Rams sign WR/KR Diontae Spencer/TST

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Rams sign WR/KR Diontae Spencer

By Ryan Van Bibber @justRVB on May 27 2014, 3:43p 3

http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2014/5/27/5755500/rams-sign-diontae-spencer

Don't blink, or you might miss him when he runs by.

The St. Louis Rams added another receiver late last week, adding McNeese State wide receiver Diontae Spencer to the 90-man roster.

Spencer isn't a name you probably heard of until now. McNeese State is a small FCS school in Lake Charles, La., the kind of place where it can be hard for a player to catch his share of attention. But Spencer put himself on the radar with an outstanding pro day workout in April. He burned up the track with recorded 40 times as low as 4.27 seconds. That would have been the second fastest time at the Combine, but Spencer didn't get an invite to the underwear Olympics in Indianapolis this year.

The 5'9, 161-pound receiver also had a 40-inch vertical, which is really impressive (Tavon Austin had a 32-inch vertical at the Combine last year).

Chicago signed Spencer as an undrafted rookie free agent the day after the draft. They released him less than a week later. The Giants and Jaguars also showed some interest in Spencer prior to the Draft.

Spencer's speed served him well on special teams during his college playing days. He shattered records in a 69-38 win over Stephen F. Austin last November with 365 all purpose yards. He returned two kick offs and a punt return for touchdowns. He also caught seven passes for 152 yards in that outing.

The Rams' return game got better with Tavon Austin returning punts. Throwing a dynamic kick returner into the mix could really beef things up for the Rams. Spencer is a long shot to make the team, but he already looks like one of the more exciting players to watch in camp this year.

Watch Spencer's Highlight Tape
 
Smart move, Austin's a great returner, but we don't want him on the field too much. It'd be a serious hit to our offense if he were to take a wrong hit in a return and get injured. Having a very good return specialist platooning with him is a great idea.
 
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Seems like a very athletic dude. I think he would make a great return man, especially since we haven't had much stability there in awhile.
 
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5'9 161 is smaller than Tavon , no?
 
RhodyRams said:
5'9 161 is smaller than Tavon , no?
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About the same height, but 15 pounds lighter. In the NFL, 15 pounds is a big difference. People have concerns about Tavon, but this guy basically is paper. He needs a lot of weight room work. Like his ability on the field though.
 
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HometownBoy said:
Smart move, Austin's a great returner, but we don't want him on the field too much. It'd be a serious hit to our offense if he were to take a wrong hit in a return and get injured. Having a very good return specialist platooning with him is a great idea.
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Then why did the Rams spend so much to get him? He isn't a #1 type WR so the pick was justified by so many because of how dynamic he is, not only in the passing and running game, but also the return game. If you take the return game out, his value is diminished.
 
Interesting but long odds. Too light and doesn't avoid the hits like TA does so well.
 
Doubt this guy makes the roster, but if he did he would probably return kicks with Austin. Austin would be returning punts. He would also be a back up to Austin in case he got injured I suppose. Would have to be good on special teams also.
 
V3 said:
Then why did the Rams spend so much to get him? He isn't a #1 type WR so the pick was justified by so many because of how dynamic he is, not only in the passing and running game, but also the return game. If you take the return game out, his value is diminished.
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There's a stark difference between having him on the field a lot and too much. I'm not saying his role should be diminished or be overtaken, but with how integral he is to our offense he can't be allowed to be the only guy capable of being a difference out there. That's what happened last year, and he ran into trouble with his ankle injury.

His value won't be diminished by having somebody who can come and provide support for him so he's not running himself right to the DL.
 
He's brought in as a camp body and push guys like Greg Reid and Lamarcus Joyner as return men. And it's good for ST's practice to chase lightning in a bottle.
 
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