Vinny Tweet on Spruce

[Merlin]

What is impressive about Spruce is that teams knew going in what an important part of the offense he was and it didn't matter. It's the same thing with Cooper, incidentally.

Rams really did a great job this year scouting the gems and I think one or maybe two of them will pay off.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Don't be....from what I've seen over the Snisher era, if a guy beats out another, it's usually based on skills....
Imo, Spruce is more of a slot wr...much like Cooper, Williams, and Bradley. Plus, Tavon strikes me as a primary slot guy....I doubt he would replace a guy that works outside the numbers...

And Fisher often says he wants the best 53. I don't see how Quick would make the best 53 and Spruce doesn't. Better routes, better hands, better college career. How much more do we need to see if Quick? Time to let new talent step forward. Williams can replace Quick and Spruce replaces Stedman.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Williams can replace Quick

Again, watch Duke Williams in college...He's like that guy from New Orleans, a big target in the slot....Watch Spruce, a slot type wr in college. To win on the outside, you need certain skills. I will still say, during Quick's 2014 season, he most resembled the wr we need on the outside. More than ANY player on the roster. I watched a bunch of Spruce...and from what I saw, he needs significant work to be able to create separation at this level.

 

[lockdnram21]

W e have a bunch of slot receivers

Duke
Spruce
Cooper
B Marques
Mcroberts

Outside
Quick
Tavon
Britt
Thomas
North

By default Quick makes it unless North shows lot

Only 2 of the slot receiver s will make the team IMO because of TE in will be in slot a lot

 

[Ramhusker]

W e have a bunch of slot receivers

Duke
Spruce
Cooper
B Marques
Mcroberts

Outside
Quick
Tavon
Britt
Thomas
North

By default Quick makes it unless North shows lot

Only 2 of the slot receiver s will make the team IMO because of TE in will be in slot a lot

The Rams will be cutting some pretty decent WR help. Maybe they can stash a couple on the practice squad.

 

[hotanez]

W e have a bunch of slot receivers

Duke
Spruce
Cooper
B Marques
Mcroberts

Outside
Quick
Tavon
Britt
Thomas
North

By default Quick makes it unless North shows lot

Only 2 of the slot receiver s will make the team IMO because of TE in will be in slot a lot

I agree 100% it's going to be tuff for Spruce to make the team. He has to play like a beast on ST to make it.

 

[dcramfan]

The more I read and see I really want us to go with these young receivers. Quick should already be gone in my opinion, and Britt doesn't get me all steamed up. I really would roll with Tavon and these kids coming in.

 

[Merlin]

W e have a bunch of slot receivers

Duke
Spruce
Cooper
B Marques
Mcroberts

Outside
Quick
Tavon
Britt
Thomas
North

By default Quick makes it unless North shows lot

Only 2 of the slot receiver s will make the team IMO because of TE in will be in slot a lot

One important caveat here is that of the three WR positions (X, Y, Z) two of them allow for motion so it is normal to have most of your receiver corps be non-X types.

Britt is going to be X plain and simple. Behind him it will be Quick vs Thomas and North. Split end starter plus depth is the extent of it on the roster concerns, will probably be two guys with the other four being combination Y, Z types.

Tavon is going to own Z. But he'll move around too, so they'll have those other four guys mixing and matching primarily at the slot but not just there.

So just IMO the X types will be Britt and Thomas. I am of course higher on Thomas than North and I think Quick lacks special teams impact, will be more expensive moving forward, and is out of time. Quick is gone and maybe even in an early cut.

The Y & Z types will be Tavon, Cooper, Marquez, Spruce. Marquez makes it due to teams, and Spruce is also a good teams guy so both will earn roster spots. Cooper is going to start in the slot IMO.

 

[LesBaker]

"I get the chance to earn every bit of what I get out here and I'm looking forward to that."

I read that and instantly became a fan. Turn loose the Spruce!

"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."

Snead is calling him an overachiever which IMO is high praise because in this case he's saying Spruce shouldn't be as good as he is, but he is.

Spruce is 1/2 - 1 second off Edelman and Amendola, 2" taller and 10-20 lbs. heavier, which should help make teams.

HAHA I'm not sure what you mean, if those guys were half a second to a second faster than Spruce they are the two fastest guys in the NFL.

 

[FarNorth]

I read that and instantly became a fan. Turn loose the Spruce!



Snead is calling him an overachiever which IMO is high praise because in this case he's saying Spruce shouldn't be as good as he is, but he is.



HAHA I'm not sure what you mean, if those guys were half a second to a second faster than Spruce they are the two fastest guys in the NFL.

No claim for real accuracy, but a 10 second internet search showed Amendola at 4.58, Edelman at 4.52, Welker at 4.65.

 

[lockdnram21]

One important caveat here is that of the three WR positions (X, Y, Z) two of them allow for motion so it is normal to have most of your receiver corps be non-X types.

Britt is going to be X plain and simple. Behind him it will be Quick vs Thomas and North. Split end starter plus depth is the extent of it on the roster concerns, will probably be two guys with the other four being combination Y, Z types.

Tavon is going to own Z. But he'll move around too, so they'll have those other four guys mixing and matching primarily at the slot but not just there.

So just IMO the X types will be Britt and Thomas. I am of course higher on Thomas than North and I think Quick lacks special teams impact, will be more expensive moving forward, and is out of time. Quick is gone and maybe even in an early cut.

The Y & Z types will be Tavon, Cooper, Marquez, Spruce. Marquez makes it due to teams, and Spruce is also a good teams guy so both will earn roster spots. Cooper is going to start in the slot IMO.

I think spruce, marques, and cooper are strictly slot. I think only 2 out of 3 make it. No need for 3 slot receivers especially with Higbee going to be in slot a lot. I think there's almost no way Quick gets cut

 

[VegasRam]

Spruce's combine was 4.69. He did better at his pro day, which always seem a bit better than the combine. In any case, my point was in a 5-10 yard out/in, doesn't make much difference.
But his size/height will.

 

[LesBaker]

No claim for real accuracy, but a 10 second internet search showed Amendola at 4.58, Edelman at 4.52, Welker at 4.65.

It was on the interweb, so it's truth.

 

[Merlin]

No claim for real accuracy, but a 10 second internet search showed Amendola at 4.58, Edelman at 4.52, Welker at 4.65.

Spruce is in their range in terms of his overall playing speed and the only reason he's not as good as them in route running is because he's much bigger. But the size, as pointed out by @VegasRam, is its own advantage. He'll show well on special teams, and also block well in a run heavy attack.

 

[Warner4Prez]

I could really care less about where a receiver fits best, and would much rather have the 6 or 7 best regardless of where they'd best line up. New England, Seattle, Pittsburgh, MN, Baltimore, Carolina all started receivers that don't measure up as prototypical X and Y receivers. This offense and specifically passing game, need to worry more about who can beat the man across from you on a week in week out basis, and less about size/contracts/experience.

The fleeting glimpse of Quick as a legit receiver was fun and I hope he can find that again, but if mid-August roles around and Thomas, Spruce or the water boy look like they have contributed more, that should be all she wrote.