Stedman Bailey Needs to Start at Wide Receiver

I love Stedman Bailey. He’s a hard worker, always humble, and appears to be a devoted father. That’s only half of the story though, because he has flashed some great plays over the last couple of years that prove he deserves to not only be on this roster, but should be starting for the St Louis Rams.

Bailey wasn’t always dominate in college, he started out very slow, only recording 24 catches in his freshman season. Watch the numbers jump:

Year Yds Rec TD

2010 317 24 4

2011 1279 72 12

2012 1622 114 25

Every year Stedman jumped up a considerable amount. Finishing his final season with 114 catches, 1622 yards and 25 touchdowns is very impressive. Considering this chart below, it makes me wonder why Stedman wasn’t taken until the third round.

Player: Yds Rec TD

Amari Cooper: 1727 124 16

Kevin White: 1447 109 10

Stedman Bailey: 1622 114 25

His numbers are right up there with some of the best, so why the drop to the third round? If you read his scouting report, critics praise his productivity, route running, and his catching. NFL.com also says he has a tremendous ability to create separation and catch outside of his frame.

Sound like a first round pick? It should. Given the report and numbers combined. So where did he fall? Unfortunately, just like many other players over the years, Stedman was criticized for his size. At 5’10, 200 lbs, he isn’t the biggest wide-out on the field, but as long as the production is there, should that matter? It does to coaches, which is exactly why players like Kevin white, whose numbers were not nearly as good as Baileys, get picked in the first round.

Scouts also criticized Baileys speed, which is fair. He ran a 4.52 at the forty years dash, which isn’t blazing fast, but definitely not slow either. Speed is obviously something wide receivers are known for, but let’s not forget that Andre Johnson, Reggie Wayne, and even Wes Welker haven’t been that fast in a while, yet still use their other strengths to rack up the yards.

Bailey has made two of the biggest Rams highlights last year. The first was the game punt against Seattle, catching the ball over his shoulder and running it back for a touchdown. The other was a one handed grab against Oakland that seemed to be caught effortlessly, in a game he had 100 receiving yards in the first quarter. I also call him “first down”, due to his ability to get open and catch passes for 10-15 yards.

Bailey has found himself in the news more recently for his amazing one handed catch while doing a backflip. Yes you read that right. Here’s proof:

Bailey has worked very hard, he has gotten bigger, stronger, faster, and smarter over the last two seasons. How much longer can you let this talent sit on the bench?

Bailey should start, for many reasons. He’s proved that even though he isn’t flashy or fast, he has great hands and the ability to get open by running beautiful Routes. If he can accumulate almost 500 yards in only a backup role, with a second string quarterback, imagine what he could do if on the field full time.

Next: The Rams Should Have Signed Lael Collins

More from Ramblin' Fan

Home/Rams News