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Just heard on Fox Sports that we traded Will Witherspoon to the Eagles.
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
From Foxports:
Something was bound to happen before the NFL's Tuesday trading deadline, and at least one fairly significant move has now been made.
Coming off an ugly loss to the Oakland Raiders on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles have traded for Rams starting linebacker Will Witherspoon for WR Brandon Gibson and mid-level pick, FOXSports.com has learned.
Witherspoon, the long-time Carolina Panther and St. Louis Ram linebacker, can play both middle and outside 'backer and is highly-regarded for his speed and football smarts.
The move adds some much-needed punch to an Eagles linebacking corps that sorely needs it, one that has struggled ever since the season-ending knee injury to starter Stewart Bradley over the summer.This space for rent...
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
Info about the WR we got:
Photo of Brandon Gibson
Brandon Gibson (WR)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 206
College: Washington State
Conference: Pac 10
Hometown: Puyallup, WA
High School: Rogers
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Featured Prospects
Selected by: Philadelphia Eagles
Round: 6
Pick (Overall): 21 (194)
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Pick Analysis: Gibson flashed impressive skills in his junior season at Washington State, but his production tapered off somewhat as a senior due to his team's struggles. He's got decent size and will compete to be a backup in Philadelphia.
Overview
It was a bittersweet senior season for Gibson, who concluded his college career as the school's all-time leader with 2,756 receiving yards and finished second in WSU annals with 182 receptions. He seriously considered leaving school after the 2007 season, but was convinced by the new coaching staff that he would greatly benefit returning to the university in 2008. Even though he led the team with 57 catches, the Cougars suffered through one of the worst seasons in the program, finishing 2-11 for the campaign.
The nephew of former NFL cornerback Vaughn Williams (*****/Colts), Gibson struggled to grasp the new offensive system earlier in the 2008 season, and also struggled to grasp the football, as he was plagued by a slew of dropped balls in the early portion of the year. He saw his yardage total decrease from 1,180 yards in 2007 to 673 and his touchdown opportunities reduced from nine scores as a junior to two as a senior.
At Rogers High School, Gibson lettered in football and basketball. As a senior, he earned All-SPSL honors after compiling 946 all-purpose yards. He was rated the 17th-best player in the state of Washington by Scout.com and rated 38th nationally as an athlete by Rivals.com. He was named to the Washington Preps all-league first team as a receiver and second team as a defensive back, in addition to earning Tacoma News Tribune "Northwest Nuggets" honorable mention.
During his junior campaign, Gibson earned All-South Puget Sound League honorable mention at wide receiver. He also received league accolades on special teams as a punt and kick returner. That year, he was named second-team All-SPSL in basketball.
Gibson enrolled at Washington State in 2005, appearing in 10 games with five starting assignments as a true freshman. The flanker saw most of his action on special teams, where he returned 10 kickoffs for 186 yards, but also caught nine passes for 172 yards (19.1 avg.) and a pair of scores.
As a sophomore, Gibson took over flanker duties for the final nine games. He teamed with Jason Hill to give the Cougars one of the biggest receiving tandems in the West. He pulled down 49 passes for 731 yards (14.9 avg.) and four touchdowns, second on the team. He also saw brief action on the coverage unit, making a solo tackle while recovering a fumble and returning two kicks for 42 yards.
In 2007, Gibson had a banner campaign, earning All-Pac-10 Conference first-team and All-America third-team recognition. He started 11 games at flanker, sitting out the Oregon clash with a heel bruise. He was hampered early in the season by an August camp knee sprain, but still managed to haul in a career-high 67 passes for 1,180 yards (17.6 avg.), finding the end zone nine times. His 67 grabs placed third on the school season-record list and his 1,180 yards was the most ever by a Cougar, ranking 20th on the conference annual record chart.
With the new spread option offense in place, Gibson struggled at the "Z" (flanker) spot, where he started the first three games before shifting to the slot in 2008. He still led the team with 57 receptions, but only got to the end zone twice while recording 673 yards (11.8 avg.), adding 19 yards on 10 carries to earn All-Pac-10 honorable mention.
High School
Attended Rogers (Puyallup, Wash.) High School, playing football for head coach Gene Bowen...Lettered in football and basketball...As a senior, he earned All-SPSL honors after compiling 946 all-purpose yards...Rated the 17th-best player in the state of Washington by Scout.com and rated 38th nationally as an athlete by Rivals.com...Washington Preps All-League first team as a receiver and second-team pick as a defensive back, in addition to earning Tacoma News Tribune "Northwest Nuggets" honorable mention...During his junior campaign, Gibson earned All-South Puget Sound League honorable mention at wide receiver...Also received league accolades on special teams as a punt and kick returner... Second-team All-SPSL in basketball as a junior.
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
Brandon Gibson is he any good?:ramlogo:Comment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
Who was is Brandon Gibson? I'm not sure how much the trade really upsets me because we need the pick and a veteran wide reciever. That and I haven't seen Witherspoon do alot this year."I've been saving the Universe for over a thousand years. I figure it owes me just this once."Comment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
He's a rookie, though. He ain't no vet.Always and Forever a fan of the St. Louis RamsComment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
Eagles fan here. I hate to give up Gibson. He looked excellent in camp and preseason. His hands are excellent and he catches everything his way. He is tough as nails and will take a hit and bounce right back up. I'm going to be very annoyed at this deal if Witherspoon doesn't play to a high level, because Gibson shows excellent potential.
You guys got a real nice young WR who has all the tools. Not the fastest guy, but fast enough and smart.Comment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
Wow did not see this trade coming!!! (not for the first time in the Devaney era either)
would like to know what exactly the draft pick is before knocking it too much...
Spoon hasnt played as good as i expected him to when moved back to the weakside LB position tho and Lenon is more of a weakside than a strongside so i think theyll move him over there and start Larry Grant..least we got an extra wideout and an extra pick now..even if it does make our LB unit weaker in the short term.Comment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
That's good to hear. I know we are desperate for a WR, but getting a no-name kills me, hopefully it works out in the long run... I think Witherspoon will produce for you guys, I always liked him a lot.Originally posted by BradBigglestein View PostAlways and Forever a fan of the St. Louis RamsComment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
Hm...so he is (a rookie). I still don't see that as a problem. We need a reciever yes? We got one, one with apparent potential and good size who's still young enough to develop. Remember the Eagles have like 40 wide recievers so it doesn't mean he's a bad player, it means they had better options...and given their good options already that's not surprising.
He may be another Laurent Robinson and gives size and hands to compliment Avery's speed."I've been saving the Universe for over a thousand years. I figure it owes me just this once."Comment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
Oh also Joey Galloway was just released by the Patriots...who knows?"I've been saving the Universe for over a thousand years. I figure it owes me just this once."Comment
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"I've been saving the Universe for over a thousand years. I figure it owes me just this once."Comment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
Glad to see the rams addressing a need and not setting still hope this guy can play.Originally posted by BradBigglestein View Post:ramlogo:Comment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
I think it was a solid deal for the Rams, because with all due respect it doesn't look like a playoff year for the Rams. Gibson is a young WR you guys can develop with Avery and in a couple years maybe have a nice 1-2 punch to have for many years to come.
Sort of like the Eagles do with Jackson and Maclin.Comment
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Re: Witherspoon Traded
I'll take a 5th and a rookie for Spoons.Comment
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By Jim Thomas
When it comes to survival skills, Brandon Gibson is the cockroach of the Rams’ wide receiver corps. You can’t kill him off. Every year, some fans and media members sing a familiar refrain: We need an upgrade there. We can do better at that position.
And every year, Gibson returns and finishes second or third on the team in receptions.
That perseverance has been on display again recently. Against Arizona on Nov. 25 and versus San Francisco a week later, Gibson didn’t catch a pass. In fact, he didn’t even have one thrown his way in nearly five full quarters against the *****.
“Throw him the ball,” fellow wideout Chris Givens said. “You see what he can do with it.”
Last week in Buffalo, Gibson got the ball and showed what he can do with it – after a first half in which the Rams could get absolutely nothing going.
On the opening drive of the third quarter, Gibson caught passes of 22 and 16 yards on back-to-back plays to get the Rams from near midfield to the Buffalo 9. Those two receptions alone eclipsed the Rams’ first-half passing total of 37 yards. The Rams scored two plays later to take a 7-6 lead.
“That was a huge jump-start,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “We came in at halftime and knew we needed to make some adjustments. I thought Gibby did a great job of getting open. Creating after the catch, too.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Gibson’s 24-yard reception helped the Rams out of a field-position jam on second and 11 from the St. Louis 4. Nothing came of the series, but Buffalo got the ball back at its 30 after a Johnny Hekker punt instead of at maybe midfield.
Then came that frantic, memorable closing drive. Gibson’s 15-yard catch-and-run down the left sideline took the Rams from a third-and-10 play to a first down at the Buffalo 13 with 58 seconds to play. Two plays later, Gibson scored the game-winning touchdown on a 13-yard catch and tumble in tight coverage.
“He stepped up big time, especially when nobody was catching the ball,” tight end Lance Kendricks said. “Sam trusted in him and he went to him, and he made some big plays.”
So after going 0-for-Arizona and San Francisco, Gibson was the star of the game with six catches for a career-high 100 yards in a 15-12 victory.
“This is huge for Gibby,” running back Steven Jackson said. “This season alone is huge for Gibby. You have a guy that continues to grow each year; I think we’ve seen that. When we traded for him and got him from Philadelphia, we’ve seen Gibby grow. I’m happy for him, and he’s showing up in big times.”
Jackson knows better than most, because he’s one of the few players still around from the 2009 squad, the year the Rams acquired Gibson and a fifth-round draft pick from Philadelphia in a trade deadline deal that sent linebacker Will Witherspoon to the Eagles.
...-12-13-2012, 10:15 AM -
Rookie is quick study
BY JIM THOMAS
11/18/2009
As Brandon Gibson made one catch after another Sunday against New Orleans, the collective thought throughout Rams Nation must have gone something like this: "OK, now we know why they traded for this guy."
With fewer than a dozen practices under his belt since being acquired from Philadelphia in the Will Witherspoon trade, Gibson posted the most receptions (seven) for a Rams wide receiver and the most reception yards (93) for any Rams player this season.
Gibson, a rookie from Washington State, is the first to admit he was nervous against the Saints. At the same time, he exudes confidence, although not in a cocky way.
"Some people know what I'm capable of," Gibson said. "But there were probably a lot of people who haven't seen me play. I guess I kind of gave people a taste, and they're going to have high expectations. That's fine. I just want to go out there and be consistent, make sure I catch the ball and always attack and play at a high level."
Some of Gibson's new teammates saw something in him in just the first few weeks of practice. Left guard Jacob Bell, for example, said it was
obvious from the get-go that Gibson was a hungry player, and a player who had high expectations for himself.
"I think that started in Philadelphia," Gibson said. "Because when you go out there, you've got DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Reggie Brown, Jason Avant, Hank Baskett, Kevin Curtis, Danny Amendola."
In short, the Eagles were stacked at wide receiver at the start of this season. (Amendola is now a Ram; Baskett is with Indianapolis.)
"We were out there, and we all were fighting (for playing time)," Gibson said. "We all wanted to get better. And you learn from situations like that. So practice is where it starts. You can set yourself apart in practice, and then it becomes easier in the games."
An Army brat, Gibson was born in Germany and then attended high school in Puyallup, Wash., the hometown of former Rams wideout Dane Looker. Gibson stayed in-state for college and by his junior season at Washington State had blossomed into an All-Pacific 10 Conference performer (and a third-team All-American) with a school-record 1,180 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Gibson almost certainly would've been a first-day selection in the 2008 draft, but he decided to return for his senior season at Washington State.
"You're only a senior once," Gibson said. "Even though I had a big junior year, I was excited about coming back and thought that I could even get better. I didn't feel like I was ready to take my game to the NFL level."
But with a new head coach and a new offensive scheme, Gibson wasn't nearly as effective as a...-11-18-2009, 04:01 PM -
Brandon Gibson stands out in first test
BY BILL COATS
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/16/2009
Never figuring that he'd have to wait 2½ months to have an opportunity to make a splash in the NFL, rookie wide receiver Brandon Gibson acknowledged that he was a bit frazzled Sunday.
"I was actually kind of nervous the whole game, just because it was my first real action, and with Keenan (Burton) going down, your number's called quite a bit," Gibson said. "I just wanted to go out there and make plays and help this team."
Burton, the Rams' No. 2 wide receiver, suffered what apparently is a season-ending knee injury about midway through the first quarter. That moved Gibson alongside Donnie Avery as the team's top two wideouts the rest of the way against the unbeaten New Orleans Saints.
"Brandon came in and stepped up," Avery said. "He's a great receiver, very detailed in his routes. We need him now."
All Gibson did was gather in seven catches for 93 yards — both team highs among the wide receivers this year — in a wrenching 28-23 defeat that wasn't cemented until the final snap.
Asked if he felt that Gibson was capable of putting up such numbers, quarterback Marc Bulger chuckled and replied, "Eventually."
"For him to come in after Keenan got hurt and play as well as he did is impressive, rookie or no rookie," Bulger added. "I think we found a really good receiver there."
The 6-foot, 210-pound Gibson, Washington State's career receiving leader, also never figured that his unveiling would come with the Rams. Not after Philadelphia drafted him in the sixth round (No. 194 overall) in April.
But the Eagles were loaded with wideouts, and when the Rams dangled linebacker Will Witherspoon in trade talks, Gibson became expendable after getting into just one game the first six weeks. The Rams also landed a fifth-round pick in the 2010 draft in the deal, consummated Oct. 20.
"That is pretty weird, as a rookie getting traded. I don't think that happens too often," Gibson said. "I don't think that I needed to prove myself, because St. Louis knows what I'm capable of. They almost drafted me, actually, so I feel that it's my time.
"They made the trade for a reason, and I have to go out there and help this team win."
General manager Billy Devaney acknowledged that the Rams had been interested in Gibson and kept a close eye on him in the preseason, when he paced the Eagles with 12 catches for 123 yards and a touchdown.
Gibson, 22, was inactive Oct. 25 vs. Indianapolis as he tried to nail down the Rams' offensive scheme, similar to but not exactly the same as Philly's. He suited up Nov. 1 in Detroit but was in for only a few plays, with just one pass thrown...-11-16-2009, 01:24 PM -
Consistency Key to Gibson's Success
By Nick Wagoner/Senior Writer
Posted Nov 24, 2010
After another disappointing drop to end a Rams drive early this season, Rams receiver Brandon Gibson walked toward the sideline and was greeted by running back Steven Jackson.
For all of the potential he’d flashed in his rookie season and the glimpses of it he’d shown again in the preseason and opening weeks of the regular season, Gibson simply couldn’t get the handle on what it would take to become the player Jackson knew he could be.
“Consistency,” Jackson said. “I told Brandon earlier in the season when he was going through that funk that he was going through I told him the only thing that’s stopping him from being a play maker, having a breakout season is he was being inconsistent.”
Indeed, the start of the 2010 season was far from what Gibson had envisioned after he came to the Rams in the middle of last year and immediately began to show enough promise to earn a starting role.
On the day of the 2009 trade deadline, the Rams acquired Gibson as part of a package for linebacker Will Witherspoon. Soon, he was starting and by the time the year was over, he had accumulated 34 catches for 348 yards and a touchdown in 10 games with four starts.
Preseason injuries combined with the aforementioned inconsistency and the lack of a role on special teams kept Gibson on the sidelines all together.
That’s not exactly what he had in mind coming into his second season.
“You go from not playing at all in Philadelphia and just kind of watching and observing guys like DeSean Jackson and Donovan McNabb and all of a sudden stepping into a starting role somewhat and then stepping back and then starting again,” Gibson said. “It’s been up and down but I try to keep my head level and play the game.”
After he overcame those preseason injuries, including a nagging hamstring issue, Gibson found himself healthy but inactive for the first two games of the season. Eventually, injuries began catching up to the receivers, losing Laurent Robinson to a foot ailment for a few weeks and Mark Clayton to a knee injury for the season.
In week three against Washington, Gibson was plugged back into the lineup, catching three passes for 33 yards. The following week against Seattle, Gibson caught a touchdown in the opening quarter to set the tone for the game.
But the solid start was marred by a case of the dropsies that lasted for the next couple of games.
Still, quarterback Sam Bradford, Jackson and everyone else stayed confident that Gibson could make plays and continued to give him opportunities. Soon enough, Gibson began to catch almost everything thrown his way.
In the Oct. 31 game against Carolina, Gibson hauled in six catches for 67 yards. Since, he and Bradford have developed a strong...-11-25-2010, 06:00 PM -
Gibson Continues to Grow
By Jonathan Webb/Special to stlouisrams.com
It’s been a long road in a short period of time for Brandon Gibson to become one of quarterback Sam Bradford’s favorite targets.
The second-year wideout edged his way onto the roster this year after a strong preseason performance. Even then, he remained inactive for the first two weeks.
How times have changed.
Gibson has led the team in receiving since the team’s Oct. 31 win over Carolina, and his performance has not been lost on his coaching staff.
“My goodness, what a great improvement he’s made,” said offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur. “For a receiver like Brandon Gibson, I think it’s about consistency. He’s been targeted more but he’s been catching more balls. So I think that’s the key. We talk about making the routine plays routinely. He’s embraced that and has found a way to get that done.”
Though the routine plays have been typical for Gibson, the spectacular has not been out of the question, either. He has proven to be a versatile threat, making receptions underneath the coverage, while splitting time with rookie Danario Alexander as the Rams’ top downfield threat.
Success did not happen overnight for Gibson, who began last season with Philadelphia before being traded to the Rams. His 44 receptions for 492 yards on the year have already surpassed last year’s performance.
After coming to St. Louis at midseason last year, Gibson caught 34 balls for 348 yards in nine games, including four starts. As encouraged as he may have been with that showing, he knew he had plenty to improve on before he would be a regular in the NFL.
“I just wanted to practice a lot better,” Gibson said. “Last year, I didn’t think I was a very good practice player, but I think I wanted to change my view on things and practice hard every day.”
Yet even that proved difficult near the beginning of this year, as his health betrayed him during the offseason.
The 23-year-old Gibson missed much of the team’s OTAs while nursing a hamstring injury. Once healthy, Gibson began to make an impact in the Rams’ preseason contests, nudging his way onto the 53-man roster. After an injury to veteran Mark Clayton, Gibson’s numbers began to spike.
For Gibson, the increased production is simply a matter of being given the opportunity to succeed.
“I think the injuries set me back,” Gibson said. “It wasn’t that I wasn’t playing well. It was that I was injured and didn’t have a chance to get on the field. I’m glad that I got healthy and showed everyone that I’m a good player and I’m able to do some things.”
‘Some things’ include an eight-catch, 72-yard performance at San Francisco and a 67-yard showing against New Orleans last week, his top two performances of the year. Gibson has continued to receive more attention...-12-16-2010, 08:15 PM
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