Rams: One big question

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http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcwest/post/_/ ... g-question


What are the St. Louis Rams going to do at outside linebacker?

The team faces other questions coming off a 2-14 season, but that position went largely unaddressed in the draft. St. Louis emerged from the draft with five linebackers on its roster, leaving roughly six or seven spots to fill for training camp.

The Rams used a seventh-round choice for Aaron Brown, a weakside linebacker from Hawaii, but linebackers selected that late would generally project as special-teams contributors only if they earn roster spots at all.

Veteran Jo-Lonn Dunbar, signed from New Orleans in free agency, projects as one starter. Josh Hull, a seventh-round choice in 2010, projects as the other starter until the Rams can further address the position.

James Laurinaitis is a solid starter in the middle. He should fare better in 2012 playing behind recently acquired Kendall Langford (Miami Dolphins) and Michael Brockers (first-round draft choice). He cannot make every play from sideline to sideline, however. He needs help. The Rams desperately need speed on the outside.

After struggling through last season with aging stopgap options such as Ben Leber and Brady Poppinga, the Rams have gotten younger at the position, but they have not gotten appreciably better. Some of the players they cast aside in previous seasons -- Paris Lenon, Pisa Tinoisamoa and Will Witherspoon come to mind -- would have been better than the players St. Louis wound up relying on.

At one point in the draft, the Rams traded down from the 45th spot, coming away with running back Isaiah Pead and the 150th choice. Philadelphia and Seattle took inside linebackers with the 46th and 47th overall picks. The Rams could have drafted Nebraska's Lavonte David, who went to Tampa Bay at No. 58, but they thought Pead would bring greater value at another position of need.

Teams running 4-3 defenses selected only four projected outside linebackers from the third through fifth rounds, with Jacksonville selecting Nevada's Brandon Marshall at No. 142, eight spots before the Rams chose South Carolina guard Rokevious Watkins.

The bottom line was that St. Louis entered this draft with more needs than it could address with the available picks. Outside linebacker moves closer to the top of their priority list as the roster rebuild enters its next phase.
 

-X-

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bwdenverram said:
What kinda shape you in X? play a little OLB can ya?
:lmao: Uhh, no. I'm in fairly good shape, and I still *feel* like I'm in my 20's, but no freakin' way.
 

bwdenverram

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Come on man, it would be like the next "invinceable" only starring "The Dude". :cheese:
 

-X-

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bwdenverram said:
Come on man, it would be like the next "invinceable" only starring "The Dude". :cheese:
Sure. Except the sequel to that movie, starring me, would be "Satirical."
 

RamFan503

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The bottom line was that St. Louis entered this draft with more needs than it could address with the available picks. Outside linebacker moves closer to the top of their priority list as the roster rebuild enters its next phase.

This is pretty much it. What we really needed was 22 draft picks in the first 4 rounds so we could address starters and depth NOW. Pretty simple really.

Anyone can question the moves being made. Frankly, while I think we all would like to see us get better at OLB, I'm not sure it had a huge priority with Fisher and Snead. I don't think we are done making moves and my guess is that they will try to improve that position.

And I'm with you there X. Think about it. The NFL is a business. If you signed on, they might try to do some block buster trade with the patsies involving you and two first rounders. You'd kinda have to slit your wrists before donning THOSE ugly ass rags.
 

Speeps

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We couldn't address all our needs this season. The fact that we added good talent to the D-line and secondary, the line backers will freed up to make plays. So the impact of not having a top notch OLB may lessen depending on how good our D-line and Secondary is.
 

RamFan503

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Speeps said:
We couldn't address all our needs this season. The fact that we added good talent to the D-line and secondary, the line backers will freed up to make plays. So the impact of not having a top notch OLB may lessen depending on how good our D-line and Secondary is.

This ^^^
 

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RamFan503 said:
Speeps said:
We couldn't address all our needs this season. The fact that we added good talent to the D-line and secondary, the line backers will freed up to make plays. So the impact of not having a top notch OLB may lessen depending on how good our D-line and Secondary is.

This ^^^
That ^^^^
 

bluecoconuts

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X said:
RamFan503 said:
Speeps said:
We couldn't address all our needs this season. The fact that we added good talent to the D-line and secondary, the line backers will freed up to make plays. So the impact of not having a top notch OLB may lessen depending on how good our D-line and Secondary is.

This ^^^
That ^^^^
Ditto^^^^^
 

RamFan503

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X said:
RamFan503 said:
Speeps said:
We couldn't address all our needs this season. The fact that we added good talent to the D-line and secondary, the line backers will freed up to make plays. So the impact of not having a top notch OLB may lessen depending on how good our D-line and Secondary is.

This ^^^
That ^^^^
The other. :beating:
 
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bwdenverram said:
Come on man, it would be like the next "invinceable" only starring "The Dude". :cheese:
that would be too freakin funny lol paul your like ''50'' right??? :bg:
 

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AIRWARNER13 said:
bwdenverram said:
Come on man, it would be like the next "invinceable" only starring "The Dude". :cheese:
that would be too freakin funny lol paul your like ''50'' right??? :bg:
In about 5 years, yeah.


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steferfootball

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AIRWARNER13 said:
bwdenverram said:
Come on man, it would be like the next "invinceable" only starring "The Dude". :cheese:
that would be too freakin funny lol paul your like ''50'' right??? :bg:
Hey, you found the caps lock button. :razzed:


For the topic at hand, I have more than one big question about the rams.