Can WR Brian Quick finally tap into his potential?

[Rams43]

2016 Rams Roster Preview: Can WR Brian Quick Finally Tap Into His Potential?
By EddieP  @iAmEddieP_ on Jul 5, 2016, 9:00a 45

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

It's Year 5 for Rams WR Brian Quick. Is it time to finally give up?

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Flashback to the 2012 NFL Draft. The St. Louis Rams trade the No. 2 overall pick to Washington in exchange for a huge bounty.

In that same draft, the Rams selected a small school receiver out of Appalachian State– Brian Quick – with the 33rd pick. Quick was initially compared to former receiver, Pro Bowler, and serial asshat Terrell Owens. The comparisons were glaring; Both have an imposing physical presence (BQ is listed at 6'3, 218 lbs. TO is listed at 6'3, 224 lbs). Both came from relatively small schools (Owens attended Chattanooga).


Quick, however, has yet to become the player Owens became at this point of his career. Quick's transition to the speed of the NFL game –even though expected to take a while – took three years. In that third year, Brian took strides to provide a glimpse of his potential. He snagged 25 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns, before a gruesome shoulder injury ended his 2014 campaign. Upon his return in 2015, Quick was essentially a non-factor.

So the question is: will we see the emerging Brian Quick we caught a glimpse of in 2014? Or will he be another bust, another high potential pick that failed to develop?

Roster Battle
Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin are the two "designated" starters. Austin, clearly plays the slot and where ever else the Rams' brass can line him up. That leaves Britt as one of the outside receivers, with the spot opposite of him open for competition.

Quick is a peculiar situation. One would assume he is the favorite to earn that open spot. The Rams, however, brought in plenty of competition for that position with the likes of Michael Thomas (roster preview), D'haquille "Duke" Williams (roster preview), Paul McRoberts (roster preview), Marquez North (roster preview), and Nelson Spruce(roster preview) also vying for a spot on the WR corps.

Expectations
Quick has had lofty expectations since he was drafted. He was supposed to be the receiver to eclipse the unreachable – unreachable for Rams pass catchers, at least – 750-yard mark, last achieved by "Big Game" Torry Holt.


Those expectations have simmered down considerably. He is now on a one-year prove it deal. He has to prove that he is the same player before the injury.

Chances of Making the Final Roster (6/10)
Quick is on a bit of a career crossroads. He either has to become one of the top three receivers on the depth chart, or he will be gone. There is no gray area.

This receiver corps has been too shitty for gray areas.

 

[WestCoastRam]

Okay, help me out here. How often did Tavon line up in the slot. I felt like it was rare that he lined up there last year and basically, he was a poor fit in the slot. It's hilarious to me that people look at his size and speed and assume that's where he lines up.

 

[Rams43]

If you ask me, Quick is a much longer shot than 6/10 to make this 53.

S&F have really flooded the position group.

I see Britt, Austin, and Cooper as locks.

But after those 3 it looks like anybody's guess. I mean, literally any three of the remaining 9 candidates could claim those last spots.

Talk about fierce competition. Wow!

 

[dieterbrock]

Quick has had 2-3 decent games surrounded by 3+ seasons of being a non factor
I will be terribly disappointed if he makes the team. 6/10 is a little high for my liking

 

[SierraRam]

Quick has had 2-3 decent games surrounded by 3+ seasons of being a non factor
I will be terribly disappointed if he makes the team. 6/10 is a little high for my liking

Very true! However, those '2-3 decent games' came sequentially and immediately before his injury. I'm not overly optimistic that he'll continue where he left off, but I want to give him that chance. And this season is that (last) chance.

 

[LACHAMP46]

The writer says:

The Rams, however, brought in plenty of competition for that position with the likes of Michael Thomas (roster preview), D'haquille "Duke" Williams (roster preview), Paul McRoberts (roster preview), Marquez North (roster preview), and Nelson Spruce(roster preview) also vying for a spot on the WR corps.

To me, Duke and Spruce (wonder if he likes to be called, "Nelson"?) are pure slot wrs....Look at the film on them in college. Most of their work is done inside, oh seam routes or short passes. If Duke returns to his playing form of 2-3 years ago, I could see him outside. But after his combine and pro day, I see him more like a Colston type...The guy Drew Brees made famous. It's really hard to become a serious weapon with average speed out wide...which leads me to....

How often did Tavon line up in the slot. I felt like it was rare that he lined up there last year and basically, he was a poor fit in the slot. It's hilarious to me that people look at his size and speed and assume that's where he lines up.

They had a piece in here, where it shows how many yards Tavon accounted for in the slot, and outside the numbers...It may have shown a significant advantage outside the numbers too. Which says it all to me, his paltry receiving numbers are related to the QB's inability to deliver him the ball out there, plus his inability to get open. It is possible for a small wr to work outside, same as a big guy to work inside. But it's easier. His quickness will be enhanced on inside routes. These type of players just need to get the ball in their hands...Like long handoffs...Trying to fit this square peg (Tavon) into a round hole (outside the numbers) is killing the passing game.
As I've said MANY TIMES, I remember when Bradford was targeting Tavon a bunch....b4 he went down...while we TRIED to open the offense up...And Tavon blew it. Dropped passes left and right...To try and force this guy into a lead receiver's role is foolhardy and will doom the offense. There is no need to try and reinvent the wheel. Throw his ass in the slot,run him and Cooper in there together...with Higbee, Kendricks, and Hemingway. Let Britt, Quick, and Thomas (hopefully North too) run the outside stuff.

Oh yeah, you guys should all know by now where I stand with Quick. He should be our #1 receiver. Goff's primary target....And if he can't handle that, oh well, time for the Mike Thomas & Marquez North show....

 

[gabriel18]

No !

 

[Faceplant]

Very true! However, those '2-3 decent games' came sequentially and immediately before his injury. I'm not overly optimistic that he'll continue where he left off, but I want to give him that chance. And this season is that (last) chance.

Not quite. He had 3 decent games in the first 4. He had 1, 2 and 1 catches respectively in his last 3 games of that season. I am hoping BQ shows up and balls out this year, but I am not counting on it.

http://www.nfl.com/player/brianquick/2532933/gamelogs?season=2014

 

[JRobinson]

I think these posts are tough to truly answer. Only the Rams brass obviously have a good idea on where Quick is, and how they intend on using him in the offensive game plan. The sure thing is size and speed of a player before or after injuries; non-coachable attributes. Then, it's all translation in the film room and on the field. With that being said, the true question is 'At who's expense are we (Rams) willing to keep Quick?' The only way to answer that is in the upcoming months. Cliché, 'Time will tell' holds true here.

 

[SierraRam]

Not quite. He had 3 decent games in the first 4. He had 1, 2 and 1 catches respectively in his last 3 games of that season. I am hoping BQ shows up and balls out this year, but I am not counting on it.

http://www.nfl.com/player/brianquick/2532933/gamelogs?season=2014

Thanks for the clarification. I guess my rose colored lenses caused me to forget some of the details. He did seem to be our best receiving option though. What I haven't forgotten from that time was the dynamic duo of Austin Davis & Shaun Hill
Let's give the #33 selection a chance with the new kid, but yeah, I'm not counting on it either...

 

[Florida_Ram]

Okay, help me out here. How often did Tavon line up in the slot. I felt like it was rare that he lined up there last year and basically, he was a poor fit in the slot. It's hilarious to me that people look at his size and speed and assume that's where he lines up.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pr...-means-more-reshuffling-along-cowboys-d-line/

Austin caught 64.2 percent of the passes sent his way in 2015, meaning that, for him to top 100 catches this season at that same rate, he would need 156 targets, which would have been the sixth-highest total of 2015.

The issue for Austin is that the five players with more targets than that in 2015 are all outside, perimeter, unquestioned No. 1 targets for their offenses, and Austin can’t be that guy at his size.

He needs to be the Jarvis Landry of his offense—a smaller, shifty receiver that can be reliable underneath and on quick passes, picking up yardage after the catch.

Landry caught 110 passes in 2015, so that role can certainly achieve those numbers, but that isn’t how the Rams have been deploying Austin to date. He may be thought of as a slot receiver, but only 17 of his 81 targets (21.0 percent) came from the slot in 2015.

The Rams have been lining Austin up outside and then feeding him the ball on bubble screens and quick hitches with the occasional deep route worked in. Austin runs one of the most basic route trees in the NFL, and until that develops, there is little to no chance of him catching those 100 passes.

 

[DaveFan'51]

This receiver corps has been too crappy for gray areas.

I'm not so sure I would lay all the blame on the WR Corps, the QB's have had a lot to do with things too! And we just brought in some New coaches, the Old ones weren't that Great! ( Think GARCIA!)

 

[Loyal]

I am over Quick. It was not his fault about where he was drafted, but he is a BUST in my opinion. If a rookie is even close to him (and it comes down to one or the other), Quick needs to be gone.

 

[Psycho_X]

I'm not holding my breath in anticipation.

 

[Florida_Ram]

I agree with those that would rather see Quick get released if he's not head and shoulders above the youngsters by lighting it up in camp, combined with stellar play/performance in the preseason.

http://www.rotoworld.com/recent/nfl/7477/brian-quick

March 9, 2016: Rams re-signed WR Brian Quick to a one-year deal.
It's worth "up to" $3.75 million, and includes $1.5 million guaranteed. It's a surprising move from Quick, who caught only 10 passes last season after being hidden away behind Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt.

Quick never seemed healthy after suffering a severe shoulder injury in 2014, but he appeared out of the Rams' plans. Going on 27, he was a prime candidate for a fresh start elsewhere.

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...ng-down-tim-barnes-and-brian-quicks-contracts

Brian Quick 2016 contract details..... Base salary: $1.25 million (fully guaranteed)

Roster bonus: Up to $500,000 with $250,000 guaranteed and paid last weekend and the other $250,000 in increments of $15,625 for every game on the 46-man active roster.

Cap charge: $1,703,125... Cash: $1.75 million

Notes: Can earn up to $2 million in not likely to be earned incentives for production


#83 WR BRIAN QUICK 6'3 218 lbs (Turns 28 on 06/05/2017)

2015 Rams CATCHES.. 10.. YARDS.. 102... YPC.... 9.1.. TD.. 0
2014 Rams CATCHES.. 25.. YARDS.. 375... YPC.. 15.0.. TD.. 3
2013 Rams CATCHES.. 18.. YARDS.. 302... YPC.. 16.8...TD.. 2
2012 Rams CATCHES.. 11.. YARDS.. 156... YPC.. 14.2.. TD.. 2

(Quick has a dismal 4 year career receiving line of 64-935-7)

[www.sbnation.com]
2014: Wide Receiver Brian Quick is likely going to miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn rotator cuff and dislocated shoulder, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Quick has 25 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns so far in 2014 -- all career highs -- although he only had four catches over the last three games prior to his shoulder getting injured......

 

[Merlin]

I'm with the rest of you in that I'm done hoping for Quick to be anything meaningful. I don't trust him to be consistent OR to stay healthy. He has true #1 WR talent, so I'd say the answer is NO, that he won't live up to his potential.

But all that aside, there is a big difference in our staff this season. We have a new WR coach who is coordinating the passing game elements, and who has a huge success story under his belt with Jeffery. We also know that this staff (Groh and Boras in particular) are pushing out more of the offensive build than the previous regimes, and expecting more from the players in particular route running. I haven't heard that kind of stuff since Martz tbh, where they have put that high precedent on running the exact route, and I personally believe it's been part of the problem. It really is possible that this staff is significantly improved, and if that's the case it IS going to show on the field.

What are some examples we could see? Well, Quick living up to potential is a possible one. Unlikely, but possible. Tavon improving in his route running is another one, which will lead to more of that space he needs to operate in and more big plays. Cooper as well, who could give us the strong rookie season we need to supplement this passing game.

And then you have the improvement in QB talent overall, which IS going to pay dividends at some point. So needless to say I am very excited about this season. I think we are in for a good time seeing this offense rise and it's going to start showing in preseason IMO.

 

[ramfan46]

He can't catch the ball cleanly. He drops routine catches and doesn't elevate and snatch the ball like a guy with his size and wingspan should. He is the definition of a soft player to me. He doesn't have that needed edge to succeed at the pro level IMO. He could out athlete guys at App St., not in the league. Imagine if Steve Smith SR had Quick's frame?! He would play like an animal running routes, not just a solid run blocker here and there.

 

[DenverRam]

i loved his college highlights.MOUNTAINEERS!

So many contact catches he made in college, just doesnt seem like same player.Like he is playing intimated in the NFL or something.Hope he gets his groove back.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71fKworoq9U

 

[Corbin]

I'm all in Quick with that 49ers catch and TD but outside of that we need someone new there... i pray that either THomas or Pharoh beat him convincingly to start.