National Football League

Rams enjoying net Gaines on their investment in rookie corner

Published Oct. 7, 2014 7:30 p.m. ET

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ST. LOUIS -- Few experts or fans could have predicted the clear standout of the Rams' 2014 draft class four games into the season.

That would be E.J. Gaines, the sixth-round selection from Missouri who beat out second-year cornerback Brandon McGee and a handful of other rookies for a starting spot after Trumaine Johnson went down with a knee injury in the preseason. While No. 2 pick Greg Robinson struggles to see the field and third-round pick Tre Mason can't even make the active list on Sundays, Gaines has forced coach Jeff Fisher into a tough decision when Johnson makes his return.

Unlike the quarterback battle between two players expected to be backups, that's not such a bad problem to have. Johnson would be a solid option in the secondary if he were to pick up where he left off last season, but it's not clear if that would really be an improvement over Gaines.

After all, Johnson wouldn't have gotten his extended opportunity without poor play from Cortland Finnegan, whose season ended early because of blurred vision caused by a broken orbital bone. Johnson's 68 tackles and three interceptions impressed the Rams enough they kept him as the starter and released Finnegan last March.

St. Louis certainly won't want to give up on Johnson, who has been running but still didn't practice last week. The injury was initially expected to sideline him for about six weeks, and it's important to note he's six years younger than his predecessor.

After Johnson went down, it appeared the Rams had a deep, serviceable but inexperienced group of defensive backs, though none had really separated himself. Gaines began to change that toward the end of training camp, and he's only gotten better.

That improvement culminated with his best game of the year last Sunday, when he grabbed his first interception and recovered his first fumble. Those highlights earned him a nomination for the NFL's Rookie of the Week voting, though he's unlikely to beat out San Diego running back Branden Oliver and his 182 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns.

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Gaines tied for second in the SEC with five interceptions for Mizzou last season, but it's not flashy plays that have earned him playing time in the NFL. In fact, he lost credit for half a sack and a blocked field goal after a review of the game tape in St. Louis' lone win at Tampa Bay.

He may not be the biggest or fastest defensive back on the field, and you won't see him provide big hits like safety T.J. McDonald. Instead, Gaines relies on sure tackling and great positioning, which was on display when he made his interception against Philadelphia's leading receiver -- Jeremy Maclin -- look easy.

Maclin, like Gaines a former Mizzou star, was relatively quiet Sunday with five catches for 76 yards, including a 24-yard touchdown when he got matched up with rookie nickelback Lamarcus Joyner. Quarterback Nick Foles failed to even connect with Maclin on more than half of his 11 targets.

St. Louis' secondary has gone from a concern to something close to a strength since the season began, thanks in large part to the surprising play of Gaines. That's not to say he hasn't made some mistakes, such as his contributions to Dez Bryant's wide-open 68-yard touchdown in the Cowboys' 34-31 win.

But according to ESPN's Nick Wagoner, on plays excluding special teams, Gaines' 73 snaps were easily more than every other Rams draft pick combined last Sunday. Fisher hasn't said much about what the secondary might look like when Johnson returns, but keeping Gaines as a starter may be the best option for this team.

You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.

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