Is the Time Up For Brian Quick and Austin Pettis?

In the last couple of drafts the Rams have stocked up on wide receiver, desperately trying to find weapons for Sam Bradford. The Rams were back at it again in the 2013 NFL Draft when they chose WVU wide receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. Austin will look to take over the slot and Bailey will be another option on the outside. With these two additions does this mean the Rams are finished with Austin Pettis and Brian Quick?

Austin Pettis made some big plays for the Rams last season by scoring touchdowns and made them when the team needed them the most, like the big fourth down catch against Buffalo. However it looks like the Rams may have just replaced Pettis with newly acquired weapons Austin, Bailey, and Cook. It is expected that Austin and Cook will occupy the slot, which is where Pettis was the most successful. Pettis wasn’t the best receiver on the roster, but with the losses of Gibson and Amendola it looked as if Pettis was set for a career year. However, with the new weapons it looks as if Pettis will be just another receiver on the roster and will be more of a depth chart player than a playmaker on the field.

Last year the Rams selected Brian Quick who came out raw much like Patterson did this year. Quick had a lot of developing to do, and although he made a few plays, he didn’t quite develop as fast as the team thought he would. In this year’s draft, the Rams selected Stedman Bailey who looks to play on the outside, much like he did in college. Les Snead had visions of Brian Quick playing across from Chris Givens, but that no longer seems to be the case. It looks like Quick may end up being a situational player in the red zone, or used in a rotation and be depth at the wide receiver position.

The Rams may not have given up on Pettis or Quick just yet, but with the additions of Austin and Bailey, you have to figure that their roles on the team are going to change. The Rams have finally added some legitimate weapons for Sam Bradford and you have to wonder if Austin Pettis and Brian Quick are still in the picture for the team’s future