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Rams receiving corps ranked surprisingly low by PFF
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theramswire.usatoday.com]
Cameron DaSilva
One of the strengths of the Rams’ roster is the talent and depth they have at the skill positions on offense. Even after trading Brandin Cooks, the Rams can go four deep at wide receiver with Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, Josh Reynolds and rookie Van Jefferson. The running back room is led by Cam Akers and Darrell Henderson, while Tyler Higbee and Gerald Everett would both likely be starting tight ends on most teams.
On paper, the Rams look set at RB, WR and TE heading into 2020. There are very few teams with better pass-catchers than the Rams’, but in the eyes of Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey, there are actually 14.
Linsey ranked every receiving corps (which includes running backs, receivers and tight ends) in the NFL and the Rams checked in shockingly low at No. 15. There are a lot of talented receiving corps in the NFL right now, but it’s hard to see how 14 teams are ahead of the Rams.
Here’s Linsey’s breakdown of the Rams.
The Rams will have to replace Brandin Cooks with either Van Jefferson or Josh Reynolds next season, which is a hit to the offense. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp is still a pretty nice combination at the top of the wide receiver depth chart, though, and both Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee can pose a threat as receivers from the tight end position. Higbee really picked things up towards the end of last season — his 522 receiving yards over the last five weeks of the season were more than any other player in the NFL, and his 91.2 receiving grade over that span also sat near the top of the league. The big question for the Rams on offense is how well their offensive line can hold up for Jared Goff to get the ball out to those weapons.
Even with Cooks gone, the Rams have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL with Kupp and Woods. Last season, they were one of just five WR tandems with at least 1,000 yards each. Furthermore, Kupp and Woods were one of just three duos that had more than 1,100 yards each.
Higbee finished seventh among all tight ends with 734 yards receiving despite only coming on late in the year, while Everett had 408 yards in limited action, playing just 13 games – four of which he played fewer than 1/3 of the snaps in.
Where the Rams might be lacking in terms of proven pass-catchers is at running back with Akers and Henderson. Neither is an established running back, but both showed they can be dynamic receivers in college. Todd Gurley struggled as a receiver last season, so it’s hard to imagine Akers and Henderson being much of a downgrade.
Some questionable teams ranked ahead of the Rams include the Eagles (14), Falcons (13), Broncos (10), Panthers (8) and Lions (6). At the top of the list were the Buccaneers at No. 1, the Chiefs second and the Cowboys third.
