St. Louis Rams WR Stedman Bailey Officially Reinstated

With the NFL and the NFLPA officially passing their newly-revised drug policy on Wednesday morning, the St. Louis Rams received an unexpected boost with the return of wide receiver Stedman Bailey. Bailey, a 2013 third-rounder from West Virginia, had been suspended under the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy in the offseason, but under the new policy, his suspension would not have occurred, and therefore it was rescinded.

With the recent uptick in performance from Rams wideouts such as Austin Pettis and Chris Givens, Bailey make have a tougher time breaking into the lineup than we would have thought in the preseason, when he was arguably the Rams’ best receiver. But with fellow West Virginia alum Tavon Austin possibly out for this weekend’s game against the Dallas Cowboys, it definitely helps to have Bailey in the fold.

Bailey was limited almost exclusively to special teams during the first half of his rookie season, but by Week 11 he began to be integrated into the offense, and he ultimately ended the year with 17 catches for 226 yards, plus a 27-yard rushing touchdown on a reverse.

While we think first of Bailey’s possible impact from scrimmage, it’s also very possible that he could deliver positive contributions to the Rams’ special teams units if he’s not a major factor in the offensive gameplan. He did fantastic work as a gunner on the punt team last season and played a big part in the Rams setting the all-time record for net punt average. We also saw him work with the kickoff team during the preseason, and it’s possible that he could play a part on that unit now that he’s returned.