Do The St. Louis Rams Need A Wide Receiver in 2015?

While the St. Louis Rams’ needs list this offseason may not be as long as it has been in the past, they do have some holes at key positions. There is no doubt that they will need to sure-up the offensive line, grab a free safety, and then possibly get a linebacker.

One need that may not be on that list that has been so prevalent in the past, is wide receiver. For the first time since 2008, the Rams had a receiver put up more than 700 yards in Kenny Britt.

With receivers such as Alabama’s Amari Cooper and Louisville’s DaVante Parker possibly being available for the Rams to take with the tenth overall pick, should the Rams be considering them over a position of need such as offensive line?

While the Rams did have the 28th ranked offense in 2014, a lot of that can be put on the Rams dealing with a backup quarterback for the entire season. The offense certainly did not lack the weapons to put up numbers.

Prior to getting injured in week eight against the Kansas City Chiefs, wide receiver Brian Quick was on pace for almost 1,000 yards. Stedman Bailey proved that he can be a number two receiver and Tavon Austin started to find his role in the offense.

Thats not to mention the Rams’ tight ends Jared Cook and Lance Kendricks, or running backs Tre Mason and Benny Cunningham.

The Rams did fail to have a 1,000 yard receiver for the seventh consecutive season, but as mentioned earlier, thats more because of the quarterback than the receivers themselves.

Aside from Tavon Austin, among wide receivers with at least 350 snaps, all the Rams’ receivers ranked in the top 50 on Pro Football Focus(Quick, Britt, Bailey).

Meanwhile, both Austin Davis and Shaun Hill ranked in the bottom 15 on Pro Football Focus among the league’s 39 quarterbacks who took at least 25% of their respective team’s snaps.

To get a receiver like Cooper or Parker would be nice for the Rams, but doing so would mean essentially giving up on a player like Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, or Brian Quick, all of which of showed flashes of playmaking ability.

The only way the Rams could go after one of those two players is if Kenny Britt doesn’t re-sign with the team which is highly unlikely. After leading the team in receiving in 2014, and 28 yards away from career high numbers, Britt has voiced that he definitely wants to come back to St. Louis, and Id presume that the feeling is mutual.

From what we’ve seen out of Britt, it is only the beginning. With a capable starting quarterback, there is no saying what he could do.

When it comes to receivers one through four, the Rams are set with Britt, Quick, Austin, and Bailey. It’s receive number five and six that is the problem. Chris Givens has basically fell off a cliff since his rookie year with his numbers and snaps declining in 2013 and 2014.

The Rams dont need a number one receiver, they need depth on the back end. To say the Rams should draft a guy like Cooper or Parker is to say that you are giving up on Quick, Austin, or Bailey which we absolutely should not be doing.

For the last seven years, Rams fans have been begging for a wide receiver in the first round, last season it was Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans. The Rams may need a wide receiver in 2015, but for the first time in a long time, they will not need to draft one in the first round.