Marquise Brown should be Rams' stopgap solution for ravaged WR room

The Los Angeles Rams have finally made up their minds on Puka Nacua, placing the star receiver on injured reserve after all. In a corresponding pair of moves, the team signed receiver Brennan Presley from the practice squad and replaced him there with former Bears wideout Tyler Scott. 

The Philadelphia Eagles, however, may have gifted the Rams a better option. With the reported release of veteran Marquise Brown, a desperate LA receiver corps gains another potential signee. Could Brown be a boost? 

Plenty of other teams will be interested as well; Brown "is expected to land with a playoff contender," per NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The Rams recently created extra cap space by restructuring Kyren Williams' and Kam Curl's contracts. If they can make the money work with Brown, he's definitely worth a flier.

Rams should add Marquise Brown to boost gutted receiver room

Brown wasn't involved much in the Eagles' offense. In four games, he posted five catches for 63 yards and two carries for 12. 

By contrast, last season with the Chiefs the eight-year veteran supplied solid production: a 49 Rec /587 Yds/5 TD receiving line, with a 54.1 percent success rate. If Brown still has that kind of juice left, the Rams could certainly use him. 

They'll likely play at least the next two games, against the Cardinals and Packers, without Davante Adams. Head coach Sean McVay said it's "realistic" to expect Adams back by Week 13 against Kansas City. 

Nacua, meanwhile, will miss a minimum of four games on IR. That takes him until Week 15 versus Dallas. Jordan Whittingon hasn't provided much as a pass-catcher, but he is also on IR and on the same minimum timeline as Nacua. 

Brown isn't the volume threat he was during his short-lived Ravens prime, but he's still a capable target. His lack of production with the Eagles can be attributed in part to poor quarterback play. Jalen Hurts was subpar before going out with a blood clot issue; he wasn't targeting Brown anyway. Since then, it's been Tanner McKee and Joe Milton at QB.

Schultz reported of Brown's release, "both sides agreed it would be beneficial for all involved." Matthew Stafford doesn't require much time to become acquainted with veteran receivers. Brown has plenty of experience learning new systems.

He's also played six playoff games, which includes the Chiefs' 2024 Super Bowl berth. For a Rams team seeking to claw into the wildcard picture, with almost every game a must-win from here on out, that experience under pressure could help. To quote Schultz, Brown landing in LA would be "beneficial for all involved." 

Right now, the receiver room consists of Tutu Atwell, Konata Mumpfield, CJ Daniels, Xavier Smith, and Presley. McVay promised an increased role for Daniels, but thus far, only Atwell and Mumpfield have caught a pass this season. Their combined contributions: 18 catches on 36 targets for 261 yards and a touchdown. 

To put it mildly, that group needs help. Perhaps Brown can provide it.

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