Goff says"Mike Thomas has found a role"

[Rams43]

Special teams is where a WR on the bubble can stick with the team. Marquez isn't as good a receiver as most the others but he's a special teams demon.

With that said I think Thomas will make the roster with his ability to take the top off a defense. But dang, those hands are so inconsistent.

Based on very limited reports coming out of OTA's and mini-camp, sounds like Thomas' hands might now be improved, snackdaddy.

And, if so, I think he surely makes this 53.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Found this from espn fantasy.

Rams fans probably remember Thomas as the guy who fumbled the opening kickoff against the Falcons and dropped an easy catch on a deep ball against the Seahawks. He was a sixth-round pick who made key mistakes in the few opportunities he received. But Thomas said he has made "tremendous growth" since his rookie season and received a lot of first-team reps throughout OTAs. "He's kind of found a role for himself," Rams quarterback Jared Goff said. "He's one of our faster receivers and can stretch the defense. I think he enjoys that role and understands that he's going to be an over-the-top guy. It's just a perfect role for him." -- Alden Gonzalez

-- my thoughts were from watching him at UCI last year. He really did a good job running routes. The Rams DB's couldn't stop him when he made his cuts on the outs. Being a 6th RD pick. I think Snisher pulled off a good player there.

---Snead works hard on trusting his scout team. I think maybe the GM is put in a tough spot at times.

I hate when The Rams trade up for a player. -- They seem to do much better trading back.

RG111. --- Brockers --plus ext.....
-The trade back & still got Ogletree --
-This trade back to get Everett & still add a 3rd Rd pick
Last year to trade back & still get Copper & Mike Thomas is WAY Underlooked !!!
113 - for 117 (Cooper & Thomas) 206 !!!

Where all The Ram fans talking crap ???

I'm all about the Kool-aide . Jared Goff ?? Having McVay as Fhe Rams coach makes this thing really work. The Rams core & youth is solid.
--Woods,Whitworth,Barwin,Sullivan,,Webster, & even Nick Robey(USC) .
Those are solid pick ups , especially compared to Dumb & Dumber. Then maybe dumbest for 6th rd pick & cap space to help front load a little more of Donald's contract. --Matt Barnes ?? Good luck 8ers. Lance 5 thumbs Kendricks ?
Dunbar over Bennie out of the back field.
---Enter Mike Thomas as the KR guy or P.Cooper ?? I liked Bennie , but injury bug & Dunbar has serious speed.

-- Hayes & Simms ??? -- how many offsides did has have thinking about Mermaids?? -- McDonald & his suspension??

I think The Dams are on the right path.

Great post except I couldn't tell where the reporting ended and the stream-of-consciousness began.

 

[RamBall]

I'm too lazy to look it up, but I wonder who was the talk of OTA/Minicamp last year, and if it translated in to them getting a spot on the team.
I like Thomas a lot. I was a huge Cooper supporter (still am but don't have much to go on) but ST is a factor, and Thomas came on last year as gunner. I don't see any way Marquez gets a spot, he offers nothing as a WR
But to your point, lets get the pads on, let these cats get hit and see if they hear footsteps....

Higbee and Duke Williams were the 2 getting lots of hype at last yrs TC. Duke was cut and Higbee didnt do much in the regular season. This years TC should be very competitive, cant wait.

 

[Mackeyser]

Higbee and Duke Williams were the 2 getting lots of hype at last yrs TC. Duke was cut and Higbee didnt do much in the regular season. This years TC should be very competitive, cant wait.

The difference is that Fisher would hype guys for reasons like helping them get the next job. McVay seems to be much more straightforward in that regard.

 

[RamDino]

Mike Thomas certainly didn't have a lot of drops in college, compared to his production at least.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Mike Thomas certainly didn't have a lot of drops in college, compared to his production at least.

As I recall that was the very reason he fell in the draft (bad hands).

He had everything else figured out pretty well.

 

[wolfdogg]

I like tavon and tru but if I'm mcvay, I'm giving enough snaps to guys like thomas, gaines, webster and Reynolds to see if we can keep, or even improve, the quality of position for a fraction of the cost. If I were tavon or tru, I would be more dedicated than ever and make sure I was indispensable to the rams by the end of the season. I have a feeling that at least one will be gone by the end of next year's draft.

 

[jrry32]

On the other hand, while he perhaps plays faster than his 4.53/40 pro day time on the field, such a statement may also speak to a potential lack of speed at WR from the other main players constantly mentioned.

That point would have more merit if we didn't see his speed last year. It's clear that he plays faster than his 40. The guy is fast. There's nothing relative about it.

 

[shaunpinney]

As I recall that was the very reason he fell in the draft (bad hands).

He had everything else figured out pretty well.

No, it was his inability to separate, and a slow first 10 yards that caused the drop - he was noted as having 'exceptional' hands.

Via NFL.com ---->

STRENGTHS
Plays like his hair is on fire. Posted eye-opening production in 2015. Motor is always in the red and brings enthusiasm and urgency to the field. Has good size, but plays even bigger. Able to play through contact and still make difficult, contested catches. Confidence took off as season progressed. Doesn't have blazing speed but hit explosive play after explosive play. Good leaper with great body control to win high percentage of 50-50 balls. Good hand fighter down the sideline. Will drain every yard he can get out of every catch.

"Motor is always in the red and brings enthusiasm and urgency to the field." Sounds like the type of guy that McVay likes.

 

[jrry32]

No, it was his inability to separate, and a slow first 10 yards that caused the drop - he was noted as having 'exceptional' hands.

Via NFL.com ---->

STRENGTHS
Plays like his hair is on fire. Posted eye-opening production in 2015. Motor is always in the red and brings enthusiasm and urgency to the field. Has good size, but plays even bigger. Able to play through contact and still make difficult, contested catches. Confidence took off as season progressed. Doesn't have blazing speed but hit explosive play after explosive play. Good leaper with great body control to win high percentage of 50-50 balls. Good hand fighter down the sideline. Will drain every yard he can get out of every catch.

"Motor is always in the red and brings enthusiasm and urgency to the field." Sounds like the type of guy that McVay likes.

Are we talking about Mike Thomas or Pharoh Cooper? Because Mike Thomas had drop issues in college but was great at separating. He fell in the draft because of a combination of his offensive scheme, lack of polish, and inconsistencies with his hands.

 

[shaunpinney]

Are we talking about Mike Thomas or Pharoh Cooper? Because Mike Thomas had drop issues in college but was great at separating. He fell in the draft because of a combination of his offensive scheme, lack of polish, and inconsistencies with his hands.

That was an excerpt of Mike Thomas' nfl.com draft profile.

 

[dieterbrock]

That was an excerpt of Mike Thomas' nfl.com draft profile.

I think that was the Ohio State Mike Thomas profile, no?

 

[jrry32]

That was an excerpt of Mike Thomas' nfl.com draft profile.

Thomas has never had an issue with separating. I'm really not sure where you're getting that. Here are plays from his final college game against Washington (a team with a lot of defensive talent):

View: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=14438909


View: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=14439112


View: http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=14439636


His diving catch came after he got behind Sidney Jones, who was considered a first round lock this year before his injury.

Thomas's profile as a prospect was as a legitimate deep threat with inconsistent hands who needed a lot of work on his route running and releases.

 

[Memphis Ram]

That point would have more merit if we didn't see his speed last year. It's clear that he plays faster than his 40. The guy is fast. There's nothing relative about it.

We did? It is?

 

[shovelpass]

Full Thomas draft profile....
http://www.nfl.com/draft/2016/profiles/mike-thomas?id=2555562

Mike Thomas (WR)
HT: 6'1" WT: 200LBS.

POSITION: WR

SCHOOL: Southern Miss


Overview
Thomas collected 71 receptions for 1,391 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2015. Those totals easily eclipsed his numbers from 2014: 41 catches for 592 yards and five touchdowns.


Pro Day Results

40-yard dash: 4.53 seconds
Vertical: 36 inches
Broad jump: 10 feet, 11 inches
Short shuttle: 4.29 seconds
3-cone: 7.06 seconds
Bench: 16 reps of 225 pounds

• SELECTED BY: Rams
• ROUND: 6
• PICK (OVERALL): 31 (206)

PICK ANALYSIS:
Thomas is a "worker bee" WR with exceptional hands. His late draft position is a result of his inability to separate. He'll get a chance to compete for one of the Rams' last receiver spots. --Mark Dulgerian


ANALYSIS
Strengths
Plays like his hair is on fire. Posted eye-opening production in 2015. Motor is always in the red and brings enthusiasm and urgency to the field. Has good size, but plays even bigger. Able to play through contact and still make difficult, contested catches. Confidence took off as season progressed. Doesn't have blazing speed but hit explosive play after explosive play. Good leaper with great body control to win high percentage of 50-50 balls. Good hand fighter down the sideline. Will drain every yard he can get out of every catch.

Weaknesses
Average athlete inside first 10 yards. Hip tightness limits sink into and out of breaks and routes can be very raw. JUCO transfer who played just two years of FBS football. Easy target to tag for press corners. Needs to vary approach and tempo of press release. Drop rate of 10.1 percent due to focus issues. Struggles creating separation at top of his routes versus tight man coverage. Needs more commitment as run blocker.

Draft Projection
Rounds 6 or 7

Sources Tell Us
"You want to write him off when you start watching the tape and then he just starts outworking everyone for the big plays." -- NFL South scout

Bottom Line
While much of Thomas' production was churned out against middling competition, it is worth noting that he had at least one touchdown catch over his last 10 games including two touchdowns and 190 receiving yards in his bowl game against Washington. Thomas could face a struggle to get open against NFL press coverage, but his desire and competitiveness will make following his run in camp an interesting one.

 

[Soul Surfer]

No, it was his inability to separate, and a slow first 10 yards that caused the drop - he was noted as having 'exceptional' hands.

Via NFL.com ---->

STRENGTHS
Plays like his hair is on fire. Posted eye-opening production in 2015. Motor is always in the red and brings enthusiasm and urgency to the field. Has good size, but plays even bigger. Able to play through contact and still make difficult, contested catches. Confidence took off as season progressed. Doesn't have blazing speed but hit explosive play after explosive play. Good leaper with great body control to win high percentage of 50-50 balls. Good hand fighter down the sideline. Will drain every yard he can get out of every catch.

"Motor is always in the red and brings enthusiasm and urgency to the field." Sounds like the type of guy that McVay likes.

I see where YOU say he has "exceptional hands".

I read every report I could find on the guy and some mentioned that he would sometimes drop easy catches.

 

[Soul Surfer]

Yeah we have to make sure we have the right Mike Thomas here. Make sure it says Southern Mississippi somewhere after his name.

 

[Soul Surfer]

I did find the "exceptional hands" reference but also remember reading some reports where it said he would drop an occasional easy catch.

 

[Ram65]

As I recall that was the very reason he fell in the draft (bad hands).

He had everything else figured out pretty well.

No, it was his inability to separate, and a slow first 10 yards that caused the drop - he was noted as having 'exceptional' hands.

Via NFL.com ---->

STRENGTHS
Plays like his hair is on fire. Posted eye-opening production in 2015. Motor is always in the red and brings enthusiasm and urgency to the field. Has good size, but plays even bigger. Able to play through contact and still make difficult, contested catches. Confidence took off as season progressed. Doesn't have blazing speed but hit explosive play after explosive play. Good leaper with great body control to win high percentage of 50-50 balls. Good hand fighter down the sideline. Will drain every yard he can get out of every catch.

"Motor is always in the red and brings enthusiasm and urgency to the field." Sounds like the type of guy that McVay likes.

Weaknesses
Average athlete inside first 10 yards. Hip tightness limits sink into and out of breaks and routes can be very raw. JUCO transfer who played just two years of FBS football. Easy target to tag for press corners. Needs to vary approach and tempo of press release. Drop rate of 10.1 percent due to focus issues. Struggles creating separation at top of his routes versus tight man coverage. Needs more commitment as run blocker.

Drop rate of 10.1 percent due to focus issues.

Hard to miss the 10.1 % drop rate in the weaknesses section. He makes hard catches. Focus issues and not catching the front of the ball we've seen from OTA video. Let's see what he does in training camp and preseason. We know he is on McVay's radar.

 

[HeiseNBerg]

I did find the "exceptional hands" reference but also remember reading some reports where it said he would drop an occasional easy catch.

...or an opening kickoff.