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Rams seek upgrades at wideout, a position of trouble dating back to Torry Holt's departure
By RYAN KARTJE / STAFF WRITER
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-708240-season-receiver.html
To truly understand how dire the Rams receiver shortage has become, consider this: In his final season in St. Louis in 2008, past-his-prime wideout Torry Holt grinded his way to a pedestrian 64-catch, 796-yard season.
It was a forgettable year for the seven-time Pro Bowler and potential Hall of Famer – his first sub-1,000-yard campaign since his rookie season.
That was 2008. Here’s the sad reality: Since Holt’s final season in St. Louis, no Rams receiver has managed to eclipse even 750 receiving yards.
In a golden era for passing offenses, that’s some truly remarkable futility. Last season, 47 NFL players eclipsed 750 receiving yards. Eight were tight ends. One was a running back. In all, 30 of 32 NFL teams had a player who surpassed the 750-yard mark. The Vikings were the only other team without one, but in their case, you only have to go back to 2013 to find that baseline of receiver production.
For the Rams, it has been seven long years of receiver-less drought, marked by failed draft picks and unfulfilled potential. And this season, as the franchise looks to reinvigorate its NFL-worst passing game on the West Coast, the team desperately needs to invest in playmakers for whomever ends up starting at quarterback.
“It almost doesn’t matter what type of receiver they’d draft,” Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson said. “They don’t have anyone on the roster that’s going to prevent you from taking a specific type of receiver. They just need to add some quality young talent there in the draft.”
Not that recent drafts have treated the Rams all that well. From Holt’s final season on, the organization selected 11 receivers, hoping to find a viable playmaker. Most often, those investments came in the later rounds. Only one – Tavon Austin at eighth overall in 2013 – was drafted in the first round. Donnie Avery (second round in 2008), Brian Quick (second round in 2012) and Austin Pettis (third in 2011) are the only other wideouts drafted by the Rams in rounds two or three.
Avery, who was drafted before Jordy Nelson and DeSean Jackson, flamed out after two years in St. Louis. Pettis lasted three seasons. Quick re-upped with the Rams on a one-year deal for 2016, but he has just 935 yards over four seasons. And Austin, despite flashes of star potential, has yet to break out. Next season, he could cost the Rams upwards of $12 million, if they choose to pick up his fifth-year option and can’t negotiate a long-term deal.
The Rams still have hope in Austin, with Coach Jeff Fisher conceding recently that they “have to do more as a staff to get him the football.” But at 5-foot-9, Austin’s best suited as a secondary option in the slot. That leaves Kenny Britt as the de facto No. 1, and while he has led the group in receiving in each of his two years in St. Louis, the team clearly needs a true No. 1 talent at the position.
“I don’t want to give too many cards away,” General Manager Les Snead said, “but we do like some wide receivers in this draft.”
That could mean investing the 15th pick in a wideout and not a quarterback. In a class light on talent at the top, Mississippi receiver Laquon Treadwell is a first-round lock and has consistently been linked to the Rams. At 6-foot-2, he’s not a deep threat, but his athleticism and ball skills remind some of Dallas Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant.
“He’s so strong at the catch point,” CBS Sports draft analyst Dane Brugler said. “For a kid that doesn’t turn 21 until June, he’s so physically mature the way he plays the game. If he’s there at 15, it’s a no-brainer pick.”
Not everyone is in agreement on that evaluation. Monson suggested that Treadwell, at his best, could become a clone of Chicago Bears’ red-zone maven Alshon Jeffery. At worst, he offered a familiar comparison: Britt.
Beyond Treadwell, the pickings get far slimmer. There might be value in the second round, when the Rams have two selections. Baylor’s Corey Coleman and TCU’s Josh Doctson might not fall that far, but could be steals as the Rams’ second pick. Ohio State’s Michael Thomas and Braxton Miller and Notre Dame’s Will Fuller could also be options.
Regardless, the Rams desperately need to add talent any way they can. And in free agency, there isn’t much to go around.
The Detroit Lions paid $8 million per year for the top prize at wideout, Marvin Jones. The Atlanta Falcons, meanwhile, spent $7 million on his former teammate in Cincinnati, Mohamed Sanu. Neither has finished a season with more than 825 yards.
Thus is the free-spending nature of free agency, and it has burned the Rams in the past. They signed Jared Cook to a contract that made him the fourth-highest paid tight end in the NFL last season. He finished 21st in receiving yards at the position and didn’t score a touchdown. He was cut this offseason.
Free agent receiver Rueben Randle, who has played four seasons with the New York Giants, was scheduled to visit the Rams. He had 57 receptions for 797 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
The rest of the Rams’ receiver rebuild will come elsewhere – bit by bit.
And after seven long seasons of futility at wide receiver, there’s no time left to waste.
==========
2015 starters: WR Kenny Britt (13 games), WR Tavon Austin (14 games), TE Jared Cook (12 games), TE Lance Kendricks (12 games)
Others: WR Stedman Bailey (3 starts), WR Brian Quick (3 starts), WR Nick Toon
Contract status: The Rams released Cook after three seasons, leaving $2.6 million in dead cap for 2016. Quick is an unrestricted free agent who the Rams have expressed interest in re-signing. Britt and Austin are signed through this season, and Austin has a potential fifth-year option for 2017 that could cost the Rams upwards of $11 million, if a long-term deal isn't reached.
Biggest strength: There really isn't one. Austin is an explosive weapon in the slot, who has shown a penchant for big plays as a runner and receiver, but has never found consistency in the offense. A full year of Rob Boras at the helm could help his cause. After Boras was named offensive coordinator in December, Austin averaged more than six touches per game.
Biggest weakness: Tight end has been a disaster since Cook was signed to a long-term contract, and at outside receiver, the Rams haven't had a capable option since Ram great Torry Holt retired. The red zone has been a wasteland for Rams wideouts – none has scored more than five touchdowns in a season since ... you guessed it, Holt. Drops are a problem. Really, the Rams could stand to revamp the entire receiving corps.
Help in the draft: Laquon Treadwell (Mississippi), Josh Doctson (TCU), Corey Coleman (Baylor), Michael Thomas (Ohio State), Tyler Boyd (Pittsburgh), Sterling Shepard (Oklahoma), Braxton Miller (Ohio State), Leonte Carroo (Rutgers), Aaron Burbridge (Michigan State).
By the numbers: The Rams ranked among the bottom five of NFL teams in 2015 in pass attempts, completions, completion percentage, passing touchdowns and quarterback rating, but showed moderate improvement in the final five games with Case Keenum, who had a 60.8 completion percentage and threw four of the Rams' 11 passing touchdowns.
By RYAN KARTJE / STAFF WRITER
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-708240-season-receiver.html
To truly understand how dire the Rams receiver shortage has become, consider this: In his final season in St. Louis in 2008, past-his-prime wideout Torry Holt grinded his way to a pedestrian 64-catch, 796-yard season.
It was a forgettable year for the seven-time Pro Bowler and potential Hall of Famer – his first sub-1,000-yard campaign since his rookie season.
That was 2008. Here’s the sad reality: Since Holt’s final season in St. Louis, no Rams receiver has managed to eclipse even 750 receiving yards.
In a golden era for passing offenses, that’s some truly remarkable futility. Last season, 47 NFL players eclipsed 750 receiving yards. Eight were tight ends. One was a running back. In all, 30 of 32 NFL teams had a player who surpassed the 750-yard mark. The Vikings were the only other team without one, but in their case, you only have to go back to 2013 to find that baseline of receiver production.
For the Rams, it has been seven long years of receiver-less drought, marked by failed draft picks and unfulfilled potential. And this season, as the franchise looks to reinvigorate its NFL-worst passing game on the West Coast, the team desperately needs to invest in playmakers for whomever ends up starting at quarterback.
“It almost doesn’t matter what type of receiver they’d draft,” Pro Football Focus analyst Sam Monson said. “They don’t have anyone on the roster that’s going to prevent you from taking a specific type of receiver. They just need to add some quality young talent there in the draft.”
Not that recent drafts have treated the Rams all that well. From Holt’s final season on, the organization selected 11 receivers, hoping to find a viable playmaker. Most often, those investments came in the later rounds. Only one – Tavon Austin at eighth overall in 2013 – was drafted in the first round. Donnie Avery (second round in 2008), Brian Quick (second round in 2012) and Austin Pettis (third in 2011) are the only other wideouts drafted by the Rams in rounds two or three.
Avery, who was drafted before Jordy Nelson and DeSean Jackson, flamed out after two years in St. Louis. Pettis lasted three seasons. Quick re-upped with the Rams on a one-year deal for 2016, but he has just 935 yards over four seasons. And Austin, despite flashes of star potential, has yet to break out. Next season, he could cost the Rams upwards of $12 million, if they choose to pick up his fifth-year option and can’t negotiate a long-term deal.
The Rams still have hope in Austin, with Coach Jeff Fisher conceding recently that they “have to do more as a staff to get him the football.” But at 5-foot-9, Austin’s best suited as a secondary option in the slot. That leaves Kenny Britt as the de facto No. 1, and while he has led the group in receiving in each of his two years in St. Louis, the team clearly needs a true No. 1 talent at the position.
“I don’t want to give too many cards away,” General Manager Les Snead said, “but we do like some wide receivers in this draft.”
That could mean investing the 15th pick in a wideout and not a quarterback. In a class light on talent at the top, Mississippi receiver Laquon Treadwell is a first-round lock and has consistently been linked to the Rams. At 6-foot-2, he’s not a deep threat, but his athleticism and ball skills remind some of Dallas Cowboys wideout Dez Bryant.
“He’s so strong at the catch point,” CBS Sports draft analyst Dane Brugler said. “For a kid that doesn’t turn 21 until June, he’s so physically mature the way he plays the game. If he’s there at 15, it’s a no-brainer pick.”
Not everyone is in agreement on that evaluation. Monson suggested that Treadwell, at his best, could become a clone of Chicago Bears’ red-zone maven Alshon Jeffery. At worst, he offered a familiar comparison: Britt.
Beyond Treadwell, the pickings get far slimmer. There might be value in the second round, when the Rams have two selections. Baylor’s Corey Coleman and TCU’s Josh Doctson might not fall that far, but could be steals as the Rams’ second pick. Ohio State’s Michael Thomas and Braxton Miller and Notre Dame’s Will Fuller could also be options.
Regardless, the Rams desperately need to add talent any way they can. And in free agency, there isn’t much to go around.
The Detroit Lions paid $8 million per year for the top prize at wideout, Marvin Jones. The Atlanta Falcons, meanwhile, spent $7 million on his former teammate in Cincinnati, Mohamed Sanu. Neither has finished a season with more than 825 yards.
Thus is the free-spending nature of free agency, and it has burned the Rams in the past. They signed Jared Cook to a contract that made him the fourth-highest paid tight end in the NFL last season. He finished 21st in receiving yards at the position and didn’t score a touchdown. He was cut this offseason.
Free agent receiver Rueben Randle, who has played four seasons with the New York Giants, was scheduled to visit the Rams. He had 57 receptions for 797 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
The rest of the Rams’ receiver rebuild will come elsewhere – bit by bit.
And after seven long seasons of futility at wide receiver, there’s no time left to waste.
==========
2015 starters: WR Kenny Britt (13 games), WR Tavon Austin (14 games), TE Jared Cook (12 games), TE Lance Kendricks (12 games)
Others: WR Stedman Bailey (3 starts), WR Brian Quick (3 starts), WR Nick Toon
Contract status: The Rams released Cook after three seasons, leaving $2.6 million in dead cap for 2016. Quick is an unrestricted free agent who the Rams have expressed interest in re-signing. Britt and Austin are signed through this season, and Austin has a potential fifth-year option for 2017 that could cost the Rams upwards of $11 million, if a long-term deal isn't reached.
Biggest strength: There really isn't one. Austin is an explosive weapon in the slot, who has shown a penchant for big plays as a runner and receiver, but has never found consistency in the offense. A full year of Rob Boras at the helm could help his cause. After Boras was named offensive coordinator in December, Austin averaged more than six touches per game.
Biggest weakness: Tight end has been a disaster since Cook was signed to a long-term contract, and at outside receiver, the Rams haven't had a capable option since Ram great Torry Holt retired. The red zone has been a wasteland for Rams wideouts – none has scored more than five touchdowns in a season since ... you guessed it, Holt. Drops are a problem. Really, the Rams could stand to revamp the entire receiving corps.
Help in the draft: Laquon Treadwell (Mississippi), Josh Doctson (TCU), Corey Coleman (Baylor), Michael Thomas (Ohio State), Tyler Boyd (Pittsburgh), Sterling Shepard (Oklahoma), Braxton Miller (Ohio State), Leonte Carroo (Rutgers), Aaron Burbridge (Michigan State).
By the numbers: The Rams ranked among the bottom five of NFL teams in 2015 in pass attempts, completions, completion percentage, passing touchdowns and quarterback rating, but showed moderate improvement in the final five games with Case Keenum, who had a 60.8 completion percentage and threw four of the Rams' 11 passing touchdowns.
