Wagoner: Pettis on the bubble
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From my memory, Pettis seemed to make the most clutch catches last season. (moving the chains,etc.). Maybe the film would prove me wrong. In any case, I don't quite understand all of the Pettis hate.
mr.stlouis
Legend
My main problem with Pettis isn't him, per se, but how the coaches used him. And, in my very unprofessional opinion, Quick and Bailey should have been getting more snaps than Pettis from the beginning of the season, not just the end.
My personal opinion is that Pettis should be our slot WR at the start of next year with Austin outside. Once Bailey comes back, if Quick or Givens has emerged as a legitimate outside threat, Pettis can be pushed out of the slot by Bailey.
I could buy that. His chemistry with Bradford is on the same level that Bradford had Amendola. And if Quick or Givens emerged as a legit outside threat, just use Pettis as a redzone WR.
So assuming Britt makes the roster, our WR spot could look like this:
Britt, Bailey, Austin, Givens, Quick, Pettis.
With Bailey out for 4 games that could open up an extra spot if they want to use it for a WR. We have some undrafted / free agent guys like T.J. Moe, Justin Veltung, Emory Blake, Jamaine Sherman, and Austin Franklin that could try and steal that spot. At that point, Pettis would be the odd man out I think. But I'm thinking Pettis would have to struggle in training camp or pre season to get cut.
Britt, Bailey, Austin, Givens, Quick, Pettis.
With Bailey out for 4 games that could open up an extra spot if they want to use it for a WR. We have some undrafted / free agent guys like T.J. Moe, Justin Veltung, Emory Blake, Jamaine Sherman, and Austin Franklin that could try and steal that spot. At that point, Pettis would be the odd man out I think. But I'm thinking Pettis would have to struggle in training camp or pre season to get cut.
I agree. I thought Austin was pretty impressive whenever he played outside last season. I'd like to see more of it.
While Pettis doesn't possess the speed and quickness of any of the other Ram WRs, in my mind he was the only 2013 receiver who didn't have major issues at some point of the season. In fact, he was the most reliable of the bunch (until Stead Bailey got his late shot - but he couldn't get on the field til to fat lady had sung). Go down the list:
Quick - uh he wasn't. Not literally or figuratively.
Givens - so fast he was in fact invisible for most of the season.
Austin - perhaps playbook challenged, offensive coordinator challenged, and too interesting in turning every play into a 99 yard gain.
Cook - don't get me started - OK, too late: he should give back 50% of his check, because that's how often he seemed to have his head in the game.
Bailey -if you're not on the field you can't contribute. He should have played more, and that's why I hold him in high regard with the dreaded "potential" label attached.
Pettis was a solid go-to NFL receiver. He's a grinder, a scrapper and plays hard. He's tough. He is in the right place and catches the ball. 38 catches for that shit-show last year is pretty good. He's not drawing double coverage and that's a good thing. No flash (which is weird because his father was a very flashy BB player). Bottom line: I think Bradford is old couch comfortable with him and that counts for more than 40 times, YouTube basketball dunks or cone drills any day. Wouldn't cry if he was cut or traded, but there better be a superior NFL receiver in his place, not another slow witted project.
[shitshow, just saying]
Quick - uh he wasn't. Not literally or figuratively.
Givens - so fast he was in fact invisible for most of the season.
Austin - perhaps playbook challenged, offensive coordinator challenged, and too interesting in turning every play into a 99 yard gain.
Cook - don't get me started - OK, too late: he should give back 50% of his check, because that's how often he seemed to have his head in the game.
Bailey -if you're not on the field you can't contribute. He should have played more, and that's why I hold him in high regard with the dreaded "potential" label attached.
Pettis was a solid go-to NFL receiver. He's a grinder, a scrapper and plays hard. He's tough. He is in the right place and catches the ball. 38 catches for that shit-show last year is pretty good. He's not drawing double coverage and that's a good thing. No flash (which is weird because his father was a very flashy BB player). Bottom line: I think Bradford is old couch comfortable with him and that counts for more than 40 times, YouTube basketball dunks or cone drills any day. Wouldn't cry if he was cut or traded, but there better be a superior NFL receiver in his place, not another slow witted project.
[shitshow, just saying]
ramsince62
Hall of Fame
BeerOClock
Rookie
No, Pettis will never be the next coming of Dez Bryant. We get it. But somehow you thick-skulled muckrackers can't understand:
1) He runs his routes well, has great hands, blocks well and moves the chains on 3rd down. These are Brian Schottenheimer staples. Schotty needs at least one of his receivers (preferably more) to have the ability to do all four. Last year, Pettis was the ONLY WR on the Rams that could all four. Try throwing a timing pattern when your intended receiver can't run a precise route with precise timing (or if your receiver is easily jammed at the line of scrimmage).
2) As long as Schottenheimer is the OC, he WILL have at least one receiver (preferably more) on the roster who can do all four. Bailey has the potential, but he's suspended for the first quarter of the season and that's certainly going to slow down his development. TJ Moe--maybe, but he's still an unknown. Brian Quick--still a roll of the dice--needs consistency.
3) Until either Quick, Bailey or Moe have proven they can do all four Schottenheimer staples with consistency, expect Pettis to be standing on the sidelines and coming into the huddle in key situations. Regarding Quick and Moe (and to a lesser extent, Bailey), this preseason will be a huge factor in determining Pettis' ability to stay on the roster.
4) Obviously, Fisher was much more concerned about his defensive backfield than WRs (including Pettis) because he spent four draft picks shoring it up and zero on WRs on a draft class deep in WRs. If Pettis were such a liability, don't you think the Rams would have loaded up on a few Pettis-like receivers in the draft?
5) Why does everyone understand that Cory Harkey has a special role on this team that Jared Cook can't fill, but have a hard time understanding that Pettis is in the same situation at WR?
It amazes me how people get sucked into athleticism and speed when there really are several other factors that are equally important that can make or break a receiver. If speed and athleticism were the only factors, the HOF would only have 6'2+ receivers who run sub-4.45 40's and have 39"+ vertical leaps.
1) He runs his routes well, has great hands, blocks well and moves the chains on 3rd down. These are Brian Schottenheimer staples. Schotty needs at least one of his receivers (preferably more) to have the ability to do all four. Last year, Pettis was the ONLY WR on the Rams that could all four. Try throwing a timing pattern when your intended receiver can't run a precise route with precise timing (or if your receiver is easily jammed at the line of scrimmage).
2) As long as Schottenheimer is the OC, he WILL have at least one receiver (preferably more) on the roster who can do all four. Bailey has the potential, but he's suspended for the first quarter of the season and that's certainly going to slow down his development. TJ Moe--maybe, but he's still an unknown. Brian Quick--still a roll of the dice--needs consistency.
3) Until either Quick, Bailey or Moe have proven they can do all four Schottenheimer staples with consistency, expect Pettis to be standing on the sidelines and coming into the huddle in key situations. Regarding Quick and Moe (and to a lesser extent, Bailey), this preseason will be a huge factor in determining Pettis' ability to stay on the roster.
4) Obviously, Fisher was much more concerned about his defensive backfield than WRs (including Pettis) because he spent four draft picks shoring it up and zero on WRs on a draft class deep in WRs. If Pettis were such a liability, don't you think the Rams would have loaded up on a few Pettis-like receivers in the draft?
5) Why does everyone understand that Cory Harkey has a special role on this team that Jared Cook can't fill, but have a hard time understanding that Pettis is in the same situation at WR?
It amazes me how people get sucked into athleticism and speed when there really are several other factors that are equally important that can make or break a receiver. If speed and athleticism were the only factors, the HOF would only have 6'2+ receivers who run sub-4.45 40's and have 39"+ vertical leaps.
Interesting. But I like Bailey on the outside. He's too much like Bruce (athletically) to put in traffic, IMO.
I think Pettis will be around for the 1st 4 games. If he produces like we all (most of us) hope he will, then they will either dangle him as trade bait, or make him the permanent slot WR. Not sure about how Britt is going to fare, so would be nice to have AP to fall back on if Britt screws up, or dare I say it, Bailey or any other WR's screw up and get suspended or injured.