On a Los Angeles Rams team that has weapons like Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods is likely the most important receiver on the Rams. Since landing in Los Angeles, Woods has become one of the most underrated receivers in the NFL.
Before joining the Rams, Woods spent his four seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills. Buffalo never allowed Woods to showcase his full potential. So Woods went home in 2017 to help the Rams build themselves into a true contender.
Woods went to high school at Junipero Serra in California—just about 14 miles away from downtown Los Angeles. Then, the California native would commit to USC to play college football. Woods was destined to play football in Los Angeles once again, signing with the Rams.
Last season, Woods had a career-year with 86 receptions, 1,219 yards, and six touchdowns in 2018. The former USC product helped the Rams to have the second-best scoring offense in the NFL. The veteran wideout is poised to have another phenomenal season with the Rams in 2019.
Here are three numbers for Robert Woods to target in 2019 with the Los Angeles Rams.
3. 90 Receptions
Last year was probably the first time we got to witness Woods as arguably the top target in a passing attack. The six-year wideout flourished in Sean McVay's offense and Jared Goff put a lot of trust into Woods early on.
As a result, Woods had a breakout season in his sixth season in the NFL. Now, McVay knows what he has in Woods and can continue utilizing him in different ways in 2019.
In 2018, Woods brought in 86 catches, which was a career-high for the Rams wide receiver. So how many receptions could Woods bring in in 2019?
Kupp is returning from a torn ACL but figures to assume his role at the slot receiver spot. That may give Woods fewer opportunities to see the ball or it can actually help him see fewer coverages that shade to his side.
Therefore, Woods could easily catch more passes in 2019.
2. 1,100 Receiving Yards
One of the few statistics that could slightly see a drop for Woods in 2019 is receiving yards. Again, Kupp is returning to the starting lineup so that gives fewer targets to both Woods and Cooks in the offense.
There's a good chance, if healthy, the Rams could boast a trio of receivers who all exceed 1,000-yards receiving in 2019. In the event this happens, the Rams would have the sixth receiving trio in NFL history to all garner 1,000-yards receiving.
The last team to do so was the 2008 Arizona Cardinals with Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Breaston. Adding your name to anything that Fitzgerald has done is remarkable.
For the Rams to reach the record, Woods will need to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for the second time in his career.
Woods will in fact reach the milestone but he likely won't reach the 1,219 number he had in 2018.
1. 8 Receiving Touchdowns
Again, the Rams have a lot of mouths to feed on their offense. As a result, some people could see fewer opportunities in scoring situations.
In 2018, Woods was able to get into the end zone six times through the air—which was a career-high. Goff and Woods have built a nice rapport and continue improving their chemistry.
McVay saw how versatile Woods can be in the offense and will go back to the drawing board this offseason to find ways to use him even more in scoring situations. Thus, there's a chance that Woods catches more touchdowns in 2019 than he did in 2018.
If the Rams can get similar production from Woods in 2019, it's likely they'll be making another deep playoff run as they did in 2018.
This time, with their eyes set on bringing home the Lombardi trophy.
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