The St. Louis Rams have signed Wes Welker as a free agent following the suspension of Stedman Bailey and now he joins Tavon Austin and Kenny Britt on offense. The Rams have Todd Gurley playing at a high level and the running back is leading the race for offensive rookie of the year.
According to Ian Rapoport at NFL.com, Welker signed with the Rams on Monday following a workout where the team looked at Welker, Hakeem Nicks and Vincent Brown. ESPN reported that Bailey is facing a suspension for violating the league's substance abuse police and that's one reason why the Rams were working out the group of receivers. Welker has been a free agent all season and has had a workout with the Giants and previous interest from the Dolphins.
Welker has been hoping to get back in the league since finishing out his contract with the Broncos last season. Welker has had issues with concussions in the past and that may have been one reason why teams were not lining up to sign him this offseason. Last season Welker had 49 catches for 464 yards in 14 games with the Broncos and those were his lowest totals since back before Welker was in New England.
Welker was once a very productive receiver and the Rams are hoping he can give a little spark to the passing game. Pro Football Talk reports that Welker may not play this week, but the decision should come over the weekend before Sunday.
Bailey is out of the mix for the Rams for a bit, as ESPN reports that Bailey is facing a four game suspension. Adam Schefter reports that Bailey is about to start a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy. Bailey was previously suspended for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs in 2014. Bailey has not done much for the Rams this season, putting up 12 catches for 182 yards and a touchdown. Last season Bailey had a career high 30 receptions for 435 yards.
Todd Gurley is having a great rookie season for the Rams and he is leading the team with 664 rushing yards in six games. Gurley is considered the frontrunner for the offensive rookie of the year award with his strong start and he has four 100-yard games this season. Gurley missed the start of the season after suffering a knee injury at Georgia last year and he is averaging 110 yards per game and 5.6 yards per attempt for St. Louis after being a top 10 pick in the draft earlier this year.
The Rams come in after a close loss to the Minnesota Vikings and after the game Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer accused the team of some dirty play. Jeff Fisher dismissed that notion on Monday and defended his team, saying some should "look at the tape before you jump to conclusions." The Rams have the Bears next and then two road games against the Ravens and Bengals. The team had won two straight before losing to the Vikings.