Tutu Atwell {updated} only ball carrier in NFL to hit 21 mph twice

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fearsomefour

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In McVay's 5 years, we have 5 winning records, 2 Super Bowl appearances and a Lombardi trophy. No criticism from me.

But I was puzzled that we drafted Tutu when McVay couldn't find a use for Tavon Austin, who is similar.
It was baffling.
Tutu, from the little we have seen, appears to have more develop WR skills.
But unless he gets into the open field before he has the ball......he gets knocked down with one hand it seems.
 

Merlin

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But I was puzzled that we drafted Tutu when McVay couldn't find a use for Tavon Austin, who is similar.
Honestly that's an insult to Tutu. He is actually a good receiver. He can adjust to the ball in the air and separate in his routes.

I think the question of whether he's got enough dog in him is what will dictate his future with us. Only time will tell there.
 

Ram Ts

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2015....Havenstein (the rest of this draft was a disaster)
2016....none
2017....Gerald Everett
2018....none
2019....Taylor Rapp
2020....Cam Akers & Van Jefferson
2021....Tutu Atwell
2022....none

Going back to when Hav when was drafted.
Its not like they have a bad track record in the 2nd round.
Yeah Rapp, Akers and Van are good solid players. Even Everett. Thus pretty good picks. Personally, on draft day when picked, I hated each pick. I was wrong probably. Just saying at pick time, I wanted other guys picked.
 

fearsomefour

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Yeah Rapp, Akers and Van are good solid players. Even Everett. Thus pretty good picks. Personally, on draft day when picked, I hated each pick. I was wrong probably. Just saying at pick time, I wanted other guys picked.
If you feel like punishing yourself revisit that 2015 draft....yikes....
 

raised_fisT

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I think we drafted Gurley in 2015.
Jeez.... he didn't last long in the league at all.
He beasted for like 3 years and then just fizzled. Sad
 

BonifayRam

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Rams Stock Up, Stock Down: Skowronek with firm grip on WR3 over Atwell

McVay’s Swiss army knife willing to play FB or any role in offense

By Steven Ridings Sep 20, 2022



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Entering Week 2 of the season, the Los Angeles Rams were hoping to receive more contribution from their role players to elevate the team’s overall level of play. There was a focal point to get Allen Robinson II more involved with the offense and on defense, Jalen Ramsey helped solidify the backend with his playmaking ability. There were other players, who after the final whistle, had also elevated their stock on the team moving forward. But, as with any team, there were a few who had less than inspiring performances and continue to struggle to carve out a role on the team.

Which five players saw their stock climb after two weeks of the regular season? Was Tutu Atwell’s training camp overhyped? Which five players are not trending in the right direction?

Stock Up

1. Cobie Durant, CB

Cobie Durant ordered a combo meal for his first regular season action. The South Carolina State product recorded two tackles (one solo), one tackle for a loss, one sack, and one interception (returned 51 yards). Durant came into the game because of Troy Hill’s groin injury. He looked NFL ready, showcasing his fast-twitch ability and versatility as a corner that plays nickel and outside.

2. Ben Skowronek, WR

While Skowronek does not have the box score that would typically suggest a “Stock Up” candidate, his presence in the fullback role was paramount to the Rams early success in the game. Sean McVay used Gerald Everett in a similar way in 2020 against Washington, but Skowronek allows the offense to still operate out of 11 personnel, the staple formation for this offense’s identity.

View: https://twitter.com/Nate_Tice/status/1571964301484896256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1571964301484896256%7Ctwgr%5E8e06c5703f29210d743503a0149ddb0057225677%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.turfshowtimes.com%2F2022%2F9%2F20%2F23362907%2Flos-angeles-rams-stock-up-ben-skowronek

3. Alaric Jackson, RG

Lost in the early success and near-late game collapse was the steady play of Alaric Jackson at right guard. The Rams could have been in deep trouble after losing another offensive lineman in consecutive weeks, but the 2021 undrafted free agent from Iowa continues to perform well in emergency situations.

4. Terrell Lewis, EDGE

In Week 1, Terrell Lewis intercepted a pass. In Week 2, the third-year edge rusher finished with a career-best game according to PFF.


View: https://twitter.com/JB_Long/status/1571900432427126785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1571900432427126785%7Ctwgr%5E8e06c5703f29210d743503a0149ddb0057225677%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.turfshowtimes.com%2F2022%2F9%2F20%2F23362907%2Flos-angeles-rams-stock-up-ben-skowronek

5. Bobby Wagner, ILB

I still think Bobby Wagner has yet to play his best football as a Ram, but after two weeks, the inside linebacker has two sacks and continues to solidify the Rams run defense.


View: https://twitter.com/ESPNLosAngeles/status/1571595049930223616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1571595049930223616%7Ctwgr%5E8e06c5703f29210d743503a0149ddb0057225677%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.turfshowtimes.com%2F2022%2F9%2F20%2F23362907%2Flos-angeles-rams-stock-up-ben-skowronek


Stock Down

1. David Long Jr, CB

Outside of the 2021-2022 playoffs, David Long Jr has not looked good. The Michigan Wolverine gave up an explosive pass to KhaDarel Hodge for 39 yards, helping the Atlanta Falcons get back into the game late. A shaky two game start is not going to help Long Jr keep his job, especially with Cobie Durant, Robert Rochell, and Derion Kendrick pushing for playing time.

2. Tutu Atwell, WR

Last week, Atwell saw seven snaps and one target. This week, he only saw two snaps and zero targets. It is still early in the year and teams are trying to take away LA’s explosive plays downfield, but Atwell isn’t getting onto the field even as a jet sweep option. Not to mention, his teammate Brandon Powell has shown the ability of playing his role.


3. Special Teams Blocking

Two weeks in a row, the special teams play has been tough to watch. Riley Dixon’s blocked punt is the glaring miscue. On kickoff returns, the return blocking has yet to generate any lanes for Brandon Powell. Against Atlanta, Powell only managed 15 yards on his lone return attempt.

4. Matt Stafford, QB

I’ll throw criticism at our franchise quarterback. Point blank: he has to do a better job of limiting his turnovers. His fearlessness to keep slinging the football is a fantastic intrinsic attribute. But the Rams can’t afford to play with fire week in and week out; leaving points on the table every week. For typically being a September/October-friendly quarterback with his stats, Stafford has not been his usual self in the early-going.

5. Leonard Floyd, EDGE

If the Rams want to beat the powerhouse teams of Buffalo, Los Angeles (A), Tampa Bay, and Green Bay, then they will need to generate a pass rush. Leonard Floyd has been “MIA” for two weeks.
 
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OntarioRam

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Honestly that's an insult to Tutu. He is actually a good receiver. He can adjust to the ball in the air and separate in his routes.

I think the question of whether he's got enough dog in him is what will dictate his future with us. Only time will tell there.

I am not so sure about this.

Tutu might run better routes and track the ball better in the air than Tavon did, but I still think Tavon was the better player and will go down as such.

Tavon's college tape and numbers are absolutely elite. They dwarf Tutu's. There was a reason Tavon Austin was an undisputed top draft pick. The Rams might have reached at 8th overall, and some pundits thought so, but the pick was also widely praised as a skill-starved Rams offense "getting their guy". If the Rams did not take Austin at #8, somebody else would have selected him shortly thereafter. No way he falls out of the top 15 that draft year IMO. He was heavily hyped. Tutu coming out is not even close to the player Tavon was.

Austin never lived up to this draft status. Or his contracts. But I think fans almost underrate him as a result.

During his prime Austin was a very dangerous, albeit limited player, that could score from anywhere.

In 2015, he had 10 TDs and over 1000 all purpose yards.

If he didn't always have his punt returns called back due to penalties committed by the always undisciplined Jeff Fisher Rams, I wonder how many more TDs and yards Tavon would have accumulated as a Ram.

Despite his small size, he was actually a capable and very willing blocker. I suspect Tutu would never be, and if he was, would get blown up. Ausin had a lot more bulk to him.

He played 10 or so years in the NFL, scoring almost 30 TDs and accumulating approximately 5000 yards. Most players last 2 or 3 years.

Tutu's college career is nothing compared to Tavon's. And I strongly suspect his NFL career will not be, either.
 

BonifayRam

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Hopefully Skow and Tutu get some run so they can sort this out. Should be interesting, Tutu say’s I’m big enough, Skow says I’m fast enough. I think Skow has a better chance of replacing Van but who knows?
I reviewed the 8 pages & not one of us guessed that Skowronek would be our 3rd WR. @Flint was the only one that even came close.
 
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Ram Ts

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Well seeing two game results with Skow at WR3 and I’m still wondering why.
Although the FBack scheme is a better option/idea. Especially with the OL issues.
 

CGI_Ram

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2. Tutu Atwell, WR

Last week, Atwell saw seven snaps and one target. This week, he only saw two snaps and zero targets. It is still early in the year and teams are trying to take away LA’s explosive plays downfield, but Atwell isn’t getting onto the field even as a jet sweep option. Not to mention, his teammate Brandon Powell has shown the ability of playing his role.

Someone needs to ask coach why he didn’t play Tutu during the preseason. He’s got 9 snaps…SNAPS… in 2 games!
 

Psycho_X

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I reviewed the 8 pages & not one of us guess that Skowronek would be our 3rd WR. @Flint was the only one that even came close.
Well, wasn't in this thread but I've been trying to ease people into the fact that Skow was going to be heavily used this season for a while. Van Jefferson injury pushed him to #3 but the writing was on the wall for him to be #4 and core contributor at least starting off the season. Other than unreliable camp talk there's been no indication Tutu will ever be used much, VJ injured, Powell more of a utility kind of WR, and Cutch gonna be game day inactive as long as everyone else stays healthy. At some point McCutcheon might switch places with Tutu for game day active status if he doesn't start showing something as season progresses (Tutu that is).
 

Flatlyner

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He's certainly leaning that way, but, why isn't he getting SOME snaps? Hell, he's a deep threat, have him run deep. Perhaps that will keep the safties back off the line and we can get a little bit more running room? Not sure but why not??
 

Mojo Ram

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Stafford is just now beginning to show some trust in Robinson. Atwell isn’t going to get targets right now even if he does get PT.

Stafford trusts Kupp and Higbee. Van too to some extent. I’m not a Van fan but his return will be good for the offense.
 

Ram Ts

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Weird he didn’t play in preseason. Maybe McVay still likes him and he’s playing the long game with Tutu. But if not, then you play him in preseason to allow him to get better and maybe even get a taker willing to give a later round draft pick for him. He’s taking up a roster spot too. I’m assuming McVay is waiting to use him down the road. Because otherwise it’s all bizarre.
 

MrRiceGuyRJ

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I continue to be on the "I don't get the love for Tutu" train. His game doesn't translate to the NFL. He can't catch. The few opportunities he's gotten he doesn't seize. I'm not sure if he's the type of player that we need to keep feeding him until he does something to build his confidence or what. I'm not sure what he offers this team and personally feel like he's a wasted draft pick and roster spot
 

Merlin

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Tutu might run better routes and track the ball better in the air than Tavon did, but I still think Tavon was the better player and will go down as such.
That may end up being true. Still too early to say. I'm not hyped on the dude at all, I've mostly been on the fence with him where I do recognize his skills. But like with all these guys it comes down to him wanting it and working for it. His raw talents alone are not going to carry him at this level I agree.