The absence of Brandin Cooks was certainly felt on offense for the Rams last season, struggling to create big plays in the passing game. Jared Goff often threw short and intermediate passes, rarely threatening the deep part of the field.
As a result, the Rams were forced to sustain long drives in order to put points on the board, which was difficult to do consistently for 18 games. Adding a true deep threat to the receiving corps is a priority this offseason, but it’s not just about speed.
Rams GM Les Snead told reporters Wednesday that a big-bodied rebounder can also add a vertical element, opening the door for the Rams to add a jump-ball receiver who can play above the rim, so to speak. Snead said the Rams have “definitely discussed” adding a vertical presence to the offense, whether in the draft or free agency.
“I would say this, deep threat can be many things, right? It’s not just speed and throwing the ball deep. There’s an element. If there’s a vertical presence, whether the guy might not be as fast, but he’s tall and big and he can go get a rebound and you can throw the ball up,” Snead said. “When there’s an element of a vertical presence and they come in all shapes and sizes, it definitely loosens the defense. There has to be the defensive coordinator, the defensive staff will want to protect. You want to protect explosions.”
Defenses felt comfortable loading the box against the Rams and forcing Goff to beat them last season. There were times when the Rams made teams pay for that, but far too often, the offense simply struggled to move the ball consistently.
Safeties came down into the box, cornerbacks pressed the Rams’ wideouts at the line and there wasn’t much help needed over the top. If the Rams add an explosive playmaker – which they’ve been eyeing a bunch in the pre-draft process – defenses will have to respect that element of the offense.
“The analytics say, the more explosions, explosive plays you have, the better chance you have to win – along with turnovers,” Snead added. “So, what that actually does, even though a Sammy Watkins back in ’17, Brandin in ’18, let’s just say Brandin had a lot more yards than Sammy did and I know in ’17 and ’18, but it’s not necessarily just the yards that those players are actually catching, it’s what they’re doing to the enemy and then that does loosen up some things underneath. But again, that can come up. The New England Patriots maybe made that happen with a freak tight end. So, when you say that, it doesn’t have to just be a speed receiver, but I think we’re all saying the same thing. There’s an element of presence vertically that the defense now has to ensure against and that usually means less compact, more space and more allies to throw to the shorter, intermediate stuff.”
The “freak tight end” Snead is referring to, of course, is Rob Gronkowski. In 10 seasons, Gronkowski has never averaged fewer than 13 yards per reception and his career average is a whopping 15.0 yards per catch. Compare that to the Rams, who didn’t have a wide receiver with an average of more than 11.9 yards per catch last season. In their careers, Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods have each averaged 12.4 yards per catch.
The Rams are unlikely to add an elite pass-catching tight end like Gronkowski was for the Patriots, but Snead’s point is clear: The Rams don’t necessarily need speed at wide receiver. Their vertical element can come in various forms.