Are Rams not as bad off as we think they are at WR?

My belief is, and continues to be, that the Rams really need to sign an experienced wide receiver to be either a number 2 or 3 receiver if the Rams are going to be anywhere near competitive on offense in 2009.  That being said I am open to other thoughts and ideas and I came across a very interesting article from Seth Doria at Bleacher Report on why the Rams situation may not be as bad as many of us think.

Doria breaks down the Eagles WR corps during the time Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmer was in Philadelphia.  There is no question that the Eagles have been successful during Shurmer's time there with a 97-62-1 record which included a trip to the Super Bowl and five trips to the conference championship.  Among the names on the list, as leading receivers for the Eagles, were Torrance Small, Chad Lewis, James Thrash, Todd Pinkston, Terrell Owens, Duce Staley, Brian Westbrook, LJ Smith and DeSean Jackson.   With the exception of Owens that is not exactly murderers row.  Only twice in those ten seasons have the Eagles had receivers even go over 1,000 yards in a season (Kevin Curtis in 2007 and Owens in 2004).  It is clear the Eagles got maximum production out of a sub-par unit.

So what does this all mean for the Rams?  To me if you go off past performance it means three things.  First Steven Jackson is going to get a TON of catches out of the backfield in 2009.  We know that Jackson can be a force out of the backfield in the receiving game.  He led the Rams in catches with 90 in 2006, his only Pro-Bowl season.  Jackson will be most effective if he can be a dual threat. 

Second it means the Rams new offensive coordinator knows how to do more with less.  The Eagles have been notorious through the years, with the exception of Terrell Owens, of having very little depth at WR.  I would contend that this Rams WR lineup is worse than anything the Eagles threw out there in the past 10 years. 

Finally it means the Rams better get a whole lot better on defense to have that same sort of success on offense.  Doria does contend that it wasn't always Jim Johnson's defense in Philly because the Eagles were in the top 12 in scoring for 7 of the past 10 years.  Although that stat is true what he doesn't mention is that the defense was in the top 10 all of those years in points against.  What does one have to do with the other?  It means that the Eagles defense was setting up the Eagles offense with short field position to help the offense score.  The Rams defense in 2008 was 31st in points against and 28th in yards.  The Rams defense will have to help in setting up the Rams offense if the Rams have any chance with this wide receiver group.

I still believe the Rams need to get a WR, and will continue beating that drum, but maybe the Rams are not as bad off as we all think.  Maybe Pat Schurmer does have the right scheme to work around an inexperienced WR group?