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http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2505752-st-louis-rams-offseason-state-of-the-union
St. Louis Rams' Offseason State of the Union
By Steven Gerwel, Featured Columnist Jun 24, 2015
With OTAs and minicamps now complete, the St. Louis Rams are officially done with the offseason. Now, the players will enjoy a long summer break before training camp kicks off.
It's an exciting year for the Rams. The rival San Francisco 49ers are on the decline, and the arrow is pointing up for St. Louis. With a little luck, the Rams will compete in 2015 and possibly even challenge the NFC for a playoff berth.
This article will take a brief glance at the primary units the team has built this offseason. We'll look at the two major areas—pass game and run game—for both sides of the ball and clarify what to expect in 2015.
The Passing Game
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
Key Newcomers: Nick Foles, rookie offensive linemen
Key Goals: Produce a 1,000-yard receiver; get Nick Foles close to his 2013 form
St. Louis' passing game is an area that's being overlooked, but it'll play an important role on offense, especially early on in the season and in clutch time.
The veterans of this offense—Nick Foles, Jared Cook, Kenny Britt, Brian Quick—are all involved in the passing game. When it's the fourth quarter with the game on the line, teams typically depend on the veterans to lead the charge.
So, while the run game will certainly be the emphasis, it'll be Foles and the receivers who step up when it matters.
This is especially true for the early games. Todd Gurley will be nursing his injury on the sidelines while the rookie linemen struggle through growing pains. The Rams will counter that with a passing attack that'll be more prominent than people are anticipating.
Fans aren't expecting the passing game to light up the sky, but they'd like to see some basic signs of competence.
For one, a St. Louis receiver steps up to become the No. 1 guy. The Rams haven't had a 1,000-yard pass-catcher since Torry Holt in 2007. It's time for that to change. St. Louis needs a top receiver it can depend on with the game on the line.
In order for that to happen, Foles will have to regain his 2013 form. That's the second goal for this unit—getting Foles back on track.
Foles had his memorable Pro Bowl campaign in 2013, but he suffered from an injury and inconsistent play last season. If can rekindle his old form, the Rams can rest easy knowing that they finally found their franchise passer.
The Run Game
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
Key Newcomers: Todd Gurley, rookie offensive linemen
Key Goals: Demonstrate Todd Gurley's potential; get young linemen acclimated
The passing game will play an important role, but St. Louis is depending on the running game to carry the offense. That was made perfectly clear by the team's offseason moves.
The team drafted Todd Gurley with the No. 10 overall pick, and he's being hyped as an elite prospect at running back—one of the best to come out in years.
The Rams also drafted four mauling offensive linemen—Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann—and the assumption is at least two of them will be starters.
St. Louis is clearly expecting the offense to center around the run game. Eventually, the ground-and-pound strategy will blossom, but the youngsters have to get acclimated before that happens. That includes second-year left tackle Greg Robinson and running back Tre Mason.
The thing Rams fans are most eager to see out of the run game is Gurley. His action will be limited early on, but by the end of the season, fans will demand to see the flashes of the greatness that made him a top-10 pick. If that doesn't happen, it'll be a cause for concern.
The other thing we need to see is continuity and comfort on the offensive line. With three new starters, it's obvious that the group will have some early kinks to work out.
However, if we don't see dramatic improvements on the line by the end of the season, fans will not be pleased. Rams fans will suddenly remember how Havenstein and Brown were considered big reaches on draft day, and the front office will be held accountable.
Overall, if Gurley flashes some greatness and the line is not a total liability, the run game will have a lot to offer in 2015.
Pass Defense
Michael Zito/Associated Press
Key Newcomers: Nick Fairley, Mark Barron (first full season with team)
Key Goals: Lead the NFL in sacks; prevent big plays; create turnovers
The St. Louis pass defense is made up of two components—a young but talented secondary and the most lethal pass rush in the game.
The edge-rush duo of Chris Long and Robert Quinn will be back in full force in 2015. Long missed 10 games in 2014 and had just one sack, so a healthy comeback will provide a major boost to the pass rush.
Long and Quinn alone are enough to strike fear in opponents, but that just scratches the surface in St. Louis. Second-year Pro Bowler Aaron Donald will be lined up inside, and he racked up nine sacks as a rookie in 2014.
Michael Brockers and Nick Fairley will also cause chaos on the inside. Meanwhile, rotational players William Hayes and Eugene Sims will also sub in, ensuring that the line stays fresh for four quarters.
Overall, the Rams have five former first-round draft picks on the defensive line—Long, Quinn, Donald, Brockers and Fairley—and all of them were selected in the top 15.
The Rams have more defensive line talent than any NFL team, so there's no reason why the group shouldn't lead the NFL in sacks.
The secondary is less impressive than the defensive line, but it's still a talented group.
The Rams acquired safety Mark Barron from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early in the 2014 season, per NFL.com. He's not technically a newcomer, but this will be his first full season with the team. The former top-10 pick from 2012 was a mismatch in Tampa Bay's defense, so it'll be interesting to see if he can thrive in St. Louis.
Barron will likely share time at safety with hard-hitters T.J. McDonald and Rodney McLeod.
Janoris Jenkins, E.J. Gaines and Trumaine Johnson will be the primary trio at cornerback. Lamarcus Joyner—the team's second-round selection in 2014—will also see plenty of action.
One thing the cornerbacks need to work on is securing more takeaways. Jenkins and Gaines were the primary starters and had just two interceptions apiece. Johnson, who played in just nine games, managed to outdo both of them with three.
Along with creating turnovers, the group needs to prevent back-breaking plays at crucial moments. Jenkins in particular was susceptible to blown coverage, as seen during Brandon Lloyd's 80-yard touchdown on Monday Night Football when the Rams played the San Francisco 49ers.
If the secondary can prevent killer plays and secure picks, the pass rush will take care of the rest.
Run Defense
Michael Thomas/Associated Press
Key Newcomers: Nick Fairley, Akeem Ayers
Key Goals: Rank in the top five (fewest rushing yards per game)
The St. Louis defensive line is well-known for its dangerous ability to rush the passer, but the group's ability to stop the run still needs work.
The Rams finished 14th in run defense (110.3 yards per game) last season, which is admirable. But considering how much the team has invested in defensive talent, it needs to be doing much better. Finishing as a top-10 run defense is actually a modest goal.
Instead, the group should be aiming for a top-five finish.
As mentioned in the previous slide, the Rams have enough defensive line talent to ensure that fresh players are on the field at all times. There's no excuse for the front four underperforming against the run.
The Rams also solidified the run defense by adding Akeem Ayers—a move that completes St. Louis' trio of linebackers.
Ayers is an upgrade over veteran Jo-Lonn Dunbar. He'll team up with Alec Ogletree and James Laurinaitis to make a fierce team.
Laurinaitis is not exactly excellent against the run. He gets overwhelmed at times. But when a player of Laurinaitis' caliber is the weakest link in run defense, the team is in pretty great shape.
St. Louis Rams' Offseason State of the Union
By Steven Gerwel, Featured Columnist Jun 24, 2015
With OTAs and minicamps now complete, the St. Louis Rams are officially done with the offseason. Now, the players will enjoy a long summer break before training camp kicks off.
It's an exciting year for the Rams. The rival San Francisco 49ers are on the decline, and the arrow is pointing up for St. Louis. With a little luck, the Rams will compete in 2015 and possibly even challenge the NFC for a playoff berth.
This article will take a brief glance at the primary units the team has built this offseason. We'll look at the two major areas—pass game and run game—for both sides of the ball and clarify what to expect in 2015.
The Passing Game
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
Key Newcomers: Nick Foles, rookie offensive linemen
Key Goals: Produce a 1,000-yard receiver; get Nick Foles close to his 2013 form
St. Louis' passing game is an area that's being overlooked, but it'll play an important role on offense, especially early on in the season and in clutch time.
The veterans of this offense—Nick Foles, Jared Cook, Kenny Britt, Brian Quick—are all involved in the passing game. When it's the fourth quarter with the game on the line, teams typically depend on the veterans to lead the charge.
So, while the run game will certainly be the emphasis, it'll be Foles and the receivers who step up when it matters.
This is especially true for the early games. Todd Gurley will be nursing his injury on the sidelines while the rookie linemen struggle through growing pains. The Rams will counter that with a passing attack that'll be more prominent than people are anticipating.
Fans aren't expecting the passing game to light up the sky, but they'd like to see some basic signs of competence.
For one, a St. Louis receiver steps up to become the No. 1 guy. The Rams haven't had a 1,000-yard pass-catcher since Torry Holt in 2007. It's time for that to change. St. Louis needs a top receiver it can depend on with the game on the line.
In order for that to happen, Foles will have to regain his 2013 form. That's the second goal for this unit—getting Foles back on track.
Foles had his memorable Pro Bowl campaign in 2013, but he suffered from an injury and inconsistent play last season. If can rekindle his old form, the Rams can rest easy knowing that they finally found their franchise passer.
The Run Game
Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
Key Newcomers: Todd Gurley, rookie offensive linemen
Key Goals: Demonstrate Todd Gurley's potential; get young linemen acclimated
The passing game will play an important role, but St. Louis is depending on the running game to carry the offense. That was made perfectly clear by the team's offseason moves.
The team drafted Todd Gurley with the No. 10 overall pick, and he's being hyped as an elite prospect at running back—one of the best to come out in years.
The Rams also drafted four mauling offensive linemen—Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann—and the assumption is at least two of them will be starters.
St. Louis is clearly expecting the offense to center around the run game. Eventually, the ground-and-pound strategy will blossom, but the youngsters have to get acclimated before that happens. That includes second-year left tackle Greg Robinson and running back Tre Mason.
The thing Rams fans are most eager to see out of the run game is Gurley. His action will be limited early on, but by the end of the season, fans will demand to see the flashes of the greatness that made him a top-10 pick. If that doesn't happen, it'll be a cause for concern.
The other thing we need to see is continuity and comfort on the offensive line. With three new starters, it's obvious that the group will have some early kinks to work out.
However, if we don't see dramatic improvements on the line by the end of the season, fans will not be pleased. Rams fans will suddenly remember how Havenstein and Brown were considered big reaches on draft day, and the front office will be held accountable.
Overall, if Gurley flashes some greatness and the line is not a total liability, the run game will have a lot to offer in 2015.
Pass Defense
Michael Zito/Associated Press
Key Newcomers: Nick Fairley, Mark Barron (first full season with team)
Key Goals: Lead the NFL in sacks; prevent big plays; create turnovers
The St. Louis pass defense is made up of two components—a young but talented secondary and the most lethal pass rush in the game.
The edge-rush duo of Chris Long and Robert Quinn will be back in full force in 2015. Long missed 10 games in 2014 and had just one sack, so a healthy comeback will provide a major boost to the pass rush.
Long and Quinn alone are enough to strike fear in opponents, but that just scratches the surface in St. Louis. Second-year Pro Bowler Aaron Donald will be lined up inside, and he racked up nine sacks as a rookie in 2014.
Michael Brockers and Nick Fairley will also cause chaos on the inside. Meanwhile, rotational players William Hayes and Eugene Sims will also sub in, ensuring that the line stays fresh for four quarters.
Overall, the Rams have five former first-round draft picks on the defensive line—Long, Quinn, Donald, Brockers and Fairley—and all of them were selected in the top 15.
The Rams have more defensive line talent than any NFL team, so there's no reason why the group shouldn't lead the NFL in sacks.
The secondary is less impressive than the defensive line, but it's still a talented group.
The Rams acquired safety Mark Barron from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early in the 2014 season, per NFL.com. He's not technically a newcomer, but this will be his first full season with the team. The former top-10 pick from 2012 was a mismatch in Tampa Bay's defense, so it'll be interesting to see if he can thrive in St. Louis.
Barron will likely share time at safety with hard-hitters T.J. McDonald and Rodney McLeod.
Janoris Jenkins, E.J. Gaines and Trumaine Johnson will be the primary trio at cornerback. Lamarcus Joyner—the team's second-round selection in 2014—will also see plenty of action.
One thing the cornerbacks need to work on is securing more takeaways. Jenkins and Gaines were the primary starters and had just two interceptions apiece. Johnson, who played in just nine games, managed to outdo both of them with three.
Along with creating turnovers, the group needs to prevent back-breaking plays at crucial moments. Jenkins in particular was susceptible to blown coverage, as seen during Brandon Lloyd's 80-yard touchdown on Monday Night Football when the Rams played the San Francisco 49ers.
If the secondary can prevent killer plays and secure picks, the pass rush will take care of the rest.
Run Defense
Michael Thomas/Associated Press
Key Newcomers: Nick Fairley, Akeem Ayers
Key Goals: Rank in the top five (fewest rushing yards per game)
The St. Louis defensive line is well-known for its dangerous ability to rush the passer, but the group's ability to stop the run still needs work.
The Rams finished 14th in run defense (110.3 yards per game) last season, which is admirable. But considering how much the team has invested in defensive talent, it needs to be doing much better. Finishing as a top-10 run defense is actually a modest goal.
Instead, the group should be aiming for a top-five finish.
As mentioned in the previous slide, the Rams have enough defensive line talent to ensure that fresh players are on the field at all times. There's no excuse for the front four underperforming against the run.
The Rams also solidified the run defense by adding Akeem Ayers—a move that completes St. Louis' trio of linebackers.
Ayers is an upgrade over veteran Jo-Lonn Dunbar. He'll team up with Alec Ogletree and James Laurinaitis to make a fierce team.
Laurinaitis is not exactly excellent against the run. He gets overwhelmed at times. But when a player of Laurinaitis' caliber is the weakest link in run defense, the team is in pretty great shape.
:double::shooting: