The Rams will probably carry six wide receivers

[Rambos]

Who will make the roster?

Brian Quick
Danny Amendola
Chris Givens

Greg Salas
Steve Smith

Austin Pettis
Brandon Gibson
Danario Alexander


Now that the draft is in the rear view, it's time to start thinking about who will be on this team. As I see it I only see three locks... Quick,Givens and Amendola.

Salas is not a lock but I think he showed that he can contribute in the slot and get the tough yards underneath. I also think he can play wide out as well, and work over the middle. He is a hard dude to bring down. I think he makes it.

Steve Smith is a wait and see for me, the Rams like what they saw at his workout and he needs to have a good camp and preseason. I hope he makes the team and starts.

That leaves:
Austin Pettis
Brandon Gibson
Danario Alexander

I Think these three will be fighting for the final spot.


Pettis showed signs as a solid possession receiver, started slow but with no off season or OTA's it kind was expected. Negatives will miss the first two games for a four games suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. He was a third round pick of the old regime, none the less he was third round pick.

Brandon Gibson Gibby had a great camp and preseason last year and then faded. I didn't think he was going to make the team last year and I don't see him making it this year.

Danario Alexander If healthy we would not have taken Brian Quick IMO. But the realty is he is about as healthy as a guy with four knee surgeries could be. I'm not writing him off so fast through. I think his fate come down too two things, His health and how fast Quick can make the transition to the pro's. Quick a wide-out coming out of a NCAA Division I FCS level has to make the transition. DX still may be the biggest playmaker at receiver we have.

[r8rh8rmike]

I agree with pretty much everything you said and it'll be interesting to see how things shake out. DX is, well, the X factor. He is so talented and explosive, with a tremendous amount of heart and drive, but he's playing on borowed time. I'm not sure how Fisher and Snead see him, but he could get a chance the first two games of the season with Pettis out on suspension. He's one of my favorite Rams and I would love to see him stick, but I'd understand if the Rams decided not to keep him with the injury issues.

[sosa39rams]

I think at the end of the day we have :

WR1: Brian Quick / DX
WR2: Chris Givens / Austin Pettis
SlotWR: Danny Amendola / Greg Salas

Steve Smith in my opinion is overrated. I didn't like it when he was signed, and I like it even less now. 1 good year, cannot seem to shake off his knee injury, and is a slot WR only (all his big plays were made in the slot, and we have Amendola and Salas for that).

DX still has killer potential and actually started to shake off his knee issues. He had a hamstring issue for a few weeks last year, but thats fine. I say give him 1 more year to prove what he's got.

Brandon Gibson is terrible. Not sure why he is still here (obviously a training camp body).

To me Pettis has too much potential to get rid of. Steve Smith wont play ST, he will barely see playing time in the slot because of Amendola, Salas, and Pettis. He is probably not going to be the same player before his injury, and even before the injury he only had 1 good year.

[Goldenfleece]

Who says they'll carry six? Has Fisher said as much? I agree that Quick, Amendola, and Givens are pretty much locks. If Smith is fully recovered, he's probably number four. Out of Salas, Gibson, and Pettis, I wouldn't be surprised if only one of them makes the active roster. Probably Salas. Gibson seems like he was a Spagnuolo/Shurmur special. They brought him over from the Eagles, and he proved to be relatively reliable but hasn't really elevated his game that much in the last few years.

At that point, we have one more spot if you assume six...but I don't. I think that for Alexander or a second of the three mentioned above to make the roster, they're going to have to prove that they're of more value to the team than carrying another defensive back, runningback, linebacker, etc. DX needs to dispel doubts about those knees and have a strong preseason. He has talent, but not enough that we can afford to have his health status affect our play calling.

[Rambos]

At that point, we have one more spot if you assume six...but I don't.

I kind of got that from you lol... IMO we will carry six

[general counsel]

If someone is suggesting that we might only carry five receivers, that won't happen. It will be six or possibly seven depending on special teams. Five is simply too small a number given injuries that inevitably occur.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[Fortuninerhater]

The way I see it, is if Steve Smith is fully recovered, Brandon Gibson will be gone. If Salas is fully recovered I believe he will surpass Amendola on the depth chart, making Danny expendable. A 2nd round pick still sounds wonderful, but I'd take a 4th for him.

That leaves Quick, Givens, DX, Pettis, Smith, and Salas.

3 wideouts and 3 tweeners.

There you have it guys, perfection.

In my world, at least.

[MACD]

Somebody help me here: Is Clayton totally out of the picture?

[sosa39rams]

Somebody help me here: Is Clayton totally out of the picture?

He hasn't been in the picture for a year.

[Goldenfleece]

I kind of got that from you lol... IMO we will carry six

Ah, what do I know?

If someone is suggesting that we might only carry five receivers, that won't happen. It will be six or possibly seven depending on special teams. Five is simply too small a number given injuries that inevitably occur.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

We had only four on the roster on opening day one year under Linehan. Five isn't particularly uncommon if you want to carry a fourth runningback, a sixth cornerback, a fourth backup lineman, an actual fullback, an eighth defensive lineman, or a special team ace or two. Once you get past the bare minimum to run the playbook and their immediate backups, you only have about four or five unallocated roster slots. That's assuming that you've got some versatile linemen on both sides of the ball who can backup multiple positions. If we enter the season with six receivers, we're going to be going light somewhere else. I could see it going either way. It won't be less than 5, but I don't know what Fisher's tendency is.

[r8rh8rmike]

Once you get past the bare minimum to run the playbook and their immediate backups, you only have about four or five unallocated roster slots. That's assuming that you've got some versatile linemen on both sides of the ball who can backup multiple positions. If we enter the season with six receivers, we're going to be going light somewhere else. I could see it going either way. It won't be less than 5, but I don't know what Fisher's tendency is.

Valid points, but Amendola, Salas, Alexander and Smith all had injury problems last year. Just a hunch, but if Fisher and Snead look at the receiver position like they did the defensive backs, they'll want some insurance and will carry at least six.

[RealRam]

No doubt, SIX WRs is the way to go this year.

My tentative list...

Danario Alexander
Danny Amendola
Austin Pettis
Brian Quick
Greg Salas
Steve Smith

And on stand by...
Brandon Gibson
Chris Givens

[THOLTFAN81]

No doubt, SIX WRs is the way to go this year.

My tentative list...

Danario Alexander
Danny Amendola
Austin Pettis
Brian Quick
Greg Salas
Steve Smith

And on stand by...
Brandon Gibson
Chris Givens

So we just invested a 4th round pick in this draft only to not keep Givens?

[Fortuninerhater]

No doubt, SIX WRs is the way to go this year.

My tentative list...

Danario Alexander
Danny Amendola
Austin Pettis
Brian Quick
Greg Salas
Steve Smith

And on stand by...
Brandon Gibson
Chris Givens

There is no way Chris Givens is not on the opening day roster.

In fact, I doubt that Pettis is ahead of him, even as we speak. My guess is Pettis will fall even further behind while serving his suspension.

Givens is a Fisher/Snead pick and will be given (no pun intended) every opportunity to not only make the roster, but contribute rather heavily IMO.

[RealRam]

There is no way Chris Givens is not on the opening day roster.

In fact, I doubt that Pettis is ahead of him, even as we speak. My guess is Pettis will fall even further behind while serving his suspension.

Givens is a Fisher/Snead pick and will be given (no pun intended) every opportunity to not only make the roster, but contribute rather heavily IMO.

You're right. You too THOLTfan81. ...I GIVE-INS!