McMichael glad to have Saunders aboard
Tight end had a rough campaign last season
BY STEVE KORTE
News-Democrat
ST. LOUIS -- No St. Louis Rams player may be more excited about Al Saunders being offensive coodinator than tight end Randy McMichael.
"As soon as I found what was going on and they had hired Coach Saunders, I got really excited," McMichael said. "This is the kind of offense that I have dreamed my whole career of playing in. I'm having a good time right now, and hopefully I can extend my role and keep doing the things I like to do."
McMichael likes to catch passes, though he didn't do much of that last year in his first season with the Rams. He tied a career-low in receptions with 39 and set a career-low in receiving yards with 429.
Often, McMichael was asked to serve as an extra pass blocker on an offensive line that was decimated by injuries.
"It was a miserable year, not just for me," McMichael said. "As a team, it was a miserable year. It seemed like everything that could go wrong did go wrong for us."
Saunders has a reputation for making the tight end an integral part of his passing attack.
Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez averaged 80 catches per season in his six seasons with Saunders calling the offensive plays.
Under Saunders, Washington's Chris Cooley caught 57 passes for 734 yards and two touchdowns in 2006 and 66 passes for 786 yards and eight touchdowns in 2007.
"He said the funniest thing to me the first time I met him," McMichael said of Saunders. "He said, 'I've had a Pro Bowl tight end eight straight years."'
So the pressure is on McMichael to keep that streak going.
"I'm just looking forward to the challenge," McMichael said. "I really think he is going to make me a better player. He really pushes you to be the best. He doesn't accept anything less than that, along with my tight end coach, Coach (Jim) Chaney."
McMichael said Saunders has already brought a new energy to the Rams' offense during the team's minicamp this past weekend.
"You could just tell from the first play on Friday afternoon, this is a new day around here," McMichael said. "The guys are excited to be here. It is going to be a fun year for everybody. I think Coach (Scott) Linehan really did a good job of changing the coaches and bringing in some new offensive minds and giving us a better chance of being successful."
McMichael said the Rams must avoid injuries on the offensive line, like the torn labrum muscle in the season opener that knocked Pro Bowl left tackle
Orlando Pace out for the season, that they dealt with a year ago.
"That is going to be the biggest thing for not only the offense, but this entire football team," McMichael said. "Keeping those guys up front healthy. Like I told 'Big O,' 'We don't want you to show up until that Sunday morning (for season-opener on Sept. 7 against Philadelphia). Just take it easy.'
"It's really valuable that we keep those five guys in a rhythm. We need those give guys playing a lot of football together in order for us to be successful."
McMichael also welcomed the addition of tight end Anthony Becht, a free agent from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who is known for his blocking.
"He is definitely going to help out a lot," McMichael said. "We have the same agent, and he was like, 'They're going to sign Becht and he is going to help you out a lot with the in-line blocking. He'll take some of that pressure off of you.' The thing about Becht -- I saw him so many years when he was with the Jets and I was with Miami -- he can surprise you with the way he catches the football."
Becht said he could tell that McMichael was having fun catching passes during the minicamp.
"He definitely wants to get down the field and catch the ball," Becht said. "He's a great receiver, and I think he's proven that over the years. I think last year was just a product of how that season went. The good thing that Coach Saunders brings to this offense is that there are no reads.
"If you're running a route, then you have a chance to catch the ball. I think that gives everybody a little heightened awareness when they are running their routes. If Randy is out there running a route, then he has a great chance of getting the ball."
"I'm a beast and you don't tame a beast, you hit it with a stick and then let it go out into the wild"
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