The Rams have some nice pieces going forward with Goff, Gurley, Whitworth, Donald, Brockers, Easley, Ogletree, Barron, Hekker & Quinn if he's back to 100%. It's a good base to build around, but I fear like last season we will suffer from some pretty large holes. Acquiring Woods and perhaps Webster & Groy fairly soon would be a big help in filling some of those gaps, but none can be considered elite players at this time. Still, they will make us better than we are today or were last year, Woods will be far better than Quick imo, Groy better than Barnes as a starter at Center, and a reserve defensive back/quality special teamer in Webster adds some very welcome depth.
While shifting priorities towards helping build momentum for Goff, without a true # 1 WR and any experienced TE's, consistency may continue to elude us. The Whitworth signing is huge for Goff taking his next step and for the offense as a whole as penalties from that position should be much reduced. Until our receiving corps is at least somewhat scary to defenses, the opposition will continue to stack the box, applying pressure on Gurley while forcing Goff to hopefully burn them. An improved O-Line helps, but it doesn't solve an underlying issue, presenting a strong & successful passing attack.
What our offense gains, our transitioning defense may lose. Our only true 3-4 OLB has been hobbled for 2 seasons, a starting LDE was given away, we don't have a rotational NT/DT, it's difficult to understand what to expect at ILB, SS & FS, and our best CB not only isn't a great fit for the Phillips scheme, he's holding us hostage with an enormous CAP. We do, of course, have some excellent players on D, we just don't know where they will all be lined up. For me, OLB is the weak link, without a good pass rush, we'll be in some trouble. TruJo remains a problem, but if he stays, less so, if he goes, we'll likely replace him with a fairly high draft pick, so i'm not as worried as some, presuming the added depth with Webster. We also have options at Safety, although some FS depth might be useful, preferring Joyner remaining our nickel CB. Wade Phillips is the guru, so confidence is high, although a hole is a hole, and we may have a few of them entering this next season.
I'm pleased with what the Rams have done to date, hopefully the Tru Johnson ordeal gets behind us sooner than later, there is much time left in free agency and with the upcoming draft, we're yet to see how far an improved coaching staff can work its magic in camp, so it is an optimistic time of year, although somehow, I still have this overwhelming desire for a blockbusting move that sets a successful path for the next decade.
