LA Rams WR Robert Woods having an under-the-radar season

It’s like Christmas in the LA Rams locker room nowadays. The Rams have added two big-name NFL stars in less than two weeks: Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller and Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., both of whom arrive at the team before the long-awaited Week 11 BYE Week.

The Rams have a lot of NFL stars on the roster now. Players who seek action, whose reputation is such that they want to be involved in game-changing plays. Now, the LA Rams coaching staff must figure out feasible methods to keep everyone involved, everyone satiated, everyone happy.

Thankfully, the Rams already have a shining example of that selfless ‘We-not-me,’ attitude in wide receiver Robert Woods. In an age where NFL betting and Fantasy Football have taken the lead in setting expectations of fans for a player, Woods is content to be the best version of himself week in and week out.

Just how good is Woods?

Woods key WR on Rams roster

Robert Woods is playing in his ninth NFL season. His first four seasons were part of the Buffalo Bills offense. While he was relatively productive in their offense, he was never truly unleashed until he signed on with the LA Rams in 2017 and earned a starting role in new head coach Sean McVay’s innovative offense.

In a similar fashion to a screw needing a screwdriver, or a nail needing a hammer, Robert Woods needed McVay’s offensive mindset to unlock everything that he can do on a football field. But make no mistake, without Woods’s versatility and ability to perform so much so well in this offense, the Rams may never have gotten off the ground.

Woods is vital to the Rams success

As his teammate Cooper Kupp is on the hunt for the NFL Triple Crown, Woods quietly does his thing. He is the team’s Steady-Freddie, the guy the team can count on each week. But not just for yards and touchdowns.

Woods is the epitome of a coach’s player. He will run decoys. He will clear out a zone for his teammate. He is a willing blocker. He is happy to line up anywhere in the offense and do whatever the team needs him to do.

Woods is on track to put up another 90 catches,1000 yards, and eight touchdowns type of season. Even as Kupp is on track to have one of those seasons rarely witnessed in the NFL, Woods is the guy who makes it all happen. And he does so willingly. He is the guy who is wise enough, savvy enough, to know his time will come. It always does and it will continue to do so.

Plan B

When Cooper Kupp injured his ACL and was lost to the team halfway through the 2018 NFL season, it was Robert Woods who stepped up and enjoyed his career-best year. 86 catches, 1,219 yards, and six touchdowns were enough to help the team to a 13-3 season and propel them to compete in Super Bowl LIII.

When Kupp was unable to go in the 2020 NFL Playoffs, Woods stepped up once more. His 12 of 18 catches for 96 yards and a touchdown helped the LA Rams advance to the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, farther than any other NFC West team, and further than expected.

In this Rams’ offense, he is the starting point of any Plan B option. He is a physical receiver who can step up to help his quarterback when the game needs an offensive hero. He doesn’t do it for the spotlight, nor for the accolades. He does it because one of his teammates needs help. Robert Woods is all about the team.

Rambassador

On each NFL team, there is one veteran player who welcomes new arrivals to the team, particularly at that position. For the LA Rams, young offensive linemen gravitate to the personable and very approachable Andrew Whitworth. For receivers, they lean on the experience of Rober Woods, and for good reason. Woods knows his stuff.

As the NFL has changed over the years, so too has the role of receivers. It’s no longer only about “run downfield 15 yards, break right, and catch the ball.” any longer. Now, receivers must know how to block, how to run, how to decoy, how to make deceptive double moves, how to get to a spot on the field at the exact right time that the football arrives, and how to shake off mistakes.

That’s a lot to learn, but it must all be mastered before the receiver gets a chance to contribute to the Rams’ offense. To get there, many young receivers rely upon Robert Woods to help them connect the dots.

Woods was there to welcome rookie Cooper Kupp in 2017. He was there for Brandin Cooks in 2018. He was there for Van Jefferson in 2020. And he will be there for Odell Beckham Jr. in 2021. In fact, he already is.

Robert Woods is a class act. He knows how it works in the NFL, and that this is the not-for-long league. He understands that Odell Beckham Jr. wants to be a star on the LA Rams offense like Cooper Kupp. He sees the promising development of young receiver Van Jefferson. And he recognizes that for each pass thrown their way, the football is not coming his way.

And yet, he still gives everything he has to ensure that his teammates succeed.

Robert Woods is the drive shaft of the LA Rams offense. He connects everything behind the offensive line to the numerous receivers who all want to catch passes. He may be hidden from view. He may not be listed in the headlines. But without him, this offense just doesn’t work. No addition changes that.

LA Rams wide receiver Robert Woods having an underestimated season. But we are honored to take a flashlight and put some eyes on what he means to the team.

Bobby Trees loves the LA Rams. Perhaps that is why so many fans love Bobby Trees.