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By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/18/2010
The Rams obviously have invested heavily in Sam Bradford. They spent the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on the former University of Oklahoma quarterback, and they'll deposit millions into his bank account some time this summer.
The team also has spent liberally on potential targets for Bradford, mostly through the draft. Over the past 10 years, the Rams have drafted 11 wide receivers, including fourth-rounder Mardy Gilyard last month.
But of those 11, only four occupy the current roster. And of the seven others, just two — Kevin Curtis and Shaun McDonald, both 2003 draft choices — are still drawing NFL paychecks.
General manager Billy Devaney has been bombarded with questions about the Rams' receivers, or lack thereof. Some of the queries hit close to home.
"My brothers in New Jersey, they follow it, and they'd say, 'Aren't you going to sign a receiver?'" Devaney said in December. "And I'm like, 'Give me a break. We have this list (of needs) that's a mile long. We're going to fill as many as we can.'"
Devaney insisted that despite the Gilyard pick, wide receiver wasn't a major priority in the recent draft.
"We didn't come into this saying we have to get a receiver," he said. "I guess ... people think we're desperate to take a receiver; we certainly don't feel that way. ... Not even close."
Still, Bradford is accustomed to working with top-shelf partners. Before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last season, Bradford had thrown to a trio of future NFL receivers at OU. Juaquin Iglesias, Malcolm Kelly and tight end Jermaine Gresham piled up big numbers — more than 4,300 receiving yards among them — during Bradford's two full seasons running the Sooners' spread attack.
With the Rams, Bradford is operating in a much different system, the West Coast-style offense that coordinator Pat Shurmur brought from Philadelphia. It requires a highly accurate quarterback, and Bradford fits that bill: He completed 67.6 percent of his passes in college, throwing for 88 touchdowns with just 16 interceptions.
It also calls for sure-handed receivers who run precise routes and get consistent separation. Whether the Rams also have that component has not been established.
Two wideouts acquired through the draft have yet to appear in a regular-season game. Gilyard, of course, is a newcomer. Brooks Foster, a fifth-round pick in 2009, missed his entire rookie season after ankle surgery.
The two others have been nagged with injuries, rendering a thorough evaluation of their potential incomplete. Donnie Avery, a second-rounder in '08, has averaged 50 receptions and 631.5 yards over two seasons, decent production considering the assortment of bumps and bruises that have hindered him at times. Keenan Burton, a fourth-round pick in '08, has just 38 catches for 425 yards. Injuries kept him out of 14 games over his two seasons.
Only three of the nine other wideouts on the roster have produced anything beyond nominal results. But each of those three has potential.
Laurent Robinson, acquired in April 2009 in a trade with Atlanta, put together a strong preseason and had 11 catches for 141 yards in the first two games of the regular season. But his promising year ended with a leg injury the next week.
Rookie Danny Amendola, signed off Philadelphia's practice squad in late September, was a useful addition. A gutsy performer despite his limited size, Amendola caught 43 passes for 326 yards in addition to his punt- and kick-return duties.
Brandon Gibson, another rookie picked up from the Eagles in late October in a trade for linebacker Will Witherspoon, made a striking first impression: seven catches for 93 yards vs. New Orleans. But he faded over the final seven contests, finishing with 34 receptions for 348 yards
So, the Rams may have found their quarterback in Bradford. But they can't say, at this point, that they've provided him with commensurate targets for his passes.
Yet as Devaney noted, it's a young group that should improve with experience. "We think that at the end of the day, our receivers are going to be pretty good," he said. "Last year, there were a lot of guys learning on the fly."
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
05/18/2010
The Rams obviously have invested heavily in Sam Bradford. They spent the No. 1 overall pick in the draft on the former University of Oklahoma quarterback, and they'll deposit millions into his bank account some time this summer.
The team also has spent liberally on potential targets for Bradford, mostly through the draft. Over the past 10 years, the Rams have drafted 11 wide receivers, including fourth-rounder Mardy Gilyard last month.
But of those 11, only four occupy the current roster. And of the seven others, just two — Kevin Curtis and Shaun McDonald, both 2003 draft choices — are still drawing NFL paychecks.
General manager Billy Devaney has been bombarded with questions about the Rams' receivers, or lack thereof. Some of the queries hit close to home.
"My brothers in New Jersey, they follow it, and they'd say, 'Aren't you going to sign a receiver?'" Devaney said in December. "And I'm like, 'Give me a break. We have this list (of needs) that's a mile long. We're going to fill as many as we can.'"
Devaney insisted that despite the Gilyard pick, wide receiver wasn't a major priority in the recent draft.
"We didn't come into this saying we have to get a receiver," he said. "I guess ... people think we're desperate to take a receiver; we certainly don't feel that way. ... Not even close."
Still, Bradford is accustomed to working with top-shelf partners. Before he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last season, Bradford had thrown to a trio of future NFL receivers at OU. Juaquin Iglesias, Malcolm Kelly and tight end Jermaine Gresham piled up big numbers — more than 4,300 receiving yards among them — during Bradford's two full seasons running the Sooners' spread attack.
With the Rams, Bradford is operating in a much different system, the West Coast-style offense that coordinator Pat Shurmur brought from Philadelphia. It requires a highly accurate quarterback, and Bradford fits that bill: He completed 67.6 percent of his passes in college, throwing for 88 touchdowns with just 16 interceptions.
It also calls for sure-handed receivers who run precise routes and get consistent separation. Whether the Rams also have that component has not been established.
Two wideouts acquired through the draft have yet to appear in a regular-season game. Gilyard, of course, is a newcomer. Brooks Foster, a fifth-round pick in 2009, missed his entire rookie season after ankle surgery.
The two others have been nagged with injuries, rendering a thorough evaluation of their potential incomplete. Donnie Avery, a second-rounder in '08, has averaged 50 receptions and 631.5 yards over two seasons, decent production considering the assortment of bumps and bruises that have hindered him at times. Keenan Burton, a fourth-round pick in '08, has just 38 catches for 425 yards. Injuries kept him out of 14 games over his two seasons.
Only three of the nine other wideouts on the roster have produced anything beyond nominal results. But each of those three has potential.
Laurent Robinson, acquired in April 2009 in a trade with Atlanta, put together a strong preseason and had 11 catches for 141 yards in the first two games of the regular season. But his promising year ended with a leg injury the next week.
Rookie Danny Amendola, signed off Philadelphia's practice squad in late September, was a useful addition. A gutsy performer despite his limited size, Amendola caught 43 passes for 326 yards in addition to his punt- and kick-return duties.
Brandon Gibson, another rookie picked up from the Eagles in late October in a trade for linebacker Will Witherspoon, made a striking first impression: seven catches for 93 yards vs. New Orleans. But he faded over the final seven contests, finishing with 34 receptions for 348 yards
So, the Rams may have found their quarterback in Bradford. But they can't say, at this point, that they've provided him with commensurate targets for his passes.
Yet as Devaney noted, it's a young group that should improve with experience. "We think that at the end of the day, our receivers are going to be pretty good," he said. "Last year, there were a lot of guys learning on the fly."
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