Pick #57 - Rams select WR Tutu Atwell

View: https://twitter.com/ramsnfl/status/1388297996547223553?s=21

 

[jrry32]

It is a shame we are suffering from Tavon PTSD as a fan base. That cooled the reception considerably to what might be a fantastic pick.

I see his separation and am hopeful. But that Tavon experience makes me more cautious than I would be if he was an inch or two taller with a little more weight. Which is kind of crazy tbh.

I don't think it necessarily comes down to Tavon PTSD. Most people considered Hollywood Brown and Devonta Smith absolutely tiny WRs at 166 pounds. Tutu is 13 pounds lighter. I can't think of a successful WR at a weight under 160 off the top of my head. That doesn't mean Tutu can't succeed, but it's a big risk. And frankly, Tutu's game film didn't blow me away like Hollywood's and Devonta's did. If Tutu had Devonta's film, I wouldn't give a crap about his weight.

 

[jrry32]

You could argue that Davonte Smith is skinnier than Atwell. He is listed as 6-1, 165... Atwell's 5-8, 155 is thicker than that.

Hopefully Reggie can get him up to 165 or 168.

Devonta played a physical brand of football despite his weight and consistently demonstrated that he could make plays in traffic. I didn't see either in Tutu's film.

 

[PhillyRam]

Devonta played a physical brand of football despite his weight and consistently demonstrated that he could make plays in traffic. I didn't see either in Tutu's film.

And Smith was taken 45 picks ahead of Atwell too. A big risk for a near top ten pick.

 

[XXXIVwin]

This thread is awesome.

Gotta say now I'm extra pumped for the season to begin just so we can find out what we got in Atwell. And LOVE that article from the Rams website. Extremely reassuring to hear how much thought and analytics went into the pick, and to hear the rave reviews from scouts.

It's so interesting to me how some guys have highlights that "jump out" at you, and some don't. Tavon's highlights blew me away... the speed and change of direction skills were ridonculous. ED, on the other hand, never looked that amazing... he'd just glide on past everyone effortlessly.

TBH, Tutu's highlights don't look that jaw-dropping. Just gotta hope he's one of those "makes everything look effortless" kinda guys.

FFS, when is the first preseason game?!?!?

 

[jrry32]

And Smith was taken 45 picks ahead of Atwell too. A big risk for a near top ten pick.

I don't think so. Film was that dominant. Don't care about his weight. He made future NFL CBs look like bums on a near weekly basis.

 

[XXXIVwin]

It is a shame we are suffering from Tavon PTSD as a fan base. That cooled the reception considerably to what might be a fantastic pick.

I see his separation and am hopeful. But that Tavon experience makes me more cautious than I would be if he was an inch or two taller with a little more weight. Which is kind of crazy tbh.

Yeah, great point about the fans having Tavon PTSD. Well put.

Gotta think the coaches have Tavon PTSD as well. Which in a weird way maybe is reassuring. It means they made this pick knowing full well how bad the Tavon experiment failed. They knew what it was like to have a small, super-fast, super-elusive player who just couldn't cut it as an NFL WR.

But they made the pick anyway. Which means they see Atwell as an entirely different player from Tavon, with a different skill set.

 

[808RAMS]

I can see Tutu running the jet sweeps.

 

[oldnotdead]

Jefferson dropped to the Rams simply because he couldn't run his 40 due to injury. So teams dropped him simply because they simply don't use analytics like the Rams. Why am I talking about Jefferson? The Rams took him at 57 last year. Their use of analytics of his 2019 season showed he was damn fast, probably in the low 4.4 range at worst.

So now the Rams have 3 speed WRs and a very fast RB in Funk who also runs in the 4.3 to 4.4 range. Now add in Kupp and Woods and Higbee and it's a matchup nightmare for secondaries. Their use of analytics is a big part of why Snead drafts so well in late rounds. Snead values traits and is willing to use a year or two to polish the rookies. This is how you build teams that stay on top for years.
It's why IMO the Rams SB window is wide open and will be for years.

 

[So Ram]

Jefferson dropped to the Rams simply because he couldn't run his 40 due to injury. So teams dropped him simply because they simply don't use analytics like the Rams. Why am I talking about Jefferson? The Rams took him at 57 last year. Their use of analytics of his 2019 season showed he was damn fast, probably in the low 4.4 range at worst.

So now the Rams have 3 speed WRs and a very fast RB in Funk who also runs in the 4.3 to 4.4 range. Now add in Kupp and Woods and Higbee and it's a matchup nightmare for secondaries. Their use of analytics is a big part of why Snead drafts so well in late rounds. Snead values traits and is willing to use a year or two to polish the rookies. This is how you build teams that stay on top for years.
It's why IMO the Rams SB window is wide open and will be for years.

No doubt I agree with you on The Rams being good for years to come.
I still wonder about how they are going to figure Offensive Lineman(lmao) in this analytics?

It’s interesting,but wonder why all these Ram Fans are so high on the rookies.Where is the Hopkins love? Then all the T. Lewis hate because they think he will be injured.
Does Troy Reeder get any respect? What about E.Jones ?

 

[TheTackle]

No doubt I agree with you on The Rams being good for years to come.
I still wonder about how they are going to figure Offensive Lineman(lmao) in this analytics?

It’s interesting,but wonder why all these Ram Fans are so high on the rookies.Where is the Hopkins love? Then all the T. Lewis hate because they think he will be injured.
Does Troy Reeder get any respect? What about E.Jones ?

Agreed on Reeder: 3 good games, with plenty of impact plays on 3rd down - then he has one or two bad plays against top talent - fans, he's a bum . There will be plenty of competition for the starting jobs now, but I wouldn't bet against Reeder continuing to improve.

 

[kurtfaulk]

I just brought it up because some of the reporting makes it seem like it was At well or bust, which seemed odd. I'm sure the Rams won't come out and say that there were a few other players that they wanted more after making the pick.

I'm 100% positive if jamaar chase fell to them at #57 they would have been all over him.

But when their pick was up I'm 100% positive they wanted atwell more than any other player available.

.

 

[So Ram]

I'm 100% positive if jamaar chase fell to them at #57 they would have been all over him.

But when their pick was up I'm 100% positive they wanted atwell more than any other player available.

.

Pretty obvious,The Rams drafted him.Weather they would have traded back if there were more WR’s available is another story.The Rams needed to be safe in case there was another run on WR’s

I was a little upset at the time they didn’t trade back for a WR of his value.I think Les Snead could have rolled the dice see who would have been there say with Minnesota at 66?

 

[NJRamsFan]

Lol there seems to be a growing group that use the word analytics as a buzz word...like it’s a magic trick. It’s not 2002 anymore Analytics and sports are synonymous.

 

[jap]

Lol there seems to be a growing group that use the word analytics as a buzz word...like it’s a magic trick. It’s not 2002 anymore Analytics and sports are synonymous.

Analytics applies to much more than sports. In fact, it applies to most facets of marketable goods and services.

 

[CGI_Ram]

Tutu Atwell Will Prove Everyone Wrong - LAFB Network

The Rams enraged and baffled many fans by drafting wide receiver Tutu Atwell with the 57th pick but he has the potential to prove them wrong.

www.lafbnetwork.com

Tutu Atwell Will Prove Everyone Wrong - LAFB Network​

The Rams are a lot of things but they’re never boring. Last year they used their two second-picks, not on a linebacker or offensive lineman like the internet told them to, instead opting for Cam Akers and Van Jefferson (more on him in a minute) and the internet had a meltdown.

Once again, with a second-round pick and in dire need of a linebacker and an offensive lineman, the Rams selected a receiver despite many quality players at both needs falling to them.

When Seattle selected a receiver they were roundly mocked because receivers aren’t going to protect Russell Wilson from Aaron Donald. But then the Rams turned around and did the same thing, and not only did they draft a receiver in Tutu Atwell, but they drafted a guy who is 5’9 and 155 lbs. Naturally, fans erupted into an orgy of rage and befuddlement the likes of which are only reserved for cataclysmic events like the “How I Met Your Mother” finale.

Now that the digital dust has cleared, the pick actually makes sense. Tutu Atwell might not be an impact rookie, at least right away, but he fits in with the ethos the Rams had for their entire 2021 draft.

Could the Rams have taken Creed Humphrey or Quinn Minerez at the center spot so they have a young gun to protect Matthew Stafford? Yes. Could they have drafted a blue-chip linebacker like Jabril Cox to fortify their one black hole on defense? Absolutely. So why didn’t they?

Well in regards to linebacker, the Rams made zero friends taking Ernest Jones who, while a great tackler, doesn’t scream “IMPACT” player but that’s another article. So why did they go with Tutu? He isn’t slotted to be a returner as he wasn’t one in college and with Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Van Jefferson, and DeSean Jackson, how does he crack the starting lineup. Well, based on the Rams also drafting a super-athletic tight end in Jacob Harris in the fifth round it’s clear the Rams wanted speed, and say what you want about Tutu, but the kid is Barry Allen level fast, running a 4.32 40. Similar to Van Jefferson being insurance for Josh Reynolds and Cooper Kupp in the beginning and investment in the future, Tutu is insurance for DeSean Jackson but also their future as well.

DeSean Jackson might still have it but he’s injury-prone, and like Tugg Speedman, he’s on the wrong side of 30. Tutu gives them someone else Stafford can BOMB it to which is something McVay felt the offense sorely needed. His three primary receivers are all obviously capable of getting open but they aren’t burners. McVay intimated many, MANY times that he felt like he wanted to take the restrictor plate off and give the Red Dragon a little juice but he couldn’t because personnel kept it street legal. That’s not going to be a problem anymore. They have a quarterback that can let ‘er rip and the weapons to make that happen. His small frame is a cause for concern, sure, but if he’s catching fire in the open field the defenders will have to catch him first.

Still not convinced because this is an LA football site and this might simply reek of homerism? Ok, well Tutu is not only a long-distance target BUT he has other uses as well. Since McVay came to LA he’s loved the jet sweep and lately, they haven’t been able to utilize it both because their run game was being rebuilt and also Jared Goff didn’t have the foot speed to make it effective once defenses figured that out. Stafford takes care of the latter issue and Tutu can be plugged into a spot in the backfield because again, he’s fast.

So the Rams used their first pick of 2021 to essentially take a Tavon Austin-like figure? No, that’s slander. Tutu will help out that part of the game immediately and he has one other little skill that won’t show up often but it’s there. He used to play quarterback in high school (so did Cam Akers), so if McVay felt like being cute he can do that. Sure, that won’t bear fruit often but the point is Tutu is someone that has many applications. He still has to show it obviously but the potential is there and in the future, he will take over for DeSean Jackson.

All of the above might not win over the cranks who are still throwing a tantrum that they didn’t take a center. Tutu Atwell is a gamble for sure, but the Rams can afford to gamble because they are in a position to win now and can afford to build for the future while improving in the present. The Rams are rolling with Austin Corbett (who yes is a free agent next season), or Brian Allen or Coleman Shelton at the center position and they signed two undrafted tackles, one of which is a 6’7 guy from Italy (Viva Italia!).

As far as linebacker goes, Ernest Jones, as well as Chris Garrett, are going to cut their teeth on special teams which fans must know is a NEED as they were abysmal in that area. Eventually, Jones and Garrett could be valuable because they are great tacklers. Maybe not elite athletes but the Rams need guys who have strong instincts and can wrap guys up.

The internet might be saltier than the Cheeseburger Sub they sell at SoFi, but when Tutu has an EXPLOSIVE play at some point this season they’ll come around. Besides, if internet reactions indicate success it wouldn’t have taken a decade for people to appreciate how great “Scott Pilgrim vs the World”

 

[NJRamsFan]

Analytics applies to much more than sports. In fact, it applies to most facets of marketable goods and services.

Dude that’s like 40 year old news. Sports was just the last to catch on...and even that was over 20 years ago

 

[CGI_Ram]

Dude that’s like 40 year old news. Sports was just the last to catch on...and even that was over 20 years ago

Okay; how about deep data, then?

Sure... The use of analytics has been around a while..., but the types of data is new and expanding.

Use of cameras and such to time movements... and with years to accumulate that data into a deep enough data set for decisions.

I don’t think anyone disagrees it’s not totally new, but the type of data and how it’s matured with the Rams seems to be what people are talking about, IMO.

 

[NJRamsFan]

Okay; how about deep data, then?

Sure... The use of analytics has been around a while..., but the types of data is new and expanding.

Use of cameras and such to time movements... and with years to accumulate that data into a deep enough data set for decisions.

I don’t think anyone disagrees it’s not totally new, but the type of data and how it’s matured with the Rams seems to be what people are talking about, IMO.

Yeah I mean What I’m getting at is Sean McVay surely uses data analytics as does your local convenient store. It’s not like McVay has some magical query or way to collect data, he has what everyone has. It’s just a piece of what he does, he’s also a damn good talent evaluator and damn good at applying the aforementioned data.

I keep reading comments that seem as if they think “analytics” are something unique to McVay and that they are his magical formula. “ we woulda never made this pick if McVay didn’t have his analytics” is the same as “we woulda never made this pick if the rams didn’t have scouts”.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I'm 100% positive if jamaar chase fell to them at #57 they would have been all over him.

But when their pick was up I'm 100% positive they wanted atwell more than any other player available.

.

I don’t think they were counting on Chase but the two I mentioned went in the 50s. It’s even possible that they would have chosen Eskridge. It’s all just spin.

But your right. At 57 Atwell was their guy.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Okay; how about deep data, then?

Sure... The use of analytics has been around a while..., but the types of data is new and expanding.

Use of cameras and such to time movements... and with years to accumulate that data into a deep enough data set for decisions.

I don’t think anyone disagrees it’s not totally new, but the type of data and how it’s matured with the Rams seems to be what people are talking about, IMO.

From what I gather it’s not all teams that use the analytics to the same extent that the Rams do. Most teams don’t take it as far as the Rams do.