Rams WR Hall Of Shame

With a new regime and Justin Blackmon possibly on the horizon, I thought it might be a good time to review how the Rams got in the fix they are now. With that in mind, here is...
The Rams WR Hall Of Shame
2006
Drew Bennett (FA): The worst Rams FA signing of all time. This move alone puts Loserhan in the top 3 worst coaches in Rams history.
2008
Donnie Avery (2^nd Rd): The Rams had their pick of the litter in the 2008 draft (a down year for wideouts), and surprised many by taking the speedy Avery, who played in a spread/run and shoot at Houston and was not an accomplished route runner. It didn’t matter, because Donnie proved to be an injury waiting to happen, and after a promising rookie year, spent most of the rest of his Rams career on the sidelines.
Keenan Burton (4^th Round): Another guy the Rams had high hopes for; but he had a knee that kept him on the pine most of the time until they gave up two years later.
2009
Laurent Robinson (FA): Signed from the Falcons, again someone the Rams hoped would become their go-to guy. By 2011, they just wanted him to go.
Brandon Gibson (Trade with Philly): A marginal talent who probably couldn’t make most NFL rosters, Gibson became a starter simply by being the last man standing.
Brooks Foster/Foster Brooks (5^th round): Who??
Danny Amendola (signed off Eagles Practice Squad): Too small and slow to play on the outside, Danny proved to be a tough, reliable slot guy/KR and became rookie Sam Bradford’s security blanket in 2010, catching 85 balls, although he only averaged 8.1 yds per catch. Lost for the 2011 season with arm injury.
2010
Mardy Gilyard (4^th Round): Everybody was rooting for poor Mardy, a flashy WR/KR on Brian Kelly’s Cincinatti teams. But Mardy couldn’t learn an NFL playbook. Bye, Mardy.
Danario (DX) Alexander (Undrafted FA): Big, fast, and talented, but with chronic knee issues so severe that he is a threat to end his career everytime he takes the field, even in practice. Has played on and off for two seasons, but is a shadow of the player he was in college.
Mark Clayton (FA): Signed from the Ravens, Clayton quickly developed a rapport with rookie Bradford in the preseason of 2010. Then promptly went down for the season, and never recovered sufficiently to be a factor again.
2011
Austin Pettis (3^rd Round): Slow to develop, and then got suspended for “substance abuse”. Most are skeptical about his ever being much of a contributor.
Greg Salas (4^th Round): Flashed potential as a slot guy when Amendola went down before the 2011 season. Then he broke his leg. Sigh.
Brandon Lloyd (trade from Denver): Acquired in mid-2011 after the rams WR corps became totally decimated by injuries. Worked well in Josh Mcdaniels' offense, but then followed him to New England after the great Spagnuolo purge.

Nice post this sums it up!

Quote:

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Drew Bennett (FA): The worst Rams FA signing of all time. This move alone puts Loserhan in the top 3 worst coaches in Rams history.

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This one really hurts, we let Kevin Curtis go and he become a decent playmaker for the Eagles. I still think it's a bit early on Salas and Pettis, one of them has to make it.

Does it all change in 2012?

Bennett no doubt is the "MVP" of the HOS (most vile player). :D

However, I think there are other WRs listed that are decent Rams.

wow Really? Didn't know Keenan Burton was a 4th round pick! thought he had to be a 6th or 7th and maybe even a Walk on FA... wasted pick

Man, will we ever find a duo like Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce? I hope so.

it started way before Linehan arrived.

if we have to re-visit that dark and dreary road we might aswell go back to where it started.

I think Salas will still be the slot guy in the future. Pettis was someone I had high hopes for but that suspension really disappointed me. I am still pulling for DX.

Laurent Robinson wasn't an FA, he was acquired in a trade with the Falcons where we swapt 6th round picks (i believe)

You also forgot one of the worst signings of all. Mike Sims-Walker. Signed to a FA deal, at the time he was considered a good signing. Not only could he not catch, he also injured Bradley Fletcher in an accident at practice, and then was released. Didn't even last one season.

Remember Terrance Wilkins who we picked up from the Colts?

Another high profile guy with great prospects from another team...
And sadly, another guy who couldn't learn the play book and got released, before the season even started I think. (?)

He was a similar player to Az-Hakim but with better hands..

You're right about Laurent Robinson, it was a trade which included 5th and 6th round picks. And how could I forget Sims-Walker, one of the worst signings of all! I must have blocked him out of my mind! Sorry. I remember the awful Terrence Wilkins, just decided not to take this list back far enough.

Good post. Whether the OP made a small mistake with with how one or two guys were acquired misses the general accurate point: The Rams have done a bad job getting receiving talent over the past several seasons- end of story.

And to think it wasn't all that long ago we had an embarrassment of riches at the position- Holt, Bruce, Kevin Curtis, Proehl- hell even Mike Furrey was productive. If we don't pick a big time weapon in the first round for Bradford to throw to, management needs its collective heads examined. Bradford wasn't drafted to "manage games". Yet that's exactly what he'll be relegated to if we don't get him some immediate help.

Some of these are really confusing to me. Danny Amendola is in the hall of shame? We signed him off of another team's practice squad, he has been one of our most reliable receivers, he was tendered at a 2nd round level this offseason and yet there was still talk that he may get a contract from the Pats.

Lloyd was great when he was with us, does the fact that he signed elsewhere put him in the HOS? Alexander was an undrafted FA and has been a big factor in many games. Sure his health is a huge red flag but again, there was a reason he went undrafted and it wasn't for lack of skill.

Same with Clayton, he was great when he was on the field. Injury ended his time with us prematurely, not sure if that should classify him as HOS-worthy.

The others I largely agree with, although it's a little early for 2011 picks to be inducted (especially Salas).

What's funny though is that this may seem like Monday-morning QBing, but I said at the time I hated the Avery, Gilyard, Salas and Pettis picks.

I also hated the Kendricks pick last year. Every single time the Rams reach, they miss. Expert consensus > Rams scouting every. single. time.

A) Yea, we get it; the Rams don't have much talent. I would think the record has already established that fact.

B) Putting Amendola on a "Rams WR Hall of Shame" is laughable at best.

C) You don't judge a rookie after one year. You just don't.

Why on earth is Amendola in the hall of shame? If an 85 catch receiver with great hands and the ability to get open underneath is a "bad" WR, then load me up on some bad WRs. Also we got him for nothing, no draft picks used, no trades, just straight up signed. That's just...confusing. What exactly does it take to just be a "normal" receiver who isn't in the hall of shame? 150 catches for 2000 yards??

Also Pettis and Salas were showing promise before injuries/suspensions. I don't think a place in the hall of shame is warranted. Lloyd didn't play much for us, but produced a lot, why is he on there? And DX was an undrafted FA who actually contributed, granted he has knee problems, but he isn't the embarassment Bennet or Avery were.

I can't say I agree with your list at all.

The list just lists the receivers the Rams picked up during that time. I don't think they were all meant as HOS signings. Clayton and Llloyd are obviously the best in the bunch and not bad mid season pick-ups. The problem with Bennett wasn't that he was bad before he was a Ram it was what he did as a Ram and what the Rams MISTAKINGLY slotted him to be, a #1 WR. That's been an ongoing problem since the GSOT.