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The St. Louis Rams were the center of a media frenzy throughout the 2012 NFL Draft. The buzz stemmed from general manager Les Snead demonstrating to the NFL that draft day trading is an art form. Snead’s deals helped him land Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead with the 5oth overall pick.
Unfortunately, Pead never quite lived up to his draft status, despite his collegiate career with the Bearcats and his NFL Combine stats suggesting that he should be a top prospect. Pead compiled a career total of 3,288 rushing yards and combined for a total of 33 touchdowns at Cincinnati, and then he posted solid numbers at the NFL Combine. He completed the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds and had one of the best times in the three cone drill which he finished in 6.95 seconds.
Upon entering the draft, Pead’s only flaws appeared to be with blocking, the fact that he is slightly undersized at 5’10”and durability concerns. Those flaws are alarming, but they can be coached up.
Part of the issue is that Pead isn’t giving offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer a reason to put him out on the field. In two seasons with the Rams, Pead has earned 75 yards on 17 attempts. He also has coughed up the football twice, losing one in the process. Meanwhile, other players on the roster like Benny Cunningham, Chase Reynolds and last year’s rookie sensation Zac Stacy are reaping the benefits of their opportunities. Rookie running back Tre Mason could also steal some of the spotlight away. Mason is coming to the Rams with as much hype as Pead did despite being a third round pick. If Pead cannot contribute, he may find himself unemployed.
There is one thing that has kept Pead on the roster and that is his contributions to the special teams. He has had moderate success as a kick returner, averaging about 23.3 yards per return. The special teams has been an area of concern for the Rams in the past couple of seasons, so Pead could see this as a new role and a chance to revamp his career. Either way, he needs to make his presence felt and a boost in confidence wouldn’t hurt either.
2013: Pead only had seven attempts rushing and earned 21 yards. He had much more success and opportunities catching the ball out of the backfield. He had 11 receptions for 78 yards.
2012: Pead rushed for 54 yards on 10 attempts for the entire season. Pead also fumbled the ball twice in his limited playing time.
Source: NFL.com, Pro-sports-reference.com, Sport-reference.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
2012 NFL Draft, 2014, Benny Cunningham, Brian Scottenheimer, Chase Reynolds, Cincinnati University, featured, Isaiah Pead, Les Snead, NFL, NFL Combine, St. Louis Rams, Tre Mason, Zac Stacy
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The St. Louis Rams were the center of a media frenzy throughout the 2012 NFL Draft. The buzz stemmed from general manager Les Snead demonstrating to the NFL that draft day trading is an art form. Snead’s deals helped him land Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead with the 5oth overall pick.
Unfortunately, Pead never quite lived up to his draft status, despite his collegiate career with the Bearcats and his NFL Combine stats suggesting that he should be a top prospect. Pead compiled a career total of 3,288 rushing yards and combined for a total of 33 touchdowns at Cincinnati, and then he posted solid numbers at the NFL Combine. He completed the 40-yard dash in 4.47 seconds and had one of the best times in the three cone drill which he finished in 6.95 seconds.
Upon entering the draft, Pead’s only flaws appeared to be with blocking, the fact that he is slightly undersized at 5’10”and durability concerns. Those flaws are alarming, but they can be coached up.
Part of the issue is that Pead isn’t giving offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer a reason to put him out on the field. In two seasons with the Rams, Pead has earned 75 yards on 17 attempts. He also has coughed up the football twice, losing one in the process. Meanwhile, other players on the roster like Benny Cunningham, Chase Reynolds and last year’s rookie sensation Zac Stacy are reaping the benefits of their opportunities. Rookie running back Tre Mason could also steal some of the spotlight away. Mason is coming to the Rams with as much hype as Pead did despite being a third round pick. If Pead cannot contribute, he may find himself unemployed.
There is one thing that has kept Pead on the roster and that is his contributions to the special teams. He has had moderate success as a kick returner, averaging about 23.3 yards per return. The special teams has been an area of concern for the Rams in the past couple of seasons, so Pead could see this as a new role and a chance to revamp his career. Either way, he needs to make his presence felt and a boost in confidence wouldn’t hurt either.
2013: Pead only had seven attempts rushing and earned 21 yards. He had much more success and opportunities catching the ball out of the backfield. He had 11 receptions for 78 yards.
2012: Pead rushed for 54 yards on 10 attempts for the entire season. Pead also fumbled the ball twice in his limited playing time.
Source: NFL.com, Pro-sports-reference.com, Sport-reference.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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