The Rams Should Take A Chance On “DX”

If you don’t remember who the man they call “DX” is, you might want to go back to the 2010 season and recall who the most exciting Rams receiver was. That receiver was Danario Alexander.

The Rams signed Alexander as an undrafted free agent rookie back in 2010, and after being cut in training camp, the Rams placed him on their practice squad while he rehabbed a torn ACL.

If you should know anything about Alexander, it’s that he is a player with great potential but has knees made of china. In college at Missouri, Alexander posted 2,778 yards and 22 touchdowns, of which 1,781 yards and 14 touchdowns came in 2009.

Alexander finally got his chance with the Rams in week six in his rookie season subbing in for an injured Mark Clayton and took full advantage of it. Alexander went directly from practice squad to potential future number one receiver posting 72 yards and a 38 yard touchdown reception.

Alexander had his great moments and not so great moments as every rookie does, but consensus was that this guy was something special. He had 95 yards receiving against the Broncos and 99 yards receiving against the Buccaneers, this guy was the best thing St. Louis had seen since Torry Holt and maybe even Donnie Avery.

Ever since Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce left however, the Rams have gone through a wide receiver curse, and have not had a 1,000 yard receiver since they both left. The curse continued with “DX”.

In 2011 Alexander once again showed signs of greatness, but just couldn’t stay on the field. In week two against the Giants, Alexander had 122 yards receiving along with a touchdown, in week 6 he had 91 against the Packers, and then in week 15 against the Bengals he had 52 yards to go along with another touchdown.

Alexander showed flashes, but with his many knee problems and inability to stay healthy, the Rams were forced to release Alexander before the 2012 season only to have him picked up by the San Diego Chargers.

A year after San Diego lost their big man in Vincent Jackson, the Chargers got lucky and found the possible replacement in Alexander. Less than a month after being signed off the street, Alexander had 5 receptions for 134 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown in which he broke 2 tackles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In just 10 games in 2012, Alexander had 37 receptions for 658 yards and 7 touchdowns. But as it always went with Alexander, right when thing started looking good, is when they went bad.

Last August, Alexander once again tore his ACL, and  had to have another surgery on his messed up knee and it will likely take him even longer for him to return to action as he had to have a second surgery. It also seems unlikely that he will make a return to the Chargers roster now and will be headed into free agency.

Even though Alexander was injured in 2013, he was still an active teammate attending meetings and going on road trips with the Chargers. The guy loves football, is passionate about the game, and wants to be the best.

He’s the kind of player you want to have on your team, but can’t because the guy just can’t stay healthy. He is determined to play again however, and get another chance.

It is obvious that the Rams need a wide receiver with big play ability and need to address that position this offseason. Whether it’s in free agency or the draft, the Rams need to address it.

Names like Jeremy Maclin, Eric Decker, Anquan Boldin, Sammy Watkins, and Mike Evans have all come up. Why not Danario Alexander? Why not bring him in and see what he can add to this team? He already has some chemistry with Bradford, which is a huge plus.

Alexander would be a huge boost to the offense if he were able to join the team on the field, and the best part is that there is absolutely no risk involved. The Rams don’t have to put a long-term investment in him, and he’s relatively cheap due to his injury history.

In no way should the Rams go all in on Alexander. However, why not bring him in as well as one of those guys listed above? If it works out, then you are rewarded with a number one receiver that can make plays. If it doesn’t, the so be it, you haven’t lost anything you can’t make up for.

Right now the Rams have Austin Pettis, Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Brian Quick, and Chris Givens. Danario Alexander has the potential to be better than every one of those guys. Why not cut Pettis or Quick and add Alexander and one of those guys listed above?

Quick hasn’t necessarily lived up to the expectations that were brought by his high second round selection, even though his time is apparently coming. Alexander is a better version of Quick, and is more importantly, proven.

As for Pettis, the guy is reliable and makes the occasional big play in the big moment, but there is no way he is a number one or number two receiver on many other rosters in the NFL, and he shouldn’t be on the Rams roster.

If I’m Les Snead, I at least bring it Alexander for a look, the guy has proven that he can make plays at this level and deserves a chance. He does have a bad history of injuries, but that doesn’t take away the fact that this guy is a playmaker, something that is desperately needed in St. Louis.