Jeff Fisher made a point that he was going to improve the Rams immediately, and he did just that. This year, Fisher wants to improve the offense, and specifically the pass offense. If Sam Bradford is healthy for a full season, the Rams pass offense will show its true colors, but not because of the excellence of Sam Bradford. The Rams offense possesses one of the biggest matchup problems in all of football, and he is poised for a huge season in St. Louis.
At 6’5 and 248 pounds, Jared Cook is bigger than just about all of the defenders who will cover him, which is not uncommon at the tight end position. The scary part is the fact that Jared Cook is much faster than most of the players who will be covering him. The reason Cook has not exploded yet in his career is the fact that he has not been the focal point of a game plan, nor has he had a good enough quarterback throwing to him.
Jared Cook is an athletic freak, and was poorly misused in Tennessee. In 2011 Cook amassed a 15.5 yards per reception average, which is an unbelievable number for a tight end. Most thought that 2011 was the beginning of Cook becoming a star, but in 2012 the Titans did not utilize his speed at all, and he only was able to get 72 targets. In comparison, Nate Washington was targeted 89 times by Titans quarterbacks. It is not difficult to see that Cook was underused, but this season we will see what he is capable of.
Expect the Rams to utilize Cook similarly to how the Saints use Jimmy Graham. He will be used at tight end obviously, but also could lineup up wide or in the slot, creating matchup problems all over the field. Jared Cook will be the focal point of the Rams offense, and should he stay healthy he could be a top five fantasy tight end. In most drafts Cook is not going until the mid to late rounds. Unless you can get Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski in the middle rounds, it would be wise to wait and take Jared Cook. Expect him to accrue 800-900 yards and at least five touchdowns, which makes him a valuable piece to any fantasy team.