Where does Stedman Bailey fit in the Rams offense?

[News Bot]

By Tevin Broner
<a class="postlink" href="http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2013/7/3/4465542/stedman-bailey-st-louis-rams-2013-roster-battles" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2013/7/3/4 ... er-battles</a>

Last April the St. Louis Rams, led by General Manager Les Snead and Head Coach Jeff Fisher, knew that the team had to have playmakers for franchise quarterback Sam Bradford. So they brought in talent like, veteran tight end Jared Cook and left tackle Jake Long, and added some interesting rookies also. You hear plenty about Tavon Austin and Zac Stacy, but the one rookie that everyone forgets to mention is Stedman Bailey.

Bailey was hidden by his former college roommate Tavon Austin's shadow, and he's under Austin's shadow once again. Luckily for the Rams, they drafted a good player late in the 3rd round.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuwzo5b-w3c[/youtube]

Why did Bailey fall to the 3rd round?

Bailey is talented, didn't have any character concerns or red flags, so how did Bailey fall into the late 3rd round? Lot's of factors forced Bailey to fall in the draft. For one He's only 5'10, he had an average combine (which means he ran in the 4.5 range in the 40), and there were some really good receivers available in the draft.

Mini scouting report

+Great hands

+ Makes the acrobatic catch

+Adjusts well to the ball

+ Can get vertical

+ Can fight for the first down

+ Quick

+ Good routes

+ Comes back to the ball

+ One thing that stands out to me is that when he run blocks, he catches corners off guard, because he makes it look like he's running one of his routes

+Smart receiver that finds holes in coverage

+ Good run blocker for a receiver.

- Taller than his college teammate Tavon Austin, but is only 5'10

- Doesn't get much separation

- Doesn't do well fighting for the ball

- More quick than fast

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci2K1xx6bmQ[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVEGrsxdmvM[/youtube]

Here's what NFL Network had to say about Bailey.

STRENGTHS

Extremely productive. Showcases tremendous physicality in his routes. Uses his hands and body to create separation. Excellent body control. Very reliable target, volume catcher. Soft hands, can make plays off of his frame. Smart receiver who is adept at finds holes and picking up the first down. Tracks the football well over his shoulder and adjusts his body in order to make difficult catches. Competitive.

WEAKNESSES

Lacks ideal size, both in terms of height and bulk. Not an overly explosive athlete. Doesn't change directions with suddenness. Likely won't run a blazing 40 yard dash. Often times most of the attention of the defense was given to teammate and fellow wide receiver Tavon Austin.

NFL COMPARISON

Greg Jennings

BOTTOM LINE

Bailey lacks the ideal size and speed of an outside receiver. However, what Bailey lacks in terms of measurables, he makes up for with reliable hands, physicality, and superb body control. He will likely be selected on the second day.

Where will Stedman Bailey line up?

Bailey fits the new versatile model that the Rams are moving to this season. It makes sense to have players that can play multiple positions. It makes it easier to stress the defense when they have to worry about where a player is any given play.

Bailey won't be getting many snaps at running back or as a returner. He should be able to play some on the outside and as a slot receiver. Bailey could end up beating Quick for his spot, or when Austin is somewhere other than the slot, Bailey could come in and lineup there.

What will be Bailey's role with the Rams?

It's been a struggle figuring out where Bailey would fit among this group of talented wide receivers. On many teams right now Bailey would probably be third, and on a few teams he would be the second best receiver on the roster. On the Rams he could be the fourth best behind Brian Quick, Chris Givens, and fellow rookie Tavon Austin, I'd like to think that he has more talent than Austin Pettis and would beat him on the depth chart.

Bailey can be a starter in this league. The best role for him is the Brandon Gibson role. Bailey is more versatile and it appears that he has better hands. He's a possession receiver, that will be able to beat corners vertically, become a dependable red zone threat, and make Sam Bradford look better by catching passes that wouldn't have been catches a year ago for this team.

The only question is, how much playing time will Bailey get? For that answer, we will have to wait until training camp.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mmrhPn5F3g[/youtube]

 

[albefree69]

Doesn't get much separation = Brandon Gibson

5'10" = meh

Not fast like Givens.
Doesn't have the catch radius of Pettis.
Not as tall and acrobatic as Quick.
Not as Tavon as Tavon.
Good possession receiver and injury replacement.

 

[bluecoconuts]

I think he'll be a more reliable Brandon Gibson.. Better hands, better route running, he'll be a good player. I know people have talked about his route running being similar to Bruce, but I think that's pretty unrealistic... But if he works hard he could be a poor man's Issac Bruce... Which is still a damn good football player.

 

[albefree69]

bluecoconuts with a good analysis:
I think he'll be a more reliable Brandon Gibson.. Better hands, better route running, he'll be a good player. I know people have talked about his route running being similar to Bruce, but I think that's pretty unrealistic... But if he works hard he could be a poor man's Issac Bruce... Which is still a damn good football player.

If Quick reaches his potential I don't see a starting player here except in 4 WR sets. Part time and or injury replacement. But as you said, potentially a very good one.

 

[nighttrain]

Doesn't get much separation = Brandon Gibson

5'10" = meh

Not fast like Givens.
Doesn't have the catch radius of Pettis.
Not as tall and acrobatic as Quick.
Not as Tavon as Tavon.
Good possession receiver and injury replacement.

roll and "rest the other guys" player. Hope i'm wrong
train

 

[LesBaker]

It's been a struggle figuring out where Bailey would fit among this group of talented wide receivers. On many teams right now Bailey would probably be third, and on a few teams he would be the second best receiver on the roster. On the Rams he could be the fourth best behind Brian Quick, Chris Givens, and fellow rookie Tavon Austin, I'd like to think that he has more talent than Austin Pettis and would beat him on the depth chart.

I still don't think it's a matter of "oh you're our number 4 so you're only on the field when we run 4 wide sets".

There will be two guys on the field together pretty much all the time and the 3rd/4th/5th will depend on the situation. So the guys that are 3 and 4 could see the same amount of action easily.

Plus I think it's worth finding out if Bailey can return kicks in the NFL.

 

[lasvegasrams]

I think he might be used a lot in special teams with austin.

not sure if he will beat out pettis or quick. itll be interesting to see

 

[…..]

The reliable hands and acrobatic catches are the eye catchers. It wouldnt suprise me one bit to see Bailly end up being the jewel of the draft. He may not be as dynamic, but could prove dependable. Issac Bruse wasnt big or flashy, wasnt the dynamic reciever on the roster, and look what he did with smooth route running and dependable hands.

 

[albefree69]

Dog using a different dictionary than I do:
The reliable hands and acrobatic catches are the eye catchers. It wouldnt suprise me one bit to see Bailly end up being the jewel of the draft. He may not be as dynamic, but could prove dependable. Issac Bruse wasnt big or flashy, wasnt the dynamic reciever on the roster, and look what he did with smooth route running and dependable hands.

I don't know Dog, you remember Bruce a lot differently than I do. I saw him as much more than just a smooth route runner with dependable hands.

Just saying.

 

[A55VA6]

More reliable Gibson is spot on. I think Stedman is a better route runner and overall player than Gibson. I think Stedman has the potential to be a really good #2 in the league for his career.

 

[Rabid Ram]

bluecoconuts with a good analysis:
I think he'll be a more reliable Brandon Gibson.. Better hands, better route running, he'll be a good player. I know people have talked about his route running being similar to Bruce, but I think that's pretty unrealistic... But if he works hard he could be a poor man's Issac Bruce... Which is still a damn good football player.

If Quick reaches his potential I don't see a starting player here except in 4 WR sets. Part time and or injury replacement. But as you said, potentially a very good one.

I have to disagree whole heartedly. I believe our offense will put the best set of receivers on the feild to exploit the mismatch possibilitys in tge best way possible. No true #1 receiver more like chess peices to spread the d thin. I believe that is why we picked uo both tavon and bailey as well as cook. Who is more receiver then te.

 

[…..]

Dog using a different dictionary than I do:
The reliable hands and acrobatic catches are the eye catchers. It wouldnt suprise me one bit to see Bailly end up being the jewel of the draft. He may not be as dynamic, but could prove dependable. Issac Bruse wasnt big or flashy, wasnt the dynamic reciever on the roster, and look what he did with smooth route running and dependable hands.

I don't know Dog, you remember Bruce a lot differently than I do. I saw him as much more than just a smooth route runner with dependable hands.

Just saying.

Good then you understand....a smooth route runner with dependable hands who used his craft to achieve excellence and eventually turned into a team Leader and HOF'er. But Issac Bruce was more a steady consistent performer than a big prolific playmaker. If you dont remember him that way, thats fine.

I can totally see Steadman fill that mold.

I would rather you call me out for spelling his name wrong than throw my opinion into question.

just sayin

 

[WvuIN02]

I've watched every snap he took and as a complete receiver he is better than Tavon. Better hands, better route running and far more physical. I liken him to Hines Ward as a guy who plays much bigger than he is. People seem to be forgetting he led the entire NCAA in touchdowns this year, and not by a small margin, by a landslide with 25 touchdowns. When it was clutch time Bailey was the go to receiver and always came up huge. Go look up his catch on 4th down to put WVU in the Orange Bowl vs South Florida where he hurt himself on the play and made an insane diving catch.

Tavon can do things most people have never seen before, but he's more of a playmaker who didn't do the ugly stuff that Bailey did. Bailey also ate Morris Claiborne's lunch when we played LSU 2 years ago and he was a top 10 pick. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up as Bradford's security blanket the same way he was with Geno Smith.

 

[A55VA6]

I've watched every snap he took and as a complete receiver he is better than Tavon. Better hands, better route running and far more physical. I liken him to Hines Ward as a guy who plays much bigger than he is. People seem to be forgetting he led the entire NCAA in touchdowns this year, and not by a small margin, by a landslide with 25 touchdowns. When it was clutch time Bailey was the go to receiver and always came up huge. Go look up his catch on 4th down to put WVU in the Orange Bowl vs South Florida where he hurt himself on the play and made an insane diving catch.

Tavon can do things most people have never seen before, but he's more of a playmaker who didn't do the ugly stuff that Bailey did. Bailey also ate Morris Claiborne's lunch when we played LSU 2 years ago and he was a top 10 pick. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up as Bradford's security blanket the same way he was with Geno Smith.

Hard to disagree with this.

And there's a stat out there... He scored a touchdown every 4 times he touched the ball. Wow.

 

[-X-]

I've watched every snap he took and as a complete receiver he is better than Tavon. Better hands, better route running and far more physical. I liken him to Hines Ward as a guy who plays much bigger than he is. People seem to be forgetting he led the entire NCAA in touchdowns this year, and not by a small margin, by a landslide with 25 touchdowns. When it was clutch time Bailey was the go to receiver and always came up huge. Go look up his catch on 4th down to put WVU in the Orange Bowl vs South Florida where he hurt himself on the play and made an insane diving catch.

Tavon can do things most people have never seen before, but he's more of a playmaker who didn't do the ugly stuff that Bailey did. Bailey also ate Morris Claiborne's lunch when we played LSU 2 years ago and he was a top 10 pick. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up as Bradford's security blanket the same way he was with Geno Smith.

Nice endorsement. Thanks for the insight. :yeh:

 

[albefree69]

Dog misunderstanding:
Good then you understand....a smooth route runner with dependable hands who used his craft to achieve excellence and eventually turned into a team Leader and HOF'er. But Issac Bruce was more a steady consistent performer than a big prolific playmaker. If you dont remember him that way, thats fine.

I can totally see Steadman fill that mold.

I would rather you call me out for spelling his name wrong than throw my opinion into question.

just sayin

Sorry Dog but it's your opinion of Bruce I question. I would never call someone out for spelling. I didn't even know you misspelled something. :lol:

Different dictionary because our definitions of Bruce are very different. I can't get on board with your description of Bruce at all. I think your perception of his talents was colored by the fact that he was so smooth he made everything look so easy.

Yeah, he was ONLY one of the best (maybe even the best) route runners in the history of the NFL. IMO, "steady consistent performers" don't make it into the HOF.

The good thing here is that we're disagreeing about how good he was and not whether he was good. Those are the best kind of arguments. :cheers:

 

[Tron]

Where does he fit? thats easy

In the End Zone doing a TD celebration!!!! Over and Over again!!

 

[nighttrain]

bluecoconuts with a good analysis:
I think he'll be a more reliable Brandon Gibson.. Better hands, better route running, he'll be a good player. I know people have talked about his route running being similar to Bruce, but I think that's pretty unrealistic... But if he works hard he could be a poor man's Issac Bruce... Which is still a damn good football player.

If Quick reaches his potential I don't see a starting player here except in 4 WR sets. Part time and or injury replacement. But as you said, potentially a very good one.

I have to disagree whole heartedly. I believe our offense will put the best set of receivers on the feild to exploit the mismatch possibilitys in tge best way possible. No true #1 receiver more like chess peices to spread the d thin. I believe that is why we picked uo both tavon and bailey as well as cook. Who is more receiver then te.

Cmon, this is his rookie year. You cant expect Holt or Bruce #'s, the guy will our #4 or #5 this season. Tavon's exceptional skills make him #1 in the slot. That said, we are going to be a pass first team for the first time in the Bradford ERA, be some surprises
train

 

[WVURxMan]

I've watched every snap he took and as a complete receiver he is better than Tavon. Better hands, better route running and far more physical. I liken him to Hines Ward as a guy who plays much bigger than he is. People seem to be forgetting he led the entire NCAA in touchdowns this year, and not by a small margin, by a landslide with 25 touchdowns. When it was clutch time Bailey was the go to receiver and always came up huge. Go look up his catch on 4th down to put WVU in the Orange Bowl vs South Florida where he hurt himself on the play and made an insane diving catch.

Tavon can do things most people have never seen before, but he's more of a playmaker who didn't do the ugly stuff that Bailey did. Bailey also ate Morris Claiborne's lunch when we played LSU 2 years ago and he was a top 10 pick. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up as Bradford's security blanket the same way he was with Geno Smith.

Also watched him for 3 years. Also agree. Stedman was the best WR in the country last year in the NCAA and it wasn't even close, IMO. I knoq...huge homer...whatever. His numbers were ridiculous and we're not even talking about how he pretty much missed 2 games due to injury. I expect him to have a long, productive NFL career. He has "it." He was the best player on WVU's team...and I'm including Tavon and Geno.

 

[Faceplant]

Bailey will get plenty of touches this year IMO. He is a nice ingredient in what I think will be an interesting Rams offensive jambalaya. So many different types of talent on this roster its amazing. Speed, size, size AND speed, route technicians, etc. Pick your poison Shermy and you other sucker DBs, any way you slice it, your gonna have a tummy ache. :mrgreen:

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