Who will be the Rams' No. 2 Wideout?
Keenan Burton is in the mix to start for St. Louis
I previewed the biggest position battles around the league in Friday's column. To the attentive readers of this blog and the Rotoworld News page, the contents of the article might be considered common knowledge.
Pancake Blocks is here to take you more in-depth with articles on players like Justin Forsett and Devin Thomas. We already know that Adrian Peterson is a good running back, Peyton Manning has the arm strength to succeed at the NFL level, and Larry Fitzgerald has reliable hands.
"Donnie Football" Avery is the Rams' clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver. After him, St. Louis is auditioning three wideouts with interesting resumes for the No. 2 spot. Let's have a look.
1. Keenan Burton - A possession receiver with mid-4.5s speed, Burton was the Rams' fourth-round draft pick two Aprils ago. He battled knee problems for most of his first year, but entered the offseason as the favorite to start opposite Avery. That appears to have changed, as a hamstring injury kept Burton sidelined all spring and he was no longer running with the first team at the outset of training camp. In theory, Burton would be a good fit for new coordinator Pat Shurmur's West Coast offense as a nice-sized (6'0/202) weapon with good hands and chain-moving potential. But Burton is sitting on 13 career catches with an injury-prone label and looks to be headed south on the depth chart.
2. Laurent Robinson - A deep threat with legitimate mid-4.3s speed and over-the-shoulder catching ability, Robinson was poised to start over Michael Jenkins in Atlanta last year before injuries ruined his season. The now-receiver needy Falcons gave up on Robinson fairly quickly despite his promising 37-catch rookie year and shipped him to St. Louis in April for substantial moves up in two rounds of the draft. Robinson practiced with the first team to open training camp. While he too must show durability, Robinson gives the Rams more options than Burton. He is bigger (6'2/194), much faster, and is the pick of the new coaching staff.
3. Ronald Curry - Another trade acquisition, Curry arrived in St. Louis just before camp in a deal with the Lions. Curry slumped badly in Oakland last season, forcing the Raiders to bench him and give seventh-round rookie Chaz Schilens a large bump in playing time. Curry, 30, is the elder statesman of the group but is familiar with the concepts of the West Coast offense and caught 117 passes from 2006-2007 despite playing mostly as a slot receiver. That's Curry's best position, and where he figures to fit in here if he shows good hands in practice and makes the final roster.
With Steven Jackson as the centerpiece, the Rams are intent on running a smash-mouth run-first offense as Marc Bulger and company adjust to Shurmur's system. That limits the upside of all their receivers, Avery included. But the winner of this competition could be good for 50-60 grabs and spot start use in fantasy. It's still early, but Robinson has moved to the forefront and is worth drafting in 12 x 18 leagues.
Comments
The Rams should sign Matt Jones.
Be patient with these players though. It may take the Rams (who are going to stink in 09') a couple of weeks before this offense starts to click at all.
Bulger may have some value by seasons end...maybe.
Posted by: BeastOrBust | August 7, 2009 04:27 PM
I pegged Robinson as taking over as, given ur reasons above, Burton has not proven a whole lot. I think it was substancial that they traded for Robinson and cut Holt outright to make way for a young receiver to step up. The fact that they also brought in Curry - something I dont think they wanted to do; bring in another vet wr - shows me that they are dissapointed with their no.2s after ota's. and who dissappointed most during ota's, i would have to assume burton from the reasons you stated. That doesnt spell good things for him. I think hes on the uphill climb to make starter, but i wouldnt be suprized at all if both him, Robinson and Curry each played this year for significant amounts of time. Much like KC's no.2 wr spot last year, someone needs to step up. otherwise this will be a wasted battle. Robinson can show that hes worth it, i think that would all him some fantasy relevance. If he doesnt step up, the others might not be good enogh to produce.
Posted by: scott c | August 7, 2009 05:44 PM
I'll believe the whole "smash mouth" thing when I see it. Run-first ball-control offenses only work to the extent that the defense is able to get stops on a consistent basis. Unless there's a large step forward on that side of the ball, I'm expecting regular "air it out" 2nd halves as the Rams play catch-up.
(That said, I'm optimistic about their overall chances to improve this season. Just having average luck with injuries would be a big step up from last year and should net them a few more wins.)
Posted by: Enoch | August 7, 2009 08:53 PM
Quick keeper question guys. I read all the comments but rarely post myself.
I've got a decision to make between keeping either DeSean Jackson or John Carlson. We use a salary cap, and Jackson is 3 points while Carlson is 1.
I already have Boldin and Calvin johnson, but we start 4 WRs, so the added depth could be nice. Carlson would be my only TE going into our auction. What would you guys do?
Posted by: whitey | August 8, 2009 12:05 PM
keep desean. carlson will disappoint this year.
Posted by: evan | August 8, 2009 02:26 PM
whitey, I agree with evan. You gotta keep DeSean. There's plenty of Carlson type TEs out there for you.
Posted by: JS | August 8, 2009 02:52 PM
Thanks for the feedback guys. The only concern I have with Jackson is Philly has always spread the ball around, so I don't know how high his ceiling is there, especially with a healthy Curtis on the other side of him.
It looks like I will be going Jackson though.. It gives me a pretty formidable WR crew to work with.
Posted by: whitey | August 8, 2009 03:19 PM