By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Saturday, Jun. 09 2007
Try as they may, the Rams never could get the Jimmy Kennedy experiment to work.
So they finally decided to junk it.
Kennedy, a defensive tackle who was the Rams' first-round choice (No. 12
overall) in the 2003 draft, was traded to the Denver Broncos on Friday for a
sixth-round pick in next year's draft.
The trade was no surprise to Kennedy.
"Naw, I knew it was going to happen for a while now," he said. "I was just
waiting."
Kennedy said he welcomed the change of scenery.
"I'm definitely encouraged by it," he said. "It's great to go somewhere where
I'm wanted. I'm looking forward to starting over."
Rams coach Scott Linehan acknowledged that the deal carries "a certain amount
of risk." But he added: "I think our depth on the defensive line made it
possible to move in another direction. Jimmy gave us four good years."
Just how good those four years were is debatable, however. Kennedy's stay in
St. Louis was marked by a succession of injuries and a failure to meet the
expectations of a first-round draftee.
The 6-foot-4, 325-pound Penn State product was a part-time performer in his
first three seasons, getting just 14 starts in 37 games.
Last year, the Rams shifted Kennedy to nose tackle from under tackle, or the
"three-technique" spot, and named him a starter for the first time. It was a
move that defensive coordinator
Jim Haslett believed suited Kennedy's skills.
"He's smart, he doesn't make a lot of mistakes, and he listens," Haslett said
then. "He's going to be a heck of a player."
But it didn't work out that way. Kennedy, 27, suffered a broken hand on the
second play of the season opener and, though he started all 16 games, was
unable to master a position he hadn't played previously. He finished with 55
tackles and one sack last year for career totals of 149 tackles and five sacks.
The Rams spent three of their eight draft selections in April on defensive
linemen, including first-rounder Adam Carriker. He played defensive end at
Nebraska but is expected to take over at nose tackle.
"With the addition of the young tackles, including
Claude Wroten from a year
ago, I really think that we're closer to what we want to do," Linehan said.
"After a month of evaluating our young guys, we came to the conclusion that we
might be able to do a deal."
The trade also could indicate that the Rams are interested in resuming trade
talks with Carolina about veteran Kris Jenkins.
Kennedy was heading into the final season of his original five-year, $9 million
contract.
The Broncos have a whopping 17 defensive linemen on their roster, including
veteran Sam Adams, who signed as a free agent earlier this week.
Kennedy will vie for a spot in the tackle rotation with Adams, Gerard Warren,
Demetrin Veal and rookie Marcus Thomas.
Kennedy stressed that however things go for him in Denver, he'd remember fondly
his days with the Rams,
"I'm blessed that they gave me an opportunity to be a professional, and if I
had it to do over again, I would," he said. "But change is good sometimes, and
I'm looking forward to this change."
GO RAMS 
Linear Mode
