Josh Reynolds finds rare WR4 role in McVay’s Offense...

By: Steve Rebeiro

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Sean McVay was known to use the same personnel on nearly all of the Rams’ offensive snaps during his first two years as head coach of the team. They would typically trot out three wide receivers, one running back, and one tight end, commonly known as “11” personnel.
Last season, the three receivers rarely subbed out, and other receivers rarely saw the field. Reynolds saw this first hand. He played on just 3.3% of snaps against the Saints in Week 9 when Cooper Kupp was healthy. After Kupp went down with an injury, Reynolds stepped up and played 97% of the snaps against Kansas City in Week 11.

It seems like McVay is finally switching things up in 2019. The big three dominated the snaps as usual: Kupp, Robert Woods, and Brandin Cooks all played between 90-95% of the team’s offensive snaps on Sunday. This time, Reynolds didn’t watch the game from the pine. He was on the field for 32% of the snaps.
The Rams began to sprinkle in “10” personnel, which replaces the tight end with a fourth receiver. They used that personnel grouping 15 times Sunday, or 27 percent, per Sharp Football. Two major reasons can be cited for the change: The notion that teams may have began to figure out McVay’s classic 11 personnel offense, and that Josh Reynolds simply earned some playing time while Kupp was out.
Unfortunately for Reynolds, the team was far less successful running 10 personnel. The offense averaged just 1.8 yards out of the formation, compared to 5.4 out of their usual 11 personnel, according to Vincent Bonsignore of The Athletic. Reynolds may shoulder some of that blame. He failed to haul in either of his two targets on the day, and one of the missed targets was a drop on a wide-open short pass.
Don’t expect the Rams to completely phase out 10 personnel after one game. Reynolds is too talented to simply not play. It will take some time to find a groove in the personnel, but the Rams do need to switch things up occasionally with their sets on the field.

Keep a close eye on when Reynolds trots onto the field for the Rams on Sunday against the Saints. The pressure will be on for him to produce if he wants to keep a spot in the rotation.