By PFW staff
March 1, 2008

It was a bittersweet Friday for the Rams on the kicking front. In the morning, Jeff Wilkins, the team’s strong-legged, rock-solid placekicker the last 11 seasons, announced his retirement. Bothered by persistent leg and back injuries that were potentially nerve-related this past season, Wilkins had been contemplating calling it quits since season’s end. By the evening, though, the Rams had replaced their career leading scorer (1,223 points) — Wilkins also held franchise marks for both field goals attempted and made — with unrestricted free agent Josh Brown, who has spent the last five seasons with the Seahawks. Brown, who is coming off a career-high 127-point season in Seattle, signed a five-year contract.  

The PFW spin

After a slow start to their offseason, things continue to be looking up for the Rams, who have received what must be considered an upgrade in the PK department in Brown. He is an ascending performer who is excellent in the clutch, and he has just as strong a leg as Wilkins, who was one of the league’s best placekickers from 50 yards and beyond. As was the case with most of the Rams players in 2007, Wilkins had an off year and was unusually erratic, connecting on 24-of-32 attempts. Brown’s accuracy wasn’t much better, but he has established himself as a very solid foot soldier at the pro level. In 2006, he won PFW’s Golden Toe Award, given to the league’s most outstanding kicking specialist, after connecting on four game-winning field goals, including two against the Rams, one of which was a 54-yarder with no time remaining.