Web Search powered by YAHOO! SEARCH
04.27.2008 10:04 am

Panning Donnie Avery

  • Email this
  • Print this

Scouts Inc. summed up the conventional wisdom on the Rams second-round pick “This is a substantial reach in our opinion. There’s a lot to like about Avery’s speed and he’s a big-play threat whether he’s catching the ball down field, running after the catch or in the return game. However, he’s an undersized receiver who’s going to get pushed around and doesn’t appear comfortable going over the middle. Finally, he has a lot of work to do to improve his route running.”

The Rams staff believes he is sturdy enough to line up wide, but we’ll see.

Dave Richard of CBSSports.com had this take: “This pick baffles me. It’s a total shock that the Rams would pass on Devin Thomas or Limas Sweed and go with Avery instead, even over DeSean Jackson. Avery is a pure speed receiver with lacking size (5-foot-11) and weight (192 pounds). He ran a 4.4 at the Combine, and the Rams obviously see him fitting into a deep-threat route to complement the possession receiving role of Drew Bennett and the all-around role of Torry Holt. Avery will also work on special teams.”

That 4.4 came with a sore hammy, He is really a 4.3 guy, which is just what the Rams need..

12 comments

Comments are closed.

Linehan - just after stepping off the short bus - says he likes Avery’s YAC. Obvious joke here - This makes me want to yack…

writing from Houston - there are a lot of Avery fans here and rightfully so but all but the biggest homers will tell you they’re shocked to see him go at 33. With all the needs that the Rams have to reach for this guy here is down right stupid. Linehan will be packed off on that short bus to special camp before the year is over.

by the way, Avery’s YAC was made up of a lot of break away bomb type runs. he’d beat a 5′8″ corner on a post and run the remaining 40 yds into the end zone. When he catches short (never over the middle) passes he can be taken down with a one arm tackle. he played in an inferior league and exploited them solely with his speed.

— KMac
10:12 am April 27th, 2008

Agreed. This was a totally foolish pick. Clearly this organization (Little-Hand and DeVained) get all a twitter over players because of things other than their skills. They gush over Chris Long’s “personality” and his Daddy. Fine, but I wonder how well he will impact the league compared to Dorsey. Avery is “FAST” but can’t do anything else very well. HOW PATHETIC! This team is headed to a poor season again. If so, I hope it’s truly the end of Linehan. And if this is what we are getting with Devaney then send him packing too.

— Mark
11:39 am April 27th, 2008

Nice video clips of Avery flying by the defenders. Looks like they are all against the same team, St. Mary’s Aquinas Girls School for the Blind.

— Drew Ramfan
3:16 pm April 27th, 2008

Look up clips of Avery laying out for a catch, pulling in a pass in traffic and putting moves on defenders on youtube. From what I heard he was on the Niners radar and Martz wanted him. He wouldn’t have lasted long enough for the Rams to get him later. He may not have been a big name but he was productive, has good hands, gets open and can return kicks. You want a tough runner after the catch? Is that what you’d call Holt?

— Jim
6:13 pm April 27th, 2008

Do a little research fellas! Avery was the best package at receiver. He broke his own record for Tot yards in a game twice. He is a major run after the catch guy. Look at the hihlights he was not catching deep bombs he was being used in the screen game and setting up run after catch opportunitie, sort of like carolina uses Steve Smith. He needs alot of work on his routes, but Ellard will handle that. Plus he gives u more value in the return game. They say he’s small at 5-11 192, but Holt is 6′ 196. So he could be alright.

— Cleo Burnett
7:46 pm April 27th, 2008

Everyone needs to chill…if Kelly, Thomas, & Sweed were so much more valuable, (according to Mel and other, “experts”) why did 9 other NFL teams pass on the so call top available receivers in this years very poor draft class. Give the kid a chance.

— ramfannhouston
8:35 am April 28th, 2008

Thats some bullshit

— Darnell Jone
2:43 pm April 28th, 2008

I am tired of defending linehan to my friends. His problem drafting is he thinks he is another bill walsh, who could pick players nobody heard of and they would be solid players. or could trade up and down in a draft, get extra picks, and come up with a slew of solid players. AVERY COULD HAVE BEEN HAD IN THE 4TH ROUND. What a moron you are linehan. and GORDO… you are starting to become a homer…the league is littered every year with wr’s and cb’s who run 4.3, but CANT PLAY FOOTBALL.

— DorianGraysBlues
2:06 am April 29th, 2008

dynamite comes in small packages, people said the same about jerry rice, im not saying this kid is going to be the next coming of rice,but give him a chance! alot of guys where pegged as cant miss, and really sucked! until any of these picks gets in real action you simply dont know!

— tropiclightning1989
5:01 pm May 23rd, 2008

It is funny how so many people get caught up in the hype of sports commentating that they do not do the research themselves. Simply put I had a Draft party with 18 friends and myself. We all had our ideas of who was going where and why, and I was the odd man out.

I simply said, Donnie Avery is under the radar on t.v. and online. I see him going to the Rams due to the need of speed and injury related problems on offense. They need speed up the pace of the game and what better way than to go with someone who is mature (23 has a family yet still plays with intensity not to be distracted.) No off the field problems which so many of the others are plagued with, and he is the type of player who wants to do more than what is asked of him. When he was interviewed they even asked him what if he doesn’t get to start at WR, he said he then wants to be on EVERY special team.

And they say he ran 4.4, well on pro day he ran 4.29-40 and when he ran the 4.3-4.4 times he ran with a pulled hamstring. Taking him at pick 33 may seem a stretch, but not when you are sure the next time your up to pick he won’t be there.

When I said all this to my friends I was a laughing stock. Everyone claimed the Titans would grab Sweed and that a list of about 15 other WR’s would come off the board before him. Most of which they thought would go in the first round.

Did I think Avery would be the first WR off the board? No
Did I think he would land in the 2nd round? Yes
Why? Because if I can see the upside to this prospect not having access to all his film and a scouting agency to boot, then I am dang sure someone else saw him to. He simply passed under the radar of the average NFL.com user.

Just to throw another small school prospect out there I say in the long run Joe Flacco goes to the Hall of Fame. Why do I call this outrageous prediction? He is a side arm QB who is 6′7 so he doesn’t have the problem of getting the ball over the O-Line like most do, he plays faster than his 40 time suggests and he uses his leg to buy him more time for throws instead of rushing yardage. Not to mention unlike nearly all side arm QB’s,
he can throw the deep ball! That just shouldn’t be, but it is. Not to mention he came from the same school as my favorite NFL player of all time who also played QB and was a Side Arm passer. You guessed it Rich Gannon the Cannon!!! *mild applause* Joe Flacco will get the chance Gannon never truly had until the end of his career which is a team and coach who will put their reputation on the line for him. Gannon didn’t get that till
John Gruden.

But that is enough banter from me, Donnie Avery will be a great WR in my opinion take it or leave it, but when Holt is gone (my favorite WR ever), Donnie Avery will take his spot at #1. I’M OUT!

— Striker
6:46 pm June 4th, 2008

Pages: [1] 2 » Show All