Early look at WR depth chart

[Rams43]

Okay... I have taken the bait. Here is my receiving groups, blue font are my picks to be on the 53 man roster. Specific comments below about my specific position groups:

POS FIRST SECOND THIRD

WR-X Britt Quick Thomas(R)

WR-Z Austin Cooper(R) Marquez

TE-R Higbee(R) Hemingway(R)

TE Kendricks Cunningham

TE/FB Harkey Zack Laskey
​

• The blue guys are competing for the 46 man game day roster after they have made the 53 man roster. Black font are guys who will not make the 53 man roster and who will be on the practice squad.
• UGFAs get little love from me. They went undrafted for a reason. They can upgrade our practice squad.
• I expect Quick to move ahead of Britt.
• Cooper will press Austin more than is generally thought.
• Hemingway will make the roster and play more than we think because Higbee is always hurt (has never played a full season)
• Higbee and Hemingway HAVE to be better blockers than we think or our run first game with Gurley is shot (Personally I would have replaced one of the TE with Jerral Adams).

I see it differently, Orchid.

I think that Quick will not only not surpass Britt, but I think he's somewhat less than 50-50 to even make the 53. Unless he has a helluva camp and preseason.

The last 2 spots could be any one of several players.

 

[Akrasian]

I see it differently, Orchid.

I think that Quick will not only not surpass Britt, but I think he's somewhat less than 50-50 to even make the 53. Unless he has a helluva camp and preseason.

The last 2 spots could be any one of several players.

Yeah, I don't understand the undervaluing of Britt that happens a lot here. It's not that I think he's great - it's that he was the best WR for the Rams for the past few years, while we all knew the QB situation was very bad. With an accurate QB, he should have solid stats at least - not great, but good. FWIW, he's the most reliable receiver the Rams have going into OTAs and camp. Why would anybody want to get rid of him as one of the targets for Goff? It's not like we are discussing eliminating Britt for a pro bowl WR the Rams are trading for - the talk is eliminating him for a UDFA. That's just silly. I can understand getting enthusiastic for a low drafted or undrafted player - but don't expect him to be good his rookie season. The Rams need a vet or two who has shown that he belongs in the NFL, to work along with Goff.

 

[JC-3]

Guessing the others beat him out.

I hope not. Mike Thomas can be a VERY GOOD wideout for us.

 

[Picked4td]

I think theres a good chance they may keep 7 WRs, likely at the cost of Chase Reynolds. He a good STer but he offers next to nothing offensively. If enough WRs prove to have potential offensively while performing well on ST, i think theres a good chance they keep 7, especially with Tavon and Cooper able to play some emergency HB

 

[JC-3]

1. Austin
2. Britt
3. Cooper
4. Thomas
5. North
6. Quick

 

[WestCoastRam]

Chances are that none of these guys outside of Cooper will make much of an impact. Statistically speaking... and possibly only Cooper because there's no one in front of him except Marquez who plays slot (no guarantee that Bailey's back).

My guess is @StealYoGurley had it right though I might quibble with Quick backing up Austin and Thomas backing up Britt vs what the other way around for him.

The battle's in camp will be for slot and four wide (4th WR is Quick's to lose... that's a fun sentence to type).

If one of the undrafted guys does great, we got really really really really really really really really lucky (again, statistically .

 

[jrry32]

My opinion?
XWR: Kenny Britt - Brian Quick
ZWR: Tavon Austin - Mike Thomas
SLWR: Pharoh Cooper - Bradley Marquez
Practice Squad: Nelson Spruce and Paul McRoberts

Quick better come to play, though. I think Spruce and McRoberts will battle him hard for his job. There's a possibility that they keep McRoberts over Quick if Quick doesn't show up well and they're worried that McRoberts will get grabbed by another team.

I also think Stedman ends up on the non-football injury list. Don't see him playing in 2016. If he does play, he'll battle with Marquez.

I also forgot about JJ Worton. I like the guy. Don't underestimate him. Might battle Spruce and Marquez for that final roster spot.

Both Thomas and McRoberts are talented guys. Both are raw and probably won't contribute much in 2016. I think the Rams are unlikely to release Thomas because he won't make it to the practice squad. If Thomas sees the field, it'll likely be as a situational deep threat. His route running has a long ways to go based on his college film.

 

[StealYoGurley]

I think theres a good chance they may keep 7 WRs, likely at the cost of Chase Reynolds. He a good STer but he offers next to nothing offensively. If enough WRs prove to have potential offensively while performing well on ST, i think theres a good chance they keep 7, especially with Tavon and Cooper able to play some emergency HB

The Rams thought they had too many mouths to feed when they kept 6 WRs last year so they traded Givens. As a heavy two TE offense I don't think they can afford to keep 7 WRs. I do agree that Reynolds probably looses his spot since our 4th RB Brown or Aaron Green will play on special teams. So instead of keeping 5 RBs they keep 4 and use the extra spot to keep 4 TEs since they only kept 3 last year.

 

[diggity]

I gotta say, Marquez is going to be in the mix a lot more than he's being given credit for so far here.
J.M.H.O..
GO RAMS!!!!

 

[BonifayRam]

The Rams thought they had too many mouths to feed when they kept 6 WRs last year so they traded Givens. As a heavy two TE offense I don't think they can afford to keep 7 WRs. I do agree that Reynolds probably looses his spot since our 4th RB Brown or Aaron Green will play on special teams. So instead of keeping 5 RBs they keep 4 and use the extra spot to keep 4 TEs since they only kept 3 last year.

I agree with you here on the number of WR active on the master roster will be Six maximum. We should see @ least two WR's i.e. Mc Roberts & North on the PS. If Ferguson is ready & fully healed from that ACL last season this 6-5 220 4.4/40 just might race up into that final 6. Fisher would love to have two young tall large UDFA's wide outs like Ferguson & North replace his underperforming large wide out duo Britt/Quick in 2017 season.

I see the RB cadre a bit different.....If the WR cadre turns out to be very rich with surprising youthful talent, we could also see versatile offensive weapon Tavon Austin working in the back field action @ RB with Gurley....scary along with Cunningham, Brown & Green saying good bye to Mason/Watts/Reynolds. Making it a Four RB cadre with TA included in with the WR total. Likely we will see Four TE/H-back's on the final roster (Kendricks/ Harkey/ Higbee/ Hemingway) instead of the normal 3. The ideal is to find a Lance Kendrick's replacement for the 2017 season.

 

[hotanez]

I agree with you here on the number of WR active on the master roster will be Six maximum. We should see @ least two WR's i.e. Mc Roberts & North on the PS. If Ferguson is ready & fully healed from that ACL last season this 6-5 220 4.4/40 just might race up into that final 6. Fisher would love to have two young tall large UDFA's wide outs like Ferguson & North replace his underperforming large wide out duo Britt/Quick in 2017 season.

I see the RB cadre a bit different.....If the WR cadre turns out to be very rich with surprising youthful talent, we could also see versatile offensive weapon Tavon Austin working in the back field action @ RB with Gurley....scary along with Cunningham, Brown & Green saying good bye to Mason/Watts/Reynolds. Making it a Four RB cadre with TA included in with the WR total. Likely we will see Four TE/H-back's on the final roster (Kendricks/ Harkey/ Higbee/ Hemingway) instead of the normal 3. The ideal is to find a Lance Kendrick's replacement for the 2017 season.

I agree with Bonifay 6 WR at most. I think that McRoberts and North go to the PS. North might have a chance if he can stay healthy. Ferguson I really don't think has any chance of making the PS now much less the team. He played @ a much lower level of competition but he didn't play lights out. His numbers are not good their bad. Will be fun to watch it play out.

 

[Akrasian]

I liked Bailey a lot, but he'd never rounded into more than a backup type. Now he's had the brain injury, and frankly, I don't think he should play. It's good to have a goal, but it's like he's had the mother of all concussions in effect - and we know more and more that after a very severe concussion or a series of concussions that football is increasingly dangerous. It's like Bud Sasser last year - he wanted to play, but the Drs said it was too dangerous, so the Rams said no. My understanding is that Bailey's Dr is telling him he shouldn't play.

 

[Amitar]

lol, sounds like a lot of you aren't around from these parts.
Let me explain how it rolls in Fisher land.
Starters are Britt, Quick, Tavon, and Kendricks. and it will stay that way until someone gets hurt. Then and only then will Higbee, Cooper, or anyone else be able to start and get any significant playing time.

 

[DaveFan'51]

My understanding is that Bailey's Dr is telling him he shouldn't play.

I'm Hoping/Praying that the Dr.'s are wrong, as they are frequently! And Bailey returns! Maybe the Rams put him on the IR/ Designated to return List!?!

 

[JC-3]

lol, sounds like a lot of you aren't around from these parts.
Let me explain how it rolls in Fisher land.
Starters are Britt, Quick, Tavon, and Kendricks. and it will stay that way until someone gets hurt. Then and only then will Higbee, Cooper, or anyone else be able to start and get any significant playing time.

I don't see that happening now, with the new look rams.

There's a lot of investment here, a lot of people on the line.

 

[WestCoastRam]

The other thing that Bailey doesn't have going for him is that it was reported that his play really tailed off before the shooting. I think it would be harder to write him off if he had been showing his 2014 form last year... that being said, hard to show that with our abysmal QB play.

 

[Memento]

My humble opinion on who makes it:

Kenny Britt
Tavon Austin
Pharoh Cooper
Mike Thomas
Bradley Marquez
Paul McRoberts

(I think McRoberts beats out Quick for a job.)

 

[lockdnram21]

I agree with Bonifay 6 WR at most. I think that McRoberts and North go to the PS. North might have a chance if he can stay healthy. Ferguson I really don't think has any chance of making the PS now much less the team. He played @ a much lower level of competition but he didn't play lights out. His numbers are not good their bad. Will be fun to watch it play out.

He Tore his acl in camp last year. I think his college stats were real good. If he's been working on his craft he has a chance. He's 6'5 with 4.4 speed. Not saying he will make it but he has a chance.

 

[hotanez]

He Tore his acl in camp last year. I think his college stats were real good. If he's been working on his craft he has a chance. He's 6'5 with 4.4 speed. Not saying he will make it but he has a chance.

He's got talent and the 6th spot is going to be a good battle. I actually can't wait to see the 2 TEs we drafted with Goff behind center.