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On the heels of a Thursday afternoon visit from Eagles free agent wide receiver Steve Smith, the St. Louis Rams will entertain another free agent receiver. Mario Manningham will visit the Rams on Thursday night, according to Jason Cole at Yahoo Sports.
Manningham capped off his 2011 season with a game-saving Super Bowl catch in the Giants' championship. He finished the season with 39 receptions, 523 yards and four touchdowns. Those numbers are down from his career-highs in 2010, when he caught 60 passes for 944 yards and nine touchdowns. The emergence of Victor Cruz cut into Manningham's production with the Giants.
Manningham visited the 49ers prior to his trip to St. Louis, but left there without a deal.
Good hands and quick feet have been Manningham's calling card since his days at Michigan. Concentration has been his Moriarty. He would replace Brandon Lloyd as the Rams' primary threat outside the numbers and along the sidelines. He does not fit the bill for a No. 1 receiver. If he is holding out to be paid like a No. 1 receiver, he may have to wait a little longer to find a new team.
If Steve Smith passes muster with the Rams medical staff, he and Manningham could give them a team a nice pair of complementary options. Manningham on the outisde and Smith as a possession guy in the middle. Of the two former Giants, Manningham probably best represents the kind of receiver the Rams currently lack on their roster.