As Darcy Johnson departed St. Louis after the Rams released him in their final round of cuts on Sept. 4, he was given a quick reminder that things change quickly in the NFL.

“I took it in stride, wished Coach and them luck and they said ‘We might need you back,’” Johnson said.

Little did Johnson know that the “we might need you back” would come sooner than later.

Fast forward only a week and Johnson had re-signed with the Rams following an ankle injury to rookie tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. Speed it up to this week and knee injuries to tight ends Billy Bajema and Daniel Fells could take Johnson from street free agent to starter in a matter of only two weeks.

Such is life in the NFL where one play can cancel a chance for one player and open a world of opportunity to another.

“It’s one play and then the crazy thing about it is Billy goes down last week and Danny is limited and here’s an opportunity,” Johnson said. “But I am ready for it. I can handle it. I am ready for the opportunity and there won’t be any drop off, trust me if I get out there on Sunday.”

With Hoomanawanui and Bajema definitely out this week, the possibility remains that Fells could be ready to go in time for Sunday’s game against Washington though he didn’t practice Wednesday and was limited on Thursday.

That leaves the Rams with five tight ends on the roster but only two known to be fully healthy and ready to contribute against the Redskins: Johnson and rookie Fendi Onobun, who has yet to be active in the first two contests.

In theory, the injuries to the other tight ends on the roster could lead the Rams to making some adjustments in how they deploy and use Johnson, Onobun and possibly Fells.

But rookie quarterback Sam Bradford has showed a penchant for seeking out his tight end, having quite a bit of success in distributing the ball to that position.

Although Bradford seemed to develop particular chemistry with Hoomanawanui, Bajema and Fells, he spent enough time working with Johnson and Onobun during the preseason that he believes they won’t miss a beat in terms of timing and effectiveness.

“Yeah, we are banged up at tight end a little bit right now, so the tight ends that do play this game, we’re going to have to make the most of every rep in practice, we’re probably going to have to stay after and get a couple routes, but both guys who are going to go this week, they were here all training camp,” Bradford said. “We’ve had plenty of work with them, I’ve had plenty of work with them so I feel good about whoever we have at tight end.”

For his part, Johnson’s return and subsequent rise up the depth chart shouldn’t come as a major adjustment.

Johnson is in his fifth NFL season after spending the first four with the Giants in New York. In addition, he spent the entire offseason program with the Rams after signing on March 22.

That time with the team made Johnson’s transition back to the team relatively easy. Now, he’s hoping to seize whatever opportunity afforded him by the injuries that have taken place.

“First and foremost, it’s unfortunate that everybody got hurt but it is an opportunity so if I can go out there and show off my value and they like me well enough, maybe they will keep me around for the rest of the year, I don’t know,” Johnson said. “But all I can do is control what I can control and just go out there and compete.”

The other aspect of Johnson’s duty this week will be providing insight and leadership to Onobun.

“You go out there and be the veteran and do everything the right way because you know he is watching everything you do, the good and the bad,” Johnson said. “So you have got to keep the good things going and have a positive attitude and encourage him and he’ll be all right.”

The Rams selected Onobun in the sixth round out of Houston though he had played only one season of college football after a four-year basketball career at Arizona.

Onobun showed enough potential in the preseason to earn a roster spot and has at times flashed major play making ability in the passing game. But he’s also raw enough that coach Steve Spagnuolo has maintained that Onobun’s progress would take some time.

“He’s being fed some offense right now,” Spagnuolo said. “We’ll see when we get to gameday what’s the best way to go with the 45 and what positions. In the event that we have him on the 45, we are trying to give him things he can run.”

But injuries have forced the Rams to speed up the process a little and Onobun has been told to prepare this week as though he will be active for his first NFL regular season game though his chances almost certainly depend on Fells’ status.

“I feel like I’m ready,” Onobun said. “If I wasn’t then they wouldn’t call me up. They obviously believe in me. I believe in myself. I know what I am good at. And I am just going to try to help the team. I know they are going to put me in situations where I can contribute on the field.”

Since his arrival in St. Louis, Onobun has made strides as a blocker but is still going to require some work to get up to speed. That means should Onobun get his first NFL repetitions this week, it’s likely that the Rams will use him in more of a pass catching role than as an extra blocker.

“I think obviously right now it’s in the pass game,” Onobun said. “Obviously they will put me in some situations where I can make blocks as well. But as far as what I am good at, that’s probably my best asset right now.”

While he’s been on the pregame inactive list the first two weeks of the season, Onobun says he has worked to keep his head in the game and take mental notes on what the other tight ends are doing.

Tight ends coach Frank Leonard has been quick to remind Onobun that, he too, is only a play or two away from having an expanded role in the offense.

“It’s part of the game and look at the situation now,” Onobun said. “It’s probably a little earlier than anyone anticipated but I am really excited for the opportunity and I am ready to help this team.”