LA Rams betting WR Josh Reynolds’ contract year is career best

The LA Rams have continued to bury WR Josh Reynolds on their depth chart, but now the team is betting his contract year is his career-best

The LA Rams have migrated into new territory for their offense. For the first time in his head coaching career, Sean McVay will not be able to call running back Todd Gurley‘s number on offense. Nor will he be able to call a deep route to wide receiver Brandin Cooks. While the LA Rams sort out who will carry the ball, the team has a receiver on the roster waiting for his chance to shine: Wide receiver Josh Reynolds.

Reynolds is entering his fourth NFL season and has been struggling to move up in the team’s depth chart. At first, he was too inexperienced. Immediately thereafter, the Rams had traded significant assets, a 2019 first and sixth-round picks, acquire WR Branding Cooks. Through it all, Reynolds remained a rotational player, stepping up when both Cooper Kupp was injured in 2018, and when Cooks was injured in 2019.

Now entering his contract year, the LA Rams seem to have gambled that this year will be his career-best. And they may likely be correct. After all, even as the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart, Reynolds has seen action in 1,370 offensive plays, out of a possible 3,100. He’s also been active on special teams as well. During that span, he’s been active in all 48 possible games, and the named starter 11 times.  Of 120 targets, he has caught 61 passes for an impressive 832 yards and seven touchdowns.

Look for those career numbers to nearly double this year.

Reynolds is a gazelle. Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing in at just under 200-pounds, he is the tallest of the Rams receivers. His long strides chew up the yards quickly, and as such he was hoped to stretch the field as Cooks struggled to remain on the field. He was touted as great depth and insurance for the Rams in training camp, and again when the 2019 NFL season began.

Even if the LA Rams draft a wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft (they can and will at virtually any round in this draft), it will take time for a rookie to integrate into the Rams routes and offense. While the Rams and rookies are making introductions, Reynolds will be ready to rip through some defenses.

The Rams offense is undergoing a facelift right now. Gone are Cooks and running back Todd Gurley. In their place, new stars must emerge for the team, and Reynolds is certainly prepared to do so.  A fourth-round addition in the 2017 NFL Draft, this is the year that he must show up and claim his NFL spotlight.

He’ll do well for the Rams this year. Not because he has some pent-up stardom that will be unleashed upon the NFL. Not because he is all about that money year. Simply because he is a hard-working player who now has the attention of the offensive coaches who will plan and scheme for his success this year. The Rams will need him to show up in 2020. And he will, in a very big way.