Josh Reynolds may still be relatively new to the NFL, but the Rams are firm believers in his abilities. By trading away Brandin Cooks a few weeks ago, they promoted Reynolds to WR3 and have no plans of replacing him.
The Texas A&M product has seen inconsistent playing time during his first three seasons in the league. His most productive season came back in 2018 when Cooper Kupp went down with an injury and they needed to replace his productivity. Reynolds had 29 receptions for 402 yards that year, but most of that production came once he saw the field consistently. After Kupp went down, Reynolds caught 22 of those receptions for 304 yards and 3 touchdowns in only 6 games. If he can keep that level of production over a full season, the Rams have themselves a fearsome receiving group.
What Fans Can Expect From Reynolds in 2020
While there is plenty of upside to be excited about, it’s also important to temper expectations for Reynolds. The Rams will have a healthy Kupp, Woods, and Higbee next season. Those three combined for big numbers last season and will most likely see the majority of targets once again. What Reynolds will help with is being the third wideout in certain spreads and giving defenders something new to worry about. If he can get some mismatches with other team’s third-best corner or safety guarding him, the Rams are in business.
LA clearly believes in the young receiver, as coach McVay gave his vote of confidence recently.
“He’s stepped in and been a starter and he’s got the ability to play really our X or Z, he can play in the slot. I think, really, we just feel like he’s a capable starting receiver if you’re getting into some of those three-receiver sets.”
If the Rams are in the playoff hunt at the end of the year, there’s a good chance that Reynolds had something to do with it.
