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St. Louis Rams training camp preview: wide receivers
By Ted Bryant
http://cover32.com/rams/2014/07/16/st-louis-rams-training-camp-preview-wide-receivers/
Today’s camp preview remains with the offense, as we run down the candidates competing for the limited spots among the team’s receiving corps. The unit was generally “meh” as a whole last season outside of a few big plays from then-rookie Tavon Austin, but it has been brought back in full to compete with the likes of free agent acquisition Kenny Britt and a bevy of undrafted free agents. One of the few mystery positions remaining on the roster, this group will be one to watch. Let’s get started:
The Players
Tavon Austin – Entering second season (all with Rams)
Stedman Bailey – Entering second season (all with Rams)
Emory Blake – Entering rookie season (undrafted free agent)
Kenny Britt – Entering sixth season (first with Rams)
Austin Franklin – Entering rookie season (undrafted free agent)
Chris Givens – Entering third season (all with Rams)
Jordan Harris – Entering rookie season (undrafted free agent)
T.J. Moe – Entering second season (first with Rams)
Austin Pettis – Entering fourth season (all with Rams)
Brian Quick – Entering third season (all with Rams)
Jamaine Sherman – Entering rookie season (undrafted free agent)
Diontae Spencer – Entering rookie season (undrafted free agent)
Justin Veltung – Entering second season (all with Rams)
The Background
As detailed above, the Rams will carry a very young receiving corps into this year’s training camp. The 2014 class will return all six members of the Rams’ underperforming unit from last season, with the additions of free agent Kenny Britt and a handful of undrafted free agent prospects brought in to stir up camp competition.
Last year, the Rams receivers were the league’s 29th ranked unit in receiving yards per game, and allowed tight end Jared Cook to lead the team in yards gained and receptions. It’s no secret that the Rams have lacked the true no. 1 receiver that had been clamored for since the departure of Torry Holt, and there have been many flailing attempts to steal one in the middle rounds of recent drafts.
There is reason for optimism, however. Second-year man Tavon Austin flashed game-breaking big play ability in a handful of games last season, and it will be one of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s biggest tasks to figure out how to uncork Austin’s elusiveness on a more consistent basis while keeping him healthy. Austin’s collegiate teammate Stedman Bailey endeared himself to the fan base as well last season, showing a knack for making tough catches and fighting for extra yards in the limited opportunities he was given. A setback was suffered, though, when Bailey was tagged with violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances and will subsequently miss the first four games of the upcoming season.
Joining them in camp is Britt, the big-bodied free agent acquisition that head coach Jeff Fisher originally drafted during his time in the same position with the Tennessee Titans. It’s no secret that Britt has all the physical tools to become a no. 1 receiver fitting the league’s ever-evolving definition, but he’s been plagued by consistency and off-the-field issues during his first five years in the league. The Rams smartly signed Britt to a low-risk, one-year deal this offseason, putting the onus on Britt to perform and allowing the Rams to easily release him if he doesn’t.
Then there’s the old guard.
Pettis is the corps’ most seasoned vet, entering his fourth season with the team, while Givens and Quick will each begin their third. Pettis has been steady-if-underwhelming during his first three seasons in the league, but among a group that struggled to hang onto the ball and make plays in the end zone last season, Pettis was generally more reliable than the bunch. Speedster Givens is coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign after lighting up defenses downfield as a rookie. He’s made claims during this offseason that he’s spent time refocusing and getting his head in the game in his time off, but it remains to be seen how that translates into on-field production. Lastly, Quick remains an enigma. Schottenheimer went on record during OTAs saying that he was the team’s most improved player, but again, it’s impossible to predict whether that translates into in-game performance. For more on Quick’s upcoming season, check out a recent piece I wrote detailing expectations for his 2014.
Of the remainder of the group, Veltung carved a role for himself in spot return duty last season and will probably look to do more of that moving forward. Additionally, St. Louis native T.J. Moe comes into Rams camp after sitting out most of his first season with the Patriots due to injury. These two as well as this year’s group of undrafted free agents will face an uphill battle in trying to crack the final 53-man roster due to the amount of incumbent contributors that remained on the roster.
The Battles
There really isn’t one in particular. While all six of last year’s receiving corps return, it’s impossible to make the statement that anyone outside of Austin is totally safe. Each receiver will have to lay their respective claims in making the team, as Britt and players like Moe and Auburn’s Blake will be gunning to get their respective chances. If anything, the biggest battle among the unit will be for the corps’ final spot, whether it’s fifth or sixth depending on how the rest of the roster shakes out. No one player truly separated himself from the group in 2013, so if there are going to be any surprise roster shakeups during camp cut-downs, this might be a group from which to expect such a scenario.
The Outlook
All that said, it’s tough to see one of the teams’ undrafted free agents cracking a unit so bloated with young players. The Rams are still expecting a lot out of Givens and Quick, so they’ll likely be given every opportunity during camp to show that they’ve found their form. Additionally, I don’t expect the Rams to part ways with either last year’s draft picks Austin and Bailey, even if they suffer a subpar camp. That leaves one or two spots remaining, with Britt a favored candidate to fill one and Veltung a very real possibility in the other for his special teams prowess. As mentioned above, the competition to round out the receiving corps will be one to keep an eye on as camp gets into full swing.
