El Chapo Jr
Legend
Says the guy putting goal posts where none existed in the first place. That's some talent there. Cheers
Do we already have WR3?
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My favorite Rams #3 WR ever was Az-Zahir Hakim. He was a bad ass!
Yeah, I absolutely hate the OT depth right now. Even if Jackson doesn’t get a suspension what happens if he gets hurt? Trost being a man in his rookie year would be a huge blessing but I don’t understand how they leave THAT position unaddressed. Even if AD comes back and they give up under 20 pts per game, protecting #9 has got to be the first priority every year.
El Chapo Jr
Legend
I'm 1000% with you there. Its definitely scary if that depth gets tested as we can't fault Trost if he's thrown out there and struggles. If we can't protect 9, our chances of winning a Superbowl definitely nose dive. I know we can't get depth at every position, but OT and WR3 are my top 2 for this stacked roster.
El Chapo Jr
Legend
From the Rams.com.
Odd there is no mention of Konata Mumpfield in that short article. On Xavier Smith, not only was he #3 in yards per reception (16.8) behind Ferguson (21.0) and Tutu (32.0), his catch percentage was also good enough for third (75.0%), behind Parkinson (76.8) and Puka (77.7%). Mumpfield's was just 43.5%, a tick behind Ferguson (44.0%). #18 needs to hold onto the ball a lot better if he's going to have a breakout season. It should be a very interesting competition for the #3 spot. Or it could be a combo of more than 1, like last year.
When he held-on to the ball. Unfortunately, he became very unreliable.
Pro Football Reference has Hakim with 21 fumbles from 1999-2001. That's obscene. Not sure if that's correct.
No way did Hakim have 21 fumbles. More like 5 over those 3 years. Maybe a couple a year, but I don't recall him as a problematic fumbler.
I agree that Whittington isn't a central part of the offense, but I don't think his value should be underestimated.
I don't view Whit as a traditional WR. IMO, he's a "utility player". He's a hybrid, a swiss army knife. His role is a modern version of what West Coast systems did with good receiving fullbacks. He's not supposed to be a 1,000-yard receiver. He's more like our version of Kyle Juszczyk. If he does his job, his season receiving stats should be comparable to Juszczyk's numbers playing for the Niners. Not everything is about quantity. The situational value of each catch is also important. You want the offense to be efficient and versatile on 3rd down and red zone. You need a misdirection counter to help keep defenses from being overly aggressive with blitzes.
I love Whit. He understands route leverage and how to create separation. He's tough after the catch almost like a RB. He catches the ball. He blocks very well. You can move him all over the formation, as a slot WR, a wingback, a fullback, outside WR, almost like a move TE.
For many years prior to us drafting Whittington, I always wanted the Rams to add a player like him, to be a "glue guy" that diversified the offensive attack. In Whit's draft year, I typically drafted him in the late round of draft simulators but there was another candidate that I also sometimes took as a fallback option if Whit no longer was on the board, Jack Westover, who was a TE from Washington.
Back in 2020, the Rams expressed interest in a TE prospect named Dalton Keene. He was taken in the 3rd round by the New England Patriots. They traded up to get him. Only 3 slots later, we drafted Terrell Burgess, a S from Utah. Keene wasn't a traditional TE. He was a utility player very similar to how we use Whittington. So, our interest in him was interesting in trying to predict the direction McVay wanted to go with the offense. If the Pats hadn't traded up, I wonder if we would have drafted Keene.
Traditional labels aren't so important. I feel that the role Whit currently plays on our team is a "real position". I don't think it is pure accident that Whit ended up on our team, it is part of an intentional plan by McVay, something that was years in the making. So, whether Whit continues to serve in that role or we replace him and get someone else, we should conceptually think of his job as a distinct position that exists on the team, regardless of whether the Rams actually designate it as such on the depth chart.
If you look at college draft prospects, keep that in mind if you see a TE who looks too small to play in the NFL or there's a strong WR who runs too slow, or a RB who is a good receiver but not as talented a runner. A player like that might not seem like a valuable or highly ranked prospect, but he might be perfect for what we need.
He was notoriously careless with the ball. If he wasn’t so electric and explosive he probably wouldn’t have had a career. Marty didn’t protest. He took the good with the bad.
NFL.com agrees with PFR, and also has 21 fumbles in that three-year-period of 1999-2001 (all with the Rams) but only four more over the remainder of his career.
Those fumbles don't reflect the number of fumbles recovered by Rams' opponents.
As to our respective memories, mine is extremely different. As I recall, Hakim was fumbling and muffing the ball left-and-right those final three seasons with the Rams. Of course, the worst one ... guessing everyone remembers ... was against the Saints in the 2000 Playoffs when it appeared the Rams were about to complete an all-time great fourth quarter come-back.
Can't prove or disprove the number; and I thought 21 was high. Maybe some of ROD's older posters can share their memories.
I watched all those fumbles but yeah I looked it up. 21 fumbles in ‘99 ‘00 and ‘01 seasons.
Some of those were recovered by the good guys but nevertheless…seriously fumble prone.
El Chapo Jr
Legend
But as you said, bad ass returner when he didn't which we don't see much nowadays. That's a part of the team I wish we had minus that fumble problem.
You know. I post about Hakim, with happy memories of him. Then, you guys come on and ruin it with your 21 fumbles crap.
It's like I post a pic of some hot ass blonde and all you guys do is talk about how dumb she is.
I DONT CARE ABOUT THE MILLON FUMBLES!
It's like I post a pic of some hot ass blonde and all you guys do is talk about how dumb she is.
I DONT CARE ABOUT THE MILLON FUMBLES!
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When Whittington was drafted, my thought was he would be replacing (possible upgrade?) benny skow. His role on offense would be limited to mostly blocking and some checkdown opportunities, few plays designed with him as the first option. He would double as a STs stalwart. Whittington has had that precise role. I have no issues with his performance, but it is rare that THAT type player would have a leg up on getting a new deal over some of the other more significant roles. His price, OTOH, would be more affordable than say, a starting Guard—so there’s that.
In general, the Rams’ roster keeps churning and will face several big changes in the next year or two. Who’s going and who’s staying will surprise us. I don’t see anybody as safe right now except for maybe Nacua. That is why I could see Whittington fighting for his job this camp.
The #3 WR is important in some offenses and less important in others. Take the Chiefs for example. The Super Bowl winning Chiefs. From 2022 to 2025 they went to 3 Super Bowls winning 2 of them. Who was their #3 WR?
2022: Marques Valdez-Scantling 42 receptions; 2 TD
2023: Kadarius Toney 27 receptions; 1 TD
2024: Racheed Rice 24 receptions; 2 TD
and this year, a non-playoff season......
2025: Xavier Worthy, 42 receptions, 1 TD
Their #3 WR averaged 31 receptions and less than 2 TDs during those 3 consecutive Super Bowl years.
During those 3 seasons their #3 WR had the sixth most receptions on the team behind the #1 and #2 WRs, a running back and 2 TEs.
We're talking about Andy Reid's offense, perhaps the only offensive head coach held in higher esteem than Sean McVay.
If that production was enough to get them to 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons, I question how important a #3 WR must be.
Last year our #3 WR (Whittington) had only 18 receptions. So did our #4 Xavier Smith. And our #5 had just 10 (Konata). However, our #6 receiver was Davis Allen with 24 receptions, 3 TD. Right around the Toney/Rice production for the Chiefs, except he had more scores.
Who's our #3 WR this year (is he going to be a WR or TE?) and is he going to have an impact greater than the Chiefs #3's?
2022: Marques Valdez-Scantling 42 receptions; 2 TD
2023: Kadarius Toney 27 receptions; 1 TD
2024: Racheed Rice 24 receptions; 2 TD
and this year, a non-playoff season......
2025: Xavier Worthy, 42 receptions, 1 TD
Their #3 WR averaged 31 receptions and less than 2 TDs during those 3 consecutive Super Bowl years.
During those 3 seasons their #3 WR had the sixth most receptions on the team behind the #1 and #2 WRs, a running back and 2 TEs.
We're talking about Andy Reid's offense, perhaps the only offensive head coach held in higher esteem than Sean McVay.
If that production was enough to get them to 3 Super Bowls in 4 seasons, I question how important a #3 WR must be.
Last year our #3 WR (Whittington) had only 18 receptions. So did our #4 Xavier Smith. And our #5 had just 10 (Konata). However, our #6 receiver was Davis Allen with 24 receptions, 3 TD. Right around the Toney/Rice production for the Chiefs, except he had more scores.
Who's our #3 WR this year (is he going to be a WR or TE?) and is he going to have an impact greater than the Chiefs #3's?
Not sure how many fumbles Hakim had (PFR has it as 6 in 99, 7 in 00 and 8 in 01) but the Rams, as a team, had 92 fumbles, 50 fumbles lost over those 3 years. I got that direct from the NFL Record & Fact Books (2000, 2001, 2002 review of the previous season). That's A LOT of fumbles.
An answer to the mystery, how could Hakim have had so many fumbles, if you look at Hakim's game logs he fumbled 6 times in 4 games during the 99 season but didn't lose any of them. In 00, he fumbled 7 times in 5 games, losing 4. And in 2001 he fumbled 8 times in 7 games losing 4. So the tale of the tape with Az is 21 fumbles, 8 fumbles lost. Dayem!! That's A LOT.
All the more reason to wonder why Martz left Az-Hakim in there to catch a punt in the playoffs after the Rams had just overcome a 31-7 fourth quarter deficit and were poised to grab the lead on the next possession. 21 fumbles in 3 years and Martz left him in there to catch THE BIGGEST PUNT OF THE YEAR. Even if the Saints downed the ball on the 1 yard line the Rams probably would have scored within a minute or two. They were unstopable in that 4th quarter.
Martz was not a smart man. He gets credit for the GSOT but if any team had Faulk, Holt, Bruce, and Warner they would have been just as good, in my opinion, and probably would have won at least 1 more super bowl.
You know. I post about Hakim, with happy memories of him. Then, you guys come on and ruin it with your 21 fumbles crap.
It's like I post a pic of some hot ass blonde and all you guys do is talk about how dumb she is.
I DONT CARE ABOUT THE MILLON FUMBLES!