Wagoner: Rams Rookie Review - WRs see few targets

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EARTH CITY, Mo. – Thursday night’s game in Cleveland provided the Rams’ seven-man draft class the first opportunity to step off the practice field and into a game situation.

The results were a mixed bag, but at least each of them got an opportunity.

WR Tavon Austin, first round, No. 8 overall: Played nine snaps on offense, one on special teams. The Rams played it safe with their new toy as Austin didn’t get many chances. He was targeted once but was unable to come up with the catch. He also went back to return a punt, but it fell well short of Austin and he had no chance to return it.

LB Alec Ogletree, first round, No. 30 overall: Played 23 snaps on defense, two on special teams. Had some mix-ups in coverage and gotbeat on Cleveland’s first touchdown. Finished with two tackles.

S T.J. McDonald, third round, No. 71 overall: Played 23 snaps on defense, three on special teams. Missed a tackle early and also got mixed up in coverage once or twice. Led Rams defenders with five tackles.

WR Stedman Bailey, third round, No. 92 overall: Played 27 snaps on offense, four on special teams. Tied for second-most reps among wide receivers. Targeted three times, came up with two catches for 27 yards.

OL Barrett Jones, fourth round, No. 113 overall: Played 26 snaps on offense, four on special teams. Worked on the interior with backup offense. Moved around well for someone coming off foot injury.

CB Brandon McGee, fifth round, No. 149 overall: Played 18 snaps on defense, six on special teams. Finished with one tackle.

RB Zac Stacy, fifth round, No. 160 overall: Played 21 snaps on offense. After sitting out practice most of Monday and Tuesday, Stacy didn’t look to be full speed but still carried seven times for 23 yards and caught two passes for 13 yards. Also had a drop.

Undrafted rookie roundup: TE Philip Lutzenkirchen came up with the catch of the night, dragging his feet inbounds along the sideline for a 13-yard gain in the fourth quarter. … LB Darren Bates led the undrafted rookies in tackles with four and was active on special teams, playing 13 snaps. … S Cody Davis led all defensive players in snaps played with 41. He broke up a pass and nearly had an interception. … LB Ray Ray Armstrong also played quite a bit, working 37 snaps on defense and a team-leading 14 on special teams. … S Rashard Hall had a nice pass breakup but missed a chance to come up with an interception when he got his hands on a late pass but couldn’t pull it in.

 

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More thoughts on Rams' preseason opener


Nick Wagoner
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EARTH CITY, Mo. -- A few leftover thoughts from the St. Louis Rams' 27-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns in the preseason opener Thursday night.

Quarterback Sam Bradford played the offense’s first three series and looked sharp, completing 5-of-8 for 102 yards with a touchdown. He could have completed all eight attempts with a little help from his pass catchers, as at least two of his incompletions would be counted as drops.

Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, who was broadcasting the game for Cleveland, offered plenty of praise for Bradford but was critical of the Rams receivers early, including the pass that rookie Tavon Austin failed to bring down. Of course, he changed his opinion moments later.

While tight end Jared Cook and receiver Austin have been the talk of training camp, receiver Chris Givens has quietly staked his claim to the role of No. 1 receiver. His three catches were varied and while the 59-yard strike to setup his touchdown catch garnered the most oohs and aahs, the best route he ran came on a 20-yard deep out he grabbed on the opening drive. Givens has proven he can get deep and is a better catch and run player than he gets credit for but his intermediate routes have been a focus for him. The deep out was a positive sign of progress in that regard last night.

The first-team offensive line did a nice job in pass protection; even after losing right tackle Rodger Saffold to a left shoulder injury two plays into the game. Left tackle Jake Long, in particular, looked stout. I’ll have more on Saffold after coach Jeff Fisher’s news conference today but it was noticeable how Fisher’s tone changed from “he’s OK” to “he’s going to miss some time” in the final two quarters. Injuries have been a consistent issue for Saffold in his three-plus years in the league.

Joe Barksdale, who replaced Saffold at right tackle, was solid. He struggled a bit when he moved over to the left side, though.

Kicker Greg Zuerlein looks every bit as strong as he did last year at this time. He converted field goals from 54 and 55 yards out and made it look easy. His biggest test will be maintaining that throughout the season.

The first-team defense played very basic schematically but they still had trouble with some of the simple things like tackling and assignments. Rookies Alec Ogletree and T.J. McDonald looked the part of the inexperienced starters amongst a veteran defense.

Receiver Brian Quick carried his two strong practices from Monday and Tuesday into the game and came down with a pair of nice catches plus a third that was brought back because of holding. The physical approach that former Ram Torry Holt has been drilling into Quick’s head was more apparent for Quick, who needs to keep up the consistency.

Some off-the-radar guys who caught my eye:

Receiver Raymond Radwayhad three catches for 78 yards including a 53-yard touchdown but missed a golden opportunity to really make an impression when he couldn’t come up with a deep ball down the left sideline.

Running back Benny Cunningham showed a nice combination of burst and toughness, gaining 20 yards on five carries, but his 36-yard kickoff return was even better. In what figures to be a battle for a potential fourth running back roster spot, special teams value can be a deciding factor.

Defensive tackle Matt Conrath and end Mason Brodine flashed some potential with the backup defense. Both are tall and have the wingspan to be a nuisance for quarterbacks. They combined for seven tackles.