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St. Louis Rams: Five Best Position Battles Heading into OTAs
by Patrick Karraker
http://archauthority.com/2015/05/23/st-louis-rams-five-best-position-battles-heading-into-otas/
As the St. Louis Rams prepare to get back on the field as a full team with organized team activities starting in just over a week, there’s a sense of excitement. This collection of talent, which started coming to fruition in 2012 with Les Snead and Jeff Fisher’s first draft, is now nearing full development, and it’s time that this Rams team starts seriously competing for a playoff berth.
Before they begin pushing for the postseason, however, the Rams’ front office has some important decisions to make. More than in any other offseason under this administration, the Rams avoided free agency this year while allowing several contributors, including Kendall Langford, Joe Barksdale, Davin Joseph, Scott Wells, Jake Long, and Shaun Hill, to depart. There are several positions that are seemingly up for grabs going into this season, and we’ll see how that drama shakes out as offseason practices get underway.
Really, there aren’t too many authentic position battles in the NFL these days, because limited practice time under the new CBA and an ever-growing sense of pride at stake from front offices over their draft picks, many decisions have already been made before players ever step on the field. To an extent, though, on-field performance in advance of the regular season is always going to play a role in determining who plays when the games that count come around, so the guys who play positions without clearly-defined starters should be prepared to ramp it up.
Here are the five most intriguing competitions as we prepare for OTAs to get underway.
5. Wide Receiver
Candidates: Brian Quick, Stedman Bailey
This isn’t necessarily an outright “battle” as much as it is a determination of how playing time is going to be distributed. Both Bailey and Quick are going to get on the field during 2015, as both have their own unique strengths and specialties. But with both having had strong periods of success at different points during 2014, which one will be the more favored target of Nick Foles during this coming season?
Bailey may have the advantage in building up a rapport with Foles, as he’s a full-go for all offseason activities, while Quick is still in the process of working back from a rather serious shoulder injury that ended his 2014 season early. As a 6-foot-3, 218-pounder who specializes in physically dominating defensive backs, he’s also somewhat redundant with 6-foot-3, 223-pound Kenny Britt, who does many of the same things.
Despite a general lack of opportunities during his two-year career in St. Louis, Bailey may be the Rams’ most all-around talented receiver. He plays much bigger than his 5-foot-10, 194-pound frame, and he’s got more explosiveness than Britt or Quick. Once he began getting consistent playing time from scrimmage last season in Week 11, Bailey had 25 catches for 375 yards and a touchdown over the Rams’ final seven games. His production over that period almost perfectly matched that of Quick over the Rams’ first seven games, as Quick had the same 25 catches for 375 yards but had two more touchdowns.
With Quick, the former 33rd pick in the draft, having had a breakthrough season in 2014, expect the Rams to try their hardest to get him back on the right track. But with Bailey seeming to have found a groove and getting more offseason work this year, it wouldn’t be a big shock to see Bailey starting opposite Britt, with Quick rotating in as needed.
4. Cornerback
Candidates: Janoris Jenkins, E.J. Gaines, Trumaine Johnson, Lamarcus Joyner, Marcus Roberson
This is another spot where it will generally be more of a competition for playing time than a true battle, as the Rams will use their top three corners frequently, and the fourth cornerback will probably get decent playing time against pass-happy teams like the Arizona Cardinals. With that said, the Rams have five corners that are capable of holding their own as starters, and it should be interesting to see how the depth chart is assembled.
The guy who has the most to prove as he heads into the last year of his rookie contract is Jenkins. Despite being tied for the Rams’ all-time franchise lead in interceptions returned for touchdowns, Jenkins has been a liability in coverage more than a few times over his three years in the league. He seemed to particularly struggle in that area last year after coming back from a midseason knee injury, and it was quite clear that he wasn’t as adept in coverage as Johnson or Gaines.
Gaines was the Rams’ best cornerback in 2014 and looked to be the closest thing to a “shutdown” coverage corner that the Rams have had in a long while. However, the team has little incentive to be loyal to him as a sixth-rounder in last year’s draft, so it should be interesting to see if he’s given the edge over Johnson, especially after ending last season on a dark note, being carted off the field with a concussion in the home finale. Other than missing the early part of last season with an injury, Johnson really hasn’t done anything to deserve losing his starting spot, and he was quite productive last year, collecting three interceptions for 69 yards and a touchdown over just nine games.
In addition, Johnson provides the size to cover bigger, more physical receivers at 6-foot-2 and 208 pounds. The Rams may want to have him on the field for the sake of matchups, rather than playing two undersized corners in Jenkins and Gaines, which could force Gaines to the nickelback position if the Rams insist on starting Jenkins.
The guy who really complicates things in this situation is Lamarcus Joyner. The 5-foot-8, 184-pounder was selected in the second round of last year’s draft to help shore up the nickelback position, which had been an area of concern during 2013. Joyner struggled in coverage as a rookie and seemed to frequently be physically overmatched. He struggled with injuries on multiple occasions, and after the Rams got Jenkins, Gaines, and Johnson all healthy at the same time late in 2014, Joyner ended up being a healthy scratch for several games before re-emerging in the season finale as Gaines sat out with a concussion.
Joyner isn’t going to be thrown into the lineup purely because he’s a second-round pick, but one would have to think that he’s going to be given every opportunity to earn a spot as the Rams try to collect value on their major investment. He’s currently listed on the roster as a safety, but with the Rams already having substantial depth at that position, his best bet to get on the field from scrimmage in 2015 is probably by stealing playing time from one of the current top three corners.
One final guy who should not be slept on is Marcus Roberson, who was often projected as a first-rounder in last year’s draft but ended up going undrafted and battled to make the Rams’ team in training camp. When given opportunities from scrimmage in 2014, Roberson was more than solid and was arguably more reliable in coverage than either Jenkins or Joyner were, albeit in a much more limited role. He also showed his playmaking ability in the season finale at Seattle, running back an interception for 18 yards.
With the loyalty that the Rams show to their early-round picks (i.e. Jenkins, Johnson, and Joyner), Roberson is already up against the odds as a former undrafted free agent. Like Gaines, however, he proved in 2014 that he’s better than his draft status, so if he opens enough eyes during the offseason, don’t be surprised to see him take on an expanded role in 2015.
3. Strongside Linebacker
Candidates: Akeem Ayers, Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Mark Barron
The Rams signed Ayers, a 6-foot-3, 255-pound pass-rushing specialist, during free agency this offseason. A reigning Super Bowl champion, Ayers provides a blitzing presence that the Rams didn’t have in 2014, as they attempted to utilize weakside linebacker Alec Ogletree off the edge to no avail.
However, Jeff Fisher stated earlier this offseason that Ayers would be competing for the strongside linebacker job with the 30-year-old Dunbar, who frankly looked to be on the way out in 2014, as there were several games in which he didn’t even get on the field during the latter part of the season. Going into the last year of his contract, Dunbar is still looking to get back to the level of performance he displayed in 2012, when he had 115 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and two interceptions as the Rams’ primary outside linebacker. Dunbar is a more traditional linebacker than Ayers and may be more viable in coverage, but if coverage is the primary concern on a particular play, it’s more likely that Barron or a third corner will be on the field in place of the strongside ‘backer.
As a natural safety, Barron isn’t going to be the Rams’ every-down strongside linebacker, but after seeing a good amount of action at the position following his acquisition at the trade deadline last season, we’ll have to see if he is used similarly in 2015. The 6-foot-2, 213-pounder is exceptionally physical and is stable enough in coverage to cover tight ends and some slot receivers, so he can act as somewhat of a hybrid between a strongside linebacker and nickelback. Ayers will almost definitely be on the field whenever the Rams want to dial up the pass rush, but it’s possible that Barron might see more playing time.
2. Right Guard
Candidates: Jamon Brown, Garrett Reynolds, Andrew Donnal, Barrett Jones, Brandon Washington
One would have to think that Brown, the Rams’ third-round pick, would be the favorite to start at right guard during his rookie season. But reflecting back on the Rams’ difficulty in making Greg Robinson a guard last offseason, it’s fair to wonder if the 6-foot-6, 326-pound Brown, who hasn’t played guard since 2011, will easily be able to transition back to the interior and act as a reliable starter in Week 1. Brown had plenty of moments of weakness as the left tackle at Louisville, and he’s going to need some coaching up before he can be trusted to protect Nick Foles and propel the Rams’ running attack to success.
With that in mind, the Rams’ stable of other linemen may also be considered for the position.
The 6-foot-6, 313-pound Donnal, who the Rams took in the fourth round, may actually be able to make an easier transition to guard, as he primarily played guard for Iowa in 2013 and only had one year as a starter at tackle for the Hawkeyes, compared to three seasons as a starting tackle at Louisville for Brown. However, he’s also more raw and probably needs more coaching than Brown does just to be trusted as an NFL starter at any position.
The 6-foot-7, 305-pound Reynolds, who was signed as a free agent this offseason, played mostly tackle for the Detroit Lions but has seen plenty of previous action as a starting guard for the Atlanta Falcons and started at guard for the Lions in the 2014 postseason following an injury to starter Travis Swanson. He’s probably not going to be a productive long-term starter, but if Brown isn’t ready to go in Week 1, Reynolds may have to keep the seat warm for him until he’s ready to go.
Jones and Washington could also be candidates for the role after developing in the system for several seasons. Jones is also competing for the starting center job but doesn’t seem to be the favorite, so he also may be a possibility at guard, where he was a successful collegiate starter at Alabama. The 6-foot-2, 320-pound Washington has been with the Rams since 2012 and has gotten on the field only briefly, but at some point he’s going to have to sink or swim, and with plenty of competition this summer, it’s probably his best chance to establish himself as a real player.
1. Center
Candidates: Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones, Demetrius Rhaney
The Rams didn’t draft a center or get one with substantial NFL starting experience this offseason, so it will be a wide-open competition heading into the regular season.
Despite the fact that the Rams non-tendered him this offseason and allowed him to test the free agent market before bringing him back on a cheaper deal, the early favorite to win the job seems to be Tim Barnes, who is listed at the top of the team’s current depth chart. The 6-foot-4, 306-pound Barnes started four games in 2013 following a season-ending injury to starter Scott Wells and performed rather well. Despite coming into the league as an undrafted free agent, Barnes has found a way to stick around with the Rams for four years, and if he’s ever going to be a starter in the NFL, now would be the time for him to establish himself and earn a job.
The same could be said of third-year lineman Barrett Jones, who has had the early part of his NFL career derailed by injuries. Jones, a former Outland and Rimington Trophy winner, was very highly-regarded coming out of college but fell to the Rams in the fourth round due to concerns about a foot injury. That injury, plus a 2014 back ailment, have made those concerns fully warranted, and Jones has been active for just 10 games over his first year in the league.
Jones saw brief action at center following an injury to Wells last year against the Kansas City Chiefs, but for the most part he’s struggled to pass up Barnes on the depth chart. Due to his college success, many view Jones as the favorite to win the job this year, but it still seems as if the Rams are apprehensive about giving him a prominent role.
The darkhorse in this whole affair may be 2014 seventh-rounder Demetrius Rhaney, who reportedly has earned the admiration of the Rams’ decision-makers. The 6-foot-2, 300-pounder showed off some impressive physicality last training camp before going on injured reserve with a knee injury, and he may be the best player to fit the mold of the more athletic and physical center that more NFL teams seem to be moving toward. Since he has no regular-season experience, the Rams may be concerned about starting Rhaney if they also start rookies Jamon Brown and Rob Havenstein, but when it comes down to it Rhaney may have the most upside of the bunch.
