Looker's Days Numbered? - kffl

[ZigZagRam]

Rams | Hodges Could Work as Placeholder
Thu, 14 Jul 2005 22:01:49 -0700

Nick Wagoner, of StLouisRams.com, reports St. Louis Rams rookie P Reggie Hodges could serve as the team's placeholder this season. WR Dane Looker has been handling those duties for the Rams in recent years.


Looks like this may be the end of the road for Looker. I'm sure he'll catch on somewhere.

[RealRam]

Interesting prospectus; it makes sense. Maybe next year? hone:

[general counsel]

Personally, i didnt think that looker would be back this year after we drafted the rookie who is so promising. However, after we paid him the bonus recently, i now believe that he probably has at least one more year. Hodges is most likely learning to be the holder as a backup. Just a guess.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[HUbison]

Rams | Hodges Could Work as Placeholder
Thu, 14 Jul 2005 22:01:49 -0700

Nick Wagoner, of StLouisRams.com, reports St. Louis Rams rookie P Reggie Hodges could serve as the team's placeholder this season. WR Dane Looker has been handling those duties for the Rams in recent years.


Looks like this may be the end of the road for Looker. I'm sure he'll catch on somewhere.

As odd as it sounds, that decision may be up to Wilkins. He is reportedly very rigid on his expectations for his holder.

[rawkhrdr]

I like Looker. Hope he catches on somewhere if you guys release him. I think he has the ability to become a decent #2 or #3 somewhere, but he got buried below Holt, Bruce and the rest of your outstanding receivers and never really got a chance to start or to prove himself. Again, I hope he catches on somewhere and gets a real shot a showing is abilities.

[jkramsfan]

I Agree I Think Wilkins Has A Lot Of Say In That Decision.

[RAMarkable]

The Rams didn't sign Looker to a 3 yr. contract and give him a bonus just to cut him for a rookie punter who will most likely have a more difficult time making the team than Looker himself. This all seems much ado about nothing.

WHAT SAY YE?

[general counsel]

Looker is not a #2 receiver and is at very best a marginal #3. He is a fine #4. People compare him to rickey proehl but forget that he doesnt have that kind of speed. He also doesnt have quite the same hands. Note that no one showed any interest in him this offseason. I like looker, but dante ridgeway has a lot more upside. Is looker better than mike furrey? Maybe. But a #2? No way.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[DaRamsBaby]

Looker is a #2 or a #3 WR, I think he could be just like a mini Ricky Proehl if the Rams just gave him a shot

[sbramfan]

Yeah, what part of the rams just signed Looker to a multiyear deal is not clear here? He's not going anywhere.

[Nick]

Looker is not a #2 receiver and is at very best a marginal #3. He is a fine #4. People compare him to rickey proehl but forget that he doesnt have that kind of speed. He also doesnt have quite the same hands. Note that no one showed any interest in him this offseason. I like looker, but dante ridgeway has a lot more upside. Is looker better than mike furrey? Maybe. But a #2? No way.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

I agree in that I suspect he'd never be a capable starter, but I think he could definitely be an efficient possession #3 for a lot of teams.

Look at what he did as the third receiver in 2003 - 47 catches, 495 yards, 3 TDs. Those aren't Brandon Stokely kind of numbers, obviously. But if you compare what he did as our third receiver in 2003 to what other third receivers in the league did last year, you'd find that his performance was better than some of these names:

-Arizona's Bryant Johnson
-Buffalo's Josh Reed
-Cincy's Kelly Washington
-Green Bay's Robert Ferguson
-Philadelphia's Freddie Mitchell

Unless 2003 was a complete fluke for him, I think Looker can be more than a marginal #3, especially in the right offense.

And for those that would like to cite Looker's contract as the reason he won't be cut, I wouldn't be so sure. Let's face it - the Rams didn't break the bank to keep him around. Here's the breakdown:

2005 656000.00
2006 545000.00
2007 545000.00
2008 670000.00

I don't know if he received any kind of signing bonus that would be accelerated into a cap hit if he was cut, but I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility of Looker being cut if Ridgeway impresses at training camp and the Rams have to make a couple additional signings or need to cut some guys to get under the roster limit. I think it's slim, but there's a chance, especially if they expect to keep a lot of the DB's they've signed on the active roster as well as both Goodspeed and Hedge****.

[UtterBlitz]

In this offense, Looker is not going to be a #2 receiver, but he can be a valuable tool for the extensive playbook that Martz has. He doesn't have the speed, but he is smart and proactive. He has lots of experience.

I think his future with the Rams will be dependent on if he is aggressively going after balls. If he continues to hang back and wait for the ball to come to him, he won't last. He needs to get though his fear of getting hit.

Looker is the kind of player that makes a team complete, without being a superstar himself. I hope we see some good play out of him.

[MauiRam]

One point to consider is injuries... With the move of a "bulked up" Furrey to safety, Dane Looker is really the only receiver currently on the roster with extensive experience in Martz's system. Should one or more of the starting group of Holt, Bruce, Curtis, or MacDonald sustain an injury, that would only leave Dante Ridgeway on the roster (assuming that he makes the cut[which he will]) as the number four guy if Looker was cut. Looker had some key drops along with some clutch receptions last year, so there is room for improvement. My take on the proclamation about Hodges getting reps as the holder is: Don't get complacent Dane...you need to improve! Also should something happen to Looker, it is always a good idea to have a plan B. There is also the possibility that Hodges could "bomb" and if so, the Rams would need to sign an experienced punter to replace him.

If Ridgeway makes spectacular progress over the course of an injury-free ROOKIE season, then next year perhaps Looker could really be on the bubble... This year he brings too much to the table IMHO. A trusted and proven holder for Wilkins; a solid special teams performer; an experienced possesion receiver who knows Martz's playbook and can execute the routes when called upon.

Yes there are a few "dark horses" at WR on the roster, but they can be stashed on the practice squad should Martz become enamored of one. Unless Ridgeway implodes during camp and preseason, he will make the roster. I just cannot see Martz potentially painting himself into a corner by carrying only 5 receivers and the fifth one being a rookie or street free agent....

[viper]

Well put, MauiRam. I was was thinking along the same lines. I think Looker is a solid and trusted holder and as mentioned before knows Martz's playbook. Although, he's no Ricky Proehl yet he does seem to be cut from the same cloth. I think given more opportunities he would be a big possession receiver. Of course, with his status on the depth chart that will only occur if we have unfortunate injuries.

[RAMarkable]

While I, too, am hopeful that D. Ridgeway will eventually make an impact if I recall correctly he wasn't all that fast (approx. 4.60 ) in the forty himself. The fact that it may take several years (remember T. Wilkins) for a WR to grasp Martz' routes and schemes, it seems to me that a vet like Looker is more valuable at this point. Unless Ridgeway is actually faster than advertised, I don't see him having as much upside in this offense as hoped.

WHAT SAY YE?