Coach Spags needs your help!

[Nick]

I wouldn't quite rank him 3rd. but I'd put either him or Gilyard in the slot, thats why I believe he said that hes in the top.

I think the slot job will eventually be Gilyard's, the only question is when.

I suppose overachieving is better than underachieving.

I understand your perception, Nick; little white guy w/o any flashy measurable. But he has produced at a higher level than most any of the rest of the WR roster. At some point, an overachiever is just an achiever.

Primarily, IMO, because most of the WR roster couldn't stay on the field. Amendola played in 14 games; no other receiver besides Avery played in more than nine. Now that everyone is healthy and in competition with each other, though, it's hard for me not to give the edge to other players.

[01d 0rd3r]

Assuming there is no Danario Alexander signing.
1.Robinson
2.Avery
3.Gibson
4.Gilyard
5.Amedola
6.Burton

[RockinRam]

WR 1: Laurent Robinson

Laurent Robinson has the ability to stretch the field and also be a consistent go-to guy in the middle of the field. He has playmaking ability once he has hold of the ball. He also runs crisp routes, and is a reliable target.


WR 2: Donnie Avery

Is the team's resident speedster. Has the speed to burn defenders and make plays either down the field, or through slants and screens. Has shown flashes of making clutch catches, but has also shown some inconsistency.


WR 3: Mardy Gilyard

He isn't the fastest guy, but he is very quick and agile, and is a legitimate playmaker. He is a good route runner, and has the ability to be a solid slot receiver, and maybe even a legit #2.


WR 4: Brandon Gibson

Gibson had a decent showing during his short time on the Rams last season. He has good hands, he is a nice route runner, and he has good catching technique. He is more quick than fast, like many of our receivers, and he will have to prove that he is better than the bunch. Has good potential, and has showed flashes of playmaking potential, along with being a possession receiver.


WR 5: Keenan Burton

Keenan Burton has been slowed down by injuries. Meanwhile, when given the opportunity, he has showed glimpses of solid play. Again, he is more quick than fast, but he is a good possession receiver, and can become a reliable target.


WR 6: Danny Amendola/Brooks Foster

To me, the battle of the 6th spot is between Amendola and Foster. Let's compare them.

Amendola is a feisty and quick receiver. Though undersized, he is not afraid to throw his body around, and has shown he can take tough hits. He has good hands, and some say he is a poor man's Wes Welker.He is also a decent returner, and gives us depth at WR.

Foster is bigger, stronger, and tougher than Amendola. Though he has no NFL experience, Foster has had a great training camp and OTAs, and has shown that he can make tough catches.

[HUbison]

Primarily, IMO, because most of the WR roster couldn't stay on the field. Amendola played in 14 games; no other receiver besides Avery played in more than nine. Now that everyone is healthy and in competition with each other, though, it's hard for me not to give the edge to other players.

And everyone started last training camp healthy as well. He stayed on the field when others couldn't. How is that a bad thing? Sounds to me like he's the only one not "injury prone" (a little tongue-in-cheek).

His ability to stay on the field, and in contrast the inability of others to stay on the field.............indicative or anomaly?

[RealRam]

Very nice press conference setting, Bison.

My recommendations to Coach Spags:

WR1: Avery
WR2: Gilyard
WR3: Robinson
WR4: Gibson
WR5: Amendola
WR6: Foster

PS: Kent & Alexander.

[Nick]

And everyone started last training camp healthy as well. He stayed on the field when others couldn't. How is that a bad thing? Sounds to me like he's the only one not "injury prone" (a little tongue-in-cheek).

His ability to stay on the field, and in contrast the inability of others to stay on the field.............indicative or anomaly?

I'm not really following you here, as I never implied Amendola's durability was a bad thing. I simply think praise of his production in 2009 when compared to our other receivers needs to be tempered by the fact that he played in more games than anyone not named Avery.

Obviously durability is a plus, and it might be one reason the Rams could opt to keep six receivers on the active roster instead of five. If the Rams sustain injuries in 2010, Amendola and others will have a chance to fill those spots. But if the Rams' WRs remain healthy, I give the edge to some of the other players ahead of Amendola and see him closer to the bottom of the depth chart.

[Goldenfleece]

"I'm glad everyone could be here today. I'd like to share with you our thoughts on the WR situation. We've come up with a few answers, but there are still more answers to come. First off, we've thrown away all thoughts of draft position and tenure. All 10 receivers started this camp with a clean slate. With that in place, here's where we are. We know for sure that Laurent Robinson and Donnie Avery are on the roster. They're gonna lead this group. Another guy that will see a ton of time is Danny Amendola; he's going to be a solid contributor to this team. There's two other guys, Brandon Gibson and Mardy Gilyard that intrigue us. I could see them filling out this roster. But there's this one guy that we're still on the fence with. We were going to stick with five receivers, but Brooks Foster may force us to go with six. He's may just be too good to leave off the final roster. That's all, and thanks for coming. Oh look, a banana peel.....DOH! Where am I?"

Now for the justification:

Laurent Robinson - The coulda/woulda/shoulda-been man of 2009. He could get open. He would get hard yards after the catch. He should have been a 1000-yard receiver. Then he got injured. Maybe this is his year.

Donnie Avery - One of the smallest but healthiest Rams, he has played in 31 of the last 32 games. His speed was under-utilized last season, but he has the tools to have the kind of success DeSean Jackson has had in Philly.

Danny Amendola - He's going to make the team by virtue of his special teams play if nothing else, but what I loved about him was that he was always moving forward. Brandon Gibson averaged more yards/catch (10.2 to Amendola's 7.6), but more of Amendola's receiving yards came after the catch (4.3/catch to Gibson's 2.5/catch). That's right, more than half of Amendola's yardage last season came after the ball was in his hands. That's what you need in this offense. Where the guy catches the ball is going to be determined by the route he's given, but what he does after the ball is in his hands is up to him. Amendola made the most of his catches.

Brandon Gibson - "Possession is nine tenths of the game." Is that how that expression goes? Gibby has struggled with minor injuries through the summer off-season, but he was the go-to guy during the second half of last season. He never looked like a breakout star, but he moved the chains consistently. It would be unwise for the coaches to forget it.

Mardy Gilyard - Fourth round picks usually don't get cut before their first regular season, and Gilyard was a playmaker in college. Mardy will likely press Amendola for playing time, but there should be enough room for both on the roster.

Brooks Foster - I have a hard time seeing the team choosing not to retain Foster's services. His strength and size present a match-up challenge distinct from other receivers on this list. If he plays well, I could easily see him taking a spot from one of these other guys.

[HUbison]

I'm not really following you here, as I never implied Amendola's durability was a bad thing. I simply think praise of his production in 2009 when compared to our other receivers needs to be tempered by the fact that he played in more games than anyone not named Avery.

No, I'm not implying you were arguing against Amendola's durability. However, I don't think it's accurate to discount his production based on the injuries of others. If he has the best chance of staying on the field, then he needs to be on the roster.

[live4ramin]

Amendola, Robinson, Gillyard, Foster (he's 6'5" for god sakes), Burton & Alexander (The walk on sleeper).

Avery's too brittle.

[laram0]

WR1-Avery
WR2- Robinson
WR3- Gibson
WR4- Gilyard
WR5- Foster
WR6- Amendola

Amendola is the guy that forces Spags to keep 6 WR's on the roster.

[AvengerRam]

WR1: Avery
WR2: Robinson
WR3: Gilyard
WR4: Gibson
WR5: Foster
WR6: Amendola

Some have said Burton is having a strong camp; if it carries over into the preseason, he may take Foster or Gibson's spot. But I'm not ready to write off two guys that this GM/coach combo acquired themselves last year based on early reports about Burton's camp performance.

What he said.