Sean McVay sees Tutu Atwell emerging at top option behind Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson

[ROD-BOT]

Sean McVay sees Tutu Atwell emerging at top option behind Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson

The Rams have two clear options at receiver: Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson.

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Sean McVay sees Tutu Atwell emerging at top option behind Cooper Kupp, Van Jefferson​

The Rams have two clear options at receiver: Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson. So who is likely to be the third option behind them?

“I think it’s really early,” coach Sean McVay told reporters on Wednesday, “but Tutu Atwell is a guy that’s really done an excellent job. He’s super smart. Obviously, he’s well known for his speed, but he’s really done a great job in this offseason and it showed up today of really establishing himself, playing with aggressive hands, understanding the nuances of how we want to work edges and separate where he fits within the concepts.”

McVay, as he often does, then rattled off a bunch of names of other players on the depth chart: rookie Puka Nacua, Ben Skowronek, DeMarcus Robinson, and Tyler Johnson.

“The beauty of this team in general, for the people that you guys have covered us for the last handful of years, there truly is competition and that’s something for us to really evaluate and be good about finding who are the best 11 guys on offense, defense, special teams, and what are the different rotations that we can come up with as we navigate training camp?” McVay said. “But I was encouraged, I was ready to just answer a couple guys and then I start thinking about practice and a lot of guys really made plays and are worthy of being mentioned and so that’s certainly a good problem for us to have right now.”

The Rams currently have 12 receivers on the roster. Given that McVay specifically named only five receivers beyond the top two should make the remaining five a little nervous about their prospects.

Meanwhile, Atwell — a second-round pick in 2021 — is entering his third season. If he’s ever going to step up, this would be the year to do it.

 

[kurtfaulk]

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[So Ram]

YEP - he had a learning curve.

I don’t know how smart Tutu Atwell is,but would say he is(was) really country.

He isn’t (wasn’t) the most experienced player.I’d also say watching him develop & understanding,studying has brought his (NFL) football IQ up a lot.

I think Cooper Kupp has been a big part of Atwell’s growth as well as hardwork.He PRIDES himself on toughness.

Example was (Raider) a game he had a pass he had a DB beat.The ball wasn’t there & he avoided contact.The DB never turned his back.No contact no Interference.
—Next time the ball was barely catchable & he runs into the DB,almost not making a play.
—That was smart,but knowing how & experience was WEAK.
His rookie year he lead The NFL in catches like 25?
—Last camp he went over the middle against Bobby Wagner showed toughness & really thinks about ball security.

 

[Flint]

As long as we can keep him away from top dbs he’ll be ok. He’s proven he can get deep, now he needs to diversify the routes he’s running.

 

[thirteen28]

@Loyal is going to be the happiest guy on the board!!

 

[WestCoastRam]

Rooting for the kid cause if he can find a way to stay out there snap in and snap out, his speed can unlock a bunch in our offense...
though I just don't see how he can be used more than 1/3 of plays on offense at his size and his lack of ability to block.

That being said, him out there for 1/3 of our snaps would be a vast improvement of where he was even a year ago at this time.

 

[Loyal]

@Loyal is going to be the happiest guy on the board!!

I am one of his greatest of supporters, ya heathen underwater swabby!

 

[thirteen28]

I am one of his greatest of supporters, ya heathen underwater swabby!

Creed will be avenged!!!

 

[Bootleg]

McVay said this last year too. He even held Atwell out of the preseason as one of his "core starting guys" but then forgot about him as the season started. It took a disaster for him to see significant field time last year.

I hope this year is different. I think Atwell has upside and can be one of the more exciting players on the team if given a chance.

 

[Merlin]

We're still in happy slappy silly fuckin fun time, like @Loyal at Chucky Cheese. But it is good to hear Tutu is impressing the boss.

 

[ottoman89]

I sure fuckin hope so. It's damn near been 3 years.

 

[PhillyRam]

McVay said this last year too. He even held Atwell out of the preseason as one of his "core starting guys" but then forgot about him as the season started. It took a disaster for him to see significant field time last year.

I hope this year is different. I think Atwell has upside and can be one of the more exciting players on the team if given a chance.

I dint think Stafford had much time to unlock the deep passing game, which likely were the packages Atwell was going to be used for.

Then with Wolford and Perkins no WR could shine, but when Kupp went down and Baker took over at QB, with an OL that at least began to be a little more cohesive, I thought Atwell stepped up and played well.

 

[Merlin]

Tutu has like a 2 foot catch radius. I just hope Stafford can hit him deep.

 

[kurtfaulk]

Tutu has like a 2 foot catch radius. I just hope Stafford can hit him deep.

We've already seen him hit him deep. Many times.

Man the negative shit about tutu around here is sickening.

And cam. And van.

Sick of reading it.

Disclaimer - not a shot at you Merlin, just the general mood around this place about these players.

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[LARAMSinFeb.]

Tutu seems to have great hands for his size, and nice tracking ability; I just have a hard time envisioning him staying healthy. McVay’s mentions today were Johnson and Robinson however, and apparently VJ had a great day.

 

[PARAM]

Rooting for the kid cause if he can find a way to stay out there snap in and snap out, his speed can unlock a bunch in our offense...
though I just don't see how he can be used more than 1/3 of plays on offense at his size and his lack of ability to block.

That being said, him out there for 1/3 of our snaps would be a vast improvement of where he was even a year ago at this time.

The last 5 games with Mayfield starting (with Kupp & Robinson out), he played 78.2% of the snaps. And the Rams ran for 613 yds (4.8 ypc). I'm certainly not saying he was a good blocker but being on the field a lot didn't hamper the run game.

 

[Tumak61]

Atwell will emerge this season. He's the deep piece of the puzzle for this year. I'm expecting the Offense to look quite different than it has in the past under McVay.

 

[majrleaged]

The last 5 games with Mayfield starting (with Kupp & Robinson out), he played 78.2% of the snaps. And the Rams ran for 613 yds (4.8 ypc). I'm certainly not saying he was a good blocker but being on the field a lot didn't hamper the run game.

If you have to rely on your receivers' blocking to have a good running game, you are fucked. All Tutu has to do it get in someones way occasionally, If our Oline does their job it won't matter if Tutu blocks. Just get open and catch the ball. He can definitely do that. Then the DB will be taken out of the play anyway.

 

[HitStick]

The last 5 games with Mayfield starting (with Kupp & Robinson out), he played 78.2% of the snaps. And the Rams ran for 613 yds (4.8 ypc). I'm certainly not saying he was a good blocker but being on the field a lot didn't hamper the run game.

Don’t need to block when the DB is 20 yards up the field before he realizes it’s a run play

 

[Faceplant]

We're still in happy slappy silly fuckin fun time, like @Loyal at Chucky Cheese. But it is good to hear Tutu is impressing the boss.

I own this shirt....