National Football League

With guys like Mason and Bailey producing, Rams' future is looking brighter

Published Dec. 1, 2014 11:47 a.m. ET

foxsports

ST. LOUIS -- The two most dangerous players on the St. Louis offense the past two weeks barely even saw the field, let alone the ball, in the first half of the season.

A two-week suspension for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs prevented Stedman Bailey from practicing before he got just three balls thrown his way in four games as a reserve wide receiver. Rookie running back Tre Mason had to wait his turn behind three other running backs before finally being activated in the Rams' sixth game against San Francisco.

Seven weeks later, Mason has racked up nearly twice as many rushing yards as any other Ram, and Bailey has posted career highs for two of the team's top four receiving yards totals this season in back-to-back weeks. With all due respect to Pro Bowl-caliber safety T.J. McDonald and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, a viable Rookie of the Year candidate, it's Mason and Bailey who are becoming the faces of a promising youth movement with their recent play at the skill positions.

"We've got a lot of weapons and only one ball, so when (wide receiver Brian Quick) went down, Sted stepped up and kind of had a bigger role and he's certainly answered the bell," veteran quarterback Shaun Hill said after Sunday's 52-0 win over Oakland. "Tre's done a good job, too, especially today. He's seeing it well, hitting the holes, hitting them hard."

The change under center in last week's 27-24 loss at San Diego clearly made a difference as well, and Hill has quickly learned his playmakers just need a chance to catch the ball in space. Mason took a screen pass to the end zone from 35 yards out on his first play, and Bailey caught all five passes thrown his way in the first quarter, including a one-handed grab over the middle that went for 34 yards with a nice run after the catch.

A week after scoring his first career touchdown against the Chargers, Bailey knows he still has plenty of work to do. The second-year player out of West Virginia echoed the sentiments of many of his teammates by stressing the value of their efforts during the week leading up to another rewarding win.

"I definitely expect greatness," Bailey says. "Sometimes the opportunities are limited, but when your number is called, I want to be there to make the catch."

Mason's confidence comes across as a little more brash, and he told his teammates before the game that they should strive to put up more than 50 points against the league's worst team. When St. Louis got the ball deep in its own territory he told Hill he was ready to break a big run, and then Mason went up the middle for an 89-yard touchdown on the first play of the drive.

Coach Jeff Fisher says those kinds of predictions aren't new for the former All-American at Auburn, and they don't always come true in such dramatic fashion. But Fisher likes the enthusiasm from Mason, who has surpassed 100 yards rushing in two of his last three games.

Draft picks from the past two years are making plays all over the field for St. Louis, one of the youngest teams in the NFL. Greg Robinson continues to grow at offensive tackle after a slow start, and Donald leads the Rams with 16 tackles for loss following his sixth sack of the season Sunday.

Wide receiver Tavon Austin may not yet be living up to his promise as the No. 8 pick in 2013, and second-year running back Zac Stacy appears to have fallen on the depth chart after a surprising rookie season. But outside linebacker Alec Ogletree's athleticism and instincts could make him special if he can eliminate some costly mistakes, and the Rams' choices in the secondary have built up an impressive young unit.

"There's chemistry there for sure with me, (Rodney McLeod), T.J. (McDonald), (Janoris) Jenkins back there and now the young guys coming up," Trumaine Johnson said following the team's first shutout since a 20-0 win over Oakland in 2006. "All those guys, especially E.J. (Gaines)."

Gaines, a rookie cornerback out of Missouri, picked off Derek Carr for his second interception of the season, and his ability to cover some of the league's best receivers has been crucial with injuries to both St. Louis starters, Johnson and Jenkins. Rookie Lamarcus Joyner has played a big role as well in a secondary where no players have more than three years of experience, led by McDonald, the outstanding second-year strong safety.

Some pieces are still missing for the Rams, most notably a long-term solution at quarterback, a position the team should address in the 2015 draft for the first time since taking Sam Bradford first overall in 2010. Every other position group features a draft pick from the last two classes who has proved capable of producing, though sometimes in small sample sizes.

Significant success may not come this season, but thanks to the emergence of players such as Mason and Bailey, the foundation for the future keeps looking stronger.

You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter at @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.