games, including 36 at left tackle, for Toledo. Schuening started a school-record 50 games at Oregon State.
"I'll say it's all luck," Schuening said of his durability. "There were guys who got hurt all around. I was lucky enough not to get hurt. We spent a lot of time in the training room after games just making sure that little soreness didn't turn into something big. I was real lucky that nothing major ever happened to me."
As the only two rookies among the Rams' offensive linemen, Schuening and Greco have struck up a friendship.
"Me and John met at the minicamp, and we just clicked right off the bat," Schuening said. "He's such a great guy, a fun guy to be around. Anytime one of us is down and not having a good day, the other guy kind of picks him up. He's doing a great job over on the right side, and it would be great for us someday to be out there starting. Right now, we're learning and doing what we can to help this team win."