August 24, 2012; Cleveland, OH USA: Cleveland Browns tight end Evan Moore (89) is tackled by Philadelphia Eagles guard Alfred McCullough (61) and defensive back Trevard Lindley (35) in a preseason game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric P. Mull-USPRESSWIRE

UPDATE (9/1/12 @ 9:24): Multiple sources saying the Seattle Seahawks have picked up Evan Moore off of waivers after unexpectedly releasing Kellen Winslow

According to some of the major sports websites there were a number of “surprising” cut. In reality, there is nothing surprising about teams letting go of veteran players that are past their prime, ask Terrell Owens, who prior to this year, had been released by the Cowboys, Bengals, Bills, and Eagles. I don’t find anything spectacular about a second or third string quarterback getting cut, so players like Seneca Wallace, who has been leeching off the Browns for years, and Kellen Clemens are not surprising. What is surprising is when young talented players are released, player who have shown some ability to play on the big stage, but for some reason, do not make the cut. There were only a handful of players that I would suggest fall into that category, and only one that should catch the scent of the St. Louis Rams.

This is clearly the year of raw talent for the Rams. In the past, we have attempted to grab up veteran players from around the NFL in hopes that they would make a lasting impact on the team, but most of those have failed to come to fruition, whether that be because of injury or, simply, lack of progression at the position (think Na’il Diggs, Ben Leber, Mike Sims-Walker, Ovie Mughelli, Cadillac Williams, Jerious Norwood…). This year the St. Louis Rams are the youngest team in the NFL, with a roster full of unproven players at a majority of the “skill”  positions on offense and defense. More that likely, we will have two rookie wide receivers sharing time with Danny Amendola and Steve Smith, and will likely see a defensive secondary fitted with a rookie starter (Jenkins), a rookie nickelback (Johnson), and more rookies coming in during dime coverage, with UDFA safeties Daniels and McLeod both making the cut. However, unlike past years, the Rams currently have one of the premier coaching staffs, assembles wholly by Jeff Fisher himself, who have the experience in the NFL to take the raw talent players possess and extract the most from each player on the field.

So what does this all mean? I means that the Rams have an opportunity after Friday’s cuts to pick up players oozing with talent and harvest their potential. Of all of the names dropped from teams yesterday, there is one in particular that was especially intriguing… Cleveland Brown TE Evan Moore.

Coming out of college, Moore was a decorated two-sport athlete at Stanford, playing both basketball and football for the university. Following his sophomore year, Moore dropped basketball to focus more on his football game, which proved to be a good decision after being picked up in the NFL. Moore was an outside receiver at Stanford, with impressive speed and quickness for his 6’7 tall, 235 lbs. frame. Scouts and draft analysts praised Moore as possessing,

“Athletic build with room for additional growth. … Surprising initial quickness off the snap. … Can defeat press coverage with his athleticism, but relies more on his size and strength. … Obvious advantage due to his size in jump-ball situations and times his leaps well. … Reliable hands. … Tough. Will take the big hit and make the catch. … Flashes the body control to be a quality route-runner”

However, he was knocked pretty hard by his lack of experience at the tight end position and, stemming from that lack of experience, margin talents as an inline blocker. This contributed to Moore going undrafted in 2008, being scooped up by the Green Bay Packers in 2008, and moving to the Cleveland Browns from 2009-until yesterday. In the NFL, Moore was expected moved to tight end, but has plagued throughout his career by supreme talent ahead of him on the depth chart. The Browns have, if nothing else, always had the cream-of-the-crop at the tight end positions, first with Kellen Winslow for a number of years, as well as more recently with Benjamin Watson, who they acquired from the New England Patriots a couple of seasons ago. Coaching in the past has not allowed Moore to see much action on the field, which has caused some whispers of bias among the coaches in the rotation. However, even ex-Rams OC, and current Browns HC Pat Shurmur could not dismiss Moore’s abilities, claiming, ”Evan Moore flashes out here of course because he’s tall and he can catch the football,” said the coach. “Evan’s like every player. They have to just improve their total game…”

He has been given very little opportunity to perform, but when he has been on the field, he is pretty impressive. In his three years in Cleveland, Moore accumulated 62 receptions for 804 yards, a 13.0 yards per catch average, and 5 touchdowns. Although he has only “started” in 8 total games, Moore’s numbers have improved each season as he has been given more of an opportunity to play. However, those raw numbers are hard to analyze, since they cannot merely be compared to other tight ends around the league. His totals will clearly be inferior to the Antonio Gates and Rob Gronkowskis of the NFL, simply because of the discrepancy in playing time. Pro Football Focus helps solve that problem through a statistic they deemed Yards Per Route Run. This statistic counterbalances the amount of playing time, in terms of number of times a tight end went out for a pass, with the number of receptions and receiving yards. This number essentially shows the receiving value of a tight end for every passing play they are on the field. These numbers are based off a culmination of the tight ends performance over the past three season.

Unsurprisingly, the top ten is filled with notable, well-recognized tight ends from around the league,

Jimmy Graham (1st), NO, 1815 yards, 786 routes,  2.31 YPR

Rob Gronkowski (2nd), NE, 2196 yards, 961, routes, 2.29 YPR

Antonio Gates (3rd), SD, 2810 yards, 1321 routes, 2.13 YPR

Vernon Davis (5th), SF, 2963 yards, 1499 routes, 1.98 YPR

Jason Witten (6th), DAL, 3099 yards, 1665 routes, 1.86 YPR

Aaron Hernandez (7th), NE, 1665 yards, 902 routes, 1.85 YPR

Evan Moore (10th), CLE, 804 yards, 453 routes, 1.77 YPR

Dallas Clark (11th), IND/TB, 1985 yards, 1122 routes, 1.77 YPR

Owen Daniels (15th), HOU, 1722 yards, 1022 routes, 1.68 YPR

PPF also looked at a number of other uncommon statistics on tight ends from last season, evaluating all players on their performance through week 15 of the regular season, including drop rate, yards per route run, and pass blocking efficiency. These categories are a good representation of a tight ends overall abilities, aside from the quantity of yards that they can pick up. In terms of drop rate, there were 6 players on the list that had not missed a “catchable” ball that was thrown to them. The Top 3  names on this list were Tony Gonzalez with 35 receptions on 50 targets, Owen Daniels 30 receptions on 44 targets, and Evan Moore with 16 receptions on 23 targets. On the other end of that list are the players with the highest drop rates. Some of the notable names in the Bottom 5 are…

1) St. Louis Rams’ Lance Kenricks  with 13 receptions on 18 catchable targets, but with 5 drops, for a 27.78 drop rate

2) Cleveland Browns’, Moore’s ex-competition, Ben Watson with 23 receptions on 27 catchable targets, but with 4 drops, for a 14.81 drop rate.

Moore was also, as would be excepted from the previous analysis, in the Top 10 in 2011 in yards per route. He ran 80 routes that results in 153 receiving yards, which was good enough for 9th in the league with 1.91 YPR. On the other end of that spectrum is Lance Kendricks, who only managed 175 yards on 146 routes for 1.20 YPR. To put that in context, starter Kendricks ended with a meager 22 yard advantage over Moore, who was listed at the third tight end on the depth chart for most of last season.

The point is not to single out Kendricks, who had a pretty serious case of “rookie-itis” last season. However, it is notable that we currently have four tight ends on the roster, and none that have proven they can stay healthy or catch the ball during the regular season. In fact, Milligan and McNeill are primarily blocking tight ends, which leaves only Kenricks and Hoomanawanui as receiving options for Bradford. For an offense that is supposed to be based around the ground and pound of the running back and the short quick passing game, a tight end who can catch the ball is essential. For all of Moore’s deficiencies as a blocker, he makes up with his pure size, strength, and ability to catch the ball. Pass blocking in a tight end is overrated in the current NFL, with the new trend being towards more receiver-like players, such as San Francisc’s Vernon Davis. Davis was rated in the bottom 3 last season in terms of pass blocking efficiency, but remains one of the upper tier tight ends in the NFL. What value isn’t overrated? The ability to cause a mismatch against a slow, 4.8 40 linebacker or against a 5’11 defensive back in the red zone. If nothing else, we should bring him to compete and learn under Coach Boudreau. Just think of having a Lance Kendrick, Michael Hoomanawanui, and an Evan Moore on the team for Bradford!

UPDATE: Check out his response to a Cleveland fan who recently bought his jersey

Really appreciate all the supportive comments. And @smee81, pls send address and I’ll reimburse you for the jersey you just bought!

— Evan Moore (@evanmoore89) September 1, 2012

August 10, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) - wide receiver Nate Burleson (13) and wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-US PRESSWIRE

This preseason has been up and down in terms of overall play from the St. Louis Rams. Although little  can be drawn from the preseason in terms of how the team will play during the regular season, it is a small glance towards how individual players may look once the real games begin in September. For the most part, the offensive and defensive playbooks will stay fixed in Chapter 1, but players can still be evaluated on the basics; their chemistry within their positional unit, route running, coverage, timing, or footwork. With all the bad media surround the Rams loses to the Dallas Cowboys and the Indianapolis Colts, one would be pressured to believe that no one on the Rams has shown positive indications of progression or production. That is quite the opposite of the truth, with a number of players standing out their their individual play thus far in the preseason. Here are some players that St. Louis Rams genuinely hope will transfer their production into the regular season…

WR Danny Amendola:

We all caught a glimpse of what Amendola could be in 2010, when he paired with Bradford for a team high 85 receptions. After missed almost the entire 2011 season with a dislocated elbow and torn tricep, Amendola appears to be back to his old form, or maybe even better. In three preseason contests he has tallied 5 receptions for 68 yards and one extremely impressive touchdown. More importantly, Amendola is making those reception for an average of 13.6 yards per catch, which is far superior to the sub-10 yard per catch average from just two years ago. Amendola is getting shuffled from the slot to the outside and getting open down the field. If he can continue to do that, Bradford should pick up where he left off in 2010.

TE Lance Kendricks and  TE Michael Hoomanawanui:

Between the two, they have raked in 7 receptions for 102 yards during the first three games. That is very impressive considering they have not seen much work on the field because of the heavy rotation of offensive linemen, tight ends, and wide receivers. “Illinois Mike” was one of Bradford’s favorite targets in the red zone in 2010, but, much like Amendola, was plagued with injury in 2011. Kendricks is repeating his preseason from 2011, which did not carry over into the regular season. If Kendricks remains consistent through the rest of the preseason into the regular season and Hoomanawanui can stay healthy, this could be the Rams version of the Hernandez and Gronkowski duo in New England.

Aug 25, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dwayne Harris (17) is tackled by Sr Louis Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson (22) in the second quarter at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

CB Trumaine Johnson:

Johnson leads the Rams in tackle with 12 so far in the preseason, many of which are coming from reps at the third corner spot in the nickel package. Nickelbacks have to be solid in tackling, since they are typically locked up on a slot receiver on the inside or responsible for shallow coverages in zone. He also assisted in Matt Conrath’s first (and likely only) interception on a deflected pass.  With Fletcher missing a majority of the offseason due to injury and Josh Gordy being traded away, the Rams will need Johnson to continue to progress in the defense.

OLB Jo-Lonn Dunbar:

Coming in as the underwhelming favorite for the weakside linebacker position from New Orleans, Dunbar has made the most of the oppotunity. Dunbar has 7 tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble and is showing a lot of passion and toughness on the field. There have been countless times that Dunbar has been shown getting into an offense players face or continuing to play after the whistle, but in a good way. He is getting in the heads of the offense, and doing so in a way that gets the rest of the defense hyped up. More importantly, he is drawing line and not racking up unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. If he can continue to produce on the field and play with that chip on his shoulder, Dunbar may be the steal of free agency for the Rams.

August 18, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams place kicker Greg Zuerlein (4) is congratulated by punter Johnny Hekker (6) after kicking an extra point against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

P Johnny Hekker:

Special teams was one of the many weak points on the St. Louis Rams last season. Changing a few outcomes on special teams could have gave the Rams at least another win or two during the season. Hekker has been punting like a veteran, averaging nearly 48.6 yards per punts. However, average yards is not the key indicator of punting talents since relative field position dictates how far a punter wants to boot the ball. The real highlight is the touchback to inside-the-20 ratio, meaning how often the punter can put the opposing offense in bad starting field position versus letting them starting with the ball at the 20 yard line. Hekker has landed 4 balls inside the 20 and kicked only 1 touchback in his 10 punts this preseason. If he can continue to keep the opposing offense starting inside the 20, the defense should be able to force some bad situations that will hopefully result in turnovers.

August 18, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Isaiah Pead (24) falls into the end zone for a one yard touchdown in the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams won 31-17. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

Talk about a Jekyll and Hyde performance, the Rams’ offense totally flipped the scoreboard in their second bout of the preseason. As always, we have to take the preseason outcomes with a grain of salt, but as far as what you are looking for from your first teamers, you could not ask for a better performance. Here are a couple of players from the Rams vs. Chiefs whose performance went up or down from last week:

Sam Bradford: Up

Analysts jumped all over Sam Bradford following the Colts opener, condemning his “inaccuracy” on his two failed pass attempts. Tonight, Bradford quickly dispelled those claims with a 35 yard bomb to Danny Amendola streaking on a deep corner. Bradford finished with a solid 6 of 9 passing, for 102 and 2 touchdowns. Most impressively, those stats were compiled within the 1st Quarter!

Isaiah Pead: Down

Pead followed up his shaky performance against the Colt with a shakier performance tonight. Pead refused to hit the hole, and continued to run laterally. Marshall Faulk, who was commentating for the Rams Broadcasting Network, noted the Pead will have to learn that as a pro, he cannot outrun the defensive to the outside and there is no “reversing the field” at the NFL level. Those claimed were cleary justified in Pead’s -5 yard rushing performance on 6 attempts, including a -9 yard run where, instead of laying it down a the line of scrimmage, he attempting to break free and reverse the field. He also was underwhelming on his lone punt return, running 50 yards laterally for a 1 yard gain. Lucky, it is only Week 2 of the preseason, so hopefully Jackson can knock some sense into him.

Darryl Richardson: Up

While Pead was underwhelming in his time on the field, Richardson looked every bit the change-of-pace back that the Rams expected him to be with the 7th pick in this years draft. Richardson hit the holes well, patiently followed his blocking, and put up a solid 35 yard performance on 8 carries. Those who follow the Rams closely had been a little nervous about Richardson, with him missing significant time due to injury during camp, but it does not seem as if those fears were justified. Again, it is a preseason and he was working against second/third team talent, so we will see how he progresses with more touches throughout the next couple of games.

Austin Pettis/Steve Smith: Down

The two wide receivers that stood out in Week 1 against the Colts dropped out of the spotlight tonight against the Chiefs. Overall, there weren’t a lot of passes to go around within the crowded wide receiver field, but one reception a piece is not going to make you stand out in this crowd of receivers.

Danny Amendola/Lance Kendricks: Up

Talk about about a one-two punch at TE and WR, Amendola and Kendricks stole the show tonight with their pair of touchdowns. Amendola started off the night with a beautiful sliding catch from Bradford and ended his night with a touchdown catch in the back of the endzone, where he was forced to adjust to the ball being thrown to the back shoulder and while the defender was being called for pass interference. Kendricks built off his performance against the Colts with a spectacular 23 yard catch and run that results in a touchdown, with defender dangled from his arm as he crossed the goal line.

Tom Brandstater: Down

For a player battling for the 3rd quarterback spot, his performance was pretty underwhelming in comparison to Austin Davis. Brandstater had trouble with reading the coverage and did not handle the pressure from the defense well, ending in a couple of three-and-outs to cap off his night. Davis on the other hand, looked very comfortable in the backfield, and showed some good accuracy on his 5 of 7 passing for 70 yards.

BONUS

Greg “the Leg” Zuerlein: Up

Apparently also know as Young GZ at camp, Zuerlein made a 52 yard boom of a kick look like a chip shot. Zuerlein himself had told reporters that he had not kicked for a crowd of over 6,000 people. For anyone worried about how he would take being on the “big stage,” the yardage speaks for itself. The kicking position is the most under appreciated in the NFL. A good kicker can tack on an extra point at the end of a game and chip in some field goals if the offense fails to produce in the red zone. A great kicker can guarantee putting points on the board once you get into your 35 and make sure your defense is in good position with consistently placed touchbacks on kickoffs. It looks as if we have the latter taking the field on our special teams plays.