L.A. Rams’ Case Keenum has the mind-set of a starting quarterback

The Los Angeles Rams’ head coach sat behind the middle of the table, a Pro Bowl defensive tackle to his right and a Pro Bowl punter to his left.

As reporters, photographers and television camera operators surrounded Jeff Fisher, Aaron Donald and Johnny Hekker on Friday after a team meeting at a Manhattan Beach hotel, Case Keenum stood off to the side.

It marked perhaps the final time that Keenum, the presumptive starting quarterback heading into off-season workouts, would not be the focus of attention as the Rams prepare for their first season in Southern California in more than two decades.

“I’m looking forward to moving to L.A.,” Keenum told reporters, adding, “I’m ready for the city and just for the experience to blow me away.”

Keenum, 28, will try to hold on to a job that has potential to become the most high-profile position in a celebrity-studded Los Angeles sports environment. Keenum is entering his fifth pro season after supplanting Nick Foles as the Rams’ starter late last season.

Rams quarterback Case Keenum went 3-2 in five starts last season.

(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)

Fisher has said that Keenum was the starter but that Foles and second-year pro Sean Mannion would have an opportunity to compete for the job. He also said that the Rams could add as many as two quarterbacks before training camp.

The Rams have the 15th pick in the April draft. NFL veterans Robert Griffin III and Peyton Manning have been mentioned in reports as quarterbacks the Rams could pursue.

Keenum does not sound too concerned. He said he would treat the off-season as he did when he played at Abilene (Texas) Wylie High ... as he did when he was a record-setting passer at the University of Houston ... as he did after signing with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent.

“I’m going to treat it like I’m the starter,” he said. “That’s my mind-set… The nice thing now is that I’ve got some confidence, and some coaches saying some things and they’re believing the same thing, so I’m going to believe in myself.”

In six games last season, Keenum completed 61% of his passes, four for touchdowns, with one interception. The Rams went 3-2 in his five starts.

“I’m excited about the position I’m in and the position the team is in,” he said. “I think we’re poised to make that next step and be a playoff contender.”

The Rams have a way to go. They were 7-9 last season, the fourth time in four seasons under Fisher that they finished below .500. The Rams featured star rookie running back Todd Gurley but ranked last in passing offense.

“I’m tired of hearing that the Rams were 32nd in passing, to be honest,” Keenum said, adding, “Literally, the only way is up.”

General Manager Les Snead has said that he has confidence in Keenum, an unrestricted free agent who Snead said would be re-signed. There was no pressure to bring in a big-name quarterback to appease the celebrity-driven L.A. market, Snead said.

“Not only in the NFL but in most team sports, I don’t think you sell anything — I think you earn everything,” Snead said. “We’ll earn, if you want to call it fan appreciation, by going out and being competitive and winning games.

“It’s never been a philosophy to go, ‘Hey, let’s sell an individual.’ Because it’s 11 on offense, 11 on defense, 11 on special teams. You’ve got to work together.”

Keenum said he was prepared to compete if the Rams bring in other quarterbacks.

“I [had] one scholarship offer out of high school,” he said. “Out of college I was undrafted. Nothing’s been handed to me. I’ve worked extremely hard for anything that’s come my way, so I know that I’m going to have to work extremely hard for anything that comes forward from this.”

Much of the discussion during the team meeting dealt with logistics of the Rams’ relocation to Los Angeles. Keenum does not expect his bid to open the season as the starter to be thrown off by the move.

“You can look at it as problems and you can look at it as opportunities,” he said. “I’m just a kid from West Texas who grew up in a small town. Went to Houston, a little bit bigger city. But I mean this is L.A. … there’s a lot of opportunity here.”

Notes

Cornerback Trumaine Johnson has signed a one-year franchise tender, Fisher said. Johnson will earn nearly $14 million for the 2016 season if he and the Rams do not agree to a longer-term deal by the July 15 deadline. Johnson and fellow free-agent cornerback Janoris Jenkins were among players who did not attend the voluntary meeting…. The Rams are scheduled to begin their off-season program April 18. They will conduct off-season workouts in Oxnard, and remain on track to hold training camp at UC Irvine and in-season workouts in the Thousand Oaks area.

Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @LATimesKlein

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