And her entire column was pure gold. She is miles ahead of other beat writers.
Here’s that appetizer…
Second-year receiver Tutu Atwell could very well have been in the “risers” section after showing solid improvement in training camp. His hands are sharp, his speed is there, and he got more reps, especially with WR3 Van Jefferson recovering from knee surgery. (Jefferson, their definite every-down WR3, could be back by the season opener and started his on-field rehab work this week.) Atwell made a series of outstanding plays in practices, too, especially over the past week.
But in terms of a true WR3, as the Rams have traditionally designed the role, second-year receiver Ben Skowronek has clearly been more of the every-down player than Atwell. The Rams, who want to stay in tempo as much as possible, need a WR3 in Jefferson’s absence who doesn’t necessarily have to substitute out on certain snaps (such as when the No. 3 has to block or run a concept physically off the line of scrimmage, for example). That doesn’t take away Atwell’s clear progress — but still, it is notable that McVay has reiterated the need to see Atwell play against actual competition and indicated he’ll do so in the preseason. To me, that implies the Rams did extra work to scheme Atwell into certain situations and opportunities for evaluation throughout camp, and they’ll need to see what he looks like in their offense against defensive backs who aren’t bound by contact rules. If the season began tomorrow (meaning Jefferson would still be out), the Rams would deploy their WR3 position by a committee approach. When Jefferson is back, there is no question about the No. 3 spot, nor is there a competition.
