Rams WR Mike Thomas Suspended 4 Games

[SteezyEndo]

That's fine. Gives us four games to figure out who to keep and let go. Who cares? The majority of the NFL are on PEDs. He just was dumb enough to get caught. No big deal.

This was your boy...

 

[Merlin]

So tired of this BS. Another dumb Rams result. I like Thomas but I would strongly consider cutting him.

Rams need to demonstrate things are different now.

 

[Loyal]

I don't know exactly why I am not surprised, but I'm not. This is the "if you're not cheating, you're not trying," culture.

I don't like it and I don't condone it, but I am numb to it now. We'll see what McVay wants for a Rams culture now...

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

This was your boy...

A bunch of us here liked him as a late round pick. He was great in his last year of college. He had a lot of wow catches that year also. But he was a late round pick for a reason. Either way, he was a very good ST gunner. He made the team on that alone. He only played two years in the FBS. So he was a late round (6) developmental type pick.

He had his flaws but at Southern Miss he averaged 19.6 yards per catch. I think he was worth a 6th round flyer to see if he can develop.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

This is too bad for the player and the Rams. Competition is good and this kid looked like he might have a break out year. Just hope it's not weed, because that is stupid and legal in some states now

One of his biggest weaknesses was lack of explosion off the line. His 40 time wasn't great either at 4.52. Neither are ideal for a deep threat. Suddenly he stands out in OTA's, apparently improving on those weaknesses. Now we know why. PERsonally would help with expressiveness and could boost speed.

 

[jrry32]

This was your boy...

Not any more so than any other Ram. I'm rooting for the kid's success. I like what he brings to the table. We'll see what happens.

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

I'll be disappointed if the rams cut this guy before they work out if he can help the team. If he shows up well in training camp why wouldn't they keep him around?

.

 

[Mojo Ram]

It's Josh Thomas....i mean Michael Cooper. Whatshisname....that guy we drafted that did nothing.

 

[dieterbrock]

Why would they cut him? If he's suspended, he doesn't count on the final 53 right?
I don't recall this outrage when Stedman Bailey was facing the same thing.

 

[LesBaker]

it's the nfl's bargaining chip - you want us to get rid of this, what are you gonna give us in return?

these old billionaire pricks didn't become rich by giving their power away. all about the money for them.

.

The owners wanted blood testing for PED's I think, similar to how testing is done in international games.

What they need to understand though is most guys are loading up on HGH, which become undetectable in a day or so. You can buy that stuff in any "anti aging" clinic here in Florida any day of the week. Remember the last time ARod got busted? That's what he was doing.

It's the drug of choice these days.

EDIT:

I should clarify that it's not detectable in urine tests but is in blood tests which is why the union balked on that.

 

[LesBaker]

I don't recall this outrage when Stedman Bailey was facing the same thing.

He took his lumps IIRC.

 

[den-the-coach]

Not any more so than any other Ram. I'm rooting for the kid's success. I like what he brings to the table. We'll see what happens.

I concur size & speed and the ability to stretch the filed and being able to play the flanker position outside...It's too bad, however, the Rams would get a roster exemption for four games so Thomas still has a chance.

 

[blackbart]

Great gunner who was showing well on offense thus far with McVay. It's disappointing, but it's only four games.

Only four games???? The first quarter of the season. They should not waste any more time on him. If he is so unsure of himself that he had to knowingly do something to jeopardize his career he isn't smart enough to take up a roster spot.

I hope McVay makes an example out of him to send a clear message that he won't tolerate this crap.

 

[BonifayRam]

I concur size & speed and the ability to stretch the filed and being able to play the flanker position outside...It's too bad, however, the Rams would get a roster exemption for four games so Thomas still has a chance.

This is true & not really all that bad. Looks like a probable Practice Squad material going into the 5th week of this season to me. If injuries hit to Woods, TA, Kupp, Reynolds, Cooper or Spruce then he might get a good chance to recover.

 

[nighttrain]

This is true & not really all that bad. Looks like a probable Practice Squad material going into the 5th week of this season to me. If injuries hit to Woods, TA, Kupp, Reynolds, Cooper or Spruce then he might get a good chance to recover.

i believe in 2nd chances
train

 

[StealYoGurley]

Little concerning offseason for the top guys expected to fill that deep threat role. Tavon getting hurt during OTAs and Thomas getting suspended limiting valuable reps with Goff. Additionally a Higbee suspension is probably on the way hopefully not until next season.

On the bright side guys like Reynolds and Everett who IMO are more talented than Higbee and Thomas may get more reps, which will help in the long run. Also it may help Thomas make the final roster since he wont count on the initial final 53 after camp

 

[Prime Time]

https://ramblinfan.com/2017/07/15/los-angeles-rams-shouldnt-waste-time-part-ways-wr-mike-thomas/

by Dan Parzych

As frustrating as this news is for the Rams and their fans to hear, it’s difficult not to wonder if Thomas is even worth keeping around on the roster. Ever since the hiring of Sean McVay at head coach, Los Angeles has done everything in their power over the last few months to work hard, and make sure they improve from last year’s 4-12 finish.

Between Tavon Austin hopefully turning out to be a better fit in McVay’s offense to the additions of Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, Jared Goff‘s second season under center should be much smoother than his rookie year. And while there was a little bit of hype surrounding the possibility of Thomas fitting into the mix, it doesn’t even seem worth it after this recent suspension.

At the end of the day, the Rams shouldn’t even consider wasting time on a former sixth-round pick who only caught three passes all of last year as a rookie, and just part ways with Thomas to focus on the other young wideouts with bigger potential.

https://www.turfshowtimes.com/2017/...e-receiver-depth-chart-mike-thomas-suspension

Looking At The Los Angeles Rams WR Group After Mike Thomas Suspension
How are the Rams’ wideouts shaping up with training camp just two weeks away?
by 3k

Yesterday, Los Angeles Rams WR Mike Thomas was suspended for the first four games of the 2017 Regular Season.

While he’ll be eligible to play in the preseason and take part in all practices until the Rams’ Week 5 home game against the Seattle Seahawks, the opening four games offer a stiff challenge for a susceptible roster that is leaning on a first-time head coach who happens to be the youngest head coach in NFL history in Sean McVay. So with those in mind, let’s look at the WR corps and how the suspension has affected it for the first month of the season.

Topped off
The top of the WR groups is more or less set. Robert Woods was a big signing in free agency, so you can lock him in the starting mix. Tavon Austin is less of a certainty. Despite having just signed a contract extension less than a year ago to make him the third-highest paid WR in the NFL in 2017, Austin’s performance in his four professional seasons have been defined by an underwhelming lack of manifestation of potential.

Along with those two, drafted rookies Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds are all but certain to make the 53-man roster because of the capital invested.

Next man up
This is where Thomas factors (factored?) and where things get interesting.

Pharoh Cooper, like Thomas, was a Day 3 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. They’re certainly in the mix for playing time and probables for the 53-man roster. Along with them is perhaps Nelson Spruce, a UDFA fan favorite who played a strong quarter of football in the Rams’ first preseason game last year and nothing else.

If anything, Thomas’ suspension helps those two gain a leg up and Kupp and Reynolds enjoy a bit of a buffer as they attune their game to the NFL level of competition.

The real key is how things develop at the end of camp as we get into the preseason action.

The first training camp practice takes place Saturday, July 29, exactly two weeks from today. The Rams’ first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys kicks off two weeks thereafter on Saturday, August 12. The Rams have 11 training camp sessions before the Cowboys game and just four afterward.

With Thomas set to miss the first four games, does the coaching staff elevate the amount of work provided to Kupp, Reynolds, Cooper and Spruce just because of the imminent threat of the first four games? Does his unavailability lead to a lack of time in practice and/or early preseason action with the first few strings?

I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the case.

Fighting for survival
Behind that septet, the Rams have four other wideouts on the roster: Bradley Marquez, Paul McRoberts (roster preview), Brandon Shippen (roster preview) and Shakeir Ryan (roster preview). This is where special teams availability reigns supreme, and thus Marquez’s heavy experience on teams likely nods him ahead as the front runner.

Has Thomas’ suspension relegated him into this group? Is his skill as a wideout thus less important than his availability on special teams (and I’m not talking about as a return man where he’s proved himself to be less than reliable...)? Perhaps.

Firstly, we need to see how things line up in training camp two weeks from today. If the Rams’ first two or three strings on offense don’t feature much of a sniff of Thomas (even as a reserve to spell the active string members), he could be facing a long climb back into activity.

The timing of the suspension is unfortunate, as is made clear by our roster preview installment from Misone earlier yesterday:

I fully expect Thomas to take a massive leap forward.

One thing that can be taken away from his rookie season is his ability to beat the press, stack the defender, and get downfield. He did this weekly as a gunner on punt against both starting and backup corners, and routinely was the first man down to prevent a return. This same skill is used to get deep on routes in the vertical game. Word from spring practices suggest he's implementing this skill into his offensive game.

He should shine on intermediate to deep routes.

...

I have a hard time seeing Thomas not making the final 53-man roster. In fact, I see him securing the fourth receiver slot, and splitting reps with Kupp as the third receiver. Thomas has the potential — and is a serious contender — to be one of the Rams’ breakout performers this year.

More than anything, that assessment in and of itself (accurate as it might have been just hours before the suspension news) has now been thrown into question.

That’s the real effect of the suspension news - his talent has been put on hold because of his decisions, whatever the course of consequence might have been.

 

[LesBaker]

I hope McVay makes an example out of him to send a clear message that he won't tolerate this crap.

A HC can't do that, it send a bad message because the HC knows, just like we all do, that at least half of these guys are doing something that's on the banned list. It is a balancing act and really all the HC should say is "we will work with him on this" and drop it. He can't condone it, but he can't cut a guy for a first offense.

Now if he gets caught again then the responsible thing to do is let him become someone else's problem

i believe in 2nd chances

Usually I do to, there are exceptions and sometimes it makes sense to pull the trigger but not in this case.

It's hard to blame a guy for doing something that most of his peers are also doing. If the NFL were smart they would not soften the punishment they would make it really, really harsh. When guys start losing a few million because they miss a season they will wise up.

I think it should be 16 games for the first offense and banishment on the second.

 

[Ramification]

Why would they cut him? If he's suspended, he doesn't count on the final 53 right?

They wouldn't, unless McVay wants to set the tone for dealing with this nonsense. Otherwise, wait the four games and see what he's like after he's off the PEDs, which might be a very "cutable" Mike Thomas at that point.

 

[LACHAMP46]

A roster spot won't be held for him because there are too many other guys with the same or better skill level in the house.

There are not many wrs on this roster that do what Mike Thomas does....

Oh my goodness the angst over this.

Again.

9 targets. 3 catches. THIRTY SEVEN YARDS.

There are not any wrs on this roster that can do what Mike Thomas does....

I can't believe the outrage....but I do understand. Not sure how this is handled, but I WISH @flv would put the line up for wrs that are gonna make the team...I'd like to lay a little on Mike T. LOLOL

Is this a big deal? Yes and No...that culture thing McVay was talking about....I'd hate it, but he should let Mike go tonight....but DAMN, I like the way Mike moves....I don't care Les that he only caught 33% of his targets....Small sample size...give him 90....like Tavon...:rolllaugh:

We don't have enough talent at wr to lose guys like Thomas...my personal opinion...but culture change is culture change...Hopefully, this was an accident. Some supplement that contained a banned substance that wasn't listed in the packaging....LOL