Gordon: Rams must reassess their WR development

[The Rammer]

Our pass blocking wasn't an issue last season. It wasn't great but it wasn't bad, either. There are MANY teams with worse O-lines that have QB's and WR's still performing better than the Rams. I think there's plenty of blame to go around on this but I still have major doubts about our WR coach and OC.

Yes our WR coach at the very least and our OC need to get their shit together. I never can remembr the wR coaches name and it's probably for good reason.....

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

I'd have to go back and watch old games but I thought that was after we started getting hit with injuries on the line? When everyone was healthy and playing, it was solid with the exception of a player or two every now and then. And I know it's not perfect but I think PFF put our pass blocking in the middle.

My point is, while having a great O-line would be nice, there are many teams that get along just fine with much worse. Go ahead and try and fix the line but I don't think the offense will get much better once it's settled. I think there are other issues at play here. That's all I was trying to point out.

Yeah I getchya. The line does scare the crap out of me though. Saffold Wells and Long have been injured mulitiple times. Dahl was recently injured. Dahl and Wells are old for the NFL. Barksdale is the only solid guy on the entire unit.

It is time for an influx of youth and I don't mean the castoffs. Sure Barksdale has worked out well but how many of the others have? I would rather get a foundation and then fill in with later round picks. Robinson/Matthews and Barksdale is a good foundation, especially with Saffold mixed in. But the day will come that Saffold is aging and they will need to replace him. A guy like Thomas in the mid rounds who could start next year would be a good haul combined with a top OT.

I keep thinking of what the Ravens Oline did two years ago. That line is what got them into the playoffs and a win in the Superbowl. They gelled and played very well.

 

[SierraRam]

Help mister Wizard take me to the draft!!!!!

 

[Username]

Is Gordon capable of talking about the Rams without the passive aggressive crying and shit talking?

 

[CGI_Ram]

Is Gordon capable of talking about the Rams without the passive aggressive crying and crap talking?

Lol!

 

[V3]

Yeah I getchya. The line does scare the crap out of me though. Saffold Wells and Long have been injured mulitiple times. Dahl was recently injured. Dahl and Wells are old for the NFL. Barksdale is the only solid guy on the entire unit.

It is time for an influx of youth and I don't mean the castoffs. Sure Barksdale has worked out well but how many of the others have? I would rather get a foundation and then fill in with later round picks. Robinson/Matthews and Barksdale is a good foundation, especially with Saffold mixed in. But the day will come that Saffold is aging and they will need to replace him. A guy like Thomas in the mid rounds who could start next year would be a good haul combined with a top OT.

I keep thinking of what the Ravens Oline did two years ago. That line is what got them into the playoffs and a win in the Superbowl. They gelled and played very well.

Depth and age are definitely a concern. I'll have no problem if they decide to take an OT at #2. The fewer variables we have, the easier it'll be to diagnose the real problem with the offense.

 

[scifiman]

I think it is. It also reduces the possibility of overpaying for a "#1 WR" a few years down the road. If we spread the ball around and we have 4 guys with 600 - 800 yards apiece we can still be successful without having to pay $10M a year for a #1.

Seems logical to me.

 

[scifiman]

Take Watkins and trade up from 13 and get the last top tackle? Wonder what it would cost us? We need O-Linemen now, but seeing Watkins blow by or run over Sherman would be sweeeet.

I am not so sold on Watkins myself. I dont see him as the guy who is blowing by people at the nfl level. I dont see on film him just bowling people over either. He sells his route out by taking bunny steps which at the nfl level will get picked up on. Now maybe he can fix these things. I actually would like Mike Evans over him at wr. Can get him lower in rd 1. My 1st round would be Robinson at 2 and Pryor at 13. We need another OL and we need a good prospect at FS. Now if Justin Gilbert CB was still there at 13 that would be hard not to take him. He is going to be special.

 

[SierraRam]

I am not so sold on Watkins myself. I dont see him as the guy who is blowing by people at the nfl level. I dont see on film him just bowling people over either. He sells his route out by taking bunny steps which at the nfl level will get picked up on. Now maybe he can fix these things. I actually would like Mike Evans over him at wr. Can get him lower in rd 1. My 1st round would be Robinson at 2 and Pryor at 13. We need another OL and we need a good prospect at FS. Now if Justin Gilbert CB was still there at 13 that would be hard not to take him. He is going to be special.

Watkins is the real deal & will be a star somewhere. I've been going back and forth for 2 months about our first two picks (like everone else). I think we should get one of the elite tackles and I like Robinson the best, too. And although I wouldn't cry if we took Pryor at #13, I say we go CB first because I think there will be very good safeties available in the 2nd and 3rd round. So Gilbert or Dennard at 13, but if Donald is there what do ya do?? He's gonna be a star too. Imagine that guy on our line!

I think Fisher likes our current receivers enough to not look there early. Or he's blowin' smoke. We find out in two weeks brother.

 

[scifiman]

Watkins is the real deal & will be a star somewhere. I've been going back and forth for 2 months about our first two picks (like everone else). I think we should get one of the elite tackles and I like Robinson the best, too. And although I wouldn't cry if we took Pryor at #13, I say we go CB first because I think there will be very good safeties available in the 2nd and 3rd round. So Gilbert or Dennard at 13, but if Donald is there what do ya do?? He's gonna be a star too. Imagine that guy on our line!

I think Fisher likes our current receivers enough to not look there early. Or he's blowin' smoke. We find out in two weeks brother.

The draft just cant get here fast enough. I am so tired of all the speculation.

 

[-X-]

The draft just cant get here fast enough. I am so tired of all the speculation.

 

[Username]

Lol!

Hahahahaha seriously all the cute 'half smirk' pussy shit talking about Givens is eye rollingly hilarious, but that last line TAKES THE FUCKING CAKE LOL. Draft him "to cover their coaching failure."

 

[Boffo97]

I'm not a big fan of the false dilemma that Gordon sets up here that the drafting of Watkins is an admission of coaching failure. I think it's the best "BPA informed by need" pick there is.

We don't need QB. We don't need DE. An OLB won't be on the field enough to justify a high pick.

So what gives us the most improvement, both now and in the long run over what we have? A wide receiver who can be #1 (but will likely need time to develop to that level, and it's possible but unlikely that someone on the team already will step up to that level anyway), or a guard who hopefully (but maybe not, especially if it's Robinson) will be a tackle one day (bearing in mind that it's likely the Rams pick up a guard with a high pick anyway.)

Jonathan Ogden's name gets thrown about a lot for the latter possibility, but unless we're getting Ogden, we should look elsewhere.

 

[DR RAM]

Is Gordon capable of talking about the Rams without the passive aggressive crying and crap talking?

I'm sure the Rams don't assess any part of the team. Shakes my head(SMH).

 

[iced]

I'd have to go back and watch old games but I thought that was after we started getting hit with injuries on the line? When everyone was healthy and playing, it was solid with the exception of a player or two every now and then. And I know it's not perfect but I think PFF put our pass blocking in the middle.

My point is, while having a great O-line would be nice, there are many teams that get along just fine with much worse. Go ahead and try and fix the line but I don't think the offense will get much better once it's settled. I think there are other issues at play here. That's all I was trying to point out.

Superbowl champs have the worst pass blocking o-line (was 32nd in PFF, think 29 in Footballl outsiders - might have those backwards though)

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

In 2013 Chris Givens was the Rams highest rank wide receiver Givens was the 79th highest ranked in the NFL. An argument can be made that the Rams don't have a #2 receiver, much less a true #1 wide receiver.

Ray Sherman is old enough to be the Ram's wide receiver's Grand Father. Perhaps there is a coaching generation gap? I am disappointed with Ram receiver development.

I think evaluation has a lot to do with it too.

 

[RamsSince1969]

"By now many Rams fans must believe that developing a wide receiver is one of the difficult tasks imaginable, like assembling a rocket ship with construction debris."

Those words may have to be erected at the Rams Mount Rushmore! Why do we strike out like a 9 year old going up against Nolan Ryan when it comes to getting a breakout receiver? I'm torn between OT/Guard and Sammy. C'mon draft day!

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

"By now many Rams fans must believe that developing a wide receiver is one of the difficult tasks imaginable, like assembling a rocket ship with construction debris."

Those words may have to be erected at the Rams Mount Rushmore! Why do we strike out like a 9 year old going up against Nolan Ryan when it comes to getting a breakout receiver? I'm torn between OT/Guard and Sammy. C'mon draft day!

Or why do we strike out like a fat pimply 14 year old asking Kate Upton out on a date?

The Rams were blessed with great receivers for years. Maybe it is just Karma. I think the suffering has gone on long enough though. Time to change the stars.

 

[Zaphod]

That's the hard part here. They can spin it around and say they aren't getting the yards because he's not good enough. One could go further and say it's the coaching. There are a lot of things at play here. I think some players are at fault but I don't think the blame should stop there. There's something not right when players with so much talent can't perform at even a mediocre level. That, to me, says the coaching isn't right. Many like to point out that this is Bradford's make-or-break year. I think it's Schotty's and Sherman's as well.

You are so right about that. There are a lot of things at play here.

No reason to doubt Tavon Austin. He dropped so many catch-able balls and we had so many penalties that if you just clean those two up, people will be slack jawed in disbelief.

I'm personally not as hopeful as Gordon on Givens, but that doesn't bother me as I'd rather mix up Austin and Quick between slot and wide out to further confuse defenses on the run and pass anyway.

No doubt about it our offensive line looked much better in two and three tight end formations when we started forcing teams to handle our rushing attack.

In the end, on offense I really think they need to pick a direction. And this might surprise people, but if they decide to stick with a run first scheme, I'd draft Watkins to be the #1 wide receiver and at least one big run blocking guard. Why? Because when you only have one or two wide receiver threats on most plays they better be able to run excellent routes and catch the ball when it's thrown to them.

But if we really want to get back to running three and four WR spread formations (with Cook as an optional tight end) we should strongly consider drafting Matthews who would probably start at right tackle and a guard as well.

Right now our offense looks like a puzzle put together in the dark with too many pieces from other puzzles.

 

[HeiseNBerg]

Is Gordon capable of talking about the Rams without the passive aggressive crying and crap talking?

Nope -- he's contractually obligated to rub some snarky little punk-ass bitchiness all over everything he writes. It's like his primary job is to stoke the fire of all the RamStalkers.