Early look at WR depth chart

[nighttrain]

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.)

interesting take, and not one i would dispute
train

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I th I k Spruce has a better shot at the starting roster than North. North is the more physical jump ball threat but he doesn't separate. He needs to refine his route running. Spruce gets open and has good hands too.

McRoberts being the more coveted UDFA may obviously have the edge over the rest of that group though.

Marquez looked like he was improving last year.

Britt
Austin
Cooper
Spruce
Thomas
McRoberts

 

[Stony32]

I th I k Spruce has a better shot at the starting roster than North. North is the more physical jump ball threat but he doesn't separate. He needs to refine his route running. Spruce gets open and has good hands too.

McRoberts being the more coveted UDFA may obviously have the edge over the rest of that group though.

Marquez looked like he was improving last year.

Britt
Austin
Cooper
Spruce
Thomas
McRoberts

I agree with your take on Spruce. Not many here seem to, but I think they'll come around when he shows himself in camp. What is your basis on McRoberts being more coveted?

 

[FrantikRam]

Going to come down to special teams. Historically haven't we only kept a combo of 9 WRs/TEs on the 53 man roster? And then Cunningham and another WR would be inactive on game day?

We'll probably keep...

QB - 3

RB - 4 (Gurley, Mason, Cunningham, Reynolds)

DL - 9 - Quinn/Donald/Brockers/Hayes/Sims/Coples/LTP/Westbrook/plus 1 more

LB - 6

CB - 5

S - 4

ST - 3


I think these are more of less locks for the numbers game - leaving a total of 19 spots for WR/TE/OL - then you have as locks...

Britt/Tavon/Cooper/Higbee/Kendricks/GRob/Saffold/Barnes/Brown/Havenstein/Wichman/Donnal/Reynolds/Battle


Which leaves 5 spots for...

OL: Rhaney/Darryl Williams

TE: Harkey/Hemmingway

WR: Thomas/Quick/Marquez


Of these 7, Williams and Marquez can likely be stashed on the practice squad...which means...

5 WRs, 4 TEs, 10 OL

So IMO the WR chart might look like...

Britt/Tavon/Cooper/Quick/Thomas - but then I can't see any of these guys playing special teams, while Marquez does - so I could see us cutting Quick outright and keeping Marquez on the active roster.

 

[Loyal]

Looks like I am a minority, in that I think Quick is a bust, according to where he was drafted. He only had a few good games over the years,in one season, and then a major shoulder injury that almost ended football for him. I am only convinced if he is a monster WR in camp, and maybe preseason. It seems there are other new guys that should get the benefit of the doubt over him if they are at all close in evaluation....In his NFL, it hasn't meant Not For Long, because Fish/Snead don't want to admit he's a draft failure.

Britt? I think he benefits tremendously from an accurate QB amd may approach 1000 yards (or surpass it).

 

[DickersonGurley]

I honestly think that undrafted duke Williams is better than our two drafted receivers (and I like pharaoh and mike Thomas)
So I'll go with
Tavon
Britt starting at 2 for now until he's outplayed
Williams outplaying quick and the others for 3
Cooper because of his versatility
Baily or Quick (unless we see flashes of dominant quick. But evidence says we'll get dormant quick)
Thomas, who will eventually fly past quick and cooper
I actually think the deck is stacked against quick.

I actually pray this happens, except I want Marquez North to get a shot too. He's a beast

 

[LACHAMP46]

Hmm...the db in me says they keep the guys that separate the best....with the best hands....fisher loves vets...but he loves talent more...so
Quick-still the best pure wr on team....find one guy on roster with comparable 7 game run he had in '14
Britt- just a step behind Quick. durability seems to be his only hangup as he's always getting dinged.
Austin- still just a slot wr...Can't do much outside the numbers...He still doesn't run that arrow route that made Danny A famous.
Cooper- production in college. 40 time makes me nervous...
Thomas- reminds me of Quick....with worse attributes.....
North/Ferguson/Spruce- purely practice squad material. I think North can turn into something special. Not sure about Ferguson. Spruce has hands...But again, in the pros it's very hard to actually get open without serious physical attributes like speed & size & quickness. Can't see Snisher going against his gut feelings.
I have a hard time leaving Marquez off the list, but his main role as a special teamer will be replaced by several of our fringe DB's....I like Randolph, Bryant, and another guy that I can't remember his name....And his role as a slot wr has been taken by Cooper.
So that 5 Quick, Britt, Austin, Cooper, and Thomas....

 

[Ram_Rally]

I actually pray this happens, except I want Marquez North to get a shot too. He's a beast

I don't think we have a star on this roster but maybe we'll have a really solid core

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I agree with your take on Spruce. Not many here seem to, but I think they'll come around when he shows himself in camp. What is your basis on McRoberts being more coveted?

Just because he got a ten thousand dollar signing bonus. I am not sure what Spruce got but dividing eighty thousand between nineteen udfas, leads me to believe that McRoberts may have been the highest paid of the group.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Going to come down to special teams. Historically haven't we only kept a combo of 9 WRs/TEs on the 53 man roster? And then Cunningham and another WR would be inactive on game day?

We'll probably keep...

QB - 3

RB - 4 (Gurley, Mason, Cunningham, Reynolds)

DL - 9 - Quinn/Donald/Brockers/Hayes/Sims/Coples/LTP/Westbrook/plus 1 more

LB - 6

CB - 5

S - 4

ST - 3


I think these are more of less locks for the numbers game - leaving a total of 19 spots for WR/TE/OL - then you have as locks...

Britt/Tavon/Cooper/Higbee/Kendricks/GRob/Saffold/Barnes/Brown/Havenstein/Wichman/Donnal/Reynolds/Battle


Which leaves 5 spots for...

OL: Rhaney/Darryl Williams

TE: Harkey/Hemmingway

WR: Thomas/Quick/Marquez


Of these 7, Williams and Marquez can likely be stashed on the practice squad...which means...

5 WRs, 4 TEs, 10 OL

So IMO the WR chart might look like...

Britt/Tavon/Cooper/Quick/Thomas - but then I can't see any of these guys playing special teams, while Marquez does - so I could see us cutting Quick outright and keeping Marquez on the active roster.

Good reasoning. I think the battle is between Quick/Marquez/Cunningham and the three UDFA receivers, North/Spruce/McRoberts. Fisher always says it is more about the best 53 than it is about grouping numbers.. to some extent anyway.

 

[LesBaker]

I don't think Bailey is going to play football again. I am pulling for him but his doctors told him not to do it and until they say he has a green light I hope the Rams don't even let him do full contact practices.

 

[Stony32]

Cooper- production in college. 40 time makes me nervous...
Thomas- reminds me of Quick....with worse attributes.....
North/Ferguson/Spruce- purely practice squad material. I think North can turn into something special. Not sure about Ferguson. Spruce has hands...But again, in the pros it's very hard to actually get open without serious physical attributes like speed & size & quickness.
. . .
So that 5 Quick, Britt, Austin, Cooper, and Thomas....

That makes sense based on the scouting reports and draft results, but this one seems so unpredictable just based on measurables. For example, compare Cooper and Spruce: Height - advantage Spruce; weight - even (+/- 1 lb.); hand size - Spruce; pro day 40 time - Spruce; vertical jump - Spruce; broad jump - Cooper by 1 inch; College productivity - more objective, but Spruce holds virtually all of Colorado's receiving records and the Pac-12 all-time receptions record. Yet, something the Rams and posters see has Cooper ahead of Spruce. I'm not saying they are wrong and won't second-guess Snisher or others who are paid to do this. I'm just saying it's not going to be decided by measurables and I'm interested in knowing how these rankings among all of these rookies are being made without seeing them on the field against NFL DBs.

 

[Stony32]

Great info. Thanks.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Yet, something the Rams and posters see has Cooper ahead of Spruce.
..........I'm interested in knowing how these rankings among all of these rookies are being made without seeing them on the field against NFL DBs.

More likely Cooper has faced more talented db's in the SEC....and has done well....
I have a feeling looking at film that Cooper is faster than his recorded time...we shall see...

 

[OnceARam]

Guessing the others beat him out.

Potentially

 

[kurtfaulk]

.

well, fleaflicker, a ff site has mike thomas LA as the 5th highest draft ranked rookie wr.

of course they have michael thomas NO with no draft ranking. which makes me believe they've pulled a mike martz and mixed up each player with the other.

.

 

[Roman Snow]

More likely Cooper has faced more talented db's in the SEC....and has done well....
I have a feeling looking at film that Cooper is faster than his recorded time...we shall see...

I agree. I'm reminded of Boldin. That guy should never get open. Just does.

 

[jrry32]

That makes sense based on the scouting reports and draft results, but this one seems so unpredictable just based on measurables. For example, compare Cooper and Spruce: Height - advantage Spruce; weight - even (+/- 1 lb.); hand size - Spruce; pro day 40 time - Spruce; vertical jump - Spruce; broad jump - Cooper by 1 inch; College productivity - more objective, but Spruce holds virtually all of Colorado's receiving records and the Pac-12 all-time receptions record. Yet, something the Rams and posters see has Cooper ahead of Spruce. I'm not saying they are wrong and won't second-guess Snisher or others who are paid to do this. I'm just saying it's not going to be decided by measurables and I'm interested in knowing how these rankings among all of these rookies are being made without seeing them on the field against NFL DBs.

Simple truth is that Cooper was the 4th round pick. Spruce was a UDFA signing. It seems likely that he'll end up ahead of Spruce in the pecking order.

Both guys had bad measurables relative to their peers so comparing the slight differences in measurables doesn't get us anywhere. What sets Cooper apart from Spruce? Both guys are savvy players and have outstanding mitts. The difference between them is that Cooper is a very dangerous and effective runner after the catch and plays with more strength, physicality, and aggression.

Cooper's body type, play style, and skill-set make him an ideal fit in the slot. Spruce is a bit of a tweener. He has the body type and play style of an outside WR with the athletic skill-set of a slot WR. I like Spruce. I think it's going to be hard for the Rams to cut him. I think he'll stick around on the practice squad if he doesn't make the roster. But he's not as good of a prospect as Cooper and the NFL projection for him isn't as clear as Cooper's is.