Wagoner's Rams Burning Questions

[RamBill]

Ten burning Rams questions: Will the receiving corps take next step?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...he-receiving-corps-finally-take-the-next-step

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Training camps around the league are either already underway or will be before the end of the week. The St. Louis Rams officially get underway on Friday.

In the days leading up to the start of camp, we'll take a look at 10 burning questions facing the Rams as they head toward the 2015 season.

No. 9: Will the Rams receiving corps finally take the next step and offer consistent production?

After another underwhelming season in which the Rams receiver group was the second-least productive unit in the NFL -- trailing only the Kansas City Chiefs -- the team decided not to invest much in finding more help via free agency or the draft. Instead, the Rams stood pat by bringing back veteran Kenny Britt on a two-year contract and spending a late round pick on Bud Sasser.

Sasser never so much as took a snap for the team as it released him because of a medical concern. Britt returns to the mix as the team's best hope for more production on the heels of a season in which he became the first Rams wideout since Torry Holt in 2008 to exceed 700 yards receiving. That's not exactly ground-breaking but it did represent an upgrade for the Rams wideouts.

In the spring, Britt made it clear he has designs on going well beyond those numbers in 2015.

"There’s definitely more I feel like I can give because there’s more that I want to give and there’s more that I want to do in my career," Britt said in the spring. "I’m going into my seventh year, I feel I let myself down the last six years. I have a chip on my shoulder this year and I’ve got a lot to prove."

When it comes to Rams receivers, Britt isn't the only one with something to prove. Brian Quick, who flashed some promise in the first half of 2014, is recovering from shoulder surgery that prevented him from enjoying a potential breakout season. Quick figures to be the other starter opposite Britt on the outside if and when he returns to full strength.

Beyond that duo, the Rams have a pair of former West Virginia Mountaineers still looking to break out in Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey. That pair will likely battle for playing time in the slot. Chris Givens, who might be in his final go-around with the team if he's unable to offer more in 2015, projects as the fifth wideout.

Despite the lack of production from the group and an outside drumbeat for them to add a true No. 1 receiver, the Rams have remained steadfast in their support of this group. �Part of that stems from the lack of a starting quarterback for the past season and a half as well as a running game that's failed to consistently open up opportunities on the outside.

With Nick Foles in place and heavy investments made in the offensive line and at running back, the Rams believe this is the year for at least one or two of the wideouts they've been so patient with to emerge. In an offense that figures to be run-heavy, the Rams don't need a wideout to post Calvin Johnson numbers, though they surely wouldn't mind. Instead, the Rams simply need their receivers to make big plays when presented with an opportunity.

If they don't, the team's patience with their young group could finally expire.

 

[RamBill]

Ten burning Rams questions: Who starts at center?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...n-burning-rams-questions-who-starts-at-center

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Training camps around the league are either already underway or will be before the end of the week. The St. Louis Rams officially get underway on Friday.

In the days leading up to the start of camp, we'll take a look at 10 burning questions facing the Rams as they head toward the 2015 season.

No. 8: Who will emerge as the starting center?

It's the postion with the most uncertainty heading into training camp and also one of the most important on any offensive line. In today's NFL, many believe that a smart, decisive center capable of communicating line calls and protections is a big key to a successful offense.

As the Rams open camp, they have three centers, which some might argue means they have none. Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney split repetitions with the first team offense in the spring, a plan that coach Jeff Fisher said will continue into this camp.

“We’re not going to make a decision real early," Fisher said during organized team activities. "We’ll let them all play. We’re rotating them. They’re all getting opportunities to work with Nick [Foles], so he’s familiar not only with the exchanges but also the communication. We’ll make that decision when somebody shows us he’s earned the job.”

Given the Rams' need to get the offense settled, making that decision sooner than later would probably be wise. But at the end of OTAs, the Rams didn't seem like they had a much better handle on the starter than they did when those offseason workouts started. That should change once camp begins and the pads finally come on.

Considering the Rams' talent on the defensive line, there will be no shortage of opportunities for the trio of center candidates to establish himself as the starter.

Barnes is the only center with any NFL starting experience though that's limited to just four games in 2013. Jones has the most impressive pedigree and the team has invested more draft capital (fourth round pick) in him than the other contenders. Rhaney is something of a dark horse but his athleticism and ability to get to the second level could be a valuable commodity in the team's transition to more zone oriented blocking schemes.

Attempting to project which of the three will win the job, or even which players from the group stick on the roster, is difficult. It wouldn't come as a surprise if any of them win the job and it likely wouldn't be a surprise if any of them don't make the cut to the initial 53-man roster. The early read here is that the Rams would like Jones to finally secure the job after two injury-plagued seasons.

Regardless, the Rams not only need to make a decision quickly but get whoever the winner is up to speed so that an already questionable offensive line has as much time as possible to coalesce before the season opener on Sept. 13.

 

[RamBill]

Ten burning Rams questions: What can Aaron Donald do for an encore?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...stions-what-can-aaron-donald-do-for-an-encore

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Training camps around the league are either already underway or will be before the end of the week. The St. Louis Rams officially get underway on Friday.

In the days leading up to the start of camp, we'll take a look at 10 burning questions facing the Rams as they head toward the 2015 season.

No. 7: What can reigning defensive rookie of the year Aaron Donald do for an encore?

No matter the measure, be it statistics, advanced metrics or a simple eye test, Donald left anyone paying attention to him in awe as a rookie. He went on to post 48 tackles, nine sacks and 17 tackles for loss. All of that production came in just 12 starts as Donald didn't move into the starting lineup until the team's fifth game of the season.

Donald's nine sacks led all rookies and were the most by any first-year player in the past three seasons. That total was also good for second among all defensive tackles, trailing only the 10 of Buffalo's Marcell Dareus. The 17 tackles for loss were the most by any rookie in league history since the stat became official.

Without Donald in the starting lineup, the Rams had one sack, gave up 152.5 rushing yards per game and averaged a sack on 0.9 percent of opponents pass attempts. After he entered the starting lineup, the Rams had 39 sacks, gave up 96.25 rushing yards per game and averaged a sack on 9 percent of opponents pass attempts.

For what it's worth, Pro Football Focus graded Donald as the league's best defensive tackle, again for a player who didn't even start in the first quarter of the season.

So with all of that production and one of the brightest futures of any young player in the league, what can Donald do to match or exceed his 2014 performance?

Well, scary as it might be for opposing quarterbacks, the Rams believe that Donald is just scratching the surface of his ability. In this year's training camp, Donald is entrenched as the starter and instead of fighting for reps during training camp, he'll have the advantage of working with the first team all the way through the preseason.

Likewise, Donald is entering his second season with coordinator Gregg Williams, who has had an entire offseason to devise ways to deploy Donald and use him in tandem with fellow pass rushing specialist Robert Quinn.

Beyond that, Donald consistently earns praise from teammates and coaches alike for his work habits and drive to succeed. So with that in mind, it would come as no surprise if Donald establishes himself as one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL and a perennial Pro Bowler in Year 2.

 

[BuffaloRam]

Donald and Quinn will give the opposition O-Line such a beating this year that each time the D takes the field, a parental advisory warning will need to be displayed warning the opposition fans of the impending violence.

 

[Faceplant]

Donald and Quinn will give the opposition O-Line such a beating this year that each time the D takes the field, a parental advisory warning will need to be displayed warning the opposition fans of the impending violence.

Fucking brilliant.

 

[LACHAMP46]

I'm so tired of the wr thing...Now the O-Line deserves all the speculation in the world...3/5 of the line are newbies....I get that...But Britt & Quick have shown they can get it done...All they need is a QB....And all our QB needs is a line...and a running game....

 

[ramsince62]

I'm so tired of the wr thing...Now the O-Line deserves all the speculation in the world...3/5 of the line are newbies....I get that...But Britt & Quick have shown they can get it done...All they need is a QB....And all our QB needs is a line...and a running game....

Oh is that all?....I was worried there for a moment. :notsure:

 

[Dodgersrf]

Regardless, the Rams not only need to make a decision quickly but get whoever the winner is up to speed so that an already questionable offensive line has as much time as possible to coalesce before the season opener on Sept. 13

I certainly hope this happens.
I would like to see our starting C getting the majority of the reps in camp. I'm not to hot on the idea, of 3 guys jumping around and then making a decision just before week one. With 2 rookies projected on the right side, the more time our starting front 5 spends together, the better.

 

[LACHAMP46]

I'm not to hot on the idea, of 3 guys jumping around and then making a decision just before week one.

Pretty sure the 1's will get the majority...Then during preseason game #1, he'll go the whole time with the 1's....Should he (whomever HE may be) falter, the next week the #2 will assume the #1 role...but early, they'll bounce around, and find one that isn't being destroyed by Donald, Fairley, & Brockers....I'm least worried about the center than say the right guard & right tackle....

 

[RamBill]

Ten burning Rams questions: When will Todd Gurley debut?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...ng-rams-questions-when-will-todd-gurley-debut

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Training camps around the league are either underway or will be before the end of the week. The St. Louis Rams officially get underway on Friday.

In the days leading up to the start of camp, we'll take a look at 10 burning questions facing the Rams as they head toward the 2015 season.

No. 6: When will rookie running back Todd Gurley be back at full speed?

Upon spending the No. 10 overall pick in this year's NFL draft on Georgia's Gurley, the Rams made it abundantly clear they have no intention of rushing Gurley back from his torn left anterior cruciate ligament.

"This is the running back of our future," coach Jeff Fisher said. "It makes no sense to put him in a bad situation sooner than we have to."

The question then becomes, when does that future begin? During organized team activities and the offseason program in the spring, Gurley was limited to working on the side with the athletic training staff. He did some straight-ahead running and light cutting and even participated in some team walk-throughs.

At the end of OTAs, Gurley told ESPN.com he hoped to be able to participate in individual drills at the outset of camp with a goal of working his way back into practice within a couple of weeks. The Rams confirmed Tuesday that Gurley will begin training camp on the active roster after he passed his conditioning test.

That likely doesn't mean Gurley is ready to go full speed yet, but that he'll be able to do some individual drills before easing his way into full team work. That Gurley is not landing on the non-football injury list or any other designation can only be viewed as a good sign. In fact, Gurley appears to be on or even slightly ahead of the schedule the team envisioned when it drafted him.

So while a precise date for Gurley's return is probably still a bit off, there's a real chance he'll be able to return to practice during the preseason and be available in some capacity for the Week 1 meeting against the Seattle Seahawks.

 

[Rmfnlt]

“We’re not going to make a decision real early," Fisher said during organized team activities. "We’ll let them all play. We’re rotating them. They’re all getting opportunities to work with Nick [Foles], so he’s familiar not only with the exchanges but also the communication. We’ll make that decision when somebody shows us he’s earned the job.”

I hope this isn't a close race...

Sometimes winning can be deceiving... as in the winner is the lesser of three evils.

 

[RamBill]

Ten burning Rams questions: Will the defense meet expectations?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...-questions-will-the-defense-meet-expectations

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Training camps around the league are either already underway or will be before the end of the week. The St. Louis Rams officially get underway on Friday.

In the days leading up to the start of camp, we'll take a look at 10 burning questions facing the Rams as they head toward the 2015 season.

No. 5: Will the Rams defense finally live up to expectations and become a top five unit?

In what has become something of a familiar refrain in these parts since Jeff Fisher arrived as head coach in 2012, the Rams defense has perpetually been "on the verge" of evolving into a dominant defense capable of finishing in the top 10 or even top five in most major defensive categories.

Those expectations have been founded mostly on paper. Looking at a depth chart for the Rams defense reveals plenty of talented names. For a variety of reasons -- multiple coordinators, youth, injuries -- those names have yet to translate into a unit capable of meeting that lofty standard.

But as the Rams enter this training camp, those excuses are gone.

Coordinator Gregg Williams is entering his second season in the position and has a better grasp of what his players can do. Key youngsters such as cornerback Janoris Jenkins, safeties Rodney McLeod and T.J. McDonald, linebacker Alec Ogletree and defensive tackle Michael Brockers are entering their third or fourth year in the league. End Chris Long (ankle/foot), cornerback E.J. Gaines (concussion) and others are back to full strength.

And to top it off, the Rams defense welcomes back all 11 starters, two new pieces in defensive tackle Nick Fairley and linebacker Akeem Ayers and most of its key depth save for defensive tackle Kendall Langford. If ever this group was going to take the next step to becoming the type of defense capable of carrying a team on a weekly basis, this would the year.

"They've set this thing up well with the way they've gone about it," linebacker James Laurinaitis said in the spring. "We have a lot of young players that'll be in their third [or more] year. It's about that time for us."

To get there, the Rams will need to make the most of this training camp. The defense has certainly flashed the ability to be dominant in years past but those flashes have often come later in the season and too sporadically. Specifically, the Rams have often seen many of the problems that plague them in the preseason, things like coverage miscommunication and poor tackling, carry over into the regular season. Those slow starts have led to big plays allowed in the passing game and a run defense that's been anything but stout.

With Williams back, the Rams have the same coordinator for consecutive seasons for the first time since Fisher arrived. Williams knows the players and they know him. Which means there shouldn't be a major learning curve on either side and most of camp and the preseason can be devoted to brushing up on the finer points of the defense.

All the pieces are in place, now it's up to the defense to live up to the expectations.

 

[Rams43]

Pretty sure the 1's will get the majority...Then during preseason game #1, he'll go the whole time with the 1's....Should he (whomever HE may be) falter, the next week the #2 will assume the #1 role...but early, they'll bounce around, and find one that isn't being destroyed by Donald, Fairley, & Brockers....I'm least worried about the center than say the right guard & right tackle....

I think I'm more anxious about the C position battle, 46.

Next would be Brown.

Hav is my least concern.

Of course, everything on that OL is relative. We will all have concerns about all 3 positions until we see them play.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Hav is my least concern.

I feel you man....the only reason I say Havenstein, it's because he's out there on an island of sorts...unless we start sliding protections...but as poorly as I thought Wells played, he could be hidden...Joseph kinda stuck out like a weak link an was exploited...I hope Brown is much better and I'm sure he couldn't be much worse...Havenstein is replacing a guy whom I considered decent, but still struggled....
But until we see them...you are correct, it's a big mystery.

 

[RamBill]

Ten burning Rams questions: Can the team start fast?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...urning-rams-questions-can-the-rams-start-fast

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Training camps around the league are either already underway or will be before the end of the week. The St. Louis Rams officially get underway on Friday.

In the days leading up to the start of camp, we'll take a look at 10 burning questions facing the Rams as they head toward the 2015 season.

No. 4: After getting off to notoriously slow starts the past couple of years, can the Rams finally start fast?

Throughout the Rams' offseason program, it wasn't hard to figure out their biggest point of emphasis. Whether via constant reminders in meetings or the use of props, Rams coaches wanted their players to focus on one thing: starting fast.

Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams even made a regular habit of opening his meetings by showing his players pictures or videos of things like rocket ships taking off or race cars firing off the starting line. The message was received loud and clear.

"It’s just about starting fast," safety Rodney McLeod said. "Gregg has been preaching that since we got back. It’s always the first thing that we see every time we open up a meeting. I think we take that approach and start fast out here in practice and it’s going to translate over into these first four to five games. We’ve got a tough little schedule but if we start fast, come out of the gates running and winning, the sky is the limit for this team."

Of course, it's not just the defense that needs to get off to a fast start for the Rams to have a chance to become contenders. In each of the past two seasons, the Rams have started 1-3. Both times, the hole became too much for the Rams to dig out of despite the team generally playing better in the second half of each of those seasons.

And if you believe in historical trends, the Rams have even more reason to get off to a good start. The Rams have not made the playoffs with a 2-3 or worse start in their first five games since 1952.

Getting off to a fast start this year will be made all the more difficult by what figures to be a tough opening stretch. Aside from a Week 2 meeting with the Washington Redskins, the Rams will play four teams that won at least 11 games in 2014 in the first five weeks. That slate of five games is tied for second toughest in the NFL.

The question then becomes: How can the Rams fix something so intangible? One way might be to alter the way they approach the preseason. Coach Jeff Fisher already has acknowledged that part of the reason the team will train with the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard, California this year is so they can have a couple of extra days working against another team.

It also wouldn't come as a surprise to see the Rams use their starters more in preseason games, particularly on offense, where they have a lot of moving pieces they need to come together in time for the season.

Whatever the method, there's no doubt that starting fast has been and will remain an area of focus for the Rams during this training camp and preseason.

 

[LACHAMP46]

@Rams43

this is what I'm talking about...https://mtc.cdn.vine.co/r/videos/1B...p4?versionId=DiscwTQR4vwIglq7TvMHphOFlGVUdo6Q
(wonder how you embed this vine?)


I know Bosa is a beast, but there are monsters in the NFL too...

 

[RamBill]

Ten burning Rams questions: Is Nick Foles enough to get to playoffs?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...tions-is-nick-foles-enough-to-get-to-playoffs

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Training camps around the league are either already underway or will be before the end of the week. The St. Louis Rams officially get underway on Friday.

In the days leading up to the start of camp, we'll take a look at 10 burning questions facing the Rams as they head toward the 2015 season.

No. 2: Can Nick Foles be enough of an upgrade at quarterback to make the Rams contenders?

If nothing else, the Rams' decision to trade Sam Bradford for Foles in March injected some new life into an offense desperately in need of some. From here, comparisons between Foles and Bradford will be unavoidable as Bradford takes the reins in Philadelphia and Foles does the same in St. Louis.

But really, for those attempting to evaluate Foles' impact on his new team, Bradford comparisons shouldn't be the baseline. Foles isn't really replacing Bradford, who didn't play a regular-season snap for the Rams after the midpoint of the 2013 season. Rather, Foles should be held up against the likes of Kellen Clemens, Austin Davis and Shaun Hill.

In that regard, it would be a surprise if Foles doesn't exceed the productivity of the backups that have been under center for the Rams in the past season and a half.

The question then becomes will having Foles be enough of an upgrade -- given all the other moving parts on the offense -- to elevate the Rams to playoff contention?

Assuming Foles is able to stay healthy, he should be a good fit for what the Rams expect of their quarterback in a run-heavy offense. Foles won't be asked to carry the load for the offense by throwing 40 to 50 times a game. His primary focus will be on keeping turnovers to a minimum and taking advantage of deep ball opportunities when they arise.

More specifically, much of what the Rams hope for from Foles will come in the play-action game. That could be an ideal match considering Foles' success in that area. Since 2013, Foles leads all quarterbacks with 23 touchdowns on play-action passes. If Todd Gurley and the running game can get rolling, Foles should have ample opportunity to take advantage of play-action.

In 2014, Davis and Hill each went 3-5 as the starter, combining for 3,658 yards, 20 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The yardage and touchdown totals are probably reasonable expectations for Foles but to get the Rams into playoff contention, he'll need to reduce the interception total by about half. Even more to the point, he'll need to cut down on the type of back-breaking turnovers that turned into touchdowns for the defense.

Rams quarterbacks threw six interceptions and coughed up two fumbles that were returned for touchdowns in 2014, miscues that often either proved the difference on the scoreboard or allowed a close game to get away.

Foles' job won't be easy, especially with three new starters on the offensive line and a new coordinator in place but if he proves capable of taking care of the ball and offering the occasional big play in the passing game, it would go a long way toward getting the Rams back to the postseason for the first time since 2004.

 

[RamBill]

Ten burning Rams questions: Can a young offensive line hold up?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...-questions-can-a-young-offensive-line-hold-up

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Training camps around the league are either already underway or will be before the end of the week. The St. Louis Rams officially get underway on Friday.

In the days leading up to the start of camp, we'll take a look at 10 burning questions facing the Rams as they head toward the 2015 season.

No. 3: Is the young Rams offensive line going to be good enough to hold up for an entire season?

In some ways, the Rams' decision to partake in a complete makeover of their offensive line this offseason should be a sign of hope for the future. It was past time for the team to invest heavy draft capital in the line after failed attempts to plug holes via free agency. It started in 2014 when they took Greg Robinson at No. 2 overall and it continued this year when they drafted four offensive linemen and another in the supplemental draft.

Having young, healthy linemen represents an upgrade over the aging, injured veterans the team has used in recent seasons, particularly in 2014. But that doesn't mean the Rams' line woes are solved. Heading into camp, the Rams project to have new starters at center, right guard and right tackle. The battle at center comes down to Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones and Demetrius Rhaney. At right guard, rookie Jamon Brown is the favorite to nail down the job and Rob Havenstein is the likely starter at right tackle.

On the other side of the line, the Rams have their most experienced linemen in left guard Rodger Saffold and left tackle Robinson. Saffold is, by far, the team's most grizzled veteran with 60 starts to his name. Of the projected linemen, Robinson is second to Saffold in starts, though he has just 12. And while Saffold and Robinson have some starting experience, they're also both recovering from offseason surgeries.

Which makes offensive line coach Paul Boudreau's job one of the most difficult and worth watching in this year's training camp. To be sure, the Rams plan to offer some ways for the line to get acclimated before asking it to carry the load. The first order of business will be determining a starter at center. Jones is the likely favorite to win the job, but any of the three could win out and the sooner the Rams decide, the better. From there, the Rams are also installing more zone blocking concepts, which could sharpen the learning curve a bit.

The good news, such as it is, is the Rams offense won't ask the line to pass protect for long periods of time. This is a group that's the youngest in the league but also one built to be strong in the running game. New offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. has also showed a desire to have quarterback Nick Foles get the ball out quick, another way to build the line's confidence.

Perhaps most important of all, the Rams' offensive line will have an entire training camp and preseason to practice against one of the premiere defensive lines in the league. While there will surely be growing pains along the way, the Rams must find as many ways as possible to help this young group grow up fast.

 

[RamBill]

Ten burning Rams questions: Will Los Angeles be a distraction?
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...s-questions-will-los-angeles-be-a-distraction

EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Training camps around the league are either already underway or will be before the end of the week. The St. Louis Rams officially get underway on Friday.

In the days leading up to the start of camp, we'll take a look at 10 burning questions facing the Rams as they head toward the 2015 season.

No. 1: Will the Los Angeles relocation rumors and gossip become a distraction?

As the speculation about the Rams' possible move into a grand new stadium in Inglewood, California, persists, Rams coach Jeff Fisher has put a premium on trying to block out the noise. Throughout the offseason, as new rumors or conjecture popped up, Fisher and his players were asked about every new piece of information.

The answers were always the same.

"If I don't know anything, then when someone asks me, and I say I don't know anything, then I'm telling the truth," Fisher said at February's scouting combine and multiple times since.

But while Fisher has done his best to maintain plausible deniability, the Los Angeles drumbeat only figures to get louder as the preseason and training camp roll on. There's another round of owners meetings set for Aug. 11 just outside of Chicago and while those don't figure to offer anything definitive, it will at least spark more conversation and more questions.

And, of course, the Rams are scheduled to train with the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard, Calif., just north of Los Angeles in mid-August. Undoubtedly, that will stir up plenty of Los Angeles related chatter.

After that, there's been speculation that a vote on which team gets to go to Los Angeles could come as early as October.

Theoretically, as professional football players and coaches, they should be able to block it all out.�The Rams have done all they can to block out discussion of their future, but there's a human element to all of this as well. It's only natural for players to wonder what the future holds and have questions about things like buying a house, extending an apartment lease or where to put their kids in school.

In their perfect world, the Rams will get off to a fast start and be able to focus on football while the league sorts out the Los Angeles situation. But if they suffer some early losses and the speculations continues to mount, they might find themselves in a difficult position, especially if their fate is determined before the season is over.