By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer

Of the many moves the Rams made during the past offseason, from hiring a new head coach to bringing in big dollar free agents and picking near the top of the NFL Draft, there was one that perhaps flew under the radar without proper acclaim.

It certainly didn’t garner any headlines on ESPN, barely qualifying for bottom line status but on April 6, the Rams swapped their fifth and sixth round picks to Atlanta for the Falcons’ fifth and sixth round picks and receiver Laurent Robinson.

At the time, it seemed like a low-risk, high reward move. And though there is a lot of football left to be played before anyone can stamp the high reward portion of that deal, Robinson is certainly off to a promising start.

“I feel good,” Robinson said. “I’m just working hard every day in practice, going out there trying to be the best I can be everyday, listening to the coach…I mean, and just being coachable and going out there and executing.  The offense is great, I’m very confident and comfortable in it, and hopefully I can just continue on in the regular season.”

Soon after top receiver Donnie Avery was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot, the onus fell on Robinson as one of the young receivers behind Avery to step up and fill the void in this preseason.

Robinson had already earned his way into the starting lineup and was getting the work opposite Avery as a starter in practice when Avery suffered the injury.

But with Avery out, Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo made it clear he was looking for any of his young receivers to stand up and make a statement.

With Avery projected toward a return sometime around the season opener at Seattle, Robinson appears to be the one looming the largest.

“It’s a great opportunity here for me,” Robinson said. “Hopefully I can just step right in, make some plays, and help the team win anyway I can whether that’s by running, blocking, or catching the ball.”

In Friday night’s loss to the Falcons at the Edward Jones Dome, Robinson made his presence felt with five catches for 65 yards in about two quarters of play.

Along the way, Robinson hauled in a difficult 25-yard catch and showed excellent hands on some short and intermediate slant routes. Further, Robinson showed the ability to pick up yards after the catch, an imperative trait for any receiver in the West Coast Offense.

In two preseason games encompassing about three quarters of play, Robinson has been targeted 10 times and come up with seven catches for 117 yards and has been without question the team’s go to receiver.

In his rookie year with Atlanta, Robinson flashed some promise with 37 catches for 437 yards and a touchdown in 15 games.

But Robinson had a setback last season when a hamstring injury landed him on injured reserve and he played on only six games. He caught five passes for 52 yards and ultimately missed eight games because of injury.

The adjustment to St. Louis hasn’t come that easy for Robinson, either. He was a bit taken aback by the trade to the Rams and says he had trouble going from Atlanta’s system to the style being installed by Rams offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur in St. Louis.

Robinson even acknowledges that he wasn’t where he needed to be when he arrived in St. Louis. When the team parted ways for the summer, though, Robinson set about getting his swagger back.

That meant long workouts and keeping his nose in the playbook. When he got back to St. Louis, Robinson felt like a changed man.

“I think I went home and I just trained and just got my confidence back,” Robinson said, “After the trade I guess I wasn’t really all that focused. Now I got my focus back and my confidence up and I’m ready to play.”

Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo has taken notice of the difference as well, particularly after Friday night’s performance.

“I see a competitive guy,” Spagnuolo said. “When he first got here in the spring like a lot of guys, he was feeling his way through. It was a new team, it was a new system, but I thought he played really well last night. It was easy to see that.”

If things continue at the rate they’re going now, Robinson will get every opportunity to prove himself as a starter in this league. That’s all he really ever wanted.

“I’m just getting a lot more comfortable playing and making catches,” Robinson said. “In the OTAs I wasn’t doing so well but now I’m just a lot more comfortable and confident so things are going well for me.”