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St. Louis Rams Training Camp: 5 Early Storylines to Watch
By Steven Gerwel
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2526461-st-louis-rams-training-camp-5-early-storylines-to-watch
With training camp for the St. Louis Rams kicking off in under two weeks, fans can taste football just around the corner.
Training camp is a long and grueling process that encourages competition and drama. This produces many intriguing storylines each year, and fans eat it up.
Many of the storylines involve new players added during the offseason, while some focus on veterans trying to reach the next level. Whatever the topic, there's always something interesting to focus on in camp.
This article will point out some of the top storylines entering camp, which will tell you what to watch for after camp opens on July 31.
Todd Gurley's Health Status
If all the Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch comparisons are even remotely true, that makes Todd Gurley the most important player to watch at training camp.
Gurley, who's coming off a late-season knee injury from 2014, is probably St. Louis' only shot at revamping the offense overnight.
The offense will have other factors working in its favor—an aerial game that's stacked with young veterans, a wild-card playmaker in Tavon Austin, a reconstructed offensive line—but the Rams will live and die by the run. A successful Gurely equates to a successful offense.
The Rams will have second-year back Tre Mason at their disposal as well. Mason was a serious threat on the ground in 2014 and was better between the tackles than many expected—at least for a 207-pound back.
Along with Mason, St. Louis will also lean on third-down back Benny Cunningham. Cunningham turned some heads during his limited playing time last season, catching 45 passes out of the backfield for 352 yards.
Mason and Cunningham can hold their own for the opening weeks, but neither player has Gurley's potential. If the Rams hope to run a Seattle-, Dallas- or Minnesota-style offense—an offense that centers around an unstoppable back—Gurley is the only player who can make that possible.
Gurley has more power than Mason and better breakaway speed, despite being 15 pounds heavier. He's also a better receiver out of the backfield than Cunningham. Not only does he possess all the top traits of the other St. Louis backs—he actually improves on those traits.
Needless to say, fans will be eager to see his daily progress on the practice field.
The fate of the offense rests on Gurley's talents. If he pans out, nothing will prevent the Rams from making noise in the NFC West.
Nick Foles' Comfort in the Offense
The ideal outcome is for Nick Foles to step in and instantly find comfort in St. Louis' offense. The team is depending on his ability to rekindle his 2013 form, or at least come relatively close.
In fact, after suffering through backups like Kellen Clemens, Shaun Hill and Austin Davis in back-to-back seasons, the Rams would be elated if Foles can just become a high-level game manager.
All eyes will be on Foles during camp. His comfort in the offense, rhythm with the receivers and his overall presence on the field will be analyzed daily.
Igniting the run game is the best thing St. Louis can do for Foles. The Philadelphia Eagles finished as the No. 1 rushing team in the NFL during Foles' 2013 breakout year. If the Rams want Foles to return to that form, the offense will have to field an elite rushing attack.
The second major factor is pass protection. The revamped offensive line is mostly stocked with run blockers, so things might get hairy on passing downs.
Last season, Foles was sacked just once every 36.4 drop backs, while Davis of the Rams tasted turf once every 11 dropbacks. Adjusting to that kind of pressure will be a monumental challenge. Hopefully, the rookies up front will surprise the critics by excelling in pass protection—but don't count on it.
However, if Foles looks comfortable in the pocket and is in perfect sync with the receivers during camp, it'll be a positive sign for things to come.
Brian Quick's Role in the Passing Game
Brian Quick is coming off his 2014 shoulder injury, so it's still unclear what his role on offense will be.
Despite playing just six full games last season, Quick set career-high numbers in virtually every category. He caught 25 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns in what many thought was a breakout year until the nasty injury.
One of the major stories in camp will be Quick's presence on the field.
How many reps will he take during scrimmage? Is he even playing during scrimmage? How well is he syncing up with Foles? Is he being outplayed by the other receivers?
These are the questions we'll be asking during camp. The answers will determine if Quick is back on track, or if he'll simply fade down the depth chart and be forgotten.
For the sake of the offense, Quick better show signs of life in camp. He has a higher ceiling than any receiver on the team, and he'll be Foles' most dangerous target if he returns to his pre-injury 2014 form.
Nick Fairley's Snap Count with the First-Team Unit
What is Nick Fairley's true role on defense? That's one of the more underrated questions of the offseason, and it's one that should be answered in camp.
Mike Florio of NBC Sports mentioned that Fairley entered camp at 280 pounds and is now up to 308. That's right between the 326-pound Michael Brockers and the 285-pound Aaron Donald.
With that in mind, it's hard to tell if Fairley will be more of a space-eater like Brockers or a pass-rusher like Donald. Or, perhaps he'll serve as a flexible No. 3 and alternate between both roles.
Either way, it'd be nice to see him get more involved on defense than he was in Detroit. He had just 288 defensive snap counts last season, per Rotowire, which is a small number compared to Donald's 647 snaps.
Training camp will not only show us how Fairley will be used, but it will also tell us how often he'll be on the field.
Fairley was an incredible talent coming out of Auburn. The Lions never fully tapped his potential, so hopefully a defensive-line guru like Fisher can finally fix that.
The Starting Offensive Line
Since the Rams revamped the offensive line with five total draft picks—including the addition of Isaiah Battle in the supplemental draft—it'll be interesting to finally see how the youngsters are deployed.
The common consensus is that two rookies will start alongside the three veterans—Rodger Saffold, Greg Robinson and Tim Barnes (who is competing for the center job with Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney).
Since Rob Havenstein (second round) and Jamon Brown (third) were the highest-drafted rookies, it's assumed that they're the guys to beat. Havenstein will hold the job at right tackle, and Brown will start at guard.
But surely, the Rams will switch things up. Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann will see a handful of first-team reps, and Battles might even get in on the action, despite being far behind after missing OTAs.
The various combinations on the offensive line will be interesting to watch. The Rams have arguably the best defensive line in the game, so camp will give us a chance to see if these rookies can hold their own against some of the best defenders around.
The Rams will start with Havenstein and Brown, but don't be surprised if things are drastically mixed up by the end of camp.
By Steven Gerwel
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2526461-st-louis-rams-training-camp-5-early-storylines-to-watch
With training camp for the St. Louis Rams kicking off in under two weeks, fans can taste football just around the corner.
Training camp is a long and grueling process that encourages competition and drama. This produces many intriguing storylines each year, and fans eat it up.
Many of the storylines involve new players added during the offseason, while some focus on veterans trying to reach the next level. Whatever the topic, there's always something interesting to focus on in camp.
This article will point out some of the top storylines entering camp, which will tell you what to watch for after camp opens on July 31.
Todd Gurley's Health Status
If all the Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch comparisons are even remotely true, that makes Todd Gurley the most important player to watch at training camp.
Gurley, who's coming off a late-season knee injury from 2014, is probably St. Louis' only shot at revamping the offense overnight.
The offense will have other factors working in its favor—an aerial game that's stacked with young veterans, a wild-card playmaker in Tavon Austin, a reconstructed offensive line—but the Rams will live and die by the run. A successful Gurely equates to a successful offense.
The Rams will have second-year back Tre Mason at their disposal as well. Mason was a serious threat on the ground in 2014 and was better between the tackles than many expected—at least for a 207-pound back.
Along with Mason, St. Louis will also lean on third-down back Benny Cunningham. Cunningham turned some heads during his limited playing time last season, catching 45 passes out of the backfield for 352 yards.
Mason and Cunningham can hold their own for the opening weeks, but neither player has Gurley's potential. If the Rams hope to run a Seattle-, Dallas- or Minnesota-style offense—an offense that centers around an unstoppable back—Gurley is the only player who can make that possible.
Gurley has more power than Mason and better breakaway speed, despite being 15 pounds heavier. He's also a better receiver out of the backfield than Cunningham. Not only does he possess all the top traits of the other St. Louis backs—he actually improves on those traits.
Needless to say, fans will be eager to see his daily progress on the practice field.
The fate of the offense rests on Gurley's talents. If he pans out, nothing will prevent the Rams from making noise in the NFC West.
Nick Foles' Comfort in the Offense
The ideal outcome is for Nick Foles to step in and instantly find comfort in St. Louis' offense. The team is depending on his ability to rekindle his 2013 form, or at least come relatively close.
In fact, after suffering through backups like Kellen Clemens, Shaun Hill and Austin Davis in back-to-back seasons, the Rams would be elated if Foles can just become a high-level game manager.
All eyes will be on Foles during camp. His comfort in the offense, rhythm with the receivers and his overall presence on the field will be analyzed daily.
Igniting the run game is the best thing St. Louis can do for Foles. The Philadelphia Eagles finished as the No. 1 rushing team in the NFL during Foles' 2013 breakout year. If the Rams want Foles to return to that form, the offense will have to field an elite rushing attack.
The second major factor is pass protection. The revamped offensive line is mostly stocked with run blockers, so things might get hairy on passing downs.
Last season, Foles was sacked just once every 36.4 drop backs, while Davis of the Rams tasted turf once every 11 dropbacks. Adjusting to that kind of pressure will be a monumental challenge. Hopefully, the rookies up front will surprise the critics by excelling in pass protection—but don't count on it.
However, if Foles looks comfortable in the pocket and is in perfect sync with the receivers during camp, it'll be a positive sign for things to come.
Brian Quick's Role in the Passing Game
Brian Quick is coming off his 2014 shoulder injury, so it's still unclear what his role on offense will be.
Despite playing just six full games last season, Quick set career-high numbers in virtually every category. He caught 25 passes for 375 yards and three touchdowns in what many thought was a breakout year until the nasty injury.
One of the major stories in camp will be Quick's presence on the field.
How many reps will he take during scrimmage? Is he even playing during scrimmage? How well is he syncing up with Foles? Is he being outplayed by the other receivers?
These are the questions we'll be asking during camp. The answers will determine if Quick is back on track, or if he'll simply fade down the depth chart and be forgotten.
For the sake of the offense, Quick better show signs of life in camp. He has a higher ceiling than any receiver on the team, and he'll be Foles' most dangerous target if he returns to his pre-injury 2014 form.
Nick Fairley's Snap Count with the First-Team Unit
What is Nick Fairley's true role on defense? That's one of the more underrated questions of the offseason, and it's one that should be answered in camp.
Mike Florio of NBC Sports mentioned that Fairley entered camp at 280 pounds and is now up to 308. That's right between the 326-pound Michael Brockers and the 285-pound Aaron Donald.
With that in mind, it's hard to tell if Fairley will be more of a space-eater like Brockers or a pass-rusher like Donald. Or, perhaps he'll serve as a flexible No. 3 and alternate between both roles.
Either way, it'd be nice to see him get more involved on defense than he was in Detroit. He had just 288 defensive snap counts last season, per Rotowire, which is a small number compared to Donald's 647 snaps.
Training camp will not only show us how Fairley will be used, but it will also tell us how often he'll be on the field.
Fairley was an incredible talent coming out of Auburn. The Lions never fully tapped his potential, so hopefully a defensive-line guru like Fisher can finally fix that.
The Starting Offensive Line
Since the Rams revamped the offensive line with five total draft picks—including the addition of Isaiah Battle in the supplemental draft—it'll be interesting to finally see how the youngsters are deployed.
The common consensus is that two rookies will start alongside the three veterans—Rodger Saffold, Greg Robinson and Tim Barnes (who is competing for the center job with Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney).
Since Rob Havenstein (second round) and Jamon Brown (third) were the highest-drafted rookies, it's assumed that they're the guys to beat. Havenstein will hold the job at right tackle, and Brown will start at guard.
But surely, the Rams will switch things up. Andrew Donnal and Cody Wichmann will see a handful of first-team reps, and Battles might even get in on the action, despite being far behind after missing OTAs.
The various combinations on the offensive line will be interesting to watch. The Rams have arguably the best defensive line in the game, so camp will give us a chance to see if these rookies can hold their own against some of the best defenders around.
The Rams will start with Havenstein and Brown, but don't be surprised if things are drastically mixed up by the end of camp.
