Rams News

Rams find strength at wide receiver post
08/24 09:31 PM

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

The cuts didn't come easy Monday for Rams wide receivers coach Dick Coury. And he still has one or two more to go.
The Rams thinned out their receiver ranks from 10 to seven by releasing Donnell Baker, Donald Sellers and Russell Shaw. That leaves Malcolm Floyd, Tony Horne and Johnny ``J.T.'' Thomas battling for one or two remaining roster spots by Sunday's final cutdown date.
``It was the best group, overall, of 10 guys that I've had anyplace,'' said Coury, 68, who's beginning his 22nd season as an NFL coach. ``I'm not saying that we've got three all-pros. But it's the most competitive group that I've been around. I think that they all have talents to play.''
But none like Isaac Bruce, the only Rams player to earn a Pro Bowl berth since the team moved to St. Louis in 1995.
``Isaac could play for anybody,'' Coury said. ``He's an exceptional receiver. He's had a good offseason, and he had a great camp.''
Best of all for the Rams, Bruce has emerged from training camp injury free. Well, relatively injury free. He was slowed for a couple of days last week with a sore back. But his hamstrings are intact, and he worked some kinks out with quarterback Tony Banks on Saturday against Dallas as he got his most extensive playing time of the preseason.
Even though the Rams haven't emphasized getting the ball to Bruce this preseason -- he has a modest five catches for 55 yards -- they'll know where to find him Sept. 6 when the regular season begins against New Orleans.
``No question,'' Coury said. ``He's the guy you've got to go to.''
But there's more help for Bruce this season, and more experience, in the form of Ricky Proehl.
Proehl, 30, had 373 career catches with Arizona, Seattle and Chicago, and 51 or more catches in six of his eight NFL seasons.
``Ricky Proehl will really help us because he's a smart, experienced receiver,'' Coury said. ``He doesn't make mistakes, knows what he's doing all the time, and runs good routes. He's faster than people think.''
Of all the Rams receivers, Proehl is the most adept at playing the slot -- the inside receiver in three-receiver formations. Like most clubs, the Rams use a lot of three-receiver sets, but Proehl remains a candidate for a starting spot opposite Bruce.
``He and Eddie (Kennison) are kind of neck-and-neck,'' Coury said.
Kennison worked hard during the offseason, and continued doing so in training camp. But so far, he's had a quiet preseason with two catches for 17 yards and two punt returns for 10 yards.
The club hasn't been disappointed in what it's seen so far from Az-Zahir Hakim. Hakim, a fourth-round draft pick from San Diego State, should help as a receiver and a return man this season.
``He's got really good quickness, excellent moves,'' Coury said. ``He just needs to continue to concentrate. He's got good hands, but every once in a while he'll start to run before he catches it.''
Horne, a rookie free agent from Clemson, also can help on returns and has other special teams skills as well. But he's only 5 feet 9 and may need a big game Friday to beat out Thomas or Floyd. Thomas and Floyd are young veterans who have been in the league a few years but haven't been overly productive.
The speedy Thomas, who was having a good camp until being slowed by an elbow injury for about a week, has 14 catches in three NFL seasons.
Floyd, who has made a strong comeback from Achilles' tendon surgery in December, has 26 catches in four seasons.

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