The overall sense of your post, however, was tilting toward Thomas. I'm just saying that for me, Thomas would be a long shot here..
Chargers Joint Practice (1st August)
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I like Rams
Hall of Fame
I think there are 3 more receivers that are far more expendable than Thomas, and i really like Hodge out of the three that are expendable. Dont get me wrong, i liked the Reynolds signing and had/have high hopes for him, but i also loved the Thomas signing. He has underimpressed since being here, but his last two camps have been promising due to his better hand and he's healthy. I respect your opinion though, and im not saying youre wrong, you could be right.
RocknRam29
Live, Love, Laugh, & Learn
A.J. Hicks
Hall of Fame
I've been a huge Thomas supporter since we drafted him. I watched him grow into an elite level gunner - he really knew how to work his body and get the edge on someone.
In turn this turned into some pretty good route running - he can get open. He also has plus speed and size.
But one thing has always worried me about Thomas as far as receiving goes - and this goes back to watching his 'highlights' after we drafted him.
He's the guy that will make the most spectacular catch but then drop the routine one. Him high-pointing balls and bringing in the tough to grab ones is when he's good/great. It's those pesky routine catches that I have seen lapses.
Overall I think he has it all to put it together. He understands working edges on people and can get open. He's a plus athlete with size.
In turn this turned into some pretty good route running - he can get open. He also has plus speed and size.
But one thing has always worried me about Thomas as far as receiving goes - and this goes back to watching his 'highlights' after we drafted him.
He's the guy that will make the most spectacular catch but then drop the routine one. Him high-pointing balls and bringing in the tough to grab ones is when he's good/great. It's those pesky routine catches that I have seen lapses.
Overall I think he has it all to put it together. He understands working edges on people and can get open. He's a plus athlete with size.
It sounds like we may have a very good rotation at NT this season. I hope that we see a much improved run defense although it really couldn't be any worse
Goff has worn a brace on his left knee since day 1 in the NFL many right handed NFL QBs wear a brace on their left knee. Probably in college also, but I dont know for sure.
My believe right now is the TE’s, under Philips
will really help bring this group together. Higbee was so close so many times to make some great plays,especially in training camps.
He just needs a little confidence, plus Goff is getting the ball out a lot better. I’m sure Higbee is always working with Goff to improve as well.
Gerald Everett is in his 3rd coming from a smaller Uni. He has put in the work to have a breakout season as well.
Mcvay did not play call out of the box as much as he should have. He will open the offense up more this season??? Will see, but those are my thoughts about this upcoming season.
BonifayRam
Legend
How's the traffic :headexplosion:down there in central Florida my fellow Floridian? We had some big storms last night here washed away the dust from our red clay cow trails.
Rams drafted Mike Thomas in 2016 they really needed him to be here & become a good part of their passing & special teams.... Thomas never got up to level needed to help. Thus, the Rams used other draft selections for other receivers like Everett, Kupp & Reynolds plus spend sizable salary cap funds chunks on WR's Cooks & Woods. It all turned out well without Thomas. While Thomas was on the IR again in 2018 Reynolds helped the Rams reach the SB. His NFC Championship Game was OUTSTANDING! In that Saints home game JR outperformed the current highest paid WR in the NFL Saints all pro Mike Thomas. JR caught four passes for 74 yards...rushed the ball once for 16 yards as the Rams 3rd WR.
Mike Thomas's history over the last 3 season has been one negative event after another Hip/ Groin/ Ankle to cause a few designations on the Injured Reserve, he had a very long PUP event as TC began & a hit with a four-game PED suspension Jul 21, 2017 event. Until this Camp began Thomas was best known for his drops than any other Ram player. Thomas is now going into his last year under his original 4 yr contract & in less 7 months of time as a Ram until his UFA'cy in March 2020. This entire TE/RB/WR cadre will return in 2020 except for TE Higbee. Has Thomas ran out of time as a Ram?
When I study this receiving unit as a whole I see an outstanding pass catching unit with very few needs. One need is overall this receiving unit could use more speed. Thomas best 40 times were 4.54 seconds. That does not really help. I also see a need for a fast quick solid punt returner, not Thomas game either.
Would it be better for the future Rams' roster for a longer termed receiver who will be under contract next season & longer plus cheaper who had better than average speed & could be a good punt returner for this team to take the short termed Thomas spot on the roster? What would Thomas bring to this unit it does not already have in abundance?
There are some positive things to like about Thomas. It does appear currently that he has put all that behind him thus far. One thing he has over Josh Reynolds is ......he can be a special teams mainstay for Bones if he made the team as a gunner to go with gunner Safety Nick Scott. Thomas does have some serious large hands for a WR. Thomas has some excellent route runner in him too.
Thomas does not offer much in deep speed where his best times were early in 2016 when he ran 4.54 seconds in the 40 and 10-foot-6 broad jump. If I just compare Thomas with Rookie Alex Bachman who is signed for the next four seasons...can run a 40-yard dash time (4.4 seconds) and broad jump distance (10 feet, 7 inches). Bachman played on nearly every special teams unit, as a gunner on the punt team. Bachman returned both punts and kicks so this prospect offers a lot too. That's just one comparison. I also think that WR Nsimba Webster could have a ceiling approaching the level of Cooper Kupp. He also ran 4.4 40 plus a 6.7 three cone event at Wash. St pro day.
I like Rams
Hall of Fame
Dude...the rain here is TERRIBLE. I feel like I live in Seattle. Everythings damn near flooded.How's the traffic :headexplosion:down there in central Florida my fellow Floridian? We had some big storms last night here washed away the dust from our red clay cow trails.
Rams drafted Mike Thomas in 2016 they really needed him to be here & become a good part of their passing & special teams.... Thomas never got up to level needed to help. Thus, the Rams used other draft selections for other receivers like Everett, Kupp & Reynolds plus spend sizable salary cap funds chunks on WR's Cooks & Woods. It all turned out well without Thomas. While Thomas was on the IR again in 2018 Reynolds helped the Rams reach the SB. His NFC Championship Game was OUTSTANDING! In that Saints home game JR outperformed the current highest paid WR in the NFL Saints all pro Mike Thomas. JR caught four passes for 74 yards...rushed the ball once for 16 yards as the Rams 3rd WR.
Mike Thomas's history over the last 3 season has been one negative event after another Hip/ Groin/ Ankle to cause a few designations on the Injured Reserve, he had a very long PUP event as TC began & a hit with a four-game PED suspension Jul 21, 2017 event. Until this Camp began Thomas was best known for his drops than any other Ram player. Thomas is now going into his last year under his original 4 yr contract & in less 7 months of time as a Ram until his UFA'cy in March 2020. This entire TE/RB/WR cadre will return in 2020 except for TE Higbee. Has Thomas ran out of time as a Ram?
When I study this receiving unit as a whole I see an outstanding pass catching unit with very few needs. One need is overall this receiving unit could use more speed. Thomas best 40 times were 4.54 seconds. That does not really help. I also see a need for a fast quick solid punt returner, not Thomas game either.
Would it be better for the future Rams' roster for a longer termed receiver who will be under contract next season & longer plus cheaper who had better than average speed & could be a good punt returner for this team to take the short termed Thomas spot on the roster? What would Thomas bring to this unit it does not already have in abundance?
There are some positive things to like about Thomas. It does appear currently that he has put all that behind him thus far. One thing he has over Josh Reynolds is ......he can be a special teams mainstay for Bones if he made the team as a gunner to go with gunner Safety Nick Scott. Thomas does have some serious large hands for a WR. Thomas has some excellent route runner in him too.
Thomas does not offer much in deep speed where his best times were early in 2016 when he ran 4.54 seconds in the 40 and 10-foot-6 broad jump. If I just compare Thomas with Rookie Alex Bachman who is signed for the next four seasons...can run a 40-yard dash time (4.4 seconds) and broad jump distance (10 feet, 7 inches). Bachman played on nearly every special teams unit, as a gunner on the punt team. Bachman returned both punts and kicks so this prospect offers a lot too. That's just one comparison. I also think that WR Nsimba Webster could have a ceiling approaching the level of Cooper Kupp. He also ran 4.4 40 plus a 6.7 three cone event at Wash. St pro day.
Anyway, you bring up some valid points on Thomas. He has been injured, suspended, suffered from stone hands when first entering the league (and i dont think Fisher's offensive staff was the one to help him)..but with those valid points youre forgetting one thing....He's still here. 3 seasons into McVay's regimen hes one of the few players to survive the extreme turn around that is our current team. McVay has to see something in him and i dont think its far off from where i feel he can be as a receiver. He's healthy (knock on wood) and he's making plays and catching everything thrown his way. This is why he was drafted and was considered one of the biggest steals in the draft. Will it transition to real game play? Dunno. All i know is if youre going to be hard on a guy for his past, you need to be honest with the present. If he stays healthy he's showing he's no longer the man he was when he came in here.
Well, the signing bonus was prorated, so in the past there'd be a cap hit for cutting him, and he's useful on special teams. Cutting him this year would actually save the Rams money, so he needs to truly produce in training camp. The time for valuing his potential is gone, or nearly so. Will another, younger guy be useful enough and have some potential as a receiver? Thomas doesn't win on the tie, any longer. He has to be clearly better than his young competition. Otherwise, the Rams will likely go with a kid who is useful now and may develop this year or next.
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I 100% agree, I just think the only competition he has is Reynolds. We'll see this preseason.
Reynolds is pretty clearly the #4 receiver. Thomas needs to beat out the #5 and possibly #6 receiver if they keep one. He has talent - but health is also a talent, and this is his last chance with the Rams. He needs to show himself as significantly more valuable than the kids in training camp this year to keep his job. Hopefully besides the special team success he has shown, he shows he can be a quality NFL receiver. If I were to bet on it, I'd bet on him not making the cut though - the Rams need to keep younger deep depth players who won't be free agents, unless the fourth year players are clearly better in TC than their rivals. Keep in mind that cap space rolls over in most circumstances, so saving even a few hundred thousand means the Rams have more money for next season.
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He doesnt cost that much, the Rams have had to of eaten quite a bit of dead money when releasing all the players they did when McVay came in. So while saving money may be something theyre keeping in mind right now, i don't think that was a reason to not cut him before. He wont cost much to keep around right now either. But like you said, he needs to beat out the younger cats. If he plays to his potential, he will IMO.