Anybody worried about the loss of Ogletree?

[Rams43]

Well, DUH...

Everyone is, of course.

We've all known that LB was the thinnest position group on the team, depth wise.

We've also known that sooner or later J Lau and/or Tree would suffer an injury that would result in loss of significant playing time. LB is a very violent position, after all.

Well, now it's happened.

Not criticizing S&F here, btw. Only so many picks and so many cap dollars to go around. And they've spent them at other positions generally quite well.

So what happens now?

Well, we're gonna learn 3 things PDQ, aren't we?

We're gonna learn if our backup LB's can at least halfway plug the huge hole left by Tree's injury.

And we're gonna learn if GW can scheme around Tree's loss with some combination of other players and player packages.

And finally, we're gonna learn if Fisher and GW had adequate contingency plans in the event of a loss of either of our top two LB's.

Let's keep our fingers crossed that this D doesn't lose anymore key players. Ogletree and Gaines are quite enough, thank you.

 

[ChrisW]

I'm fine with Ayers filling in. He's supposed to be good at pash rushing, let's see how he does on the blitz. I'm not excited to see him covering TE's though.

 

[Rmfnlt]

For some reason, I'm just not that concerned... I think Williams will use Barron is such a way that we'll be OK.

Or Ayers... or Bates.

 

[Psycho_X]

Tree is a loss for sure. No one we have will fill his spot as well which is why he was the starter and that is unfortunate. But I think Williams will use a combination of Ayers, Barron, and even Bates to help fix the loss. Those players can hold down the position adequately enough that our defense won't suffer a ton. It's surely a loss of talent but a mix and match of other talent based on the down and distance will help minimize the issue.

 

[yrba1]

Probably run more 4-2-5 defense with Barron filling in for Tree. I'm curious to see how Bates plays on defense.

 

[Faceplant]

I think they use lot of Big Nickel packages with Barron to help cover TEs. That would be my guess anyway.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Ayers can do everything Tree can....just not as fast, or as often...We should be fine in run defense....Actually, Ayers has gotten much better in pass coverage too....Interested to say the least

 

[DaveFan'51]

It obviously hurts, but it's called, Next man up. Ayer's will slide over into Tree's spot and Bates will step into Ayer's old spot and we move on to GB!
We have suffered bigger losses and gone on to win, we can do it!!

 

[Athos]

Lost a lot of LB athleticism and speed with Tree going down. Gonna be a royal pain facing mobile QBs, especially Rodgers.

Someone has to step up.

 

[FrantikRam]

I'm not as worried about this loss. Tree was making tackles and all that, and he was flying around, but our defense still hasn't been up to par. This is no knock on Tree, just looking at the glass half full here: Dunbar or Ayers might be better in the run game, and Barron should be better in the pass game...and we have some young guys there in Bates, Lynch and Hager.

I think LB was the position we could most afford to lose someone actually.

The biggest loss will be his ability to play sideline to sideline....but I think we'll be okay.

 

[Rambitious1]

I'm fine with Ayers filling in. He's supposed to be good at pash rushing, let's see how he does on the blitz. I'm not excited to see him covering TE's though.

If Ayers is filling in for Ogletree, who's filling in for Ayers?
Doesn't Ayers start too?

 

[ChrisW]

If Ayers is filling in for Ogletree, who's filling in for Ayers?
Doesn't Ayers start too?

He starts in the base 4-3. But, we aren't in it very much. Bates probably fills in.

 

[Adrian]

Lost a lot of LB athleticism and speed with Tree going down. Gonna be a royal pain facing mobile QBs, especially Rodgers.

Someone has to step up.

Game plan wise, Dunbar kept RGiii in check his rookie year so it's definitely doable

 

[PA Ram]

I fear this is a HUGE loss for the defense. He was their leading tackler--and it wasn't close. He had two sacks. He was tied for 14th in the NFL for tackles for loss. He was a very productive player and while--yes--it's "next man up" that doesn't mean the "next man" gives you what the last man gave you. I do believe Williams will have to change some of what they do and that makes the defense just a bit more limited. At times there seemed to be three Ogletrees on the field. He was having a Pro Bowl sort of season.

He was the third leading tackler in the NFL.

They will miss him.

Having said that, it doesn't mean the defense will suddenly fall apart, or be terrible or anything like that. But I do fear it will have an impact on what they are able to do and that he will be missed.

 

[RamBill]

Ayers ready for expanded role replacing Alec Ogletree
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...ady-for-expanded-role-replacing-alec-ogletree

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Akeem Ayers' new position is the same as his old one.

After the St. Louis Rams lost starting weakside linebacker Alec Ogletree last week to a fractured fibula, they found themselves this week in the unenviable position of replacing one of their most productive players. Ogletree will be out for the foreseeable future after having surgery on Tuesday. Which means it's Ayers' job to shift from the strong side to the weak side and attempt to fill the void.

The trickle down effect means that Ayers handles the weak side with safety Mark Barron coming on to the field with Ayers instead of replacing him when the team goes to sub packages. And what was once considered a sub package might turn into more of a base look with Ayers, Barron and James Laurinaitis on the field together.

"Akeem goes in, in base," coach Jeff Fisher said. "He’s one of the three linebackers in base, so he just moves over. It’s not a problem. And Mark, we’re getting a lot of production out of Mark in the sub packages. We’ll continue to do those things. We may entertain the possibility of using Mark on some earlier downs.”

But it's Ayers who will have the primary task of stepping in for the Rams' leading tackler. It's a job that, at the very least, Ayers is qualified to handle. When he entered the NFL as a second-round draft pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2011, Ayers began his career as a weakside linebacker in Tennessee's sub packages. He worked there for the better part of his first three seasons in the league.

Making the shift in St. Louis more comfortable, Ayers not only is familiar with the position but knows the position in the context of coordinator Gregg Williams' defensive scheme as he played for Williams with the Titans.

"Pretty much since I started there, it’s really nothing new," Ayers said.

The difference in positions isn't overly complicated. The strongside linebacker generally plays against heavier, run-oriented packages with multiple tight ends or backs on the field. In his first four games with the Rams after signing as a free agent, Ayers has played a little less than a quarter of the defensive snaps because teams have rarely been in those offensive formations.

In shifting to the weak side, Ayers will be asked to do more in coverage and a lot more in general. Ogletree had been on the field for every defensive snap before his injury.

"You want to always be ready and be prepared," Ayers said. "Tree was playing that position at a high level, being very productive at the position, tackles, sacks, he was all over the field. With him playing the position so high, I want to keep that same level of intensity going because he was playing at such a high level. I’m excited to get in there and play."

Ayers is also quick to warn that he isn't Ogletree. For starters, Ayers is about an inch taller and 15 pounds heavier than Ogletree at 6-foot-3, 255 pounds. He's also a more accomplished pass-rusher with experience playing multiple positions. But he doesn't have Ogletree's speed or ability to get sideline to sideline.

"He has a different game," Ayers said. "He does what he does well and I do what I do well. So I’ll get in there and just play football how I know how to play."

 

[Robocop]

I've been really upset about losing him. it could be a big hit to the D. not that they can't overcome it but when you lose a guy that can run sideline to sideline like that and average 12-15 tackles a game, it's gonna be a noticeable difference

 

[CGI_Ram]

The light was just coming on for Ogletree. Big loss.

But, I think Barron steps up as does Ayers.

Ogletree back just before the playoffs.

 

[Amitar]

Yes, absolutely. He was leading the team in tackles by a wide margin. It was already tough with Gaines out.