Once known as "The Greatest Show on Turf," the St. Louis Rams are now in full-fledged rebuilding mode when it comes to their once dynamic receiving corps. Pro Bowl receiver Torry Holt remains as the lone holdover from that explosive offense with his long-time running mate receiver Isaac Bruce signing with the San Francisco 49ers during the offseason. Even Holt is getting up there in years and will turn 32 before the season starts. Veteran Drew Bennett was a disappointment after signing with the club in free agency last season.
Knowing they had a significant need at the position, the Rams used their second-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft to grab University of Houston wide receiver Donnie Avery. The fact that the Rams selected a receiver did not come as a surprise to anyone. However, the fact that not a single receiver had been taken to that point, including many that carried first-round grades, made the Avery pick an unpopular one amongst draft experts who felt the team reached by selecting him 33rd overall.
While one can certainly debate the merits of Avery being the first receiver drafted, there is no denying that he is a dangerous player with the ball in his hands as he is a threat to get deep and can make big plays after the catch. Avery's career average of 15.7 yards after the catch should help a team that was tied for 30th in the league in this category last year with just 4.1 per reception. Avery amassed 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns on 91 receptions for the Cougars last year, so he can also be a factor in the Rams return game.
Avery is not without his faults, though, as his route running has been almost universally panned for being substandard and is in need of significant improvement at the NFL level. His toughness and willingness to work across the middle have also been brought into question. Plus, at 5-foot-11 and just 186 pounds he is a bit undersized.
He likely will compete for the No. 3 receiving job behind Holt and Bennett, which would likely have him working as the slot receiver. Bennett served in that role a season ago, catching 33 passes for 375 yards and three scores, but that was under former offensive coordinator Greg Olson. As previously mentioned, it is hard to hold last season against Bennett with everything else crumbling around him. The team replaced Olson during the offseason with former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Al Saunders, who was with the Rams during the past two regimes, serving as both the wide receivers coach and assistant head coach. Saunders covets speed at the receiver position, which is one thing Avery definitely has in excess.
Fantasy football outlook
Many things have changed in St. Louis over the years, but one thing that hasn't is Holt's status as an upper-tier fantasy receiver. He has hauled in more than 90 receptions for five straight years and has reached 1,100-plus yards every season since his rookie campaign in 1999. His numbers have tapered off a little, but he still makes a low-end No. 1 receiver and is among the safest options in the league.
Bennett struggled in his first year with the Rams, perhaps still living off of his 2004 performance, at least in a perception sense, when he accounted for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Tennessee Titans. He has managed just 10 touchdowns combined in the three years since and doesn't have another season with even 750 receiving yards to his credit, though he came close during his final two years with the Titans. He is a decent No. 4 receiver, but don't draft him as anything other than depth with minor upside. Furthermore, the No. 2 receiver in Saunders' offense rarely contributes for fantasy teams.
Avery could cause some havoc stretching the field for the Rams, but the general rule for rookie receivers is that they don't make much of an impact right away. This could be an even bigger problem in Saunders' notoriously complex system. Avery might be worth a late-round flier in deep single-year leagues but not much else. In keeper leagues, you could consider stashing him as he may grow into an effective starter in St. Louis.
Knowing they had a significant need at the position, the Rams used their second-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft to grab University of Houston wide receiver Donnie Avery. The fact that the Rams selected a receiver did not come as a surprise to anyone. However, the fact that not a single receiver had been taken to that point, including many that carried first-round grades, made the Avery pick an unpopular one amongst draft experts who felt the team reached by selecting him 33rd overall.
While one can certainly debate the merits of Avery being the first receiver drafted, there is no denying that he is a dangerous player with the ball in his hands as he is a threat to get deep and can make big plays after the catch. Avery's career average of 15.7 yards after the catch should help a team that was tied for 30th in the league in this category last year with just 4.1 per reception. Avery amassed 1,456 yards and seven touchdowns on 91 receptions for the Cougars last year, so he can also be a factor in the Rams return game.
Avery is not without his faults, though, as his route running has been almost universally panned for being substandard and is in need of significant improvement at the NFL level. His toughness and willingness to work across the middle have also been brought into question. Plus, at 5-foot-11 and just 186 pounds he is a bit undersized.
He likely will compete for the No. 3 receiving job behind Holt and Bennett, which would likely have him working as the slot receiver. Bennett served in that role a season ago, catching 33 passes for 375 yards and three scores, but that was under former offensive coordinator Greg Olson. As previously mentioned, it is hard to hold last season against Bennett with everything else crumbling around him. The team replaced Olson during the offseason with former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator Al Saunders, who was with the Rams during the past two regimes, serving as both the wide receivers coach and assistant head coach. Saunders covets speed at the receiver position, which is one thing Avery definitely has in excess.
Fantasy football outlook
Many things have changed in St. Louis over the years, but one thing that hasn't is Holt's status as an upper-tier fantasy receiver. He has hauled in more than 90 receptions for five straight years and has reached 1,100-plus yards every season since his rookie campaign in 1999. His numbers have tapered off a little, but he still makes a low-end No. 1 receiver and is among the safest options in the league.
Bennett struggled in his first year with the Rams, perhaps still living off of his 2004 performance, at least in a perception sense, when he accounted for 1,247 yards and 11 touchdowns with the Tennessee Titans. He has managed just 10 touchdowns combined in the three years since and doesn't have another season with even 750 receiving yards to his credit, though he came close during his final two years with the Titans. He is a decent No. 4 receiver, but don't draft him as anything other than depth with minor upside. Furthermore, the No. 2 receiver in Saunders' offense rarely contributes for fantasy teams.
Avery could cause some havoc stretching the field for the Rams, but the general rule for rookie receivers is that they don't make much of an impact right away. This could be an even bigger problem in Saunders' notoriously complex system. Avery might be worth a late-round flier in deep single-year leagues but not much else. In keeper leagues, you could consider stashing him as he may grow into an effective starter in St. Louis.