Player Spotlight: Jared Cook, TE, St. Louis Rams (1 Viewer)

[Jason Wood]

2013 Player Spotlight Series

One of Footballguys best assets is our message board community. The Shark Pool is, in our view, the best place on the internet to discuss, debate and analyze all things fantasy football. In what's become an annual tradition, the Player Spotlight series is a key part of the preseason efforts. As many of you know, we consider the Player Spotlight threads the permanent record for analyzing the fantasy prospects of the player in question. This year, we plan to publish more than 140 offensive spotlights covering the vast majority of expected skill position starters.

As always we will post a list of players to be discussed each week. Those threads will remain open for the entire preseason, and should be a central point to discuss expectations for the player in question. Importantly, analysis done in the first week of posting will be part of the permanent record in two ways. 1) At the end of the week, we will tally the projections into a consensus. 2) We will select a number of pull quotes from forum contributors who make a compelling statement or observation. Both the projections and pull quotes will be part of a published article on the main website.

Thread Topic: Jared Cook, TE, St. Louis Rams

Player Page Link: Jared Cook Player Page

Each article will include:

• Detailed viewpoint from a Footballguys staff member
• Highlighted member commentary from the message board threads
• FBG Projections
• Consensus Member Projections
  

The Rules

In order for this thread to provide maximum value, we ask that you follow a few simple guidelines:

• Focus commentary on the player (or players) in question, and your expectations for said player (or players)
• Back up your expectations in whatever manner you deem appropriate; avoid posts that simply say "I hate him" or "He's the best"
• Avoid redundancies or ... this should be about incremental analysis or debate
  

While not a requirement, we strongly encourage you to provide your own projections for the player (players):

Projections should include:

• For QBs: Attempts, Completions, Passing Yards, Passing TDs, Ints, Rush Attempts, Rush Yards, Rush TDs
• For RBs: Rushes, Rushing Yards, Rush TDs, Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDs
• For WRs & TEs: Receptions, Receiving Yards, Receiving TDs
  

Now let's get on with the conversation! We look forward to your contributions and let me offer a personal thanks in anticipation of the great debate and analysis.

 

[Evil G]

My thoughts for Cook are somewhere around:

60 for 800 and 6. Very startable (finally) if you don't have one of the top three.

I think that he could exceed these numbers because he is physically very talented, and St Louis has some receiving talent to keep defenders guessing. With the Rams RB situation cloudy to say the least, I think it safe to say Bradford will finally earn his bread with the pass, at the least in the early weeks of the season, where he'll have a great chance to establish a rapport with his new TE. Now or never, Sam !

They paid Cook to do something good and I think he's gonna do it.

I traded him in one league and hold him in another, so I suppose I have a mixture of doubt and hope.

 

[Rhythmdoctor]

As much as I want to see Cook finally deliver on all his potential, I have a hard time being confident in his new situation. So far, Bradford has not shown me that he's a TE-thrower. I think some QBs naturally prefer WRs while others prefer the TE. The elite QBs will literally throw to whomever is open and therefore, usually allow their TEs to be fantasty worthy, no matter what. Bradford has demonstrated to me, that he does not look for his TE enough to matter.

There are also some coaches who setup draw up TE specific plays while others, like Martz, who avoid the position for the most part. Fisher nor Schottenheimer has shown to particularly favor TEs. Wycheck had some decent years but never elite and never many TDs. I think his success was more a product of McNair's style of play than Fisher calling TE-specific plays.

So when I view Cook, I don't see a TE-throwing QB nor do I really see a TE-favoring coach/coordinator in Fisher or Shotty. As always, I'm not saying he can't become a fantasy elite TE, but I'm not trusting or liking this new situation very much.

I don't see Cook making any of my rosters in 2013 because someone else will have him ranked higher than I.

 

[Bri]

1000 yards 10 TDs roughly 70 catches

Bradford threw oh so nicely to Gresham in college, threw well to the TE in all those pre-draft games and then he hit the Rams. The Rams have failed to draft a top TE and everyone plugged in there has been meh.

Vince Young, Locker, new offenses....Cook had a lot of excuses in Tennessee. Bradford will flat out put the ball there so those excuses are over with.

I think the "millions" of passes Bradford threw to the slot, since he first came into the league, head Cook's way.

Fisher loved Cook as a prospect but (like many veteran coaches) wanted him to learn to block well first. Fisher thought Cook's speed in the open field would set CJ and WRs free and be an extra blocker team's simply don't normally have downfield. Cook was either faster or bigger than everyone in college and wound up being a more raw prospect than the Titans expected. He never seemed to "get it" til midway through a season, then suddenly he was a gem or reminding us of his wealth of talent. The next year...same thing with early struggles and...it was frustrating.

I believe he is quite literally Fisher's unfinished project and the project is near completion.

I don't see him going from being the guy whining a ball was overthrown to the guy whining the ball hit his hands. I foresee him maturing and the confidence in Bradford will change him. TEs catch a lot of balls in traffic-this is considerable.

I don't know that he'll be consistent yet. We may see 150 yards then 20 yards the next week. Few TEs have his big play ability. I think CJ and Britt's big plays overshadowed this some from the fans, Cook can flat out fly when he wants to. If I was to give him 6 or 700 and add some big plays...I think 1000 is doable, it's the consistency that is a concern. He can't get you 2.0 points while your opponent gets 16 from his TE. I'm not confident in him for FF, but if he's there and I'm secure on draft day, I am keeping him away from my opponents.

Cook is the Rams problem now. The sky is the limit with this guy as a receiver or he completely whiffs on a block and Bradford gets thrown to the ground. He absolutely can be that downfield blocker and has done it a handful of times. It's such an underrated value we never discuss. Basically he has the ability to be "that guy" on the ESPN highlight reels that comes from out of the picture to lay an awesome block. Munchak (one of the best teachers the NFL has ever had teach blocking) taught Cook oh so well about downfield blocking. I'm pointing it out here. People are likely to be like huh? and then during the season their jaw will drop....such an underrated quality.

Also though, you are likely to watch a replay where you can see Cook put a devastating block on a Safety 10-15 yards downfield, while the DE he was supposed to block first is sitting on top of the RB like a big brother in a playground.

He is as frustrating as he is talented. Good luck to you Rams fans

 

[Holy Schneikes]

I was thinking about this the other day. I think Cook has a big problem. He's a TE, but the vast majority of his production last year came out of playing the slot. Think he's going to be playing in the slot a lot over the next couple of years? I don't.

STL has a promising Givens on the outside with Quick likely manning the other side. They claim Austin will be moved around, but let's face it - the guy is a slot receiver.

Then there is Kendricks. He's a better blocker than Cook by all accounts, so in one TE sets (which I would think would be fairly common), he's going to get his share of reps. So where is Cook's production coming from?

Cook was brought in to play the slot. He could have made some noise there, and I was looking to acquire him. But now? I'm just not seeing it.

 

[Bri]

I was thinking about this the other day. I think Cook has a big problem. He's a TE, but the vast majority of his production last year came out of playing the slot. Think he's going to be playing in the slot a lot over the next couple of years? I don't.

STL has a promising Givens on the outside with Quick likely manning the other side. They claim Austin will be moved around, but let's face it - the guy is a slot receiver.

Then there is Kendricks. He's a better blocker than Cook by all accounts, so in one TE sets (which I would think would be fairly common), he's going to get his share of reps. So where is Cook's production coming from?

Cook was brought in to play the slot. He could have made some noise there, and I was looking to acquire him. But now? I'm just not seeing it.

I am afraid Quick will need another year to develop. He looked real uncomfy and out of sorts at times last year.

 

[msommer]

Perennial tease...

55 rec 575 yards 4 tds

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

They're paying him 7m/year to do something.

 

[Holy Schneikes]

I was thinking about this the other day. I think Cook has a big problem. He's a TE, but the vast majority of his production last year came out of playing the slot. Think he's going to be playing in the slot a lot over the next couple of years? I don't.

STL has a promising Givens on the outside with Quick likely manning the other side. They claim Austin will be moved around, but let's face it - the guy is a slot receiver.

Then there is Kendricks. He's a better blocker than Cook by all accounts, so in one TE sets (which I would think would be fairly common), he's going to get his share of reps. So where is Cook's production coming from?

Cook was brought in to play the slot. He could have made some noise there, and I was looking to acquire him. But now? I'm just not seeing it.

I am afraid Quick will need another year to develop. He looked real uncomfy and out of sorts at times last year.

OK, so what then? Givens outside, Austin outside, Cook in the slot? If so, that would be great. But I have trouble imagining a 172 pound guy playing outside full time. Maybe Pettis or Bailey will play wide who knows.But the bottom line is this:

No matter who is playing outside, there are only going to be so many slot reps to go around. Austin is going to take the lion's share. Then Givens and Bailey and even Kendricks are more than capable of taking slot reps. That just isn't going to leave a lot for Cook. So either he will have to start being productive as an actual inline TE (where Kendricks is solid already), or he's not going to be a full (or nearly full) time player.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

I think you're overrating at least two of Quick, Givens and Kendrick -- possibly all three.There's no way to tell how it will shake out, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being Austin in the slot and Givens in a Devrey Henderson role. With the #1 spot remaining a work in progress.But IMO the Rams have already made clear that one guy will be on the field though, and that's Cook. You don't sign a FA to a huge contract unless you've got a plan to use him. 65-715-5, TE 8-12.

 

[cstu]

I think you're overrating at least two of Quick, Givens and Kendrick -- possibly all three.There's no way to tell how it will shake out, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being Austin in the slot and Givens in a Devrey Henderson role. With the #1 spot remaining a work in progress.But IMO the Rams have already made clear that one guy will be on the field though, and that's Cook. You don't sign a FA to a huge contract unless you've got a plan to use him. 65-715-5, TE 8-12.

There's two guys guaranteed to be a big part of the offense - Cook and Austin. The Rams gave up a ton (money/picks) to get them for a reason. After them it's wide open.

 

[Bri]

I was thinking about this the other day. I think Cook has a big problem. He's a TE, but the vast majority of his production last year came out of playing the slot. Think he's going to be playing in the slot a lot over the next couple of years? I don't.

STL has a promising Givens on the outside with Quick likely manning the other side. They claim Austin will be moved around, but let's face it - the guy is a slot receiver.

Then there is Kendricks. He's a better blocker than Cook by all accounts, so in one TE sets (which I would think would be fairly common), he's going to get his share of reps. So where is Cook's production coming from?

Cook was brought in to play the slot. He could have made some noise there, and I was looking to acquire him. But now? I'm just not seeing it.

I am afraid Quick will need another year to develop. He looked real uncomfy and out of sorts at times last year.

OK, so what then? Givens outside, Austin outside, Cook in the slot? If so, that would be great. But I have trouble imagining a 172 pound guy playing outside full time. Maybe Pettis or Bailey will play wide who knows.

But the bottom line is this:

No matter who is playing outside, there are only going to be so many slot reps to go around. Austin is going to take the lion's share. Then Givens and Bailey and even Kendricks are more than capable of taking slot reps. That just isn't going to leave a lot for Cook. So either he will have to start being productive as an actual inline TE (where Kendricks is solid already), or he's not going to be a full (or nearly full) time player.

Maybe like San Fran they have to bring someone in?

I don't know. You bring up a great point that Quick almost has to play well now because the other options aren't much.

 

[Holy Schneikes]

I think you're overrating at least two of Quick, Givens and Kendrick -- possibly all three.There's no way to tell how it will shake out, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being Austin in the slot and Givens in a Devrey Henderson role. With the #1 spot remaining a work in progress.But IMO the Rams have already made clear that one guy will be on the field though, and that's Cook. You don't sign a FA to a huge contract unless you've got a plan to use him. 65-715-5, TE 8-12.

So where will he be playing? I'm not saying they aren't going to use him. I'm saying they aren't going to use him all that much in the slot. Who the outside guys are and whether they are good or bad doesn't matter that much. Cook works best in the slot. Nearly all of the high-scoring TEs play a lot in the slot. But Austin will play most of his reps in the slot. Something has to give.

Marcedes Lewis and Zach Miller were signed to big contracts too. I'm sure their teams had big plans for them.

 

[donkshow]

I think you're overrating at least two of Quick, Givens and Kendrick -- possibly all three.There's no way to tell how it will shake out, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being Austin in the slot and Givens in a Devrey Henderson role. With the #1 spot remaining a work in progress.But IMO the Rams have already made clear that one guy will be on the field though, and that's Cook. You don't sign a FA to a huge contract unless you've got a plan to use him. 65-715-5, TE 8-12.

There's two guys guaranteed to be a big part of the offense - Cook and Austin. The Rams gave up a ton (money/picks) to get them for a reason. After them it's wide open.

That's what I'm thinking, too.

 

[Zdravko]

I am buying. I think the floor is borderline TE1 numbers - 60 receptions, 5 TDs, 700 yards. Upside is considerable - if the Rams passing game is clicking, I can see Cook posting better PPR numbers than one of Hernandez / Gonzo / Witten.

Don't think there is much doubt about his role. Cook should be on the field for the vast majoriy of snaps. He never impressed as a blocker, yet the Rams paid him a ton of money. You don't do that unless you plan to use the guy for what he is good at - a beastly moving mismatch. The departure of Amendola from the slot and the lack of viable WR beyond Austin definitely helps. Bradford's already discussed natural QB tendencies (dating back to Bradford-to-Gresham) should also push Cook's fantasy numbers. The only obstacle I can see is the occassional poutyness he showed in Tennessee, but frankly I am not too concerned. IIRC, Cook complained a few times about being used as a blocker too much, which shouldnt be a problem here.

Overall, I am buying and hoping to snag Cook around TE10 in redraft but suspect might have missed the train. A good predictor of coming August hype is off-season dynasty dynamics. I haven't seen any Cook trades, but all my attempts to get him were shot down with steep counters. In one dynasty, offered Greg Olsen or Vernon Davis (pre-Crabtree injury, though) straight up, got rejected both times. In another, offered Dennis Pitta for Cook + 2014 2nd, the owner said he would "think about it" as straight up only. So I think there is a good chance the kool-aid starts flowing around pre-season. Looking back at how another freakishly built TE's value got hyped up a few off-seasons ago, you might have to take Cook at TE 6-7 in redraft to be safe.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

Overall, I am buying and hoping to snag Cook around TE10 in redraft but suspect might have missed the train. A good predictor of coming August hype is off-season dynasty dynamics. I haven't seen any Cook trades, but all my attempts to get him were shot down with steep counters. In one dynasty, offered Greg Olsen or Vernon Davis (pre-Crabtree injury, though) straight up, got rejected both times. In another, offered Dennis Pitta for Cook + 2014 2nd, the owner said he would "think about it" as straight up only. So I think there is a good chance the kool-aid starts flowing around pre-season. Looking back at how another freakishly built TE's value got hyped up a few off-seasons ago, you might have to take Cook at TE 6-7 in redraft to be safe.

But why on Earth would you?

I'm of the firm belief this year that once the top 5 TE go off the board, anyone selecting anyone at TE6-7 is taking too much risk for not enough upside. Whether that TE6 is a known second-tier producer (e.g. Olsen, Pitta), a young guy with potential but not a long performance history (e.g. Cook, Rudolph), or a guy whose best days are behind him (e.g. Daniels, Gates), you're very likely to be able to get nearly that level of production, or more, out of TE12-14 at a significantly lower cost.

There's no doubt Cook has the physical attributes to be a top 5 TE. There's no doubt he's in a better situation with the Rams than he was with the Titans. And there's no doubt with the size of the contract he received that he'll be given every opportunity to prove his value this year. If he breaks out and becomes a perennial TE1 starting this year, it wouldn't completely shock me.

But I still think at the end of the season his owners will be looking back at some total of mid double-digit receptions / high triple-digit yards / mid single-digit TD's and muttering, "Man, if only I'd passed on Cook and settled for a guy like (Pitta, Bennett, Myers) I could have had the same numbers and gotten that (2nd RB, 3rd WR, better QB) that stood between me and the title." If he falls to me at TE12-14, great, I'll jump on him with both feet. Otherwise, I'm happy with the best of whomever's left in those slots.

Projection: 14 GP, 63 rec, 797 yds (12.7 avg), 6 TD

 

[msommer]

I think you're overrating at least two of Quick, Givens and Kendrick -- possibly all three.There's no way to tell how it will shake out, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ended up being Austin in the slot and Givens in a Devrey Henderson role. With the #1 spot remaining a work in progress.But IMO the Rams have already made clear that one guy will be on the field though, and that's Cook. You don't sign a FA to a huge contract unless you've got a plan to use him. 65-715-5, TE 8-12.

There's two guys guaranteed to be a big part of the offense - Cook and Austin. The Rams gave up a ton (money/picks) to get them for a reason. After them it's wide open.

I took a look at Cook's contract

2013 SB $5m, base salary guaranteed $3m

2014 Roster bonus $3m, base salary guaranteed $3m

2015 Base salary $7m (of which 5m guaranteed)

2016 Base salary $7m (no guarantees)

2017 Base Salary $7.1m (nothing guaranteed)

So if the Rams do not get what they wanted in 2013 they can cut him and pay him 8 million before the roster bonus is due (the cap hit would then be 11m). Expensive for a one year rental, yes, but hardly crippling to a franchise.

They can cut him after 2014 and still owe him 5m - and the cap hit will be 8m in 2015.

All things point to them wanting to use him better and differently than the Titans did. But is he capable of that? Time will tell, I would like to see more production before I anoint him the next big thing at TE - remember Finley?

 

[Zdravko]

I do have to say.....your own ppg projection puts Cook as TE7 last year by a wide margin in standard PPR leagues. And that's with Heath Miller in the top-6!!

Anyway, I am on the fence about TE6-7 status. But I do recognize that the driver for most FF owners that choose to go for Cook is the magnitude of the upside, relative to other options in that TE range. From the other guys, Gates and Daniels have practically no upside, neither will blow up week-to-week. Olsen also likely won't post better stats with Chud gone. Pitta might be huge in PPR if he takes the Boldin targets (which is why I hesitate on straight-up swap Pitta for Cook), but that's far from certain and I am wary of a now-healthy Ed Dickson taking away just enough to hurt. So, bottomline, I can see why if you are shooting for the stars, Cook is your best bet after the top-5. His floor is probably slightly lower than Pitta and Rudolph, but in line with TE8 and beyond. Add the upside factor and I think Cook is fair consideration at the same spot as Pitta and Rudolph.

 

[UKColt]

Overall, I am buying and hoping to snag Cook around TE10 in redraft but suspect might have missed the train. A good predictor of coming August hype is off-season dynasty dynamics. I haven't seen any Cook trades, but all my attempts to get him were shot down with steep counters. In one dynasty, offered Greg Olsen or Vernon Davis (pre-Crabtree injury, though) straight up, got rejected both times. In another, offered Dennis Pitta for Cook + 2014 2nd, the owner said he would "think about it" as straight up only. So I think there is a good chance the kool-aid starts flowing around pre-season. Looking back at how another freakishly built TE's value got hyped up a few off-seasons ago, you might have to take Cook at TE 6-7 in redraft to be safe.

But why on Earth would you?

I'm of the firm belief this year that once the top 5 TE go off the board, anyone selecting anyone at TE6-7 is taking too much risk for not enough upside. Whether that TE6 is a known second-tier producer (e.g. Olsen, Pitta), a young guy with potential but not a long performance history (e.g. Cook, Rudolph), or a guy whose best days are behind him (e.g. Daniels, Gates), you're very likely to be able to get nearly that level of production, or more, out of TE12-14 at a significantly lower cost.

There's no doubt Cook has the physical attributes to be a top 5 TE. There's no doubt he's in a better situation with the Rams than he was with the Titans. And there's no doubt with the size of the contract he received that he'll be given every opportunity to prove his value this year. If he breaks out and becomes a perennial TE1 starting this year, it wouldn't completely shock me.

But I still think at the end of the season his owners will be looking back at some total of mid double-digit receptions / high triple-digit yards / mid single-digit TD's and muttering, "Man, if only I'd passed on Cook and settled for a guy like (Pitta, Bennett, Myers) I could have had the same numbers and gotten that (2nd RB, 3rd WR, better QB) that stood between me and the title." If he falls to me at TE12-14, great, I'll jump on him with both feet. Otherwise, I'm happy with the best of whomever's left in those slots.

Projection: 14 GP, 63 rec, 797 yds (12.7 avg), 6 TD

If I miss on the top 5 TEs by the end of the 6th round, I'm waiting till alot later to grab one.

 

[donkshow]

If I miss on the top 5 TEs by the end of the 6th round, I'm waiting till alot later to grab one.

Agreed, however everybody keeps saying Top 5 TE. Am I the only one with a clear Top 6? Graham, Gronk, Hernandez, Witten, Gonzalez, Davis.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

I do have to say.....your own ppg projection puts Cook as TE7 last year by a wide margin in standard PPR leagues. And that's with Heath Miller in the top-6!!

This is true. And I wouldn't be totally shocked by even higher numbers than my projection, either. But a fair number of things have to go right for Cook to reach top 5-6 production. It's certainly not hard to imagine him putting up 45 / 500 / 4 either - given that's basically what he did last year and the Rams will have more potential (albeit unproven) weapons in the passing game, and not a much better QB, than the Titans. I understand people wanting to jump on Cook because of his breakout potential, but if your realistic ceiling is TE5 and your floor could be TE20, paying TE6 prices is kinda silly.

 

[Zdravko]

I think your projection is just about right.

However, I don't agree with the floor estimate = his last performance in TEN. If we all agree the move to STL is an improvement on three dimensions (non-blocker usage, much better QB, only one WR ahead in the pecking order), then we gotta raise the floor a bit - if not a lot - compared to last year.

So, given that discussion, which TEs do you draft before Cook? The top-5, plus now Vernon Davis, plus maybe Dennis Pitta if you prefer it safer, but I think that's it. Gates, Daniels. Rudolph, Olsen all would have a slightly higher floor without as much upside. I am still buying around the TE8 spot, while realizing that if the hype picks up in August, you will need to go TE6-7 to guarantee.

This is true. And I wouldn't be totally shocked by even higher numbers than my projection, either.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

I think your projection is just about right.

However, I don't agree with the floor estimate = his last performance in TEN. If we all agree the move to STL is an improvement on three dimensions (non-blocker usage, much better QB, only one WR ahead in the pecking order), then we gotta raise the floor a bit - if not a lot - compared to last year.

So, given that discussion, which TEs do you draft before Cook? The top-5, plus now Vernon Davis, plus maybe Dennis Pitta if you prefer it safer, but I think that's it. Gates, Daniels. Rudolph, Olsen all would have a slightly higher floor without as much upside. I am still buying around the TE8 spot, while realizing that if the hype picks up in August, you will need to go TE6-7 to guarantee.

I guess that's my point, really: I don't draft anyone in that spot. I will not be taking TE7 off the board this year. None of the names either of us have mentioned (and FWIW I'd include Vernon Davis in that list) is someone I think offers real incremental value at that draft slot, versus guys at the other 3 skill positions I could take instead.

I think four of Graham, Gronk, Hernandez, Gonzo, and Witten finish in the top 5 this year. But there are honestly 10 names I could pick out of a hat that have a real chance at being the fifth. Given that uncertainty, why would I reach for Cook (or any of his peers) at TE7? You're throwing away a pick that could be used on Eli Manning, Greg Jennings, or Steve Smith, to name just three others that went at ADP's in between TE6 and TE7 in the SSL's. I'll take any of the latter three and settle for Finley, or Olsen, or Daniels at TE12, any of whom have just as much chance of being the fifth name in that top 5 as Cook IMO.

If Cook falls to me at TE12, great, I'm all over the guy. But that will be a matter of circumstance, not my game plan going in.

 

[Bob Magaw]

peter king said he was most impressive offensive player (or player period) he saw in all his camp visits...

i'm starting to think he could get 80 receptions... if so, he could push for 1,000 yards, and anywhere from 6-8 TDs, so gronk/graham-like reception and yardage numbers (less TDs, though)...

 

[Eminence]

peter king said he was most impressive offensive player (or player period) he saw in all his camp visits...

i'm starting to think he could get 80 receptions... if so, he could push for 1,000 yards, and anywhere from 6-8 TDs, so gronk/graham-like reception and yardage numbers (less TDs, though)...

You really think he's that good?

 

[bulger2holt]

peter king said he was most impressive offensive player (or player period) he saw in all his camp visits...

i'm starting to think he could get 80 receptions... if so, he could push for 1,000 yards, and anywhere from 6-8 TDs, so gronk/graham-like reception and yardage numbers (less TDs, though)...

You really think he's that good?

I do

 

[bulger2holt]

Everybody is blown away by his catch radius. Say he catches everything thrown his way. Do you put a LB on him? He will destroy a LB? Same with a safety.

 

[Bob Magaw]

peter king said he was most impressive offensive player (or player period) he saw in all his camp visits...

i'm starting to think he could get 80 receptions... if so, he could push for 1,000 yards, and anywhere from 6-8 TDs, so gronk/graham-like reception and yardage numbers (less TDs, though)...

You really think he's that good?

the great thing is, for TE2 cost, you could steal high TE1 production...

he always had Vernon Davis-type athleticism, but was underused in TEN... But he won't be in STL... he might be most underrated player in draft at any position (i have increasingly gravitated towards this line of thinking)...

 

[Bri]

Bradford really throws such a nice pass. As far as "catchable balls" Bradford throws eons better than the Titans QBs Cook had previously.

The last good TE Bradford had was Gresham and he loved throwing to him.

Cook needed his game to mature or develop in a big way and IMO these two are perfect for each other.

 

[5Rings]

peter king said he was most impressive offensive player (or player period) he saw in all his camp visits...

i'm starting to think he could get 80 receptions... if so, he could push for 1,000 yards, and anywhere from 6-8 TDs, so gronk/graham-like reception and yardage numbers (less TDs, though)...

You really think he's that good?[/quote

I think we all need to keep projections from rams homers in line, they are year in and year out terrible.. No and no. Rams might be the worst offense in the NFC. Cut those numbwrs in half.

 

[We Tigers]

I like Cook a lot this year, but Peter King isn't exactly a renowned evaluator of talent. He spends more time texting Brett Favre and putting lemons in beer than anything else.

I think Cook has perhaps the most upside of the sea of dudes outside the top 3-4 TEs, but as others have said, I'm almost certainly not going to be the guy drafting TE6 or TE7 this year.

 

[Blackjacks]

I am a Rams homer and gonna be proud of it this year. That offense is going to be fun to watch and it will have two top ten players at their positions.

1) Sam Bradford top 10 qb

2) Jared Cook top 10 (and I think top 5) tight end

I agree the rb's will be mixed and a lot of balls to a lot of different wr's but make no mistake Bradford will throw for over 4,000 yards this year and have close to 30 td's.

Cook will have over 70 catches 800 yards and 8 td's and I truly believe I am going low on both of them.

The Rams will be a throw first team first this year. They are running the spread like Oklahoma does and look how Sam did there.

All the stars are aligned.....jump on and get the steals while you can.

I think their defense will also be top top (maybe top 5) and they make the playoffs.

I am a homer like I stated earlier and proud of it.

 

[Biabreakable]

How many total plays will the Rams run?

I agree the defense looks very good and should get the ball back for this offense better than a lot of other defenses in the league. So the Rams could see an increase in plays from further improvement there. Also if they can improve the run defense (I am not sure) that would stop teams like SF and Seahawks from grinding them. They played these teams very well and Fisher is in the 2nd year of a 3 year plan. I do expect the defense to be better than last season.

2012 410ra 557pa 35sk 967tp 42.40r% 57.60p%

While the running game will be split more with SJax gone I still think they maintain at least 400 rushing attempts and if they are protecting leads often enough I could see that going up into the 440 range perhaps. I do expect the offense to be pass 1st and the new weapons they have added should increase the offenses efficency. At the same time many of the players are new so there may be more mistakes and a develepmontal part of this season that you would not have with a more established offense. The upgrade of Long to LT should make them a improve blocking unit. I also loved the pick of Jones to help at Center or as a swing lineman.

57.6% passing is still pretty high so it is hard for me to think they will pass more than almost 58% of the time. I actually think it may be more balanced between run/pass than this but I was more thinking the distribution stays the same with an increase in total plays possible. 950-1050 total plays is what I see their offense doing at 43/57 run pass ratio, so pass attempts slightly down but efficiency up.

I know Bradford has made it very clear how much he likes Cook as an offensive weapon and he may be the top target in their passing offense. There are a lot of quality targets though and things may be spread around a lot. If Cook were a better blocker I could see him on the field more.

 

[Tanner9919]

I dont see it..how many TEs in nfl history have gone over 1000 yards. not many..I doubt he beats Olsen, Rudolph, Myers, Gresham in the TE 6-10 rankings. Rams homers are WAY too excited..they were easily one of the 2-3 the worst teams in the NFL last season, and I highly doubt they're dramatically improved in '13...this is nothing more than a 5-6 win team..Bradford just isnt a franchise QB and I doubt he is even on the 2014 roster..Cook, for all the love he is receiving, hasnt shown anything in his NFL career to make you think a breakout season is on the way..every year there is a preseason darling that is very overrated and drated too way high.Cook is this year's version..

45-550-3. the stuff pipe dreams are made of.

 

[bulger2holt]

I dont see it..how many TEs in nfl history have gone over 1000 yards. not many..I doubt he beats Olsen, Rudolph, Myers, Gresham in the TE 6-10 rankings. Rams homers are WAY too excited..they were easily one of the 2-3 the worst teams in the NFL last season, and I highly doubt they're dramatically improved in '13...this is nothing more than a 5-6 win team..Bradford just isnt a franchise QB and I doubt he is even on the 2014 roster..Cook, for all the love he is receiving, hasnt shown anything in his NFL career to make you think a breakout season is on the way..every year there is a preseason darling that is very overrated and drated too way high.Cook is this year's version..

45-550-3. the stuff pipe dreams are made of.

The Rams were one of the 2-3 worst teams last year? They went 7-8-1 and 4-1-1 in the best division in football. Do you watch football, or just play FF?

 

[Leonidas]

I dont see it..how many TEs in nfl history have gone over 1000 yards. not many..I doubt he beats Olsen, Rudolph, Myers, Gresham in the TE 6-10 rankings. Rams homers are WAY too excited..they were easily one of the 2-3 the worst teams in the NFL last season, and I highly doubt they're dramatically improved in '13...this is nothing more than a 5-6 win team..Bradford just isnt a franchise QB and I doubt he is even on the 2014 roster..Cook, for all the love he is receiving, hasnt shown anything in his NFL career to make you think a breakout season is on the way..every year there is a preseason darling that is very overrated and drated too way high.Cook is this year's version..

45-550-3. the stuff pipe dreams are made of.

The Rams were one of the 2-3 worst teams last year? They went 7-8-1 and 4-1-1 in the best division in football. Do you watch football, or just play FF?

I'm not sure the NFC North wasn't the best division in football.

But no, the Rams were nowhere near one of the 2-3 worse teams last year. I don't see how anybody who follows the NFL could say that.

 

[Bob Magaw]

I dont see it..how many TEs in nfl history have gone over 1000 yards. not many..I doubt he beats Olsen, Rudolph, Myers, Gresham in the TE 6-10 rankings. Rams homers are WAY too excited..they were easily one of the 2-3 the worst teams in the NFL last season, and I highly doubt they're dramatically improved in '13...this is nothing more than a 5-6 win team..Bradford just isnt a franchise QB and I doubt he is even on the 2014 roster..Cook, for all the love he is receiving, hasnt shown anything in his NFL career to make you think a breakout season is on the way..every year there is a preseason darling that is very overrated and drated too way high.Cook is this year's version..

45-550-3. the stuff pipe dreams are made of.

first of all, i'm aware this is an outlier call...

but if i thought he was going to be just average, i wouldn't have made the call...

no doubt others have their outlier calls, this is mine...

just for the record, i purposely phrased it, make a push for 1,000 yards, meaning he could fall short but get close (900+ yards?)... (edit/add context - i am aware how rare 1,000 receiving yards would be for TE, even in suggesting he might only approach it, isn't done lightly)...

i agree he was hyped before in TEN and failed to fulfill the promise...

one difference, though, TEN didn't extend him the largest free agent contract ever at position (?), $19 million guaranteed...

in TEN, he didn't get the opportunity... the vernon davis-like measurables were a moot point...

clearly, STL values him more than TEN did (i realize fisher was HC in his rookie season, but both cook and fisher are in different places)...

everything coming from the coaches and beat writers suggests cook and austin are expected to be moved all over the field and be focal points of the offense...

getting back to an earlier point, even if cook was hyped, it was based on his measurables relative to other TEs... when was there ever word out of TEN camps in the past that they intended to make cook the focal point of the offense? that would be chris johnson, they also had kenny britt, washington for at least part of that time...

i respect your scepticism, and was actually expecting more posts like this... so while, yeah, i get what you are saying that he is same player that has disappointed before, do you see how it might be silly to extrapolate based on what he has done in TEN... when he isn't in TEN any more?

would it make sense to make that kind of financial committment to cook, only to throw it to him three times a game?

4 X 16 = 64 receptions (in 2012, seven TEs had 64+, three names below and myers, miller, olsen & gresham)

5 X 16 = 80 receptions (in 2012, three TEs had 80+, witten, graham and gonz)

cook has career average reception yardage number of 13.1

64 (4 per game) X 13.1 = 838

72 (4.5 per game) X 13.1 = 943

80 (5 per game) X 13.1 = 1,048

cook had a career high 4 TDs in 13 games, and that was being underused, and not even a full season.

most of the TEs you mentioned have issues... i like olsen, but is he really the focal point of offense? rudolph had disproprtionate amount of his scoring through TDs, maybe he repeats that, but unusual TD production can be tough to replicate, myers has uncertainty associated with being on new team, with nicks and cruz (OAK didn't even have one WR remotely as good), he could be at best third receiving option, and giants like to run a lot, so he could be asked to block more than he was in OAK, gresham is talented, but bengals added another very talented TE, consensus top rookie eifert, it would be a surprise if he didn't encroach on his numbers to some extent...

as for the rest, if rams homers are overly optimistic, you seem kind of pessimistic...

how do you think they got to pick 16 if they were second or third worst team?

they were horrific in five seasons from 2007-2011 (15-65), one of worst half decades in league history (maybe professional sports?), but if you didn't get the memo, they were a tie against SF away from being 8-8 last year...

they had best record in NFC west (4-1-1, noted above), and i can't think of another division in football that has TWO teams as good as SF and SEA vying for super bowl...

thinking bradford won't be with team in 2014 is an outlier position... he set career marks in yardage and TDs in 2012...

since then...

1 - retained OC and scheme, for first time in bradford's NFL career

2 - added jake long, best LT on market

3 - added jared cook, best TE free agent

4 - moved up from 1.16 to 1.8 to add consensus most explosive skill position player in draft in tavon austin

5 - givens quietly had one of better seasons for rookie WR after gordon, hilton and blackmon, has worked hard in off season to add strength and diversify route running, he has been identified by many scouts, commentators, non-ram homer people here as one of more likely breakout candidates this season

why assume bradford does worse with so much apparent positive momentum leading into the season?

the defense seems to be up 'n coming, 52 sacks led NFL with DEN...

three first rounders on DL with long, quinn and brockers... multiple reports that brockers is bigger, stronger and has looked dominant at times, if he takes a significant jump up, some scouts think he could emerge as one of the top young DTs in the game (got off to slow start as rookie due to ankle injury, flashed a lot of natural talent and ability as the season progressed)...

laurinaitis is borderline pro bowler, ogletree was thought by a lot of scouts to be the best or one of 2-3 best 4-3 LBs in draft (some preferred arthur brown), might have been top 10-15 pick if not for off field issues, but not much dispute about talent (of course this pick entails risk)... dunbar suspended, but witherspoon has looked good in camp, could be very serviceable... this time next year (i think i read that this might not just be the youngest team in the NFL in 2013, but one of the youngest ever? long is "oldest" drafted and internally developed ram), the front seven could be viewed as one of the best in the league, and the defense was a pathetic laughing stock as recently as 2011... we should really give credit to fisher and les snead for how dramatically and completely they have made the team over in their image in just a little over one year (two free agency periods and drafts)... lucking into 1.2 pick the year luck and griffin III came out helped, but previous rams front offices and coaching staffs may have not done as good a job leveraging the value of the 1.2 spot, or made as good free agency decisions, or drafted as well (i can remember when the rams got a bounty of picks from dickerson traded and flushed them down the toilet... rams don't have anything to show for 2001 ((?)) draft with three firsts - damione lewis, ryan pickett and adam archuleta, so many first rounders like jimmy kennedy and carriker are gone)...

i do worry about safeties, but mcdonald is third rounder in one of the best years for safeties in several years (vaccaro, reid, elam all first rounders, cyprien top pick in second, mcdonald will start, fellow third rounder shawn williams could start), some scouts thought he might have been second or even first rounder if he had come out after 2011 season... CB finnegan pro bowl caliber, among top CB/DB overall tacklers last year, jenkins might have been more in conversation for DROY in 2012, except for so many incredible LBs (QB class best since '83, imo, but phenomenal LB class, too... absurdly, kuechly might be best LB in league, bobby wagner top 3 MLB/ILB, lavonte david might be best WLB and zach brown top 3-5 WLB... weatherspoon and bruce carter also pretty good WLBs)... like ogletree, he was likely a top 10 talent that fell due to off field issues, scout consensus one of top two best CBs in class for coverage ability, with mo claiborne (went inside top 10 overall)...

 

[bolldpt]

I dont see it..how many TEs in nfl history have gone over 1000 yards. not many..I doubt he beats Olsen, Rudolph, Myers, Gresham in the TE 6-10 rankings. Rams homers are WAY too excited..they were easily one of the 2-3 the worst teams in the NFL last season, and I highly doubt they're dramatically improved in '13...this is nothing more than a 5-6 win team..Bradford just isnt a franchise QB and I doubt he is even on the 2014 roster..Cook, for all the love he is receiving, hasnt shown anything in his NFL career to make you think a breakout season is on the way..every year there is a preseason darling that is very overrated and drated too way high.Cook is this year's version..

45-550-3. the stuff pipe dreams are made of.

first of all, i'm aware this is an outlier call...

but if i thought he was going to be just average, i wouldn't have made the call...

no doubt others have their outlier calls, this is mine...

just for the record, i purposely phrased it, make a push for 1,000 yards, meaning he could fall short but get close (900+ yards?)

i agree he was hyped before in TEN and failed to fulfill the promise...

one difference, though, TEN didn't extend him the largest free agent contract ever at position (?), $19 million guaranteed...

in TEN, he didn't get the opportunity... the vernon davis-like measurables were a moot point...

clearly, STL values him more than TEN did (i realize fisher was HC in his rookie season, but both cook and fisher are in different places)...

everything coming from the coaches and beat writers suggests cook and austin are expected to be moved all over the field and be focal points of the offense...

getting back to an earlier point, even if cook was hyped, it was based on his measurables relative to other TEs... when was there ever word out of TEN camps in the past that they intended to make cook the focal point of the offense? that would be chris johnson, they also had kenny britt, washington for at least part of that time...

i respect your scepticism, and was actually expecting more posts like this... so while, yeah, i get what you are saying that he is same player that has disappointed before, do you see how it might be silly to extrapolate based on what he has done in TEN... when he isn't in TEN any more?

would it make sense to make that kind of financial committment to cook, only to throw it to him three times a game?

4 X = 64 receptions (in 2012, seven TEs had 64+, three names below and myers, miller, olsen & gresham)

5 X = 80 receptions (in 2012, three TEs had 80+, witten, graham and gonz)

cook has career average reception yardage number of 13.1

64 X 13.1 = 838

72 X 13.1 = 943

80 X 13.1 = 1,048

cook had a career high 4 TDs in 13 games, and that was being underused, and not even a full season.

most of the TEs you mentioned have issues... i like olsen, but is he really the focal point of offense? rudolph had disproprtionate amount of his scoring through TDs, maybe he repeats that, but unusual TD production can be tough to replicate, myers has uncertainty associated with being on new team, with nicks and cruz, he could be at best third receiving option, and giants like to run a lot, so he could be asked to block more than he was in OAK, gresham is talented, but bengals added another very talented TE, consensus top rookie eifert, it would be a surprise if he didn't encroach on his numbers to some extent...

as for the rest, if rams homer are overly optimistic, you seem kind of pessimistic...

how do you think they got to pick 16 if they were second or third worst team?

they were horrific in five seasons from 2007-2011 (15-65), one of worst half decades in league history (maybe professional sports?), but if you didn't get the memo, they were a tie against SF away from being 8-8...

they had best record in NFC west (noted above), and i can't think of another division in football that has two teams as good as SF and SEA vying for super bowl...

thinking bradford won't be with team in 2014 is an outlier position... he set career marks in yardage and TDs in 2012...

since then...

1 - retained OC and scheme, for first time in braford's NFL career

2 - added jake long, best LT on market

3 - added jared cook, best TE free agent

4 - moved up from 1.16 to 1.8 to add consensus most explosive skill position player in draft

5 - givens quietly had one of better seasons for rookie WR after gordon, hilton and blackmon, has worked hard in off season to add strength and diversify route running

why assume he would do worse with so much apparent positive momentum leading into the season?

the defense seems to be up 'n coming, 52 sacks led NFL with DEN...

three first rounders on DL with long, quinn and brockers...

laurinaitis is borderline pro bowler, ogletree was thought by a lot of scouts to be the best or one of 2-3 best 4-3 LBs in draft (some preferred arthur brown), might have been top 10-15 pick if not for off field issues, but not much dispute about talent (of course this pick entails risk)...

i do worry about safeties, but mcdonald is third rounder in one of the best years for safeties in several years (vaccaro, reid, elam all first rounders, cyprien top pick in second, mcdonald will start, fellow third rounder shawn williams could start), some scouts thought he might have been second or even first rounder if he had come out after 2011 season... CB finnegan pro bowl caliber, among top CB/DB overall tacklers last year, jenkins might have been more in conversation for DROY in 2012, except for so many incredible LBs (QB class best since '83, imo, but phenomenal LB class, too... absurdly, kuechly might be best LB in league, bobby wagner top 3 MLB/ILB, lavonte david might be best WLB and zach brown top 3-5... weatherspoon and bruce carter also pretty good)... like ogletree, he was likely a top 10 talent that fell due to off field issues, scout consensus one of top two best CBs in class for coverage ability, with mo claiborne (went inside top 10 overall)...

Very well described. A lot of good info, Bob. was going to comment but you summed it all up quite nicely.

 

[Bob Magaw]

thanx, bolldpt, appreciate it.

one other thing i meant to respond to in retrospect...

tanner stated he didn't think he will finish better than TEs in 6-10 range...

fair enough, i do expect him, if things go according to plan, to have top 3-5 upside, but others don't have to have that kind of optimism...

even if he doesn't finish top 5, if he does as good as likes of olsen and rudolph (and no disrespect, i like these guys, acknowledge they are good, have both in different leagues), but costs less... that represents good value?

 

[Todem]

I have been sitting on Cook in every dynasty league I am in save for one.

This year is put up...or shut up. I believe in this kid still. He should have a career year. What does that equate too?

72 receptions for 1012 yards and 5 TD's

 

[5Rings]

I am a Rams homer and gonna be proud of it this year. That offense is going to be fun to watch and it will have two top ten players at their positions.

1) Sam Bradford top 10 qb

2) Jared Cook top 10 (and I think top 5) tight end

I agree the rb's will be mixed and a lot of balls to a lot of different wr's but make no mistake Bradford will throw for over 4,000 yards this year and have close to 30 td's.

Cook will have over 70 catches 800 yards and 8 td's and I truly believe I am going low on both of them.

The Rams will be a throw first team first this year. They are running the spread like Oklahoma does and look how Sam did there.

All the stars are aligned.....jump on and get the steals while you can.

I think their defense will also be top top (maybe top 5) and they make the playoffs.

I am a homer like I stated earlier and proud of it.

You are a good dude and I wish you luck.

 

[Bob Magaw]

3-71-1 first half.

leading STL in receiving.

 

[Nucker101]

3-71-1 first half.

leading STL in receiving.

Could have been even better had he not fumbled away that TD. Glad so far that I bought into him this year.

 

[bostonfred]

Another td. Wow.

 

[Kree]

3-71-1 first half.

leading STL in receiving.

Could have been even better had he not fumbled away that TD. Glad so far that I bought into him this year.

Awesome play by Mathieu the only thing standing in the way of a triple scoring day...

All credit to Tyrann on that.

 

[Dinsy Ejotuz]

Wow. Is this guy looking as good as his stats are showing?

Better. He had another 10 yards and a TD in the bag until Mathieu came out of nowhere with a flying Ninja move and punched the ball out at the 10.

 

[Bob Magaw]

cook 7-141-2

as noted, great defensive play away from TD hat trick...

looking more like top three TE with upside...

 

[Biabreakable]

Wow. Is this guy looking as good as his stats are showing?

Better. He had another 10 yards and a TD in the bag until Mathieu came out of nowhere with a flying Ninja move and punched the ball out at the 10.

I just did a search on that and found this gif.

Yeah it's hard to blame Cook for this. Just a heads up play for the D.

He was robbed.

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/3182127/lolrams.gif

Great defensive play!

 

[bushdocda]

Wow!

If you want ill keep him on my bench so he keeps balling.

 

[JohnnyU]

Is it too late to say I ............, oh well, great game JC!!