Danario Alexander had enough positives in St. Louis Rams training camp to outweigh questions about his durability.

After surviving cutdown day, the second-year receiver can worry less about his oft-injured left knee and turn his attention to Sunday’s opener against Philadelphia. The grind of camp is over and so is the competition at a position the Rams addressed in the offseason.

The Rams cut receivers Mardy Gilyard and Donnie Avery, opting for Alexander — a 6-foot-5, 215-pounder who gives the team and quarterback Sam Bradford a true deep threat.

“It was a pretty big task,” Alexander said. “I wasn’t used to coming out here pounding every day on my knee. For me to get through it, it’s truly a blessing.”

Gilyard, a fourth-round pick last year, was released Saturday before signing with the New York Jets.

Avery was a second-round pick in 2008 and the first wide receiver chosen that season. He missed all of last season with a knee injury but came back this preseason and had six receptions for 91 yards, a 15.2 average, and a touchdown.

Alexander was cut just before the season opener last August while still rehabbing from a fourth knee operation, then re-signed to the practice squad and activated after Mark Clayton’s season-ending knee injury.

In his NFL debut, he caught a 38-yard touchdown pass against the Chargers.

That week, Alexander looked pretty much like the player who caught 113 passes and led the nation with 1,781 yards receiving at Missouri in 2009. Earlier in his college career, Alexander started ahead of future Eagles star Jeremy Maclin.

But he was not drafted after injuring the knee prior to the Senior Bowl, and his first NFL season was interrupted by a fifth operation.

This summer, he missed time with knee soreness and recently underwent an MRI that revealed no new issues.

“For me to go out there with a swollen knee for a couple of days and still fight through it shows what kind of heart I have,” Alexander said.

Alexander totaled seven catches for 109 yards in the preseason.

“We all know what he has to overcome and battle every week and he toughs it out,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “So, he’s one of the guys right now.”

General manager Billy Devaney said it didn’t necessarily come down to Alexander vs. Avery.

“There are a lot of factors that go into these decisions,” he said. “I don’t want to compare the two guys because I still think Donnie Avery is going to be a good player in the league and, knock on wood, Danario is going to give us a chance on game day to be out there and make plays and help us wins games.”

Alexander said he believed his performance last season and during the preseason proved he was NFL-worthy.

Now he’s happy he doesn’t have to prove himself with a new team.

“It’s a big relief,” he said. “This is my job and this is what I love to do. I love playing for the Rams and for the coaches just letting me be on the team it’s a great honor for me.”

ST. LOUIS (AP)—Danario Alexander(notes) had enough positives during training camp
to outweigh questions about his durability.

After surviving cutdown day, the second-year receiver can worry less about
his oft-injured left knee and turn his attention to the St. Louis Rams’ season
opener Sunday against Philadelphia. The grind of camp is over and so is the
competition at a position the team addressed in the offseason.

The Rams cut receivers Mardy Gilyard(notes) and Donnie Avery(notes), opting for Alexander
— a 6-foot-5, 215-pounder who gives the team and quarterback Sam Bradford(notes) a true
deep threat.

“It was a pretty big task,” Alexander said. “I wasn’t used to coming out
here pounding every day on my knee. For me to get through it, it’s truly a
blessing.”

Gilyard, a fourth-round pick last year, was released Saturday before signing
with the New York Jets.

Avery was a second-round pick in 2008 and the first wide receiver chosen
that season. He missed all of last season with a knee injury but came back this
preseason and had six receptions for 91 yards, a 15.2 average, and a touchdown.

Alexander was cut just before the season opener last August while still
rehabbing from a fourth knee operation, then re-signed to the practice squad and
was activated after Mark Clayton’s(notes) season-ending knee injury. In his NFL debut,
he caught a 38-yard touchdown pass against the San Diego Chargers.

That week, Alexander looked pretty much like the player who caught 113
passes and led the nation with 1,781 yards receiving at Missouri in 2009.
Earlier in his college career, Alexander started ahead of future Eagles star
Jeremy Maclin(notes).

But he was not drafted after injuring the knee prior to the Senior Bowl, and
his first NFL season was interrupted by a fifth operation. This summer, he
missed time with knee soreness and recently underwent an MRI that revealed no
new issues.

“For me to go out there with a swollen knee for a couple of days and still
fight through it shows what kind of heart I have,” Alexander said.

Alexander totaled seven catches for 109 yards in the preseason.

“We all know what he has to overcome and battle every week and he toughs it
out,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “So, he’s one of the guys right now.”

General manager Billy Devaney said it didn’t necessarily come down to
Alexander vs. Avery.

“There are a lot of factors that go into these decisions,” he said. “I don’t
want to compare the two guys because I still think Donnie Avery is going to be a
good player in the league and, knock on wood, Danario is going to give us a
chance on game day to be out there and make plays and help us win games.”

Alexander said he believed his performance last season and during the
preseason proved he was NFL-worthy.

Now he’s happy he doesn’t have to prove himself with a new team.

“It’s a big relief,” he said. “This is my job and this is what I love to do.
I love playing for the Rams and for the coaches just letting me be on the team,
it’s a great honor for me.”

St. Louis Rams quarterback Thaddeus Lewis scrambles during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, in St. Louis. Lewis, who lost a battle for the backup quarterback job, was picked up by the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Photo by The Associated Press.

R.B. FALLSTROM, AP Sports Writer

Monday, September 5, 2011

ST. LOUIS (AP) — An indication of the St. Louis Rams’ roster strength is the battles that went to the wire, and the quarterback they lost.

Thaddeus Lewis, who lost a battle for the backup quarterback job, was picked up by the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The Rams were hoping to re-sign Lewis to the practice squad for a second straight year, but his preseason work got the attention of Browns coach Pat Shurmur, St. Louis’ offensive coordinator last season.

Two other players cut Saturday quickly found homes, wide receiver Mardy Gilyard went to the Cleveland Browns and defensive end George Selvie went to the Carolina Panthers.

The closest call in the final cutdown may have been keeping wide receiver Danario Alexander despite a balky left knee over Donnie Avery, who missed last season with a knee injury.

“I still think Donnie Avery is going to be a good player in the league and, knock on wood, Danario is going to give us a chance on game day to be out there and make plays and help us win games,” general manager Billy Devaney said Sunday on a conference call. “So we weigh everything.”

Devaney noted that having tough decisions to make is better than the alternative.

“We realize every time we make a move to put somebody out there, we always say you have to expect to lose them,” Devaney said. “Like we said when they were leaving the building, we hope they go on and have great careers.”

The Rams re-signed six players to the practice squad, all undrafted free agents. They have two spots open, one of them for signing a quarterback that Devaney said was a priority.

Like many teams following a rule change to allow a 46-man game-day roster instead of 45 players plus a third-string quarterback, the Rams elected to carry just two quarterbacks with veteran A.J. Feeley as the backup behind Sam Bradford.

Seven draft picks made the 53-man roster. Devaney said the final player on the Rams’ game-day roster could likely be a special teams player instead of someone who carries a clipboard.

Players signed to the practice squad were defensive backs Tim Atchison and Jonathan Nelson, defensive tackle John Henderson, offensive linemen Kevin Hughes and Ryan McKee and running back Chase Reynolds.

The Rams also are looking for depth at cornerback, although Devaney said a lot of teams have that need.

“But we will keep looking, I promise you,” Devaney said.

By Dan Moore

– Managing Editor

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Sep 2, 2011 – Lance Kendricks continued to serve as Sam Bradford’s favorite target in the St. Louis Rams’ new offense Thursday, catching three balls for 73 yards and his third touchdown of the preseason to consolidate his position as the Rams’ top receiving option. The Rams rookie, who was seen by some as an overdraft when he went in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft, has looked like a perfect fit for Josh McDaniels’s offense so far. He’s got 11 receptions for 155 yards and three touchdowns in four games; only Brandon Gibson, whose 83-yard touchdown reception sort of skews things, and Donnie Avery have accrued 100 receiving yards. 

Kendricks’s performance comes as McDaniels seems ready to emphasize the role of the tight end in the Rams’ offense, and with Michael Hoomanawanui fragile at best and Fendi Onobun not ready to start by any stretch of the imagination a strong start will be crucial for McDaniels’s plan to work. 

Read More: Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Michael Hoomanawanui (TE – STL), Fendi Onobun (TE – STL), Lance Kendricks (TE – STL), St. Louis Rams

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