Titus Young has seemed to cause a huge stir among Rams fans, and rightfully so. Coming into his 3rd season this year, Young is a very talented athlete, there is no questioning that. Where the issues lie though are with his maturity and his motivation.

Whats the Story on Titus Young?

Young was drafted in 2011 with the Lions second round, 44th overall pick. There is no question that he is talented enough to be far worth the pick, but the Lions could not manage to keep his personality in check, leading to his release a few days ago. It was made clear very early that Titus has a very “Me Me Me” type personality, and only became more apparent threw out his short tenure in Detroit. He had many slip-ups, including unnecessary roughness penalties for cheap shots, starting fist fights in practice, and even once for headbutting Janoris Jenkins. The final straw to break the camels back was when Young purposely began lining up in the wrong positions in a December game against the Green Bay Packers, which got him suspended. After a few radical twitter posts by Young, one even claiming that he was better than Calvin Johnson, the Lions decided it was time for him to go.

Why do we want this guy in horns?

So you may be asking yourself right now why we went out and put a claim on Young? Even with his problems I believe this was a great move on Jeff Fisher and Les Sneads part. First off I would like to say that I was a big fan of Titus Young coming out of college and wished that the Rams would have drafted him then. He is a DeSean Jackson home run hitter type player. What he lacks in size,he more than makes up with his play making abilities. The guy is lightening in a bottle! By claiming him off waivers we basically got him for free. He didn’t cost a draft pick and since its the off season we didn’t even need to release a player to bring him in. If we don’t like how things are looking, we can cut him and loose nothing. Oh yeah, and not to mention that for the last 2 years he was up in Detroit learning from the man they call Megatron, yeah he isn’t to shabby….

Skip to 2:50 for actual game footage

Can this guy change his ways?

Obviously none of us know the real answer to this but we did take in a troubled player in Janoris Jenkins last year and brought him along well.  Jeff Fisher is a players coach, guys love to play for him. He is great at motivating and leading his guys down the right path. If Titus Young can be turned into a “Team Player” my money is on the J Fish to be the fan to change him.

What Can Titus Young Do For The Rams?

Last year we brought in a guy by the name of Steve Smith, yeah it may not sound to familiar considering we may have only heard it 11 times all season… Its all but guaranteed that he wouldn’t be back with the Rams next season, so we will need another slot guy to take his place.

Another theory I have on this move is the fact that Danny Amendola will be a Free Agent this off season. While we all love Danny and want to see him back next season, the facts are that he has become injury prone and may be asking for a nice payday to stay a Ram, that’s a recipe for disaster. There is now a new regime calling the shots in St Louis and Titus Young could very well be the younger, cheaper, more attractive option to the Cap Strapped Rams.

We have not had a great punt/kick returner in years, Titus Young could also be that guy for us.

So We Brought in Titus Young, Does that Mean Wr is no longer and Interest in the Draft?

After thinking long and hard about this I really don’t believe it will have an affect on us drafting a Wr. Our real need at Wr is a true #1 Wr, Titus Young is a slot guy. Really having nothing invested in this guy, I don’t see him changing the Rams ideas of who they think the BPA might be at 16 and 22.

What Does all of this Really Mean?

What this all really means to me is that even though Titus Young is a loose cannon and we have no idea how things will really work out, it was a great move by the Rams.  We get to bring a talented player in pretty much for free and give him a test run.  If we decide we dont like him, we cut him and loose nothing.  There is so much to benefit from the situation, and nothing to loose.

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Brian Quick

The St Louis Rams used the first pick of day 2 (#33 overall) in the 2012 NFL Draft to draft Brian Quick from Appalachian State. Quick was a less known prospect because of attending a small school, but this guy is the real deal.

Brian Quicks College Career

Quick did not play football until his Senior year in highschool, but his 885 yards for 11 touchdowns was enough to get him a scholarship to Appalachian State.

Quick was Redshirted to help develop him, as a redshirt Freshman he began to make noise as noise. Even though he only had 23 receptions, he scored 7 touchdowns! Even bigger yet, he blocked a kick to win the game against Michigan, in what is considered to be one of the biggest upsets in history.

As a Junior Quick became an All American, and as a senior he repeated as a consensus All American and was given the NCAA FCS Subdivision Elite Wide Reciever Award. He set his ASU records for receptions, yards, and TDs and became the highest draft pick ever from Appalachian State.

Brian Quick – The Draft Prospect

Its been reported that Les Snead has been interested in Brian Quick since he became the Rams GM.  Snead and Fisher visted Quick the weekend before the draft, and brought Kellen Clemmons and Tom Brandstater along to throw to him.  After the workout, all four were amazed at how good quick really was.  At that point I believe their minds were already made up for pick #33.

Fisher and Snead arnt the only ones who feel that Brian Quick has the skill set to be something special though.  Greg Cosell of NFL Films also had great things to say about Quick:

What to Expect From Brian Quick

After the Rams selected Brian Quick with pick number 33, some fans were shocked, knowing that Rueben Randle and Stephen Hill were both still on the board, but why? Probably all because as fans we have not heard much about Quick.  Mostly because he attended a small school, but when you break him down as a player it becomes obvious why the Rams took him.

Realisticly, at Appalachian State Quick did not have much talent around him including at the Quarterback position, but still posted great numbers.  He is a large target at 6’3″ and 220 pounds.  He is arguably one of the best if not the best pass catchers in the draft, and runs clean routes.  Its been said that he had a small route tree at Appalachian State, but most Colleges do.

The only real knocks that anyone was able to make on Quick, was that he seemed a little bit lost at the beginning of the Senior Bowl  practices. He caught on quickly by the end of the week though.  As a Rams fan this is nothing to worry about, considering he will participate in many practices, OTAs, and camps before the season opener.

Brian Quick should be able to step in and make an immediate impact for the Rams, paired with 4th round draft pick Chris Givens, they can be a dynamic receiving threat for Sam Bradford for years to come.

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Janoris Jenkins

Janoris Jenkins College Career

Jenkins started out his College career with the Florida Gators, where he played lights out against some of the top receivers in college football. He adventually got kicked out of Florida after his second marijuana arrest(3rd arrest at Florida). It was also rumored that he also had attitude problems, that helped him get kicked out.

Jenkins then finished out his College career with Northern Alabama, a Division II school. Coming from a division II school, talent evaluators would normally question how good a player really is, but in Jenkins case, they had plenty of Florida tape to fall back on.

During his college career Janoris Jenkins has matched up against some of the best receivers in the nation, and shut them down:

With a quick glance threw stats, Brian Quick’s 56 yards might have been the most Jenkins gave up his whole career!

The Pick

With all of Jenkins off-field issues, many people may be wondering why the Rams used the 39th pick in the draft on him? Its pretty simple really. Jeff Fisher has been known to take in players with off-field issues, as he runs a tight ship and feels he can get the most out of them. Les Snead was also quoted saying that the Rams having all the picks they did, allowed them to take chances on some players that they may have not been able to otherwise.

Its also been noted that the Rams have assigned a “front office buddy” to keep in touch with Jenkins every day, to make sure that he stays out of trouble and help him with any struggles he may be having.

I have yet to mention Janoris Jenkins ability to return kickoffs and punts. He is an electrifying return man, with great speed and agility. The Rams have been lacking a good return man for a long time, Jenkins will be able to step in and fill that void.

Janoris Jenkins is a sure fire Elite Talent and will be a huge steal for the St Louis Rams if they can keep him on the field. He will be a special talent in the NFL if he can keep his off-field issues from getting in the way of his work on the field.

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Michael Brockers

After an emotional first draft for Jeff Fisher and Les Snead, They finally draft their guy Michael Brockers at #14.  Fisher made it pretty clear that Trent Richardson was the guy that he wanted, but finding 45 minutes before the draft that the Cleveland Browns had moved up to #3 to make sure to get him, ruined Fishers dream pick.

Fisher and Snead quickly accepted the fact that standout receiver Justin Blackmon could be their pick at #6, Blackmon was the 2nd player on the Rams draft board.  Tampa and the Jags struck a last minute trade deal, putting the Jags on the clock to draft Blackmon.  Fisher was very upset by this, slamming his glasses down on the table and muttering a one syllable word according to a reporter in the war room.

Yet Another Trade Down

Fisher and Snead then moved on to their 3rd guy on their draft board, Michael Brockers, Defensive Tackle out of LSU.  They were ready to pull the trigger on him at #6 but realizing that Cornerback Morris Claiborne was a very covitted player and still on the board, the Rams took advantage of using him as trade bait and struck a deal with the Dallas Cowboys moving back to #14 and aquiring the cowboys 2nd round pick also in the process.

The Rams waited patiently hoping for Brockers to fall to them then at #14, and sure enough he did.  The Rams war room erupted in cheers as they realized that Arizona at #13 was going offense with their pick.

What Brockers Brings To The Rams

You may be wondering what Michael Brockers will bring to the Rams.  Brockers is a physical Specimen at 6’5″ 322 pounds, is considered an Elite Athlete, and is probably the best Run Stopping Defensive Tackle in the draft.

The Rams have been horrible at stopping the run the past few years, and Brockers is the perfect guy to put as a center piece in our defensive line to help fix the run defense.  He will also demand demand double teams in the NFL, taking double teams off of our Defensive Ends, allowing them to go get the Quarterback.  By being double teamed, this also frees up James Laurinaitis to step up into holes and make plays.

Brockers is not only 6’5″ and 322, he has very long arms (35″).  Brockers uses those long arms to work his way threw double teams getting back to the ball.  He is also great at recognizing plays very early.  Brockers will be a very disruptive force in the running game for sure.

Overall while Brockers may not get the Sack numbers people love to see, and may not look amazing on the stat sheet,  he will be a VERY pivotal point of our defense, allowing players around him to thrive.  Teaming up with Kendall Langford, Chris Long, and Robert Quinn on our defensive front line, we now have a line that will strike fear in our opponents for years to come!

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The Rams managed to once again strike a trade as they went on the clock at #6. Jeff Fisher was clearly upset when he found out that the Jags had moved up to #5 to draft Justin Blackmon. Fisher and Snead managed to strike a deal with the Dallas Cowboys, moving back to #14, and picking up their second round pick (#45) also in the process.

Related posts:

1. Rams Draft Michael Brockers
2. Rams trade out of #2

Rueben Randle

Rueben Randle, Receiver, from LSU is one of the top receivers in the 2012 NFL Draft. Randle is an interesting player to me, because he is one of those players that I feel can be better as a pro than he was in college.

The St Louis Rams have a huge glaring need at Receiver. They may not just take 1, but 2 receivers in the draft. Randle is definitely a guy they should be considering at pick #33 or #39.

What Can Rueben Randle Bring To Your Team?

Rueben Randle was a top Receiver for the LSU Tigers. Some people may look at the fact that he only caught 53 passes for 917 yards last year and wonder why he would be considered one of the top receivers in the draft. When you look at the two Quarterback system that he played in at LSU, and the fact that neither of his Quarterbacks were all that great, you can understand why his production was down.

When you look at Randle on film though, you will see that he is a tall guy at 6’3″ who is well built who makes catches over the middle as well as making plays down the field. Being a taller guy with a longer stride he may not look like he is moving very fast, but in tape he blew past quite a few corners his senior year.

Randle has good hands and can adjust to the ball well. On tape you see some plays where he looks a little bit unconfortable, that he is still developing and learning to run routes well. With a good Receivers coach or a good veteran to work with, Randle should be able to work threw his “growing pains” and become a good reciever in the NFL.

While Randle is still coming along with some of his route running, one thing that he became very good at threwout his Junior year was recognizing defenses, and finding the soft spot in zone defenses to sit in.

What will Randles Future Hold?

I believe Randle will be coming off the board Thursday late in the first round, or early in the second round. It may take him a year to adjust to the NFL, but thats pretty normal with most receivers in the NFL.

As I said earlier the Rams have a major need a receiver, and they have brought this guy in for workouts, and supposidly like him. I think he would be a good pick for them at #33 or #39. Pair him with another good receiver and we could be looking at a very explosive offense led by Sam Bradford for years to come!

Related posts:

1. Michael Floyd – Draft Prospects
2. Alshon Jeffery – Draft Prospects

Doug Martin

Doug Martin, Running Back, out of Boise State, is the next player on my radar for my Draft Prospects articles. Doug Martin is a very interesting prospect who seems like he can do it all, being rated as the second Running Back in the draft, behind Trent Richardson.

The Rams could definitely use another Running Back on their Roster considering they havent had a solid second back, in quite a while, dating back to 2004-2005 when Jackson and Faulk were in St Louis together.

Doug Martin is 5’9″ and 223 pounds. He is short, but very compact and put together. He ran a 4.55 forty time at the combine.

Meet Doug Martin

Martin is one of those rare athletes who can do it all. He had a highly productive college career carrying the ball 617 times, for 3431 yards and 43 touchdowns. Thats an average of about 5 and a half yards every time he touched the ball! If you throw his 695 receiving yards in there, he accounted for over 4000 yards in his college career!

Doug Martin has alot of eperience in his college career, over 600 touches, and is very reliable. Martin doesnt fumble the ball, and can deliver in clutch situations.

Martin is big enough to run up the middle, has patience and vision to find the hole and hit it hard. He also has the quickness to be able to get to the corner. He is not extremely explosive, but can get the edge.

The only real knocks on Martin is that some scouts feel that while he is solid in all areas, he isnt the best back in the class at any certain thing. Another knock on him is that while he can hit the hole hard and find the open lanes, he doesnt have elite speed and will be ran down by defensive backs.

What Will Martin Do in The NFL?

I feel that Doug Martin is a great all around back, and any team that drafts him will be very happy with the Running Back they just got. I expect him to be drafted mid to late first round. I feel he would do well with the Rams splitting time with Steven Jackson, helping prolong Jacksons career.

Related posts:

1. Robert Turbin – Draft Prospects
2. Lamar Miller – Draft Prospects
3. Chris Polk – Draft Prospects

Lamar Miller

Lamar Miller Stands 5’11″ and weighs 212 pounds. He ran a 4.40 forty time at the combine.

Lamar Miller’s Skill Set

Miller has decent size, but his biggest asset is his speed. He has track speed, with a great burst. He is a great open field runner with ability to make guys miss. Miller is a natural for getting up the field, he rarely gets caught in the backfield.

Miller is also able to run between the tackles, and sometimes runs like he is much bigger than he really is, trying to run threw defenders instead of around them. Some Analysts see this as a problem, worrying about if he will be able to stay healthy with that mantality and his build, in the NFL.

Miller only started 1 season in College, deciding to come out for the Draft after his Sophmore Season. Only having 1 year of production may worry some scouts, but the season that he did have was very productive. He carried the ball 227 times for 1272 yards, thats a 5.6 yard per carry average, he also reached paydirt 9 times.

Lamar Miller’s NFL Future

I feel that Lamar Miller will be a good running back in a 2 back system, as I feel he will need to be paired with a larger bruiser type back for certain situations. I feel that he will definitely be a playmaker when he is on the field tough, and will warrent a late First or early Second Round Pick.

I believe the Rams should give Lamar Miller consideration, because he would be a great change of pace to pair with Steven Jackson, and may even help prolong Jacksons career by helping take some carries.

Related posts:

1. Robert Turbin – Draft Prospects
2. Isaiah Pead – Draft Prospects
3. David Wilson – Draft Prospects

Jason Smith

This offseason has been full of rumors, and thoughts of what should be done about Jason Smith. Smith was drafted second overall in 2009, and up until now has left much to be desired.

Being drafted before the rookie wage scale was set, Smith got a huge contract and slated to make 10 million dollars in 2012 and around 12 million dollars in 2013.  The St Louis Rams and Jason Smith came to an agreement this week to restructured his contract, he will now be making 4 million dollars this year, and has a base salary of $750,000 next year, with a roster bonus of 11.25 million dollars.

What Will Jason Smith’s Future Hold?

This new restructured contract gives the Rams some options now, paying him 6 million dollars less this season makes it easier for the new regime to give him another chance to prove that he can live up to his potential.

In 3 seasons with the Rams, Jason Smith has yet to actually play a full season.  Concussions cost him 2 of those 3 seasons, not to mention that he was moved to Right Tackle, being replaced by Rodger Saffold who was actually drafted to be the Right Tackle.

O Lineman Busts a Fluke?

Smith is not the first bust the Rams have had on their offensive line in the past decade though, Smith was actually drafted to replace Alex Barron, who was also a first round draft pick that turned out to be a bust.  This really makes you ask yourself, is it really the player, or are they just not getting the coaching they need?

Apparently Fisher and Snead are willing to give Smith another chance, so hopefully this year we will be able to see if Smiths abilities are the problem, or if it was a lack of coaching by the previous regime.

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Steve Smith

Since being signed by the Rams Steve Smith has been working out with them in their off season workouts.  There have been many reports saying that Steve Smith seems to be totally healthy and ready to return to his 2009 form.  The Rams seem to be very excited with how Smith is looking.

Past as Good as The Future?

Before being bitten by the injury bug in 2010 Steve Smith played a large role with the New York Giants.  in 2009 he was their leading receiver with 107 catches for over 1200 yards.  He also went to the Pro Bowl that season.

In 2010 Steve Smith suffered a season ending knee injury, and was cut and picked up by the Philidelphia Eagles in 2011.  Smith Struggled in 2011 though, seeming to be still hampered by the knee injury, and was released again.

The Upside of a Healthy Steve Smith?

While the upside with him seems to be very good if he truely does recover to his 2009 form, if badluck would strike the Rams like it has the past few seasons and Steve Smith does get injured again, the Rams have protected themselves in the fact that they only signed him to a 1 year contract, at a relatively low price.

Related posts:

1. Steve Smith to Visit with the Rams
2. Jason Smith Takes a Pay Cut