Spruce has to get be able to get off the line. He appears to have the hands and smarts (body positioning) to be a good chain mover. He is also book smart too per article.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.vcstar.com/sports/undraf...20-46c2-607c-e053-0100007f7976-378534875.html
By
Rhiannon Potkey of the Ventura County Star
Aside from not being drafted, things couldn't have worked out much better for Nelson Spruce.
The rookie wide receiver is playing for an NFL team in his backyard and catching balls from a quarterback he trained with for several months.
He's with an organization in need of receiving help and happy to have a local face help market its return to Southern California.
Spruce made his debut for the Los Angeles Rams this weekend during rookie orientation and mini-camp in Oxnard.
The Westlake High graduate hit the field for the first time in a Rams helmet Friday and returned Saturday for more instruction. The River Ridge facility is only a 20-minute drive from Spruce's childhood home.
"It's kind of a crazy situation," Spruce said. "The year I'm trying to play in the NFL, that's the year that the Rams come to L.A."
The 6-foot, 205-pound Spruce, 23, signed with the Rams as an undrafted free agent after graduating from the University of Colorado as the Pac-12 Conference's all-time leader in receptions.
He is battling for a roster spot as a slot receiver and contributor on special teams.
The Rams had Spruce in their sights throughout the entire draft process.
They met with him at the NFL scouting combine and were the only team to put him through a private workout.
Spruce impressed head coach Jeff Fisher, offensive coordinator Rob Boras and general manager Les Snead with his hand-eye coordination and ability to catch nearly any ball thrown his way.
"He is a guy we could have easily drafted," Snead said. "From a production standpoint, he is ranked No. 1. With a guy like him, it's always hard to figure out how he goes about getting open and getting all that production, but he does it consistently and you bet on a guy like that at this level."
Spruce was projected by some to be selected on the final day of the draft. He spent the draft at home playing cards with his younger brother and sister while waiting to hear his name called on the TV.
"It was kind of stressful because I was kind of on the borderline thinking I might get that call," Spruce said. "Obviously when it didn't happen, I was a little disappointed. But I am really happy with the way things worked out."
Neal Spruce ended a business trip in China early so he could fly home and be with his son for the draft.
"It was very difficult for me to watch because I felt so bad for him," said Neal Spruce, a former professional bodybuilder. "He had worked so hard and did everything he needed to do and it didn't happen. I think he felt like he let other people down, but he never did. Everyone is proud of all he's done and will continue to do."
It's not the first time Spruce has been overlooked.
He wasn't a highly recruited prospect out of Westlake High, yet flourished in the Pac-12 at Colorado. Spruce hopes to chart a similar course in the NFL.
"I've always been under the radar, so I'm kind of excited about the challenge," Spruce said. "I get the chance to earn every bit of what I get out here and I'm looking forward to that."
Spruce uses his high IQ to compensate for any physical disparities on the field. He was an all-academic selection all four years at Colorado and graduated with a dual degree in operations management and finance.
He read defenses from every receiving spot at Colorado and called out plays.
Although Spruce's statistics seemed draft-worthy, his measurable athletic numbers may have kept teams away.
He ran a 40-yard dash time of 4.69 seconds at the combine and 4.56 at his pro day.
"He tested more in the average area and that usually knocks a player out the draft per se," Snead said. "Usually those kids are aware that maybe they are not the fastest or the most explosive, but they have learned how to play and get open and find holes in zones or beat man in their own really instinctual way."
Spruce has a head start on the other Rams receivers in establishing a connection with rookie quarterback Jared Goff.
They are both represented by REP 1 Sports, headed by brothers Bruce and Ryan Tollner. Spruce and Goff worked out together and lived in the same complex for four months during their draft training.
"Any little advantage I can get I am going to take," Spruce said. "That little chemistry we have is definitely going to pay off, especially to begin with."
Being in constant contact with the Tollners while pursuing Goff as the No. 1 overall pick likely helped the Rams sign Spruce.
"During the whole process I would talk to Ryan at least twice a day for a few months there chasing the quarterback. Every now and then we talked about Nelson," Snead said. "We really recruited him at the end with our OC Rob Boras and Coach Fish. But I have a feeling Jared made a call as well."
With his son now signed with the Rams, Neal Spruce's NFL loyalties will have to change.
"I am a 49ers fan. I grew up in San Francisco for the first 35 years of my life, so it will be difficult for me to have to root for the Rams," he said. "But now I have a dog in the fight for the Rams."
Getting to spend more time with Nelson has been added benefit for the Spruce family.
"He hasn't lived at home since he was 17. The day he graduated I literally put him a car to Colorado for college," Neal Spruce said. "It's been pleasant to have him back here."
Spruce said Fisher offered to let him sleep at home this week, but he decided to stay at the Residence Inn. He wants to become fully immersed in the NFL experience.
If Spruce makes the regular-season roster, he'll be even closer to home for practice at Cal Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.
"I am just thankful for the opportunity," Spruce said. "And I am hoping to make the most of it."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
/cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49333481/usa-today-8238669.0.jpg)
