Safety over linebacker

[TheDYVKX]

The problem is we still have many holes to fill. FS is a problem still, as is lb, guard, center, QB.

So many holes, so little picks. Don't know what we're going to do.

 

[LACHAMP46]

@Tron ..... Our problem lies with who we have chosen, for almost 4 years now, who we trust to patrol the deep 3rd of the field...We may have that individual....We may not, but the only way to see is if we actually play TJ & Barron and get McLeod OFF THE FIELD UNLESS IT'S SPECIAL TEAMS...ooops was I yelling? My point, people assume that the FS is some specialized type of defender that ranges far and wide on pure instinct & speed. Actually, as some of you may now, Gil Byrd does a great job by reading formations & QB's & film & tendencies...It's a learning process....But he must be a heady player....They must know the number one rule...THAT IS TO STAY DEEPER THAN THE DEEPEST MAN....oops, did I scream again, my apologies...The second main thing is to be a sure tackler...With time and experience, you'll learn how to meet the ball when it comes out of the air...as long as your deep...
McLeod has given up at least 3 deep plays...I'm sure there are more...I'd be surprised if after this game he's a starter...I thought Barron played well...I thought TJ continues to improve...I think McLeod is holding this secondary back...Draft a FS? Naw...Grab one in FA? Probably not...We definitely we need a QB, & some linemen(guard-maybe a right tackle-maybe another guard)....and I'd love another LB, but I wanna see what that Korey Toomer brings to the table...7 more games to evaluate....Trust this, we are closer to 1999 than we have ever been since 2004....I was proud of this team...then they broke my back....

 

[V3]

We just traded 1/3 of our draft for a former top-10 safety. I'd be po'd if we used another pick on a safety.

Wouldn't surprise me, though. Wouldn't be shocked if we took another RB, either.

 

[Tron]

@Tron ..... Our problem lies with who we have chosen, for almost 4 years now, who we trust to patrol the deep 3rd of the field...We may have that individual....We may not, but the only way to see is if we actually play TJ & Barron and get McLeod OFF THE FIELD UNLESS IT'S SPECIAL TEAMS...ooops was I yelling? My point, people assume that the FS is some specialized type of defender that ranges far and wide on pure instinct & speed. Actually, as some of you may now, Gil Byrd does a great job by reading formations & QB's & film & tendencies...It's a learning process....But he must be a heady player....They must know the number one rule...THAT IS TO STAY DEEPER THAN THE DEEPEST MAN....oops, did I scream again, my apologies...The second main thing is to be a sure tackler...With time and experience, you'll learn how to meet the ball when it comes out of the air...as long as your deep...
McLeod has given up at least 3 deep plays...I'm sure there are more...I'd be surprised if after this game he's a starter...I thought Barron played well...I thought TJ continues to improve...I think McLeod is holding this secondary back...Draft a FS? Naw...Grab one in FA? Probably not...We definitely we need a QB, & some linemen(guard-maybe a right tackle-maybe another guard)....and I'd love another LB, but I wanna see what that Korey Toomer brings to the table...7 more games to evaluate....Trust this, we are closer to 1999 than we have ever been since 2004....I was proud of this team...then they broke my back....

great post man. lots of time left to see what we have. FS still worries me but dont know if they will address it.

 

[Merlin]

Williams knows what he's doing. If he thinks he needs another safety with some deep skills, he'll get one in the draft or FA. Also, re: Barron, he will use him in packages and tbh the way the league is trending towards passing game maybe safeties are going to be more valuable than LBs. Barron and TJM are both equivalent to average OLBs at the least and TJM may be the answer deep middle.

So at this point I'm not convinced FS is a huge need for this team. Four weeks ago many fans thought Williams needed to be fired. Fact is we all as fans, and I include myself here, overreact on things. If three weeks from now McLeod is killing it, that whole equation changes drastically.

Right now I'd put FS as a need, but pretty low on the list of things holding this team back.

 

[Jorgeh0605]

The problem is we still have many holes to fill. FS is a problem still, as is lb, guard, center, QB.

I don't think we have too many holes. I think our main deficiencies are definitely o-line and QB, with linebacker depth but I don't think that we have that many holes.

The way I see it,

Defense:
our d-line is good
our lb could use a player but that isn't necessity since we still have JL. Ogletree as starters in a scheme that plays more nickel anyways
Our Corners are fine
Mcleod, Joyner, and McDonald could compete for the FS spot next year and Barron or McDonald could man the other safety spot.

Offense:
We could potentially lose half of our line if Barksdale signs elsewhere.
QB - I think Bradford should will come back, but I don't argue against securing a top signal caller in the draft
RB - We have too many of these
TE - We are good.
WR - Britt leaves, so perhaps someone to line up opposite of Quick.

Long story short, I would like to see a more stable defensive unit next year. Don't make any dramatic changes because I think we have all the right pieces, they just aren't in the right spot. Offense is going to need some retooling on the other. Put your focus there.

 

[Irish]

Don't worry, we can always draft a QB in round 7 from nowhere tech.

 

[A.J. Hicks]

I saw a lot of formations today that I really liked. I think they may be the future of the NFL. We had 4 down line man. 2 LBs(Tree and JL). But on the backside they had both Barron and Mcdonald playing opposite each other (one playing a linebacker type role) with Mcloed deep. Mcloed could be upgraded and he did get beat on the one dagger, but I think that was more scheming on that play. I don't know why Tru peeled off. Once again getting beat deep.

 

[A.J. Hicks]

Really. . . If we were to run with the 4 down line man, 2 LB, with JJ, Tru and Gaines on the outside, then you switch Rodney and Joyner. Bring Rodney in to man handle guys on third down, but on the backside you have Barron and Mcdonald playing a masking/mirroring position with Joyner being the deep safety.

 

[jrry32]

McLeod needs to play slot CB. Joyner needs to play FS. When Joyner gets healthy. Barron was great today as a hybrid S/LB for us and it allowed us a lot of freedom in our usage of T.J. who killed it in that role. Plus, Ogletree actually played well today. Considering Barron has not even gotten the scheme down, I like this trade. Especially if Ogletree comes around.

 

[jrry32]

I saw a lot of formations today that I really liked. I think they may be the future of the NFL. We had 4 down line man. 2 LBs(Tree and JL). But on the backside they had both Barron and Mcdonald playing opposite each other (one playing a linebacker type role) with Mcloed deep. Mcloed could be upgraded and he did get beat on the one dagger, but I think that was more scheming on that play. I don't know why Tru peeled off. Once again getting beat deep.

It looked like Cover 3 to me which means that Tru has outside leverage. McLeod is supposed to be inside. He has this nasty tendency of gambling and getting himself out of position.

 

[A55VA6]

McLeod needs to play slot CB. Joyner needs to play FS. When Joyner gets healthy. Barron was great today as a hybrid S/LB for us and it allowed us a lot of freedom in our usage of T.J. who killed it in that role. Plus, Ogletree actually played well today. Considering Barron has not even gotten the scheme down, I like this trade. Especially if Ogletree comes around.

I agree. McLeod at the slot and Joyner at FS. Just seems to be a better fit that way.

 

[Irish]

Too many gamblers in the defensive backfield, and quite frankly they aren't talented enough cover guys nor smart enough to warrant them being gamblers.

To be honest, a shut down corner who can actually cover guys and doesn't need to get lucky for a pick is what this team needs more than anything, on the defensive side anyways. NFL offenses are just too smart to not pick these guys apart week in and week out. Soft cover threes have killed this team all year, and they are forced to do it because they don't have enough skill outside the numbers

 

[Jorgeh0605]

Too many gamblers in the defensive backfield, and quite frankly they aren't talented enough cover guys nor smart enough to warrant them being gamblers.

To be honest, a shut down corner who can actually cover guys and doesn't need to get lucky for a pick is what this team needs more than anything, on the defensive side anyways. NFL offenses are just too smart to not pick these guys apart week in and week out. Soft cover threes have killed this team all year, and they are forced to do it because they don't have enough skill outside the numbers

But asking for a shut down corner is like asking for an elite quarterback. Truth be told there are only about 5 CBs capable of shutting down a wide receiver. I also disagree that we don't have the skills at the CB position. Gaines put on a show today and Jenkins has great technique and skills. Tru ain't that bad either.

Do I wish we had Peterson, Revis, Talib, Haden, or dare I say Sherman? It would be awesome, but we have some great DBs who get more heat because of the blitzes that get called than how they actually perform and I'm not hating on the scheme, it is just the way it works. Live by the blitz, die by the blitz right?

 

[mr.stlouis]

Ya know, I loved what I saw from Barron today. He adds a huge hit factor to the defense. He's my my Terrell Pryor poster boy and am tickled we have him.

LB'er over S for me. I even think we have good depth. McCleod had some plays today, too.

 

[Alan]

Too early for me to be talking about FA and the draft but I've never been in favor of getting a dents FS.

 

[BonifayRam]

Rams have only 5 selections in 2015 plus whatever very late third selections they might get but bottom line here is we started with 12 picks last draft we are really down in 2015 due to using a 4th rder 7 a 6th rder used to get a starting safety.

Normally when you have talents like a top ten draft pick Mark Barron & a 3rd rd'er pick in 2013 like TJ McDonald you are going to have them on the field together some way some how.

Safety Rodney McLeod is the well documented DB leader of our secondary in the locker room. Rod is also a RFA who can return to the Rams a a low cost in 2015 I would say it highly probable that happens. Rams also have safety Cody Davis who was the 3rd safety until Mark Barron was traded for. On top of that Rams used a 4th rd selection for Mo Alexander so it sure looks like a very fat safety cadre. Then in-addition to all those safeties The Rams used two 2014 draft picks a 2nd & a 5th to select cornerback/safety/nickel defensive back Joyner who's best pro position looks like a safety and also selected safety CB Bryant on the 7th rd who is on the Rams PS. That's a possible seven safeties.

Being so short of selections in this up coming draft & with really big needs @ QB, OG, OT & LB'ers.....I just do not see any need for drafting a safety IMO.

 

[shovelpass]

Our LBs can't even out run Carson Palmer, so LB.

That was worrisome. Ogletree is coming on strong as of late, but there has been times where he does look slow. I'm hoping it was just fatigue setting in. Palmer was also effectively avoiding the Rams pass rush all game.

 

[Mikey Ram]

Rams have only 5 selections in 2015 plus whatever very late third selections they might get but bottom line here is we started with 12 picks last draft we are really down in 2015 due to using a 4th rder 7 a 6th rder used to get a starting safety.

Normally when you have talents like a top ten draft pick Mark Barron & a 3rd rd'er pick in 2013 like TJ McDonald you are going to have them on the field together some way some how.

Safety Rodney McLeod is the well documented DB leader of our secondary in the locker room. Rod is also a RFA who can return to the Rams a a low cost in 2015 I would say it highly probable that happens. Rams also have safety Cody Davis who was the 3rd safety until Mark Barron was traded for. On top of that Rams used a 4th rd selection for Mo Alexander so it sure looks like a very fat safety cadre. Then in-addition to all those safeties The Rams used two 2014 draft picks a 2nd & a 5th to select cornerback/safety/nickel defensive back Joyner who's best pro position looks like a safety and also selected safety CB Bryant on the 7th rd who is on the Rams PS. That's a possible seven safeties.

Being so short of selections in this up coming draft & with really big needs @ QB, OG, OT & LB'ers.....I just do not see any need for drafting a safety IMO.

Yeah but McLeod got beat on a skinny water cooler route in the locker room at the half...

 

[DaveFan'51]

It seems as though Fisher places little value on a true FS, so I'm holding out hope for LB upgrades through the draft and/or FA.

I think, after thin at LB all year, the position will be addressed this off-season!