Wagoner: Time for Chris Givens to produce

Time to produce: WR Chris Givens

By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/9679/time-to-produce-wr-chris-givens

EARTH CITY, Mo. — As the St. Louis Rams prepare to enter their third training camp under coach Jeff Fisher and staff, much will hinge on the ability of the team’s many young players to turn potential into production. In this final week before camp officially begins, we take a look at some players who must take the next step either to preserve their jobs, help the team reach its first winning record since 2003 or, to the team’s preference, both.

We continue this week-long series with receiver Chris Givens.

What he’s done: Givens was something of a revelation in his rookie season in 2012, providing big plays down the field for a Rams offense sorely lacking in them. He set a rookie record with a 50-plus yard reception in five consecutive games and finished with 42 catches for 698 yards and three touchdowns. If nothing else, he appeared poised to become a legitimate deep threat capable of being a consistent contributor. But Givens regressed in 2013 for a variety of reasons, including some nagging injuries, the absence of starting quarterback Sam Bradford and a lack of progress in intermediate route running. He finished the season with 34 catches for 569 yards but didn’t score a touchdown. By his own admission, it was a disappointing sophomore season.

Why he must do more: The only addition the Rams made to the receiver corps in the offseason was veteran Kenny Britt but the Rams have a lot of options on the roster, none of whom have really separated from the others in terms of production. It can be difficult for wideouts to adjust to the NFL but Givens is entering his third season, has moved beyond his injuries and has Bradford back throwing to him. Givens has established himself as a player worthy of a roster spot but has yet to do enough to ensure he should be a long-term starter. Upon returning to St. Louis for the offseason program, Givens sounded like a new man intensely focused on having the breakthrough season many expected from him a year ago. It was a familiar refrain and Givens is well aware that the time is now to go to the next level. There’s a place for Givens with the Rams now and in the future but how prominent that role is will depend greatly on what he does in 2014.

Where he fits: While nothing is set in stone in terms of starters at receiver entering this training camp, Givens does seem to have the inside track on holding down a starting job, at least as camp opens. Tavon Austin also figures to have a large role. Givens will almost certainly have every opportunity to nail down the job, especially with Stedman Bailey set to miss the first four games because of a suspension. The Rams haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver since 2007 or even one to reach 700 yards since 2008. Givens doesn’t have to reach the 1,000-yard mark for it to be considered a productive season but something close to 800 yards with six touchdowns would go a long way in ensuring his future as a starter.