Gibson joins merry-go-round

BY JIM THOMAS
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, Oct. 22 2009
Brandon Gibson knows little about St. Louis he'd never even been here until
now. But he is aware of the Rams' lowly position in the NFL standings.

"We don't have a win," Gibson said Wednesday. "I'm ready to go get one."

Just 24 hours earlier, Gibson was ready to go get a dust pan and an ironing
board in Philadelphia. He was on his way to the local Wal-Mart when he got the
call from the Eagles, informing him he had been traded to St. Louis.

"I was running errands, getting stuff for my apartment," Gibson said. "I get a
call from a random 215 (area code) number, saying, 'We've got to make a trade
and your name came up.' "

Gibson wasn't able to finish his shopping.

"I had to pack up and get going," he said. "I had a flight in a few hours. I
still need a dust pan and an ironing (board)."

The Rams need some catches from Gibson, and a touchdown or two wouldn't hurt,
either. He's just the latest in what has been a carousel of wide receivers
coming and going at Rams Park this season.

Over the past six weeks alone, the Rams have claimed Ruvell Martin, waived
Derek Stanley, waived, signed and waived Nate Jones, signed Danny Amendola off
Philadelphia's practice squad, placed Laurent Robinson on injured reserve,
re-signed Tim Carter, and now traded for Gibson.

Has quarterback Marc Bulger ever gone through so many wideouts?

"I don't know," he said. "Maybe linemen. But not receivers. I think eventually
we'll find the right combination. The coaches are still figuring out what guys
can do, and I think it'll work out eventually."

Injuries have played a role in the nonstop shuffling at the position. But as
Bulger mentioned, it does seem as if the Rams are still searching for that
"right combination."

As coach Steve Spagnuolo sees it, a successful, productive wide receiver corps
needs a variety of pass-catchers big ones, fast ones, quick ones.

"Just off the cuff, I say you probably want a mixture of all of those guys,"
Spagnuolo said. "You have a guy that can stretch it vertical. You have a
possession guy. ... A quick guy inside. A big guy that can take it downtown."

But with a long grocery list of roster needs in the offseason, the Rams
couldn't solve every need. As it turned out, the wide receiver corps has
suffered. Injuries continue to prevent speedster Donnie Avery from being the
go-to guy the Rams hoped for entering the season.

Avery seemed to be returning to form following a training camp foot injury when
he suffered a hip injury early in the second quarter against Jacksonville. The
prognosis for a quick return was optimistic earlier in the week, but Avery was
unable to practice Wednesday.

"It's a sharp pain when I try to extend it," Avery said. "I'm trying to get it
massaged every day, to roll it out. I'm going to take it slow (Thursday), but
most likely I'll be out there working, practicing with the team."

The trade for Robinson was shaping up as an excellent deal until he was lost
for the year with an ankle and leg injury suffered against Green Bay. Keenan
Burton has shown some flashes, but he isn't a burner and hasn't had a breakout
performance. The diminutive Amendola has displayed quickness in the slot and
has some value as a kick and punt returner.

As for Martin, just when it looked like he was going to get an opportunity to
contribute, he suffered a hamstring injury that still has him sidelined.

And now comes Gibson.

"He's one of those guys that always seems to get himself open," Spagnuolo said.
"Billy (Devaney) and the (personnel) staff, they had an eyeball on him from way
back."

In fact, the Rams considered drafting Gibson last April, right around the time
they selected North Carolina wide receiver Brooks Foster in the fifth round.
(Foster subsequently suffered a season-ending ankle injury during the
preseason.)

The Rams liked Foster a little better because of his speed but did contact
Gibson on draft day.

"I think either the top or the middle of the fifth round I actually got a call
from the Rams, just checking to see if I was there," Gibson said. "I don't
remember who it was."

Gibson recalled that he wasn't in the best of moods when the Rams called.

"I apologize if I was a little unhappy," he said. "It was a long day for me. I
wasn't rude or anything but I was kind of quiet on the phone."

Gibson was a first-team All-Pacific-10 performer as a junior in 2007, and there
was speculation that he would turn pro early. But he stayed for his senior
season at Washington State. With a coaching change and a new offensive scheme,
the Cougars stumbled to a 2-11 record. Gibson's production tumbled, and so did
his draft stock. A potential first-day pick, he wasn't selected until the sixth
round by the Eagles.

But that was then. Now he's in St. Louis, the land of opportunity for wide
receivers.