Rams Hope To Be On The Receiving End Of More Wins In 2017

One of the main reasons Rams coach Sean McVay was hired a few months ago was because of his strong offensive background. As the offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins he was in charge of one of the top offenses in the NFL last year.

Now McVay is trying to transform a Rams offense that was one of the worst in the NFL last season. The offense starts with the quarterback, a strong offensive line and fast and sure handed receivers. During the off season McVay has signed veteran offensive lineman, worked directly with the quarterbacks, drafted and signed tight ends and wide receivers.

The wide receivers are like the three-point shooter in basketball. Good wide outs can open up the running game and take some pressure off of the offensive line and the quarterbacks. One receiver that was already on the Rams roster was second receiver Nelson Spruce.

The 6-1, 210-pound Spruce is the leading career receiver in the Pac-12 when he attended the University of Colorado. His senior season in 2014 he caught 105 passes for over 1,200 yards and 12 touchdowns. He does not have great speed but he has great hands and that's what makes him special.

Last season he suffered knee and calf injuries during the pre-season which kept him off the field in the regular season in 2016.

"I feel healthy," said Spruce at the Rams training camp in Thousand Oaks a few weeks ago. "This is the first time since last year that I am feeling really good. Right now I am just glad to be back. The training staff took really good care of my injuries and right now I just want to do whatever the offense needs me to do."

The offense needs Spruce to catch short passes and make first downs like he did in college and during the preseason with the Rams last year. In this league a possession receiver is very valuable, someone who can move the chains and someone the quarterback can count on.

Spruce is excited about the development of the quarterbacks, Jared Goff, Sean Mannion and Dylan Thompson.

The quarterbacks are looking really good right now and they are working well with the new offense, said Spruce. Coach McVay and coach LaFleur (Offensive Coordinator Matt LaFleur) are doing a great job of installing the new offense. So far everything looks good and we are moving at a fast pace.