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BY BRYAN BURWELL
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... 93519.html
One week before rookies report.
Even in another oppressive St. Louis heat wave, when most reasonable people should only be contemplating the coolest enterprises, to diehard football lovers like me there's nothing quite like the emotional countdown to the start of another NFL training camp.
I live in the right-thinking football universe, where a midsummer heat wave is simply a gentle reminder that the football gods are percolating the proper atmosphere for the start of King Football. Suffocating heat is the necessary ingredient to test the mettle of aspiring football players looking to launch their NFL careers. Hundred-degree temperatures send most reasonable people to swimming pools and air conditioners. It sends football players to grass practice fields in places such as Rams Park. And so it is that Rams rookies will begin their first official training camp practice next Wednesday afternoon.
So with a week to go, here's my training camp wish list.
Is Sam Bradford fully recovered both physically and mentally from the beating he took last season
A year ago, Sam Bradford was entering training camp as the reigning NFL offensive rookie of the year, and there was so much promise that his growth as a franchise quarterback would continue along the same dramatic arc from his first NFL season. But last season was a major setback for Bradford, both physically and emotionally. Bradford is one of those fierce competitors who probably hates losing more than he loves winning. There were times last season after those repeated losses when you could see it in his eyes just how dumbfounded he was by all this failure. He wasn't familiar with losing, and it ate at him like an incurable illness.
With a new coaching staff, new front office and a new offense to learn, Bradford has immersed himself in the playbook and seems to be as eager as anyone on the team to rid himself of any remnants from last season. It shouldn't take long to see how well he has recovered.
Will the Rams' offensive line be good enough and healthy enough to protect Bradford?
The emotional part of Sam Bradford's recovery will all be up to him. His physical well-being will be a collective effort of the big men who have been hired to protect him. With a new offensive line coach in place, will tackles Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold (above) not only return to camp healthy, but will they have recovered from their strange technique struggles last season? The two young tackles have the talent to be Pro Bowl-caliber anchors for the next six or seven years. But last year Smith's concussions were a big issue and Saffold struggled mightily with injuries and a major decline in play after an impressive rookie season in 2010.
Better coaching should straighten out both Smith and Saffold in a hurry, and with the addition of Pro Bowl center Scott Wells and the return of veteran guard Harvey Dahl, the protection should be dramatically better. The only major question is who will be the other guard. My money is on massive rookie Rockevious Watkins (6-foot-3, 338 pounds).
Does Sam Bradford have enough weapons at his disposal to run a more effective offense?
Every day of camp, all eyes will be on the rookie receivers. Second-round draft pick Brian Quick (above) and fourth-rounder Chris Givens are supposed to be immediate impact players. Veteran Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson made it quite clear before the end of minicamp that he expected Quick to spend the time leading up to training camp doing everything he can to make sure he will be ready to be a major factor.
But there are other veterans who better show up ready to go, too.
It's time for wide receiver Danario Alexander to stay healthy, because he has shown that when he is healthy, he makes big plays. The two young tight ends on the roster, Mike Hoomanawanui and Lance Kendricks, have to stay healthy, too. In this offense, multiple tight ends are critical weapons as receivers and blockers.
Perhaps the most important player in the offense is slot wide receiver Danny Amendola, who is returning from season-ending injuries a year ago and was Bradford's most reliable weapon two years ago.
Has the Rams' run defense been upgraded significantly with the drafting of first-round pick Michael Brockers?
First-round draft pick Michael Brockers is a huge man (6-6, 322) and should be a massive anchor on the interior of this defense, which desperately needs a true run-stuffer in the middle. He dominated in the rugged Southeastern Conference against the run but is still an unpolished pass rusher. But I would be shocked if Brockers isn't starting from the first day and keeping offensive linemen off of middle linebacker James Laurinaitis.
Veteran free agent Trevor Laws ought to help immediately as well. But keep an eye on last year's first-round pick, Robert Quinn, who looks like a natural pass rusher but has a lot of work to do against the run before he can be considered an every-down lineman.
Does Jeff Fisher believe he has enough talent at linebacker?
Other than James Laurinaitis in the middle, does anyone know who will be the starting linebackers for Jeff Fisher? Lots of question marks. I can't wait to see who will emerge (or if anyone will emerge). I just hope we don't get a repeat of last season when it was apparent that mistakes were made by the front office in bringing in too many over-the-hill outside linebackers, which also contributed to why the Rams had one of the worst run defenses in the league.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/ ... 93519.html
One week before rookies report.
Even in another oppressive St. Louis heat wave, when most reasonable people should only be contemplating the coolest enterprises, to diehard football lovers like me there's nothing quite like the emotional countdown to the start of another NFL training camp.
I live in the right-thinking football universe, where a midsummer heat wave is simply a gentle reminder that the football gods are percolating the proper atmosphere for the start of King Football. Suffocating heat is the necessary ingredient to test the mettle of aspiring football players looking to launch their NFL careers. Hundred-degree temperatures send most reasonable people to swimming pools and air conditioners. It sends football players to grass practice fields in places such as Rams Park. And so it is that Rams rookies will begin their first official training camp practice next Wednesday afternoon.
So with a week to go, here's my training camp wish list.
Is Sam Bradford fully recovered both physically and mentally from the beating he took last season
A year ago, Sam Bradford was entering training camp as the reigning NFL offensive rookie of the year, and there was so much promise that his growth as a franchise quarterback would continue along the same dramatic arc from his first NFL season. But last season was a major setback for Bradford, both physically and emotionally. Bradford is one of those fierce competitors who probably hates losing more than he loves winning. There were times last season after those repeated losses when you could see it in his eyes just how dumbfounded he was by all this failure. He wasn't familiar with losing, and it ate at him like an incurable illness.
With a new coaching staff, new front office and a new offense to learn, Bradford has immersed himself in the playbook and seems to be as eager as anyone on the team to rid himself of any remnants from last season. It shouldn't take long to see how well he has recovered.
Will the Rams' offensive line be good enough and healthy enough to protect Bradford?
The emotional part of Sam Bradford's recovery will all be up to him. His physical well-being will be a collective effort of the big men who have been hired to protect him. With a new offensive line coach in place, will tackles Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold (above) not only return to camp healthy, but will they have recovered from their strange technique struggles last season? The two young tackles have the talent to be Pro Bowl-caliber anchors for the next six or seven years. But last year Smith's concussions were a big issue and Saffold struggled mightily with injuries and a major decline in play after an impressive rookie season in 2010.
Better coaching should straighten out both Smith and Saffold in a hurry, and with the addition of Pro Bowl center Scott Wells and the return of veteran guard Harvey Dahl, the protection should be dramatically better. The only major question is who will be the other guard. My money is on massive rookie Rockevious Watkins (6-foot-3, 338 pounds).
Does Sam Bradford have enough weapons at his disposal to run a more effective offense?
Every day of camp, all eyes will be on the rookie receivers. Second-round draft pick Brian Quick (above) and fourth-rounder Chris Givens are supposed to be immediate impact players. Veteran Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson made it quite clear before the end of minicamp that he expected Quick to spend the time leading up to training camp doing everything he can to make sure he will be ready to be a major factor.
But there are other veterans who better show up ready to go, too.
It's time for wide receiver Danario Alexander to stay healthy, because he has shown that when he is healthy, he makes big plays. The two young tight ends on the roster, Mike Hoomanawanui and Lance Kendricks, have to stay healthy, too. In this offense, multiple tight ends are critical weapons as receivers and blockers.
Perhaps the most important player in the offense is slot wide receiver Danny Amendola, who is returning from season-ending injuries a year ago and was Bradford's most reliable weapon two years ago.
Has the Rams' run defense been upgraded significantly with the drafting of first-round pick Michael Brockers?
First-round draft pick Michael Brockers is a huge man (6-6, 322) and should be a massive anchor on the interior of this defense, which desperately needs a true run-stuffer in the middle. He dominated in the rugged Southeastern Conference against the run but is still an unpolished pass rusher. But I would be shocked if Brockers isn't starting from the first day and keeping offensive linemen off of middle linebacker James Laurinaitis.
Veteran free agent Trevor Laws ought to help immediately as well. But keep an eye on last year's first-round pick, Robert Quinn, who looks like a natural pass rusher but has a lot of work to do against the run before he can be considered an every-down lineman.
Does Jeff Fisher believe he has enough talent at linebacker?
Other than James Laurinaitis in the middle, does anyone know who will be the starting linebackers for Jeff Fisher? Lots of question marks. I can't wait to see who will emerge (or if anyone will emerge). I just hope we don't get a repeat of last season when it was apparent that mistakes were made by the front office in bringing in too many over-the-hill outside linebackers, which also contributed to why the Rams had one of the worst run defenses in the league.