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Is 2015 a make-or-break year for Jeff Fisher and Les Snead?
Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...e-or-break-year-for-jeff-fisher-and-les-snead
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams have one more week of organized team activities before calling it an offseason. But there are no shortage of questions that still need to be answered between now and the regular season.
We'll let the Rams sort out their questions. But in this space, we devote our time to answering your queries.
Nick Carbaugh @CarbaughNation
@nwagoner I'm on Team Fisher/Snead but they've had a very long leash. 2015 has to be a make or break season for that duo, right?
@nwagoner: I think you probably phrased it the right way here by saying "that duo." I'm not convinced the Rams would make wholesale changes after 2015 unless things really went wrong. But for what it's worth, my sense is that Fisher is much safer beyond 2015 than Snead would be if the Rams were unable to finally get over the hump and have a winning record. Fisher still has another year on his deal at a relatively high price (around $7 million) and there's been no indication that owner Stan Kroenke is interested in making a change. But another losing record wouldn't be helpful. As for Snead, I need to double-check, but I believe he's in the last year of his deal. If things don't go well, someone might need to take the fall. Maybe it's not Fisher or Snead, but of the two, it's far less likely to be Fisher. Of course, if the Rams win in 2015, one would think both are safe.
#QuitVotingRoyals @theonlyseamus
How valid is the talk of Foles taking more deep shots? Does this make Quick more of a threat?
@nwagoner: More deep shots relative to what the Rams have done? I'd say probably pretty valid. Nick Foles has not been afraid to throw the deep ball in his career and I doubt that's going to change in St. Louis. In fact, I expect that to be a big part of what the Rams do offensively, particularly as a spin-off into play-action from the run game. I don't know if that means much for Brian Quick, but it could be good for receiver Kenny Britt. Britt was open deep several of times in 2014 and was targeted 20 yards or more down the field 25 times, but only had 10 catches to show for it. That number should improve if Foles can be accurate with the deep ball the way he has been in the past, particularly in 2013.
Chris @BiggameCB
BQuick seems to be the coaches "favorite" to start but will SBailey be given a fair chance to compete for the outside?
@nwagoner: Well, Quick needs to get healthy before we can start calling him the favorite for anything. But assuming he gets back to full strength, yes, I expect Quick and Britt to be the starters on the outside. Quick was playing well before his injury last year and potentially could have approached 1,000 yards if he'd played the full season. So I'd say he's flashed as much more potential than Stedman Bailey. Also, Quick and Britt's size gives them a leg up as blockers in an offense that figures to center on the run game. Bailey will still get his chances and his versatility to play outside the numbers and in the slot should earn him plenty of snaps moving forward.
Austin Turman @AustinTurman
Will Bryce Hager eventually become a starter on the defense?
@nwagoner: At this point, I've seen Bryce Hager practice a grand total of four times, none of which were in pads in real, live action. So to say it's unfair to judge him yet would be considered an understatement. I'm not going to say right now whether he can or can't become a starter, but let's see him go through a camp and preseason and see if he can make the roster before we start projecting him into any expanded role beyond that.
Koris Cromartie @KorisCromartie
Can LTP make the 53 as the 4th DT? Haven't heard of him in OTAs.
@nwagoner: Going to assume LTP is short for rookie DT Louis Trinca-Pasat. Remember, the Rams aren't even in pads yet, so judging any of these players, especially linemen, is a fool's errand at this point. With that said, as I've written and said consistently, Trinca-Pasat is in a really good spot to make the roster. He got the biggest signing bonus of the Rams' undrafted rookies and they have a clear need for a fourth defensive tackle without much in the way of competition there. Unless they decide to make Ethan Westbrooks a full time defensive tackle or prefer to go with William Hayes and Eugene Sims providing the depth inside, Trinca-Pasat is a good bet to make the 53.
Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...e-or-break-year-for-jeff-fisher-and-les-snead
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The St. Louis Rams have one more week of organized team activities before calling it an offseason. But there are no shortage of questions that still need to be answered between now and the regular season.
We'll let the Rams sort out their questions. But in this space, we devote our time to answering your queries.
Nick Carbaugh @CarbaughNation
@nwagoner I'm on Team Fisher/Snead but they've had a very long leash. 2015 has to be a make or break season for that duo, right?
@nwagoner: I think you probably phrased it the right way here by saying "that duo." I'm not convinced the Rams would make wholesale changes after 2015 unless things really went wrong. But for what it's worth, my sense is that Fisher is much safer beyond 2015 than Snead would be if the Rams were unable to finally get over the hump and have a winning record. Fisher still has another year on his deal at a relatively high price (around $7 million) and there's been no indication that owner Stan Kroenke is interested in making a change. But another losing record wouldn't be helpful. As for Snead, I need to double-check, but I believe he's in the last year of his deal. If things don't go well, someone might need to take the fall. Maybe it's not Fisher or Snead, but of the two, it's far less likely to be Fisher. Of course, if the Rams win in 2015, one would think both are safe.
#QuitVotingRoyals @theonlyseamus
How valid is the talk of Foles taking more deep shots? Does this make Quick more of a threat?
@nwagoner: More deep shots relative to what the Rams have done? I'd say probably pretty valid. Nick Foles has not been afraid to throw the deep ball in his career and I doubt that's going to change in St. Louis. In fact, I expect that to be a big part of what the Rams do offensively, particularly as a spin-off into play-action from the run game. I don't know if that means much for Brian Quick, but it could be good for receiver Kenny Britt. Britt was open deep several of times in 2014 and was targeted 20 yards or more down the field 25 times, but only had 10 catches to show for it. That number should improve if Foles can be accurate with the deep ball the way he has been in the past, particularly in 2013.
Chris @BiggameCB
BQuick seems to be the coaches "favorite" to start but will SBailey be given a fair chance to compete for the outside?
@nwagoner: Well, Quick needs to get healthy before we can start calling him the favorite for anything. But assuming he gets back to full strength, yes, I expect Quick and Britt to be the starters on the outside. Quick was playing well before his injury last year and potentially could have approached 1,000 yards if he'd played the full season. So I'd say he's flashed as much more potential than Stedman Bailey. Also, Quick and Britt's size gives them a leg up as blockers in an offense that figures to center on the run game. Bailey will still get his chances and his versatility to play outside the numbers and in the slot should earn him plenty of snaps moving forward.
Austin Turman @AustinTurman
Will Bryce Hager eventually become a starter on the defense?
@nwagoner: At this point, I've seen Bryce Hager practice a grand total of four times, none of which were in pads in real, live action. So to say it's unfair to judge him yet would be considered an understatement. I'm not going to say right now whether he can or can't become a starter, but let's see him go through a camp and preseason and see if he can make the roster before we start projecting him into any expanded role beyond that.
Koris Cromartie @KorisCromartie
Can LTP make the 53 as the 4th DT? Haven't heard of him in OTAs.
@nwagoner: Going to assume LTP is short for rookie DT Louis Trinca-Pasat. Remember, the Rams aren't even in pads yet, so judging any of these players, especially linemen, is a fool's errand at this point. With that said, as I've written and said consistently, Trinca-Pasat is in a really good spot to make the roster. He got the biggest signing bonus of the Rams' undrafted rookies and they have a clear need for a fourth defensive tackle without much in the way of competition there. Unless they decide to make Ethan Westbrooks a full time defensive tackle or prefer to go with William Hayes and Eugene Sims providing the depth inside, Trinca-Pasat is a good bet to make the 53.
