Do Rams Alleviate Need For Wide Receiver By Adding Titus Young?
There goes the St. Louis Rams great need to add an impact wide receiver. Hopefully.
According to Jason La Canfora via Twitter, Jeff Fisher and co. are taking a chance on yet another NFL problem child by claiming disgruntled wide receiver Titus Young off of waivers from the Detroit Lions.
Young had a major falling out with the Lions down the stretch of the 2012 NFL season, which finally culminated in his eventual release.
The Rams are quickly becoming known for their propensity to take chances on troubled stars (rookie corner Janoris Jenkins comes to mind), but if they can help Young get back on the right track, they could not only have landed themselves a mega steal (Young has two years left on a cheap rookie deal), but they could cure their ails at the wide receiver position, as well.
Having Young in place could mean the Rams are simply a Danny Amendola signing away from not having to worry about the wide receiver position. Having some confidence in the position could allow St. Louis to steer away from trying to add an impact wide receiver in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and instead they could focus on more pressing positions like linebacker and their offensive line.
With Chris Givens proving himself as a rookie in 2012, Young and potentially Amendola would combine to give St. Louis a deadly three-receiver set, and would allow 2012 second-round pick Brian Quick to continue to develop into the player the Rams drafted him to be.
Fantasy Analysis
From a fantasy perspective, this is music to Sam Bradford’s ears, and quite possibly Young’s, as well. Young has a horrendous attitude, but claims to be more talented than former teammate Calvin Johnson. If he’s even 1/3 as talented as Megatron, Bradford is going to see a positive impact from his presence right away, and Young should see equal benefits. Young isn’t a big receiver, but he’s very quick and explosive. Should Amendola jet out of town, he’d be a candidate to man the slot and could be a major nightmare for opposing defenses. Either way, he has major upside playing on the turf in St. Louis, and that upside only increases if he ends up being a locked-in #1 or #2 wide receiver in 2013. Keep him on your radar as a potential WR2 sleeper.
