What Does Mark Clayton Mean For The St. Louis Rams’ Receiving Corps?

Mark Clayton might not kick a receiver out of the St. Louis Rams’ plans now, but when he comes off the PUP list things could change in a hurry.

Mark Clayton signed with the St. Louis Rams Wednesday, after months of playing footsie with Steve Spagnuolo under the table. Question: What does this mean for all those other wide receivers, until recently competing for the same spots? For Mike Sims-Walker, it means he’ll have to establish himself as Sam Bradford‘s new veteran favorite by midseason; for Donnie Avery, it means he’ll have to push past his 2010 replacement to remain in the Rams’ plans; for Danario Alexander, it means that even if he gets through cut day he won’t be done proving himself healthy and useful. 

So long as he remains on the PUP list, however, Mark Clayton won’t affect the Rams’ tough decisions in the process of cutting their roster all the way down to Week One shape. If Clayton isn’t ready to start the season he’ll have to wait things out off the practice field until Week Six, and once he’s back he’ll have three weeks to get game-ready.  

He might not complicate things in the short-term, but halfway through the regular season the wide receivers might be reevaluated in a hurry.