Rams WR Depth

[Neil039]

I am rooting for Daniels, big time. He seems like a good dude too, so it will be easy.

There was a post here somewhere that I commented the difference between Nacua “college highlights” and Daniels is like crazy obvious... Nacua got a LOT of separation in college. Daniels has amazing hands but his catches tend to be more contested.

The Rams know what they got and they usually get this sort of thing right. It is an important position to McVay.

The eye test on Daniels is very evident, he fits the Rams type of WR. I'm with you, I hope he makes an instant impact on the team.

 

[TheTackle]

Bringing the conversation back to CJ Daniels
He compares favourably to Omar Cooper, Ted Hurst and Malik Benson
Better contested catch rate and drop rate last season
He had a higher contested catch rate than Puka last year, albeit in college!
Elite hands among all drafted WRs across the last 2 years. Better than Lemon
Has continued to excel at all levels of competition, from Liberty to LSU, and Miami
Grown up and ready to play now
Toney was Miami's superstar, and they were a run-first offense, so his stats production doesn't reflect the quality of his play
Another Rams steal


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBb7jBehg_g

 

[BonifayRam]

I'm really sorry ... I'm glad you are back posting ... but that's just not accurate.

It didn't seem right to me, so I did a quick check. Pro Football Reference provides rosters by year, and can be sorted by position. Those Redskins' teams rarely carried even four TEs at one time, let alone 5-to-6.

In one season (2011 ... McVay's first tear as a TE coach) there WERE technically 6 TEs on the roster over the course of the season but that's very misleading ... 2 were active for just one game, another for just two games and a fourth (Chris Cooley) for just 5 games ... leaving two TEs the vast majority of the time.

Washington did play a fair amount of two-TE-sets; and likely would have played more but for Cooley injuries.

If the Rams carry 5 TEs ... which I am guessing they will ... with, at least four game-day active ... That's a LOT.

Thanks, glad to able to be here at this time for awhile.

Ref your statement "I'm really sorry........but that's just not accurate".

For me, when I consider rosters of NFL teams...I do include all the player rosters available to me. Example of which is the Practice Squad & Injured Reserve rosters.

My point I was trying to convey.....(I must have done a very poor job)... McVay was in Washington coaching for 7 seasons (2010 thru 2016) at different positions at a time when these Washington TE's were very effective in the teams offense. IMO McVay is going to continue to grow the TE room further blurring the lines between TE & WR.

My position is when McVay was in Washington those rosters regularly had large contingent of TE's on those Washington rosters during those years in comparing other teams rosters.

I must be very rusty & try very hard to be are accurate as possible with my small old brain to convey my thoughts on the Rams accurately. I do use more that just one source material site in any research.

Thank you for reading my Ram posts!

 

[WestCoastRam]

I like Daniels and can't wait to see what he can do in camp this year. I think there's a lot to like and that points to him outplaying his draft slot but I don't know that he's gonna be more than a useful player. I do think he's got a good shot at being the 3rd receiver up in this offense though. He just needs to beat out Whitt, Mumpfield (who I think still has a shot to make a jump up this season) and Smith.

Kid can make some great contested catches but lacks burst, speed or YAC ability. Seems like a straight up possession receiver which is fine. If he can improve on the YAC ability through better route running and separation then I think he can def be a surprise.

What really intrigues me about him is his position versatility. It sure seems like he can play from anywhere: X, Z, and F. Though with the amount of condensed splits we run and the motion we use I think Z and F can get kinda blurred a little in this offense. But what will be nice is you can line him up as a sacrificial X and he'll still be able to get you a catch or two there.

 

[So Ram]

I have posted after the draft on my thoughts on the Ram current WR cadre but I voiced my opinions on that I considered the "receiver group" to include (WR/SL/HB/TE/RB) than just specifically directing them towards just what normally thought of when discussing WR's.

I agree with @CGI on the Rams listed WR's. I am NOT positive on any 2025 WR's performance on the field outside Nacua/Adams. Being a little more positive on Konata Mumpfield & big negatives on what I observed from vets Jordan Whittington & Xavier Smith when called on. I ready to move on from them ASAP.

Note: Rams did not sign any UDFA WR's. ??? However, did sign more TE's with UDFA' Rohan Jones & Dan Villari.

Should not we also consider into the conversation the five last seasons TE's( Parkinson/ Higbee/ Ferguson/ Allen/ Redman & then our 2nd round 2026 draft selection Max Klare?

8 TE's.

That’s for PRESEASON the Extra TE’s. Your post about the redskins
was well taken.

Klare & Ferguson are the only real TE’s signed for 2027.Davis Allen might be added at some point before the end 2026 season ?

The Rams need the extra TE’s to get those Reps,plus get a couple into the system for practice squad.

 

[So Ram]

Receivers have historically tended to take three years to fully show who they are. I'm not saying that Whittington is going to be a stud, but as a role-player who knows who he is, there's always an opportunity for someone like him on the team. Even with limited snaps going to him (instead, rather going to Nacua, Adams, or the tight ends, which is completely understandable on McVay's part), he still made the most of a lot of his opportunities (getting a key block downfield on Nacua's touchdown run against the Titans, for example).

In addition, he was excellent on teams in his rookie year (as a kick returner and as a gunner), and I feel he struggled because special teams as a whole badly struggled under Blackburn last year. With an improved special teams, I think there's a good chance that there's an improved Whittington.

I'm not saying he's going to be a stud, and I do like others like Mumpfield and Daniels (especially Daniels) a whole lot more as pass-catchers, but there's always room for a receiver/special teams player who does all the little things right, and if he only improves a little bit in this crucial third year, that's a valuable depth receiver right there.

My depth chart for receivers is Nacua, Adams, Daniels, Mumpfield, Whittington, and Tru Edwards with guys like Brennan Presley and Mario Williams as backups on the practice squad.

(Sorry, X, I'm still very bitter over your muffed punt.)

lol-

Whittington is a nice piece to have in the WR room.He had to step up quick as a rookie.

At Texas he was the 3RD WR there as a Senior!! Special teams is going to be what keeps him on the 48.He is a Leader though. He’ll make the other WR’s earn there place in there order.

 

[Memento]

lol-

Whittington is a nice piece to have in the WR room.He had to step up quick as a rookie.

At Texas he was the 3RD WR there as a Senior!! Special teams is going to be what keeps him on the 48.He is a Leader though. He’ll make the other WR’s earn there place in there order.

He was a third receiver because Texas had Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell as the starters - not even mentioning Bijan Robinson (2023 draft), Jonathon Brooks (RB, 2024) and Jatavion Sanders (TE, 2024) taking a lot of what could've been receptions. He still made his presence felt as a key third-down/YAC contributor, and was as unselfish as a receiver can get (could've left Texas for more opportunities, but stayed and never complained about the snaps he got); it's why I was an enormous fan of him as a late-round receiver, why I'm still a fan of him.

 

[So Ram]

Yeah I think he's more Skow than he is Nacua. But he's got better hands than Skow, the boy can reel it in.

WORST COMPARISON EVER
,

Ben Sko is a Special Teams player at best.Yes he can make the catch on a simple crossing route. He has FIVE THUMBS - I watch Olsen throw to him after practice just to work on his hands.

Daniel’s might be able to catch a football with ONE hand vs Ben Sko’s catching ability at all.

 

[El Chapo Jr]

Receivers have historically tended to take three years to fully show who they are. I'm not saying that Whittington is going to be a stud, but as a role-player who knows who he is, there's always an opportunity for someone like him on the team. Even with limited snaps going to him (instead, rather going to Nacua, Adams, or the tight ends, which is completely understandable on McVay's part), he still made the most of a lot of his opportunities (getting a key block downfield on Nacua's touchdown run against the Titans, for example).

In addition, he was excellent on teams in his rookie year (as a kick returner and as a gunner), and I feel he struggled because special teams as a whole badly struggled under Blackburn last year. With an improved special teams, I think there's a good chance that there's an improved Whittington.

I'm not saying he's going to be a stud, and I do like others like Mumpfield and Daniels (especially Daniels) a whole lot more as pass-catchers, but there's always room for a receiver/special teams player who does all the little things right, and if he only improves a little bit in this crucial third year, that's a valuable depth receiver right there.

My depth chart for receivers is Nacua, Adams, Daniels, Mumpfield, Whittington, and Tru Edwards with guys like Brennan Presley and Mario Williams as backups on the practice squad.

(Sorry, X, I'm still very bitter over your muffed punt.)

Yeah the development time for WRs is why I wish the Rams would have taken a WR higher. Adams is no guarantee to be back with us next year and WRs cost a lot in FA. I get we can go after one in the next draft but would be nice to have a young higher drafted one. Before anyone says Daniels, I get that we have hit on late WRs before but Kupp and Puka are really the only ones that were truly home runs in terms of contributing to the offense in an impactful way. Hopefully there's a WR that improves enough to do so but I'm not automatically assuming it'll happen either. Gonna be interesting to see how that WR pecking order works out.

 

[Fire Ants]

...
They liked him enough to make their only draft trade up, where they turned three picks into one to move up 10 spots from No. 207 to No. 197 to take him. For Daniels, getting picked was going to be a relief. But getting picked by this coach, with this quarterback, in this offense took the emotions to a higher level...

The Rams took Klare in the second round to double down on the three-tight-end sets they ran at a higher rate than any team in the league last season. After Adams led the league in touchdown catches and Nacua in receptions, and with a heavy run focus with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, the role for a third receiver has a ceiling on volume.

To me, this shows that WR3 wasn't really a priority for the Rams.
The Rams apparently had him as a round 2 or 3 guy, yet it took them to the 6th round to finally say, " hey, this guy has slid far past his evaluation - let's finally move up to get him".

Granted, they didn't have a 4th or 5th rounder, but still - they valued other players and positions more.

 

[PhillyRam]

To me, this shows that WR3 wasn't really a priority for the Rams.
The Rams apparently had him as a round 2 or 3 guy, yet it took them to the 6th round to finally say, " hey, this guy has slid far past his evaluation - let's finally move up to get him".

Granted, they didn't have a 4th or 5th rounder, but still - they valued other players and positions more.

Well, at pick 93 they valued a much higher rated player at RT. Daniels would have been a major reach at 93.

If you look at the draft, there was a run on WRs prior to that pick at 196. 3 went off the board right before that, and another 3 went off before we would have picked at 207. So they decided they had to move up to go get a guy who they felt had a shot to help and or have a future here.

I wonder if Barion Brown was a target. He would have helped in the return game. Maybe not as much as a fit for the offense as Daniels is though.

 

[fanotodd]

To me, this shows that WR3 wasn't really a priority for the Rams.
The Rams apparently had him as a round 2 or 3 guy, yet it took them to the 6th round to finally say, " hey, this guy has slid far past his evaluation - let's finally move up to get him".

Granted, they didn't have a 4th or 5th rounder, but still - they valued other players and positions more.

It shows me an OT and a TE were more important than a WR3.
After Klare and Trost were drafted, the Rams simply did not have the ammo to move back into the 4th or 5th w/o giving up future picks. So if the Rams really liked this guy after the 3rd, they must have e been sitting on pins and needles watching him drop that far.

I hope this is another day 3 steal the Rams are becoming known for

 

[Merlin]

WORST COMPARISON EVER
,

Ben Sko is a Special Teams player at best.Yes he can make the catch on a simple crossing route. He has FIVE THUMBS - I watch Olsen throw to him after practice just to work on his hands.

Daniel’s might be able to catch a football with ONE hand vs Ben Sko’s catching ability at all.

Typical overreaction from you.

Skow is a blue collar wideout who doesn't separate but blocks very well, runs the right patterns (so he's where he should be) and offers size and flexibility. CJ brings all those things.

Advantage in CJ is better hands. Advantage for Skow is he can take a beating. The boy even served as a lead blocker for us for a spell. We'll see how CJ can handle the wear and tear side of things.

 

[BonifayRam]

It shows me an OT and a TE were more important than a WR3.
After Klare and Trost were drafted, the Rams simply did not have the ammo to move back into the 4th or 5th w/o giving up future picks. So if the Rams really liked this guy after the 3rd, they must have e been sitting on pins and needles watching him drop that far.

I hope this is another day 3 steal the Rams are becoming known for

The LARGE number of WR"s signed as UDFA's shows me even further that WR's were NOT a priority.

What first caught my attention when watching CJ Daniels on the field is his hands & how he catches that ball.

 

[WestCoastRam]

To me, this shows that WR3 wasn't really a priority for the Rams.
The Rams apparently had him as a round 2 or 3 guy, yet it took them to the 6th round to finally say, " hey, this guy has slid far past his evaluation - let's finally move up to get him".

Granted, they didn't have a 4th or 5th rounder, but still - they valued other players and positions more.

Wait, they had him as a round 2 or 3 guy? We got deets on this?

 

[WestCoastRam]

It shows me an OT and a TE were more important than a WR3.
After Klare and Trost were drafted, the Rams simply did not have the ammo to move back into the 4th or 5th w/o giving up future picks. So if the Rams really liked this guy after the 3rd, they must have e been sitting on pins and needles watching him drop that far.

I hope this is another day 3 steal the Rams are becoming known for

Also I'm sure how the draft fell played a role. It sure sounds like there were a couple WRs that they would have taken over Klare in the 2nd had they fallen (four were mentioned by not by name I think in Nate's article).

It's maybe not that some positions were more important than others just that the how the draft fell dictated where and how the Rams took shots at areas of need.

 

[CGI_Ram]

What are your expectations for a #3 WR?

He is able (and others on the roster) to fill #3 WR in this offense with Nacua and Adams out there. If either of them miss any time I wish we had a stronger step up candidate to be that #2 guy.

While their skillsets are obviously different, I think Whittington is already around the overall level that Van Jefferson is. Probably better if I'm being honest.

I definitely agree with you. VJ was a mostly underwhelming pro. 2021 seemed like a breakout but it ended up being an anomaly.