2011 Rams season review: Rookie grades
by Brick Top on Jan 12, 2012 11:11 AM CST
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The Rams rookie class came in this year with a lot of hype, but for the most part, they didn't live up to it. On a whole, the class underperformed, and that was one of the problems that contributed to the firing of General Manger Billy Devanney. There was some shining moments for some of the rookies though, such as Robert Quinn blocking a punt against the Saints, but there was a lack of consistency from the rookies in 2011.
Robert Quinn: B+
Robert Quinn had a very impressive rookie campaign if you consider the fact that he didn't play football his senior season at North Carolina due to a NCAA suspension. He recored 5 sacks coming off the bench behind James Hall and he got his hands on three punts, though only one was ruled a block. He was rewarded with more playing time toward the end of the year and even a few starts. He looked very explosive off the line for the Rams and is a candidate for a breakout season in 2012.
More after the jump.
There is no way you can try to sugar coat his season, it was horrible. He started off with a very productive preseason and expectations were high, but that's all they proved to be...expectations. He was rarely targeted in the regular season and when he was, he had a major case of the dropsies. He finished the year with 28 catches for 352 yards, but no TDs. Not the production that is needed out a 2nd round pick. He still has a lot of potential and with a full offseason he could improve his game.
Austin Pettis: D-
Pettis had a very up and down season. He started off poorly and also like Kendricks had a case of the dropsies He seemed to be lost on an NFL field in some situations. He did bounce back a little bit and had a few nice games later in the year. He even showed flashes of what the Rams hope he can develop into. He finished with 27 catches for 256 yards with no TDs. With two games left in the season, Austin Pettis tested positives for PEDs and was suspended for the last two games of his rookie year and the first two games in 2012. The Rams also tried to use him at punt returner and that was a complete failure.
Gregg Salas: C+
He had almost identical stats to Pettis, 27 catches for 264 yards, but one difference, he only played in 6 games due to a broken leg. He looked to be a more raw, but bigger version of Danny Amendola. Who knows how good his season would of been if he hadn't broken his leg? I'm excited to see him back in the lineup next season.
Jermale Hines: N/A
He was released by the Rams before the season and was picked up by the Colts.
Mikail Baker: N/A
Out for the year due to an hamstring injury in training camp. He was given an injury settlement and released.
Jabara Williams: N/A
He never played for the Rams, but he was on the roster for part of the season until he was controversially released and then picked up by the Bears.
Jonathan Nelson: N/A
He was released by the Rams and picked up by Carolina.
Ben Guidugli: Incomplete
He had an impressive preseason and the Rams decided to put him on the practice squad. He is a guy to watch out for going into next season.
Jake McQuaide: A+
He didn't miss a snap all season as long snapper. Nothing to complain about there.
Overall, the Rams rookies really stubbled this year on the whole. They still have a lot of potential and could develop into great players, but that remains to be seen.
Thanks for reading.
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First!
Its all pretty spot on but i disagree with your rating on kendricks. Although his offencive production was lacking he showed how much help he was with impressive footwork while blocking for bradford/feeley/clemens and the run game. I wouldnt give him a high score since the rams needed him to produce but i see his grade more like a D/D+
Lol im not Kendricks
And if i was i would be to busy looking for new hands on craigslist. Im just saying an F for a rookie would be guys that meed to be cut in my eyes and what kendricks did this season wasn’t all bad.
At first no
But once he becomes the great TE he should become with whatever team picks him up…you would be thinking back " why would they even THINK of cutting him"
Hope Kendricks is Demaryius 2.0
Guy who sucks for McD that beasts for his next coach
Note to Douglas M: Remember that 99% of what I say involves BS
by King Sam Rules! on Jan 12, 2012 11:41 AM CST via mobile reply actions
I believe mcd scheme was too much for our young offence. No offseason didn’t help. A full offseason and a wco will improve the team overall. After the draft I knew mcd was a mistakes.
by jmo53 on Jan 13, 2012 2:09 AM CST via Android app up reply actions
been waiting for someone to do one of these
Good read.
Correction: Your phone jswirb's his name.... - DCRamFan
And now for someone who was cut.
“The Panthers forced 3 fumbles and newly promoted S Jonathan Nelson intercepted a Josh Freeman pass
Speaking of Nelson he added 7 tackles and pass knocked down… a great showing for a guy the Panthers got off the street eight days ago.”
Yup, he and Jabara def needed to hit the road. LOL
And people said Billy D couldn't draft
Is that great man formally known as Tevin T. Broner, also I'm on twitter Follow @T_Bron
by Tevin Broner on Jan 12, 2012 12:10 PM CST up reply actions
we all knew he could draft t.ram...
just never knew he had the knack for drafting for other teams!
by Mark Jaramillo on Jan 12, 2012 12:21 PM CST up reply actions
Did Jabara make it onto the field for Chicago this year? Any stats?
I still think his release is going to be one of those things that we’ll groan about in coming years
I thought the grades were a little low.
And it seemed like you were judging their productivity in terms of an NFL vet instead of as a rookie, and you just can’t expect that out of them. Not that we couldn’t use it, but you just can’t expect it IMO. I think the order of your rankings were good, but they should have been a bit higher.
I like Quinn and Salas a lot. Pettis could be a good depth WR and the jury is still out on Kendricks. No excuses next year! And like you, I’m hugely disappointed that our 5-7 rounders were gone…especially considering how bad we were.
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Jan 12, 2012 12:10 PM CST reply actions
Look at other 2nd and 3rd round picks
and you notice how the production of Kendricks and Pettis was low. Compared to previous draft picks as well, Saffold, JL, and Bradley Fletcher. Salas can’t be graded higher because he only played in 6 games.
No, I agree about Pettis and Kendricks, they were disappointing.
But Rudolph caught 26 for 249 this year, which is a bit below Kendricks (KR had 3 TDs though to even it out). Not that Kendricks didn’t have a million and one drops.And both Pettis and Salas outperformed most of the WRs taken after them in the draft and at worst were just as good as any of them.
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Jan 12, 2012 12:36 PM CST up reply actions
Pettis
and Salas had the same number of drops. (3) I think I would grade them both at a C. Pettis made some pretty good catches. The one that comes to mind is when he was falling and still snatched it out of the air. As for being critical in the return game what do you expect from someone who had never been a return man? To grade Pettis, Kendricks, Salas, based off this years performance at this point is premature but I know what you’re getting at. After all the offense as a whole got an F. These guys can catch and I think next year at this time they will have marks of B of higher.
One difference, Salas only played 6 games and had the same stats as Pettis who played 14 games
and being suspended for PEDs automatically lowers your grade. Also, you don’t need to have any exp at returning to know what a fair catch is
But Pettis didn't play WR for most of those games.
But the PED thing sucks, you’re right about that 100%.
PS: the video was messed up….but I don’t believe Pettis fumbled any of those punt returns, did he?
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Jan 12, 2012 12:37 PM CST up reply actions
And
you don’t need to have exp to not jump offsides, hold, and whatever else you want to toss in. The fact is he was tossed into something he was unfamiliar with due to injury. He never cost us a game because of not fair catching. Salas had 3 drops in fewer games if you want to go stats. I will give you the Peds so I would say c+ vs C- but I think Pettis was better than a D-. On a side note Salas never had to compete with Lloyd getting stared down by every QB we had play this year either.
his catch rate was still higher if you look at the numbers
and I was just a bit confused by you comment at first.
And even ignoring his awful returning
all the drops, no TDs, and less than 10 yards a catch….not impressed
3 drops
I did not say I was impressed. I am just syaing the difference between the 2 is not that great.
b/t Salas and Pettis...what the hell are you watching?!?!?
Salas played in half the games and had the same number of catches and more yards!!
Amendola averaged less than 10 ypc.
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Jan 12, 2012 1:11 PM CST up reply actions
Ummmm.......
was that sarcasm? I don’t know what you think, but everyone around here seems to love the guy.
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Jan 12, 2012 2:06 PM CST up reply actions
because he is tough and scrappy
but he is way overrated in his talent and production. Not hard to replace him on a team at all
+1
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Jan 12, 2012 2:22 PM CST up reply actions
I actually will give Pettis, Salas AND even Kendricks a pass this year.
They had a shortened off season with a new O.C, and a QB rushing throws because of a line that couldn’t block. At least give them a full off season to learn and train and try to develop some chemistry with one QB. If they still suck next year, screw ’em, but we have plenty of other dead weight to get rid of that has had plenty of time to prove they suck.
I'm not giving up on them
I’m just judging their performance and their performance deserves these grades
Put the weed down
What did they get out of this draft class 5 sacks. Come on i a just as big a fan as anyone but this class sucked. A te who is a preseason performer 2 wr who drop balls & have 4.6 speed. Quinn could’nt stop the run if wanted to. What was he 14TH overall yeah thats some great value. This one ranks right with rest of them bunch BUST as of now .
Like Chris Long was?
Give em some time…all I’m saying.
Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is where the Stanley Cup can be found.
by Pekka for Predator Pontiff on Jan 12, 2012 1:13 PM CST up reply actions
Dum, dum, dum, dum, dummmm..
Formerly JBaccSTL. Been losing sleep over Rams football since 1999.
by Joe Mazzi on Jan 12, 2012 1:36 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
I agree that Pettis deserves an "F" for this season, but I'm not ready to call him a bust just yet
The PED thing showed me he is both stupid, and motivated to do all he can to be on the field. It was a dumb rookie move by a very young guy who hopefully learned a lesson. I think a new HC will cut him though. He won’t want the aggravation of having to worry if Pettis will do it again, and it’s a easy message to send to the rest of the team.
Just
keep in mind Brandon Lloyd has 14 catches his rookie year. Vjax has 30 total in his first 2 years. Many top WR and TE don’t blow up their first year. Given the fact how pathetic the offense is we could have a couple WR and a TE that could breakout next year. Grading Lloyd in his first 6 years in teh NFL would have been a C or D and now we wold love to keep him.
Pettis
Should be released. I’m not interested in having cheaters on the team. Should have been cut the very next day
A lot of people though the 2011 Ram class was a bad one. They were right
I was disappointed when our #1 pick Quinn was inactive for the opener. Then aside from a few sacks and kick blocks, he was certainly nothing to brag about. Terrible against the run. May improve, but no higher than a C now.
Kendricks is slow and can’t catch. Bad combination for a receiver. F-
Pettis need performance enhancers to play as bad as he did? F-
Salas only rates this high cause our 2nd and 3rd picks were so lousy by comaprison. We already had an Amendola. D-
And to think some Ram fans actually wanted to keep Billy and Steve for a 4th year. That tandem didn’t leave our new organization much to work with from their final draft.
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