Rams Receivers Reach New Heights, Sign Drew Bennett

[Alec22]

Rams Receivers Reach New Heights, Sign Drew Bennett
Saturday, March 3, 2007

By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer

Forget about a fast start, the Rams have shifted their focus from fast to big, at least for the time being. For the second consecutive season, the Rams have jumped into the free agent market head
first. But this time, the Rams aren’t as worried about speed as they are about size.

The team signed wide receiver Drew Bennett to a six-year deal today, only a day after trading for
Detroit defensive end James Hall.

With receivers Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis on the free agent market and likely on their
way out of town, the Rams jumped at the chance to acquire the player many deemed the best free agent receiver on the market.

Bennett should immediately contribute as the team’s No. 3 receiver behind starters Isaac Bruce
and Torry Holt. And while Bennett doesn’t have the deep speed of Curtis, he brings an element of size that the offense has been lacking at wide out.

At 6’5, 206 pounds, Bennett is the type of big target that coach Scott Linehan and offensive
coordinator Greg Olson love to use in the red zone. Although the Rams weren’t desperate for a big wideout, offensive coordinator Greg Olson said, “He gives us something we don’t have in terms of his
size,” Olson said. “You can’t coach that kind of size. He gives us a different dimension. We like it.

"I think Isaac has been very productive at his body type and Torry is kind of in between and now we have this big guy that should help us down in the red zone. We didn’t feel like that was a real big weakness, but anytime you get a big 6’4 guy, he gives you another weapon down there and big type of play maker.”

Known for his ability to go up and get jump balls, Bennett gives the Rams the type of size
that Holt and Bruce don’t have and should work well in the slot.

Not to say, of course, that Bennett isn’t fast. He has what Linehan and Olson call “deceptive”
speed and has the ability to catch the deep ball on a consistent basis.

Most NFL pundits had Bennett ranked as one of the top two or three available receivers on the
market. Bennett was clearly the best of the “big” receivers.

It comes as a bit of a surprise that Bennett would choose to land in St. Louis considering
he might have had options elsewhere as the go-to receiver, but none of that mattered to him.

Bennett said he chose St. Louis because he wanted to be a part of something bigger than any
individual statistics.

Indeed, Bennett will have a chance to do just that as the Rams continue to build an impressive
cadre of offensive talent and, arguably, the most imposing trio of receivers of any team in the league.

For his career, Bennett has 273 catches for 4,033 yards and 25 touchdowns in seven seasons.
His best season came in 2004 when he posted 80 catches for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was slowed in 2005 by a dislocated thumb causing him to miss three games and he missed four games in 2003 because of a left calf injury. Otherwise, Bennett has proved durable and tough and has earned a reputation as a solid down field blocker.

Last year, Bennett caught 46 balls for 737 yards as he adjusted to having someone other than
Steve McNair or Billy Volek throwing him the ball for the first time in his career.

Meanwhile, Curtis paid a free agent visit to Minnesota on Friday and is on his way to Detroit
for a visit with the Lions today.

New England linebacker/pass rushing specialist Tully Banta-Cain left St. Louis after receiving an offer from the team Friday. Banta-Cain is expected to make more visits before finalizing a deal.
It isn’t likely the Rams will strike another deal before the end of the weekend

[Alec22]

great job by the front office here, iam very happy of what they have done the last couple of years.