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Is Mike Thomas poised to be Kenny Britt's replacement?
http://theramswire.usatoday.com/2016/07/11/is-mike-thomas-poised-to-be-kenny-britts-replacement/
By: Jake Ellenbogen | 1 hour ago
The Los Angeles Rams have been in the process of sculpting a talented and unique roster over the past years. With all the talent, though the Rams might not have enough room to pay one specific wide receiver after this season.
Rutgers own Kenny Britt was initially brought into the league by way of the Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, but that was back in Tennessee. Britt has had his ups and downs to this point, which may leave Fisher and the Rams brass to mull over the idea of choosing not to re-sign him after the 2016 season.
Why would the Rams part with their leading wide receiver? Well, for starters, he is very replaceable as things currently stand. You want to love Britt but you really can’t, you can like him, but he just isn’t ever going to mold into that elite go-to target that the Rams so badly wanted him to become.
Related:
LOOK: Kenny Britt one-ups Ezekiel Elliott in crop-top swagger
Fortunately, that’s alright, because in steps rookie wide receiver Mike Thomas from Southern Mississippi. The Rams spent one of their three sixth-round draft picks in 2016 on the talented receiver. Thomas was a victim of scouts overvaluing speed and not looking at the technicalities of being a receiver who is reliable and can run crisp routes like Thomas.
Thomas is not a crazy prospect by any means. His 4.53-forty time isn’t the best and his vertical jump of 36 inches doesn’t wow you. However, Thomas is a major threat to overtake that number one wide receiver job at some point down the line, thus potentially making Britt obsolete.
What it comes down to is this. Thomas has ideal size for an NFL starting wide receiver, as he stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 200 pounds. Britt is a little taller at 6-foot-3 and bigger at 223 pounds, but Britt has not been dominate by any means. Thomas will cost a lot less as well, compared to re-signing Britt to what could potentially wind up being an $8-10 million contract, depending on how strong of a year he has in 2016.
Speaking of that, Thomas will also need to show the Rams he can start before they even consider the idea of him replacing Britt. The Rams could very well view Thomas as a longer-term project, which could potentially push a guy like Pharoh Cooper, who was drafted three rounds ahead of Thomas, above him.
While it is well documented that the Rams loved Cooper, they like him as a slot receiver, while Thomas is more cut out to be on the outside. With the big play and jump ball ability that he showed at Southern Mississippi, it’s hard to imagine Thomas not working his way up to becoming a starter if he produces the way he did in college.
Don’t be surprised if Thomas logs some serious regular season reps in 2016. The Rams know they landed a good player in him, and it could only be a matter of time before he pushes a player or two out of the rotation.
http://theramswire.usatoday.com/2016/07/11/is-mike-thomas-poised-to-be-kenny-britts-replacement/
By: Jake Ellenbogen | 1 hour ago
The Los Angeles Rams have been in the process of sculpting a talented and unique roster over the past years. With all the talent, though the Rams might not have enough room to pay one specific wide receiver after this season.
Rutgers own Kenny Britt was initially brought into the league by way of the Rams head coach Jeff Fisher, but that was back in Tennessee. Britt has had his ups and downs to this point, which may leave Fisher and the Rams brass to mull over the idea of choosing not to re-sign him after the 2016 season.
Why would the Rams part with their leading wide receiver? Well, for starters, he is very replaceable as things currently stand. You want to love Britt but you really can’t, you can like him, but he just isn’t ever going to mold into that elite go-to target that the Rams so badly wanted him to become.
Related:
LOOK: Kenny Britt one-ups Ezekiel Elliott in crop-top swagger
Fortunately, that’s alright, because in steps rookie wide receiver Mike Thomas from Southern Mississippi. The Rams spent one of their three sixth-round draft picks in 2016 on the talented receiver. Thomas was a victim of scouts overvaluing speed and not looking at the technicalities of being a receiver who is reliable and can run crisp routes like Thomas.
Thomas is not a crazy prospect by any means. His 4.53-forty time isn’t the best and his vertical jump of 36 inches doesn’t wow you. However, Thomas is a major threat to overtake that number one wide receiver job at some point down the line, thus potentially making Britt obsolete.
What it comes down to is this. Thomas has ideal size for an NFL starting wide receiver, as he stands at 6-foot-1 and weighs in at 200 pounds. Britt is a little taller at 6-foot-3 and bigger at 223 pounds, but Britt has not been dominate by any means. Thomas will cost a lot less as well, compared to re-signing Britt to what could potentially wind up being an $8-10 million contract, depending on how strong of a year he has in 2016.
Speaking of that, Thomas will also need to show the Rams he can start before they even consider the idea of him replacing Britt. The Rams could very well view Thomas as a longer-term project, which could potentially push a guy like Pharoh Cooper, who was drafted three rounds ahead of Thomas, above him.
While it is well documented that the Rams loved Cooper, they like him as a slot receiver, while Thomas is more cut out to be on the outside. With the big play and jump ball ability that he showed at Southern Mississippi, it’s hard to imagine Thomas not working his way up to becoming a starter if he produces the way he did in college.
Don’t be surprised if Thomas logs some serious regular season reps in 2016. The Rams know they landed a good player in him, and it could only be a matter of time before he pushes a player or two out of the rotation.
