Linebacker the Last Missing Link

[Corbin]

We need a fs to

McLeod is more than serviceable as a starter right now.

 

[BonifayRam]

If the Rams keeps JL & his 14.8 million salary cap hit the next two seasons it will mean that several of the departing defensive UFA play making starters will not return based on the math. Just do not know which of them that will be. It also means that we will stand to see more of those big gaping runs up the middle as the season wears on. Team are sure to use the last 9er game as the road map on how to run big with a no name RB. JL had 1 tackle in that game as the RB just ran by him. If those runs up the middle get by Donald & Brockers its usually close to a 1st down run.

Its not like Snead has not put himself in a good position here @ MLB'er. Rams have several LB'ers who have roamed behind the middle of the DL before. The 6-3 255 pound strongside Akeem Ayers played inside for the SB champions New England Pats & looked very impressive. Ayers was hardly used in 2015 coming off the field in the Nickle & Dime. Ayers has 6 NFL seasons under his belt & is no dummy. Snead's 2015 Ram draft selection 6-1 240 pound Bryce Hager was a 3 yr starter @ MLB'er & plays with a high football IQ and excellent field awareness has the NFL bloodline too. The 6-0 230 pound Cameron Lynch has played inside LB'er & was productive he is the Rams hardest hitting LB'er by far where he brings the hit with all his tackles the total opposite of JL.

If you can not stop the run you can not win in the NFL period. IMO if JL is our starting MLB'er prepare myself for another typical Fisher win loss season. JL's massive knowledge of Gregg's defense means very little after the snap of the ball if you can not finish the play with a tackle close to the LOS.

If it were up to me I used that JL cap $$ to sigh back UFA's Mark Barron & Rod McLeod to start & play WSLB & FS. Ogletree will start @ SSLB'er & utilize one of the 3 above mentioned LB'ers (Hager/Ayers/Lynch) to be that part time MLB'er when the Rams go to the Nickel or Dime. Leaving Lbers Barron & Ogletree on the field in passing situations. I would use veteran Ram starter Rodney McLeod from his deep middle safety position to play the major role in Greggs QB/leadership role....he deserves it. Then let your new MLB'er whomever it is earn to play more as he learns Gregg's defense.

 

[Merlin]

If the Rams keeps JL & his 14.8 million salary cap hit the next two seasons it will mean that several of the departing defensive UFA play making starters will not return based on the math. Just do not know which of them that will be. It also means that we will stand to see more of those big gaping runs up the middle as the season wears on. Team are sure to use the last 9er game as the road map on how to run big with a no name RB. JL had 1 tackle in that game as the RB just ran by him. If those runs up the middle get by Donald & Brockers its usually close to a 1st down run.

Its not like Snead has not put himself in a good position here @ MLB'er. Rams have several LB'ers who have roamed behind the middle of the DL before. The 6-3 255 pound strongside Akeem Ayers played inside for the SB champions New England Pats & looked very impressive. Ayers was hardly used in 2015 coming off the field in the Nickle & Dime. Ayers has 6 NFL seasons under his belt & is no dummy. Snead's 2015 Ram draft selection 6-1 240 pound Bryce Hager was a 3 yr starter @ MLB'er & plays with a high football IQ and excellent field awareness has the NFL bloodline too. The 6-0 230 pound Cameron Lynch has played inside LB'er & was productive he is the Rams hardest hitting LB'er by far where he brings the hit with all his tackles the total opposite of JL.

If you can not stop the run you can not win in the NFL period. IMO if JL is our starting MLB'er prepare myself for another typical Fisher win loss season. JL's massive knowledge of Gregg's defense means very little after the snap of the ball if you can not finish the play with a tackle close to the LOS.

If it were up to me I used that JL cap $$ to sigh back UFA's Mark Barron & Rod McLeod to start & play WSLB & FS. Ogletree will start @ SSLB'er & utilize one of the 3 above mentioned LB'ers (Hager/Ayers/Lynch) to be that part time MLB'er when the Rams go to the Nickel or Dime. Leaving Lbers Barron & Ogletree on the field in passing situations. I would use veteran Ram starter McLeod to play the major role in leadership.

I see JL in the same boat as Long, where he will be a restructure. Like with Chris Long he has value to this team. Long has already said he's willing to do it, so it's all upside with him and positives for the Rams where they might get him back resembling his old self for an affordable contract. JL same deal, he was nicked up last season but he doesn't complain about it, instead he makes starts and keeps the defense in the right looks.

IMO Rams will restructure both before FA, and will either do the same or cut Saffold outright. From there LB is a need but not the greatest on the defensive side, that would be a DT rotation piece. There are some very good candidates for MLB in this draft. Ragland will go round 1 so too high for the Rams. I really like Matakevich in round 3 but there are some others grouped near him that would also help the Rams like Wright, Vigil, Alexander. All have varying strengths and I'd guess the Rams would be highest on Wright and then Matakevich in that order due to fit. Wright is more versatile and good at coming on the blitz and I'm sure Williams drools looking at his tape, Mata is a tape/tendency fiend who is quick to the ball and can get off blocks better than most LBs you see in college given the infatuation with suped up safety types for the speed most teams desire. Since ILBs are a bit undervalued on draft day I think a very good option for the Rams will be there in round 3. IMO that's the spot the Rams will slot as keeping an eye out for the position.

The darkhorse to keep an eye on is Morrison from Florida. His prob is he's got an arrest/suspension from '13, and then that bad knee injury he suffered in their bowl game last year, but he came back in six months and led a great defense in tackles. He is a poster boy for a Jeff Fisher/Greg Williams defense. Mean and nasty type LB just the way they like them. I read an article recently listing him as a possible round 2 pick "if healthy" and that's the key with him. Guarantee the Rams are all over that dude with the medical side stuff.

 

[lockdnram21]

McLeod is more than serviceable as a starter right now.

I dont want serviceable. I want a ball hawk

 

[Debacled]

Everyone should see Ogletree try and get off a block if they think JL is bad at it.

The guy catches plenty of undeserved flack. In fact he is a huge reason they are able to contain wilson as well as they are.

Focus on offense, there are no glaring holes on defense right now. FA may make some, but there are none right now

 

[LACHAMP46]

20th defense in the league...can't be blamed on one player....collective my friends...

 

[blackbart]

I don't think the defense "taking the next step" is all that important. Getting someone to dominant the middle would be awesome and clearly Fisher wanted Wagner but it didn't happen. JL is serviceable, there certainly aren't 31 other guys in the league better than him. He knows the defense and where to put guys each play. He does get washed out sometimes but his job in this defense is not to make every tackle, that just ins't how it is designed.

The Rams could maybe get better there but they for damn sure could be a lot worse.

 

[Dieter the Brock]

The darkhorse to keep an eye on is Morrison from Florida. His prob is he's got an arrest/suspension from '13, and then that bad knee injury he suffered in their bowl game last year, but he came back in six months and led a great defense in tackles. He is a poster boy for a Jeff Fisher/Greg Williams defense. Mean and nasty type LB just the way they like them. I read an article recently listing him as a possible round 2 pick "if healthy" and that's the key with him. Guarantee the Rams are all over that dude with the medical side stuff.

Morrison from Florida is the guy!! Love this kids athletism and he's a tackling beast - looks like a perfect fit if as you say he can stay healthy which I bet he can

 

[BonifayRam]

20th defense in the league...can't be blamed on one player....collective my friends...

Loosing both starting DE's Chris Long & Robert Quinn for the greater parts of the season played big fore-sure. Throw in the fact that we got only 3 finished games from our best LB'er Alec Ogletree would just about finish most teams off. Later on we only got 10 finished games out of our best safety TJ McDonald. Four major pieces of our defense.

JL would not have been so uncovered if the four above had remained healthy that's true.

 

[lockdnram21]

If we don't Resign Jenkins Cb will be a big need. I don't care what anybody says I'm not comfortable going in to the season with Tru as #1. If Jenkins isn't resigned I expect Cb to be drafted early

 

[Dieter the Brock]

I dont want serviceable. I want a ball hawk

We can't have a hall of Famer at every position - McLeod is an excellent pro, we need these guys on our roster

Isn't JJ a ballhawk?

 

[Jorgeh0605]

The missing link is an offense. This defense is already dominant.

 

[8to12]

I don't think the defense "taking the next step" is all that important. Getting someone to dominant the middle would be awesome and clearly Fisher wanted Wagner but it didn't happen. JL is serviceable, there certainly aren't 31 other guys in the league better than him. He knows the defense and where to put guys each play. He does get washed out sometimes but his job in this defense is not to make every tackle, that just ins't how it is designed.

The Rams could maybe get better there but they for damn sure could be a lot worse.

I disagree with this point. My main issue with the defense is Linebacker play. It's below average, and JL 55 is the main problem. It starts with Run defense. The LB's have to be disciplined to maintain their Gap control. Way more often this past season you would see JL out of position or getting taken out of play by a blocker. He was horrible at filling holes and getting off of blocks. And, even with all of the tackles that Ogletree made early in the season, he was just as bad at being out of position and not being able to get off of blocks. If you take a look at the Rams LB ratings at PFF, you will find Ayers, along with Ogletree & JL as "Below average".

If we want to see the Rams get to deep in the Playoffs, then yes, "Taking the next step" is very important. And, it will not take much to do it. There are a few good MLB's in the draft that can be had in the middle rounds that would be an upgrade over JL. It would not hamper the Rams ability to acquire offensive players using their premium picks in the earlier rounds. And, Ogletree is going to have to improve. Making a tackle on one play and then getting walled off while the next play goes for 8 yards is not going to cut it.

 

[Alaskan Ram]

JL is the man. If our qb play matched our mlb play we'd have double digit wins....same goes for our WR play... our O line play...our TE play....If our offense could get some TOP equivalent to the the time our mlb is on the field...we'd be a double digit win team. I don't think the MIKE is the missing link. Not by a goddam mile.

 

[WvuIN02]

QB, WR, MLB this team is set. Always could use OL help, but every team pretty much can say that.

And Barron *could* add weight and play it, he seems to have the instincts and plays better at the LOS than at safety. Derrick Brooks had a HoF career at 235, Barron could reach that pretty easily in an offseason with an NFL nutritionist and weight program. I think it would be a great idea, as the defense is good but is noticeably weak at stopping the run (ranked 20th last year).

Then draft time grab Noah Spence when he drops

 

[LACHAMP46]

JL would not have been so uncovered if the four above had remained healthy that's true.

Probably true.....and the shame is, he's covered for the last 4 years, so half the fan base can't realize how terrible he's been, playing behind a monster like Donald, and a stud like Brockers.....

 

[Rams43]

MLB is not our team's biggest need, IMO.

Having said that, I've gotta say that watching LB play throughout these playoffs has been a real eye opener. We've seen some stellar LB play and we've seen how much they can help a team.

Let's don't kid ourselves. J Lau is a warrior but he IS upgradeable.

Sooooo...

If a stud MLB fell to us at #15, and a QB that they REALLY like isn't there, it wouldn't break my heart if they drafted J Lau's replacement.

Then again, a stud WR, CB ( if we don't resign our FA's), or DE would be just fine, also.

Anybody else up for a 3rd consecutive ROY and Pro Bowler 1st rounder? Lol.

 

[Jorgeh0605]

I'm fine with replacing JL. But when you replace him you have to replace his ability to adjust the defense. You have to believe whatever stud you draft can do that or someone like Tj can make those calls.

 

[BonifayRam]

MLB is not our team's biggest need, IMO.

Having said that, I've gotta say that watching LB play throughout these playoffs has been a real eye opener. We've seen some stellar LB play and we've seen how much they can help a team.

Let's don't kid ourselves. J Lau is a warrior but he IS upgradeable.

Sooooo...

If a stud MLB fell to us at #15, and a QB that they REALLY like isn't there, it wouldn't break my heart if they drafted J Lau's replacement.

Then again, a stud WR, CB ( if we don't resign our FA's), or DE would be just fine, also.

Anybody else up for a 3rd consecutive ROY and Pro Bowler 1st rounder? Lol.

If you just look at the play of JL ....I would agree with you here.... no he is not the biggest need but when you are short of salary $$$ to be able to sign a JJ, Tru, Mark, William,Tim or Rodney ....Would that element of JL's near 15 million cap salary the next two seasons come into play??? along with his weak performances? I think that increases the need would it not?