Rams’ Speed Need Remains Unsatisfied : Pro football: They draft UCLA receiver LaChapelle in fifth round, ponder a way to get more out of Anderson.
The searches continue: The Rams’ for a speedy wide receiver and Sean LaChapelle’s for Elvis.
“I know he’s alive,” said LaChapelle. “He’s out there.”
If only the Rams could be so sure of their quarry.
They selected UCLA’s LaChapelle on Monday in the fifth round of the draft, and although they are enamored of his pass-catching skills, they aren’t so sure he could outrun a glacier.
“We need speed on the outside,” offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese said.
The Rams believe they have improved their offense but still lack big-play capability.
“We need speed,” said Ted Tollner, the quarterback coach. “We have to find a way for Flipper (Anderson) to do what he did in ’89 and ’90. We just have to.”
The Rams like LaChapelle, they need Anderson and, thus, the tale of two UCLA receivers: the tortoise and the hare.
Anderson, a star on the rise after topping the 1,000-yard mark in 1989 and 1990, has been running in place the past two years. In 1991 he had 530 yards receiving and last year had 657.
“He’s in the middle of his career. The ability is there, and both he and I have got to make it happen,” Tollner said.
The Rams selected running back Jerome Bettis in the first round and tight end Troy Drayton in the second.
Running back Russell White remained available to the Rams in the third round, in large part because of his lack of speed. And LaChapelle is a possession receiver, meaning he will never be invited to the NFL’s fastest man contest.
“We still need speed on the outside,” said John Shaw, Ram senior vice president.
The Rams passed in the second round on Miami wide receiver Kevin Williams, who runs the 40 in 4.3 seconds, to select Drayton. Dallas took Williams seven picks later, and the Rams used the 122nd selection on LaChapelle.
Rounding out the draft, they also picked guard Chuck Belin of Wisconsin in the fifth round, defensive back Deral Boykin of Louisville in the sixth, center Brad Fitchel of Eastern Illinois in the seventh and punter Jeff Buffaloe of Memphis State and defensive tackle Maa Tanuvasa of Hawaii in the eighth.
“Hey, I’m not slow,” LaChapelle said. “Let’s get this straight--I’ve run faster than 4.6 (seconds) in the 40.
“Steve Largent never ran faster than 4.6, and he was considered one of the best receivers ever to play the game. I’ve always liked the way Jerry Rice plays, and I’ve heard things about his lack of speed.”
Bettis will become more effective if defenses are stretched. Drayton will be better in the intermediate passing game if the Rams have a deep threat. The move to replace a worn-down Henry Ellard will not be so urgent.
And LaChapelle will have a better opportunity of earning steady employment if someone else demands double coverage.
While the Rams search for the Anderson of old to go deep, the addition of Bettis, Drayton and LaChapelle would appear to upgrade the short game.
“I was that close to leaving UCLA last year when Tommy Maddox left,” LaChapelle said. “I might have been drafted in the first or second round, from what I have been told.
“I got hurt this past year. Maddox left and my stock probably fell. I was feeling pretty low Sunday when I wasn’t drafted, but everything is just fine now. I’m humbled by what has happened, but I got my shot, and that’s all I wanted.”
LaChapelle, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound receiver, set school records with 142 receptions and 2,027 yards receiving in his Bruin career.
He also achieved a reputation for being a little wacky, and is convinced that Elvis Presley lives.
“Call me a nut, but after watching a Bill Bixby special, I just know Elvis is still alive,” he said.
A cracked rib and injuries to Maddox’s replacements sabotaged his senior season, but not enough to dissuade the Rams from offering him a summer-long job interview.
“You don’t know how much I’m loving this,” LaChapelle said. “I got my chance, and I’m going to take advantage of it.”
Ram Selections
Rd(Ovl) Player College Pos 1.(10) Jerome Bettis Notre Dame RB 2.(39) Troy Drayton Penn St. TE 3.(73) Russell White California RB 5.(122) Sean LaChapelle UCLA WR 5.(127) Chuck Belin Wisconsin G 6.(149) Deral Boykin Louisville DB 7.(179) Brad Fitchel Eastern Ill. C 8.(206) Jeff Buffaloe Memphis St. P 8.(209) Maa Tanuvasa Hawaii DT
Ram Selections 5. Sean LaChapelle, WR, UCLA, 6-4, 205. Possession receiver who will have to catch every pass in training camp to offset concerns about lack of speed. “He doesn’t have blazing speed, but he’s shown an ability to separate himself from defenders,” said Ted Tollner, Ram quarterbacks coach. 5. Chuck Belin, OG, Wisconsin, 6-1 3/4, 312. Impressive athlete, who benched 225 pounds 34 times. “From a statistical standpoint of what he can do, he was the best guy in the draft,” said Jim Erkenbeck, offensive line coach. “You’d like him a little taller, but he was a major force in the games we saw. He was also elected team captain, and that always says something.” 6. Deral Boykin, SS, Louisville, 5-10, 196. Began career at Kansas as defensive back-kick returner. Transferred to Louisville, switched to running back before moving back to corner. Will work here as strong safety. “The best thing is he’s very quick, very aggressive,” said Rod Perry, Ram defensive backfield coach. 7. Brad Fitchel, C, Eastern Illinois, 6-2, 287. Erkenbeck’s kind of guy, an offensive lineman with the temperament of an irritated pass-rusher. In addition to being super feisty, he can play guard and center. “He’s been well-coached,” Erkenbeck said. “I feel very good about this guy; this is no reach.” 8. Jeff Buffaloe, P, Memphis State, 6-1, 194. Not happy with Don Bracken, the Rams are looking to upgrade. Buffaloe averaged 42.3 yards per punt in 1991, finished fifth in nation last year at 44.6 yards per kick. “Of the guys who were just punters, we liked this guy best,” said Howard Tippett, special teams coach. 8. Maa Tanuvasa, NT, Hawaii, 6-2, 277. Good luck. Strength of Ram team rests at defensive tackle with Sean Gilbert and Mark Boutte. “The thing we like about him is he made a lot of improvement from the beginning to the end of the season,” Coach Chuck Knox said. Had 10 career sacks, but is not considered a strong pass-rusher.