latest young receivers thread…Reynolds, Thomas, what Holt sez, etc.

McVay on Mike Thomas from: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/mcvay-vid-65/#post-69740

think he’s getting more and more confident with his hands and just becoming a more polished player – with just his routes and increasing that route versatility. What we’ve seen from Mike so far has been encouraging and he’s made plays down the field. You can feel him, he’s got some speed that gives you the ability to stretch the top-shelf of the defense and that’s what he’s done so far….What we’ve seen from Mike has been good stuff and you really like his demeanor and his disposition. He’s been a joy to be around so far.

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Flipper336 wrote:

Thomas has a good shot for two reasons

1. He’s talented. One of my favorites in the draft last year.

2. Rams need an X receiver to show up. They are stacked at slot and have Woods basically locked in as the starter at Z, need someone to beat CBs at the line.

Thomas Feeling Confident Heading into Year 2

By Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Thomas-Feeling-Confident-Heading-into-Year-2/c7c1cfe7-b998-4bb9-8c47-e9c58db7c519

For many NFL players, one of the most significant jumps comes between Year 1 and Year 2.

There are plenty of reasons for it. From a comfort standpoint, most rookies are just 21 or 22 years old and entering a high-stress, competitive workplace. Plus, through no fault of their own, these players are behind in learning the playbook because they don’t get drafted until teams’ offseason programs are well underway.

And so for someone like wide receiver Mike Thomas, there’s a much different feel to his second OTAs.

“Honestly, just the experience — the experience of how players move, how players play on the field, how the game speed is,” Thomas said on Tuesday. “I feel like I caught up with the tempo of practice and the game. And I’m just playing fast without thinking and just trying to seize every opportunity that comes my way.”

With wide receiver Tavon Austin unable to fully participate in OTAs after undergoing surgery, Thomas has received more practice snaps. And he’s taken advantage of them, having made a number of downfield and contested receptions. Head coach Sean McVay said this week he’s been impressed with Thomas’ speed.

“He’s a competitive player,” McVay said. “I think he’s getting more and more confident with his hands and just becoming a more polished player — with just his routes and increasing that route versatility.

“You can feel him,” McVay continued. “He’s got some speed that gives you the ability to stretch the top-shelf of the defense and that’s what he’s done so far.”

Thomas’ specialty was being a downfield threat at Southern Miss, where he averaged 19.6 yards per reception and caught 14 touchdowns in his senior season. But as a sixth-round pick in the 2016 draft, Thomas was mainly a special teams contributor as a rookie, making only three receptions in his limited offensive snaps.

“Your rookie year is always a little hesitant coming off college — different speed, different tempo. You’re playing with grown men now and that’s a lot on this level,” Thomas said. “So coming in for Year 2, like I said, you adapt to it. You know what to expect. You know how to prepare for games. You know how to prepare for practice and training camp. So it’s only right that you come in confident knowing what to expect.”

Thomas spent a lot of time working on his craft in the offseason, he said, catching plenty of balls and running numerous of routes. And the wideout trained with quarterback Jared Goff to improve their rapport.

“This offseason we connected well. We were doing a lot of routes together — throwing, catching, learning together,” Thomas said. “At the end of the day, we both came in as rookies, and we’re learning a new offense together, so it’s only right that we all get better together.”

With a new playbook to learn, Thomas has been working with Goff to master it both on the field and in the classroom.

“We ask questions. I ask a lot of questions and when I have a question, I go right to Jared because at the end of the day he has to know it, too,” Thomas said. “We’ve just been trying to get the chemistry to 100 percent.”

What’s likely aided in that process is the way McVay and his staff have installed the offense. Thomas said he feels like the unit has picked it up quickly and well, in part because everyone has a complete picture of the scheme.

“The way they’re teaching it is incredible. Everybody’s getting it fast,” Thomas said. “It’s all about concepts. And when you know what everybody else is doing on the field, it makes you play way faster because you know what I have at the end of the day, and what the tight end and the other receivers have.”

Armed with that knowledge, Thomas has been working to take advantage of every opportunity during the offseason program. Given the way he’s performed on the field, combined with the feedback from his coaches, Thomas has reason to be confident heading into Year 2.

“What we’ve seen from Mike has been good stuff and you really like his demeanor and his disposition,” McVay said. “He’s been a joy to be around so far.”

“Now I know what to expect,” Thomas said. “I adapted to it — to the speed of the game, practice — and I’m coming out strong and confident.”

Mike Thomas, Tyler Higbee look to move up Rams’ depth chart

By Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/33994/mike-thomas-tyler-higbee-look-to-move-up-rams-depth-char

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tavon Austin remained off to the side, running routes and catching tennis balls while wearing a guard on his surgically repaired left wrist, and Mike Thomas was on the field with his teammates, taking snaps with the Los Angeles Rams’ first-team offense on Monday afternoon. The Rams have 17 pass-catchers on their roster, 14 of whom are heading into their first or second season in the NFL.

In other words, they’re young at the position.

And while Austin and free-agent addition Robert Woods will serve as the two primary receivers, the Rams must still figure out how the second-year players will mix in with the rookies. It’s an interesting dynamic because of the sheer volume, and it’s fascinating because Sean McVay, the Rams’ rookie coach, only hand-picked about half of them.

Suddenly a group that includes Pharoh Cooper, Tyler Higbee and Thomas, among others, is competing against Gerald Everett, Cooper Kupp and Josh Reynolds, all of whom were acquired in this year’s draft.

Kupp, like Cooper, profiles as a slot receiver.

Everett, like Higbee, is a pass-catching tight end.

Reynolds, like Thomas, is a deep threat.

“We’re looking to find the best combination of guys that can make plays,” McVay said after a recent practice. “We want to be an offense that gives the quarterback answers.”

McVay, who will host a three-day, mandatory minicamp next week, mixed up the way he dispersed reps during organized team activities, with Woods seemingly the only mainstay. Sometimes it’s Everett with Kupp and Reynolds; sometimes it’s Higbee and Thomas with Nelson Spruce, a ballyhooed undrafted free agent from 2016 who never stepped on the field. Thomas has been the one getting most of Austin’s reps.

He believes he has made “tremendous growth” since his rookie season.

“My rookie year, I was a little hesitant,” Thomas said. “I wasn’t feeling myself as far as playing fast. But now, I know what to expect.”

Thomas, a sixth-round pick out of Southern Mississippi, made critical mistakes in the scant playing time he received last season. Against the Falcons in Week 14, he fumbled the opening kickoff. Against the Seahawks in Week 15, he dropped a well-placed deep pass from Jared Goff while wide open. But the Rams badly need a deep threat. At 5 foot 8, Austin may be too small and Reynolds may be too raw. Thomas could emerge in that role this season.

“I feel like they see my potential in this offense, and Coach Bones [special teams coordinator John Fassel] sees my potential on special teams,” Thomas said. “You can’t really define a player off his mistakes; you’ve just got to define him off how he comes back from those mistakes. I feel like I came back pretty well, and I didn’t let that get to me. Last year, my rookie year, I feel like I got all my mistakes in on the field. I got them out of the way.”

Thomas is among 12 receivers; Higbee is among five pass-catching tight ends.

Higbee’s primary competition is Everett, the 44th overall pick who built a name for himself as an athletic pass-catcher who can stretch the deep middle of the field. Higbee, a fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky in 2016, seemed destined for a primary role in Jeff Fisher’s offense last summer. But the 6-foot-6, 257-pound Higbee was targeted only seven times in the first seven games and only 29 times all season.

“It was a coaching decision,” Higbee said. “Whatever they thought was best, that’s what they did.”

In the offseason, the Rams thought it best to let veteran Lance Kendricks leave via free agency and stay young at tight end. Temarrick Hemingway, a sixth-round pick in last year’s draft, and Travis Wilson, the former Utah quarterback who recently made the transition to tight end, could factor into the mix. But it figures to be mainly Higbee and Everett at the position, and both could play a big role.

“You see what Coach McVay’s done in Washington with those tight ends,” Higbee said, alluding to a 2016 Redskins team that led the NFL in tight end receiving yards. “He had two great guys with Vernon Davis and Jordan Reed over there. Not saying we have a Jordan Reed/Vernon Davis over here, but I think we’re going to be all right.”

yeah. mike doesn’t have tremendous deep speed, but he’s got tremendous body control, very good explosion. that makes for a good catch radius and he makes some ridiculous catches.

he just needs to get some confidence and consistency. i think consistency is a big knock on him as he’d drop easy catches but make the difficult ones in college.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 5 months ago by InvaderRam.

Rams rookie receivers could push second-year pros for playing time

Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-receivers-20170619-story.html

It was not an over-the-top celebration, just a small exclamation point to a touchdown catch during offseason workouts.

Rams receiver Pharoh Cooper spun the ball like a top on the end zone turf. Then, with teammates hooting and hollering, he stepped back to admire his work.

A sign of things to come this season?

“Potentially,” Cooper said, laughing. “In a game-time situation it will probably be a little different.

“Especially for the first time. I’ll probably keep the ball and be a little hyped up.”

Cooper, a fourth-round draft pick in 2016, has not scored an NFL touchdown. Nor have Mike Thomas, a sixth-round pick last year, and Nelson Spruce, an undrafted free agent who scored in a preseason game before he was sidelined because of injuries.

The second-year pros could play larger roles in new coach Sean McVay’s pass-oriented offense, or find themselves playing behind rookies.

The Rams in April selected Cooper Kupp of Eastern Washington in the third round and Josh Reynolds of Texas A&M in the fourth.

Some NFL observers read that as a commentary on the sorry state of the Rams’ receiving corps.

After the Rams ranked next to last in the NFL in passing offense last season, 1,000-yard receiver Kenny Britt and Brian Quick left as free agents, without resistance from the Rams.

Sean McVay excited after first visit to Coliseum as Rams coach
Tavon Austin, who signed a four-year, $42-million extension last year, is back for his fifth season. Free agent Robert Woods received a five-year $34-million contract.

Neither Cooper nor Thomas said they took it as a slight when the Rams’ drafted two receivers.

“I know the NFL is a business. … Them drafting more receivers is just going to make me work harder,” Cooper said.

Said Thomas: “Of course it’s motivation. But at the end of the day it’s friendly competition. We’re helping each other get better.”

The 5-foot-11, 207-pound Cooper was a multipurpose standout at South Carolina but never really got a chance to get started last season.

His spectacular, leaping catch in a preseason game at Denver came with a cost: A shoulder injury that sidelined him for weeks.

Cooper played limited snaps when he returned, catching 14 passes for 106 yards.

“Fans want to see people make plays,” he said. “They haven’t seen me yet.”

Cooper worked in the slot and also lined up wide during offseason workouts, which concluded with a minicamp last week. He made several impressive plays on both short and longer routes.

“He can find a hole in the defense and is smart,” quarterback Jared Goff said.

Rams’ Jared Goff, Todd Gurley react to trade that sent Greg Robinson to Lions
Cooper also returns kickoffs and punts, and will compete for starting roles at both spots during training camp.

Thomas, 6-1 and 195 pounds, played on special teams and caught only three passes last season.

His most noteworthy play was not a highlight: He outran coverage in a Thursday night game at Seattle but dropped a long pass from Goff.

“You can’t really define a player off his mistakes,” said Thomas, who played in college at Southern Mississippi. “You’ve just got to define him off how he comes back from those mistakes. And I feel like I came back pretty well, I didn’t let that get to me.”

Thomas impressed during offseason workouts. He avoided drops and made several difficult catches.

“It’s all about relaxing,” he said, adding, “Last year, I was a little hesitant. … In Year 2, you got to step up.”

Thomas has done that, Goff said.

“He’s kind of found a role for himself,” Goff said. “He’s one of our faster receivers and can stretch the defense.

“I think he enjoys that role and understands that he’s going to be an over-the-top guy. It’s just a perfect role for him.”

During training camp last year, Spruce showed the skills that helped him leave Colorado as the Pac-12 Conference’s all-time leader in receptions.

Rams’ Tavon Austin continues his steady progress from wrist surgery
He caught a touchdown pass from backup quarterback Sean Mannion in the first preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys before suffering a knee injury. That setback, followed by another injury on the eve of a possible return, kept him sidelined throughout the season.

The 6-2, 210-pound Spruce appears physically sound again and made several notable plays during OTAs and minicamps.

“You see a natural football player,” McVay said. “He’s got a good feel for the game. I think he’s got good aggressive hands.”

The second-year pros, while competing to increase their own playing time, have aided the rookies in their transition from college to the NFL, Reynolds said.

“If I’m struggling on a play or alignment, they’ll get me corrected,” he said. “It’s not like a, ‘Oh, you’re-doing-this-wrong’ type of thing.

“They’re helpful.”

wv wrote:

“The way they’re teaching it is incredible. Everybody’s getting it fast,” Thomas said. “It’s all about concepts. And when you know what everybody else is doing on the field, it makes you play way faster because you know what I have at the end of the day, and what the tight end and the other receivers have.”
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This could be bullshit, but more than one player has commented on this.

w
v

This is back from when they first hired McVay:

link: http://theramshuddle.com/topic/rams-take-leap-of-faith-in-hiring-mcvay/

Jon Embree left his job coaching Washington Redskins tight ends to become head coach at Colorado in the second week of December in 2010. Four games remained in the Redskins’ season. Chris Cooley, by that point one of the game’s most productive tight ends, quickly became uneasy about what would follow. His new position coach would be Embree’s assistant, a 24-year-old named Sean McVay, and Cooley was skeptical.

It took one day to reverse that.

“This 24-year-old kid came in and knew everything about the offense, and everything about everything,” Cooley said. “I learned more about football than I had in my entire career in four weeks.”

In McVay, Cooley saw peerless intelligence and remarkable self-assurance. McVay didn’t just know the offense by heart, or direct his tight ends in great detail; he was able to explain why. Cooley began to see the game from a wider scope and quickly developed an admiration for McVay, even though he was four years younger and never played an NFL snap. Today, Cooley credits McVay for the way he sees the game.

“His ability to understand the game from every aspect — fronts, coverages, line play, checks, from top to bottom — is uncanny,” Cooley, now a member of the Redskins’ radio broadcast team, said in a phone conversation on Saturday, the day after McVay was introduced as the Los Angeles Rams’ head coach.

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/walkthrough/2009/walkthrough-camp-adventure

Flanker, Flex, Split End, Slot

Reader Dave writes:

Could you address the different wide receiver positions: split end, flanker, and slot? How are their routes different? What makes certain guys suited to one position but not others? What roles do they play in the offense? I have read that in most West Coast offenses everything is designed to funnel balls to the flanker. Why?

First, the terms: a split end is a receiver on the line of scrimmage several yards from the five interior linemen. A flanker is aligned one or two yards off the line of scrimmage and split wide. A slot receiver is aligned between the main formation and another receiver. If he is inside the split end, he is off the line of scrimmage. If he is aligned inside the flanker, he is often (but not always) on the line. A receiver can also be “flexed,” placing him on the line of scrimmage and four to six yards wide of the offensive tackle. This is usually a tight end’s position, but in modern offenses wide receivers are often flexed. See the figure for some default positions.
Basic Wide Receiver Positions

I use these terms when explaining playbook diagrams, but they are really out of date. The terms are holdovers from T-formation offenses, in which the flanker was often one of the backs who reached the flanker position via presnap motion. Modern offenses use letter names for receivers: X and Z for the starting receivers, Y for the tight end, letters like F, H, or W for third, fourth, or fifth wideouts. Different systems have different preferences. In one system, the X receiver is typically on the left, Z on the right. In others, X is usually on the line of scrimmage, Z off. As offenses become more complex, even those in-system generalities get blurred.

Instead of explaining the difference between an X and a Z receiver, which is nearly impossible, let’s go over the advantages and disadvantages of each position. A receiver on the line of scrimmage can release immediately into his route, and he is in good position to block his defender at the line. On the downside, he can be jammed easily. A receiver a yard or two in the backfield has extra space to beat a jam, which is why smaller receivers are often “flankers.”

The wider a receiver’s split, the more space he has in which to isolate and beat his defender. However, a receiver split wide of the field numbers has little room for running out-routes and other patterns that work the sidelines. Wide spacing also creates longer throws for the quarterback, which can be dangerous. Slot or flex receivers have space to work to the inside or out, can catch shorter, safer passes, and have a better chance of getting mismatched against a linebacker, safety, or nickelback in coverage. On the downside, they are working in tighter space; a slot receiver running a crossing route quickly moves from one defender’s zone to another, making it hard for him to get open.

I have heard that old versions of the West Coast Offense funneled plays to the flanker, who was usually the Z receiver in their system. I have seen some WCO playbooks from the 1980s, and one thing that is striking is how often the Z-receiver went in motion. Factor in the motion and the fact that a flanker is hard to jam, and you have the perfect short-pass target from a three-step drop. That’s an oversimplification, and I think the Z receiver got so much attention because his name was usually Dwight Clark or Jerry Rice.

All that x, y, z, slot, flex stuff was confusing me. So, I found this.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro-robert-woods-wants-to-be-no-1-wr-for-the-rams/

http://www.buffalobills.com/news/article-1/Watkins-surprised-ecstatic-to-be-a-Bill/550d0931-aac8-41b7-8cc4-b6a1a500f492
Watkins is likely to be the team’s starting split end or ‘X’ receiver, which should allow Woods to play the flanker position with Johnson in the slot. Buffalo also has proven veteran Mike Williams to line up outside too.

Does this mean that “X” is your #1 WR position?

i would think the number 1 receiver would depend on touches rather than a specific position but i’m not completely sure about it.

i think kupp in particular will end up lining up all over the field. outside inside left right.

keep defenses from keying in on him.

maybe not immediately but in the near future.