I have criticized our receiving corps, and I still think it is a unit that lowers our ceiling.
But, I don't think all is lost.
Our TE set is very promising. Lance is what he's always been--a great blocker and pretty effective but not dominant receiver. Higbee has the tools to make a difference. Together, they make a really strong combination that could make the difference on some 3rd downs and in the RZ.
I think Britt is a fairly solid pro WR. He has the body and the ability to get downfield. He has never become a consistent producer. I assume half of that is a limit on his ability to assert himself. But I have always felt that we have lacked the QBs and OC resolution to maximize his potential. I figure he has about 15% more than he has shown, if we go to him.
Tavon. Well, I don't get Tavon the way many of you do. I think it's pretty fair to say that he has never shown he can actually do what solid WRs do.
OK. That leaves the youngsters. Now, please remember something. We gave away half our draft before we started taking WRs. You can judge the decision to go for Goff on its own. But looking at these kids, remember we were looking for gems in the late rounds and in UFA.
The only 2 youngsters who show much promise, to me, are Cooper and Spruce. (Note: I've only seen the PRS games, and several Ram series have been missing in the NFL Channel broadcasts.) And of the 2, the only one who gets me thinking really good thoughts is, of course, Spruce.
I have hopes for Spruce, and not just that. I have hopes that he can give us a good chunk of what our offense needs: clutch, chain-moving and points scoring production. There's a thread about him, asking why he can't be a good WR. I actually think he can be.
Now, I don't care much about speed. Some of the great WRs in league history have had limited speed. Raymond Berry couldn't beat anyone in a sprint. Ike wasn't a true burner. But they could run routes, get open, find soft spots in zones, and catch the ball.
Spruce, seems to be able to do that. If this continues, he will make a difference. I see promise in him of a guy hard to stop on 3rd down--when did we last have that?--who can become his QB's best friend. And since he has decent size, I don't see why he can't do that on the outside.
I can imagine a unit developing this year that would be able to produce at, say, a middle of the pack level. Britt and Spruce outside. Lance and Higbee rotating and often playing together. Tavon and Cooper in the slot. Used right, that package could, I think, get some things done.
Used right? Oh, yeah. That's right. It is Fisher. Oh, well ...
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2016 01:32PM by RFL.
