Depth Concerns (LB Analysis)

[News Bot]

BEN FREDERICKSON
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Last year: The Rams return two starting linebackers from 2012, and both had solid seasons last year.

James Laurinaitis again was the quarterback of the defense, a role the man in the middle has held since he got to St. Louis in 2009. He totaled 142 tackles for the second consecutive year.

In Rams coach Jeff Fisher's 4-3 defense, he was flanked by free agent addition Jo-Lonn Dunbar, who turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

The Rams were pretty much in the middle of the pack in terms of overall defensive statistics: 15th out of 32 NFL teams in opponent passing yards, surrendering 225.1 yards per game. They also came in 15th in opponent rushing yards, giving up an average of 117.5 yards every outing.

Coach: Frank Bush was added to Rams coach Jeff Fisher's staff in January, replacing former linebackers coach Blake Williams. He most recently held the same position with the Tennessee Titans, and has been in the NFL coaching business going on 23 years. Bush is one of four Rams defensive coaches who previously had experience as a coordinator.

Three questions:

1. Will Ogletree be the player everyone expects?

Before Alec Ogletree tumbled down the NFL draft board due to off-the-field issues, he was expected to be a top 10 pick. The Rams will need him to play like that if their unit is to be strong. Ogletree will be expected to start, and Fisher has already announced that Ogletree will be the left-side linebacker, meaning the Rams are discarding a strong-side, weak-side system used in the past. This means the Georgia product will be expected to know how to play both strong and weak side. That's asking a lot from a rookie, especially when Ogletree's desire for every-down physicality has been questioned when he's linked to a strong-side role.

2. Can Dunbar repeat last year's performance?

Dunbar joined the team from New Orleans for a modest contract, then started 16 games, racked up 115 tackles (91 solo, 24 assisted), 4.5 sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. His specialty was stuffing the run; Pro Football Focus ranked him third in run defense among outside linebackers. As the right-side starter this season, Dunbar will be expected to do it again.

3. Will the team bring in another linebacker?

If all goes as planned, the Rams will feature three young, athletic linebackers in the heart of Fisher's 4-3 defense. But what if one gets hurt? That's where the Rams run into trouble because depth at the position falls off fast. Need proof? Look at what the Rams did after organized team activities. They reportedly brought in multiple free agents -- veterans such as Takeo Spikes, Will Witherspoon and Chris Gocong -- for visits. None had signed with the team -- yet. But it's likely the team will add someone before training camp.

Quote: "He’s a very talented young player that has a big upside. He’s picking up things very well. He has great athletic ability. He’s showing his football intelligence. He’s been able to pick up the schemes and been able to adapt and usually he’s been making plays. He’s got his hands on some balls and things like that. We’re pleased with him and look for big things from him this season." -- Rams defensive coordinator Tim Walton on Ogletree

What others are saying: In its preseason annual, Lindy's gives Rams linebackers a rating of 7 (on a 1-10 scale). It wrote: "James Laurinaitis remains the anchor in the middle of the defense, and was one of the best impact tacklers in the league last season. Jo-Lonn Dunbar played well on the weak side last season but he could move to the strong side if rookie Alex Ogletree is a quick study and plays like the Rams expect. Rams coaches compare the gumby-like Ogletree to Keith Bulluck, a longtime Titans linebacker when Fisher and several Rams assistants were in Tennessee. Oddly, both were the 30th picks in the draft and started out as safeties."

Bottom line: This could be the best group of linebackers the Rams have put on the field in a decade -- if things pan out. Or, one costly injury could derail the position entirely. The Rams need to keep their three starters healthy and make some moves to add depth.

 

[DR RAM]

I'm excited about this group more than I can express in words.

 

[PrometheusFaulk]

Lindy's apparently not hip to the left-right LB allignment (as opposed to weak-strong).

 

[BonifayRam]

Fisher in the past has used mainly two LB'ers more than three. He loves to move early into the Nickle with Finnegan moving into the Nickle. Fisher is also very quick to go Dime just as early too. Thus only leaving one LB'er on the field most of the time JL is playing very deep too.Things may change a bit with the selection of Tree in the first round but I just don't see it myself.

The depth that they are concerned about is not all that bad. Fisher has 3 that have been around the block some. First and main reserve is 26 yr 4 yr vet Josh Hull who had one start last yr on the outside. This 2010 Ram draft pick has been present for the last yrs TC & pre seasons so it not like he has not seen NFL game actions. Hull is more MLB than OSLB'er. Typical in the box type.

OSLB'er Jabara Williams was also a Ram draft pick in 2011. He has been release and picked up several times by the Rams & Bears. Jabara has also participated in two TC & pre seasons & played in 5 NFL regular season games.

UDFA OSLB'er Sammy Brown was here last yr for TC & pre season. Sammy was released & picked up by the Phins the released & the Rams signed him back to PS week later he was upgraded to the 53 player roster.

The new guys are all UDFA's two MLB'er bruisers in Joe Lebeau & Jon Stewart. They have three OSLB'ers types in Phil Steward, Ray Ray Armstrong & Darren Bates. They also have Joren Hus & Jake McQuaide listed as LB'ers but the really are Long Snappers!

Both Bates & Armstrong are really more strong safeties than Lb'ers but there is no telling how they will turn out but Bates ran a 4.53 his pro day. but he would be pushed to make 215 pounds. Ray Ray is a lot bigger but slower. Its been discussed here a couple weeks ago that a well seasoned vet could be a easy sign in less than a month if these new players do not catch up fast. If Bates does not work out @ OLB'er don't be surprised if he fights his way in @ safety contention. That's a total of 11 Lb'ers presently in camp now. In conclusion I do not have any real concerns about the depth.

 

[-X-]

Fisher in the past has used mainly two LB'ers more than three. He loves to move early into the Nickle with Finnegan moving into the Nickle. Fisher is also very quick to go Dime just as early too. Thus only leaving one LB'er on the field most of the time JL is playing very deep too.Things may change a bit with the selection of Tree in the first round but I just don't see it myself.

The depth that they are concerned about is not all that bad. Fisher has 3 that have been around the block some. First and main reserve is 26 yr 4 yr vet Josh Hull who had one start last yr on the outside. This 2010 Ram draft pick has been present for the last yrs TC & pre seasons so it not like he has not seen NFL game actions. Hull is more MLB than OSLB'er. Typical in the box type.

OSLB'er Jabara Williams was also a Ram draft pick in 2011. He has been release and picked up several times by the Rams & Bears. Jabara has also participated in two TC & pre seasons & played in 5 NFL regular season games.

UDFA OSLB'er Sammy Brown was here last yr for TC & pre season. Sammy was released & picked up by the Phins the released & the Rams signed him back to PS week later he was upgraded to the 53 player roster.

The new guys are all UDFA's two MLB'er bruisers in Joe Lebeau & Jon Stewart. They have three OSLB'ers types in Phil Steward, Ray Ray Armstrong & Darren Bates. They also have Joren Hus & Jake McQuaide listed as LB'ers but the really are Long Snappers!

Both Bates & Armstrong are really more strong safeties than Lb'ers but there is no telling how they will turn out but Bates ran a 4.53 his pro day. but he would be pushed to make 215 pounds. Ray Ray is a lot bigger but slower. Its been discussed here a couple weeks ago that a well seasoned vet could be a easy sign in less than a month if these new players do not catch up fast. If Bates does not work out @ OLB'er don't be surprised if he fights his way in @ safety contention. That's a total of 11 Lb'ers presently in camp now. In conclusion I do not have any real concerns about the depth.

Well, that's a lot of names, but how many are shoe-ins to fill in effectively at MLB or OLB (R) if we lose Laurinaitis or Dunbar (knock, knock, knock on wood)? I agree that Sammy Brown has some experience, but I don't think he should put a period on his resume' at the moment. The rest are guys that may or may not pan out as far as anyone is concerned, IMO.

That said, "Depth" is a fleeting thing in the NFL. One day it's there - the next day it's not.

 

[DR RAM]

Fisher in the past has used mainly two LB'ers more than three. He loves to move early into the Nickle with Finnegan moving into the Nickle. Fisher is also very quick to go Dime just as early too. Thus only leaving one LB'er on the field most of the time JL is playing very deep too.Things may change a bit with the selection of Tree in the first round but I just don't see it myself.

The depth that they are concerned about is not all that bad. Fisher has 3 that have been around the block some. First and main reserve is 26 yr 4 yr vet Josh Hull who had one start last yr on the outside. This 2010 Ram draft pick has been present for the last yrs TC & pre seasons so it not like he has not seen NFL game actions. Hull is more MLB than OSLB'er. Typical in the box type.

OSLB'er Jabara Williams was also a Ram draft pick in 2011. He has been release and picked up several times by the Rams & Bears. Jabara has also participated in two TC & pre seasons & played in 5 NFL regular season games.

UDFA OSLB'er Sammy Brown was here last yr for TC & pre season. Sammy was released & picked up by the Phins the released & the Rams signed him back to PS week later he was upgraded to the 53 player roster.

The new guys are all UDFA's two MLB'er bruisers in Joe Lebeau & Jon Stewart. They have three OSLB'ers types in Phil Steward, Ray Ray Armstrong & Darren Bates. They also have Joren Hus & Jake McQuaide listed as LB'ers but the really are Long Snappers!

Both Bates & Armstrong are really more strong safeties than Lb'ers but there is no telling how they will turn out but Bates ran a 4.53 his pro day. but he would be pushed to make 215 pounds. Ray Ray is a lot bigger but slower. Its been discussed here a couple weeks ago that a well seasoned vet could be a easy sign in less than a month if these new players do not catch up fast. If Bates does not work out @ OLB'er don't be surprised if he fights his way in @ safety contention. That's a total of 11 Lb'ers presently in camp now. In conclusion I do not have any real concerns about the depth.

Well put, and accurate, IMO.

Softli has a man boner for Armstrong. He may run a bit faster, but this is speculation on my part about his conditioning, and having the year off. In any case, he's probably not real fast, especailly because he's probably been asked to gain more weight. A lot of people are high on Steward. It will be interesting to see how the depth filters out in the end. Spags used a lot of 2 backers also, and the key to it was Darian Stewart playing at almost linebacker depth.

 

[BonifayRam]

Well, that's a lot of names, but how many are shoe-ins to fill in effectively at MLB or OLB (R) if we lose Laurinaitis or Dunbar (knock, knock, knock on wood)? I agree that Sammy Brown has some experience, but I don't think he should put a period on his resume' at the moment. The rest are guys that may or may not pan out as far as anyone is concerned, IMO.

That said, "Depth" is a fleeting thing in the NFL. One day it's there - the next day it's not.

Very true X...if lets say JL goes down then we would see Hull fill in. Hull was seen with JL in the 4th down goes & Goal Line defenses the entire 2012 season. Hull has overcome two major knee surgeries and is one real tough player. I think he hits harder than JL by far. If one of the OSLB'ers goes down we could see more 5 DB's situations without much drop off. I have a much better feeling about Williams than Brown.

The fact that our starting safeties (Stewart & McDonald) will be much bigger than what we fielded last yr. So you never know what Fisher & Walton will dream up this season. Hagans, Rocky McIntosh & Will Witherspoon are all still looking for work :idk: .

It will be interesting to see how the depth filters out in the end. Spags used a lot of 2 backers also, and the key to it was Darian Stewart playing at almost linebacker depth.

yes it sure will TC & Pre Season are a lot of fun for me! I bet Darian Stewart would have no issues playing an OSLB'er post in an emergency!

 

[biggame1190]

LB depth is an issue I agree with. I would like to assume we will sign a vet in the next couple weeks, probably one we had in a visit in the past, hopefully one with versatility like Spoon.

 

[albefree69]

I'd like to buy some of your confidence BonifayRam. :bg:
Everyone of our depth players except Hull are bottom feeders. Possibly good bottom feeders but bottom feeders none the less. These guys didn't get drafted for good reasons. I'll be very happy if any of them are able to improve our special teams. To expect any of these guy to be more than big talent level drops is a stretch IMO. If we lose any of our starting LBs we're in big trouble. I say big because I'm really hoping our D is able to make the leap to top 5-10. We lose one of these guys and we'll be lucky to not regress.

We have no starters at either safety position just hopes.
We have no depth at LB except Hull, who if put anywhere other than MLB would be a disaster.
We have no proven depth at CB.
We have an awesome D-line.

Portrait of a house of cards to me. Without any "you know whats" we could be really good. Take out one of our starters at LB and we don't stop the run. Which puts a lot of pressure on the DBs and so on.

IMO.

 

[libertadrocks]

Fisher in the past has used mainly two LB'ers more than three. He loves to move early into the Nickle with Finnegan moving into the Nickle. Fisher is also very quick to go Dime just as early too. Thus only leaving one LB'er on the field most of the time JL is playing very deep too.Things may change a bit with the selection of Tree in the first round but I just don't see it myself.

The depth that they are concerned about is not all that bad. Fisher has 3 that have been around the block some. First and main reserve is 26 yr 4 yr vet Josh Hull who had one start last yr on the outside. This 2010 Ram draft pick has been present for the last yrs TC & pre seasons so it not like he has not seen NFL game actions. Hull is more MLB than OSLB'er. Typical in the box type.

OSLB'er Jabara Williams was also a Ram draft pick in 2011. He has been release and picked up several times by the Rams & Bears. Jabara has also participated in two TC & pre seasons & played in 5 NFL regular season games.

UDFA OSLB'er Sammy Brown was here last yr for TC & pre season. Sammy was released & picked up by the Phins the released & the Rams signed him back to PS week later he was upgraded to the 53 player roster.

The new guys are all UDFA's two MLB'er bruisers in Joe Lebeau & Jon Stewart. They have three OSLB'ers types in Phil Steward, Ray Ray Armstrong & Darren Bates. They also have Joren Hus & Jake McQuaide listed as LB'ers but the really are Long Snappers!

Both Bates & Armstrong are really more strong safeties than Lb'ers but there is no telling how they will turn out but Bates ran a 4.53 his pro day. but he would be pushed to make 215 pounds. Ray Ray is a lot bigger but slower. Its been discussed here a couple weeks ago that a well seasoned vet could be a easy sign in less than a month if these new players do not catch up fast. If Bates does not work out @ OLB'er don't be surprised if he fights his way in @ safety contention. That's a total of 11 Lb'ers presently in camp now. In conclusion I do not have any real concerns about the depth.

Nice post. I pretty much agree, but I still worried about depth.

Most offenses are utilizing more spread concepts in their base O, which plays into what was our best defensive personell grouping last year(the nickel). And while I think both Seattle and SF will add more spread concepts into their offenses this off-season, they are still run first team. We have to be able to man up in our 4-3 base. Losing a LB our two would severely limit our defenses ability to stop the run.

I have similar nightmares, although they're typically much worse, about our depth at DT and the ability to stop the run

 

[nighttrain]

Well, that's a lot of names, but how many are shoe-ins to fill in effectively at MLB or OLB (R) if we lose Laurinaitis or Dunbar (knock, knock, knock on wood)? I agree that Sammy Brown has some experience, but I don't think he should put a period on his resume' at the moment. The rest are guys that may or may not pan out as far as anyone is concerned, IMO.

That said, "Depth" is a fleeting thing in the NFL. One day it's there - the next day it's not.

Very true X...if lets say JL goes down then we would see Hull fill in. Hull was seen with JL in the 4th down goes & Goal Line defenses the entire 2012 season. Hull has overcome two major knee surgeries and is one real tough player. I think he hits harder than JL by far. If one of the OSLB'ers goes down we could see more 5 DB's situations without much drop off. I have a much better feeling about Williams than Brown.

The fact that our starting safeties (Stewart & McDonald) will be much bigger than what we fielded last yr. So you never know what Fisher & Walton will dream up this season. Hagans, Rocky McIntosh & Will Witherspoon are all still looking for work :idk: .

It will be interesting to see how the depth filters out in the end. Spags used a lot of 2 backers also, and the key to it was Darian Stewart playing at almost linebacker depth.

yes it sure will TC & Pre Season are a lot of fun for me! I bet Darian Stewart would have no issues playing an OSLB'er post in an emergency!

seee how the year plays out, but i wouldnt be surprised to see the Rams draft a LB 1st day & maybe even 2nd day next year
train

 

[fearsomefour]

The point made by Bonifay about Fisher going early to nickle look is a good one. Mikkels' best play came close to the line. I think they see Stewart having much the same success with a more athletic, faster, better centerfielder....be it McDonald, Gorgianno (sp?) or someone else. Hull may be solid in the short term at MLB but I would have reservations about him starting 8 games. I do think the Rams will sign a vet LB....Gocung Im betting.