It might be time for Rams to splurge on a No. 1 receiverAlden Gonzalez
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From now until the start of free agency, on March 7, we'll take a position-by-position look at the Los Angeles Rams in eight installments. The Rams -- coming off a 4-12 season that prompted the hiring of rookie head coach Sean McVay -- have about $40 million in cap space but do not have a first-round pick. They also have a lot of needs, all of which can feel a little overwhelming without breaking it down by section. We'll do that here. First up: wide receivers and tight ends.
Key returnees: Tavon Austin, Lance Kendricks, Pharoh Cooper, Tyler Higbee, Bradley Marquez, Temarrick Hemingway, Mike Thomas, Nelson Spruce
Notable free agents: Kenny Britt, Brian Quick
Top free agents available (for now): Alshon Jeffery, DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Terrelle Pryor, Kenny Stills, Robert Woods, Martellus Bennett
Key stat: Britt had a career-high 1,002 receiving yards in 2016, becoming the Rams' first 1,000-yard receiver since Torry Holt in 2007. The Rams went eight years without producing a 1,000-yard receiver. In that stretch, from 2008 to '15, the NFL produced 174 1,000-yard receivers and every other team had at least one. Twenty-eight of them had two or more.
The Rams won't get the most out of quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in 2016, until they improve at receiver. It's really that simple. You can blame scheme and you can blame the offensive line, which allowed a staggering 25 sacks over the final six weeks. But Rams receivers dropped a ton of Goff's passes down the stretch, from Britt to Austin to Kendricks to Cooper. From Weeks 11 to 17, the stretch when Goff started, Rams receivers dropped 5.5 percent of their targets, the sixth-highest rate during that time. It will be up to McVay to try to get the most out of Austin, who didn't produce anywhere near the expectations of his $42 million extension.
In last year's fourth round, the Rams selected Cooper, a major threat after the catch, and Higbee, a versatile tight end who can line up on the outside. Neither made much of an impact as rookies, but will surely be counted on more heavily in 2017. The same can probably be said for Thomas, who was considered a draft sleeper but fumbled a kickoff and dropped a long touchdown in limited time. And Spruce, a possession receiver and promising non-drafted free agent who was never healthy enough to play. Regardless, this might be the position the Rams choose to splurge on. They need a clear No. 1. They haven't had one since, well, Holt and Isaac Bruce.
