Welp, I see 2 big holes and 2 big question marks on this team...

[Rams43]

This is a predraft observation, of course. And we all know that FA is not completely over. Especially if there is a TruJo trade.

But here goes...

First, the 2 big holes. And I mean BIG holes.

WR. Absolutely, positively cannot have only Woods and Tavon as starting WR's. Gaping hole here, y'all. Gotta add at least one WR via draft, preferably by 4th round. Two new WR's might be better, if a nice one falls. Tavon is not a WR, so it's foolish to count on him, imo. Otherwise, 2 and 3 WR sets will get little respect from opposing D's. And we've all seen that movie several times, huh? Arrrrrgh!

TE. Same story as WR, only more so. With Kendricks' release, we are down to essentially Higbee and Hemmingway at TE. Two second year players that failed to distinguish themselves in last year's train wreck of an O. And that's being kind, tbh. Our HC loves 2 and 3 TE sets. So a TE via draft seems beyond obvious, don't you think? Otherwise, we're bringing a knife to a gunfight every Sunday. Can't overstate what a big hole at TE we currently have.

Now the big question marks.

QB. Goff has gotta step it up to at least league averages. He doesn't need to make the Pro Bowl. But he does need to look like an NFL QB, for cryin' out loud. I THINK he can and will. I have great confidence in this new coaching staff. But until Goff shows it on the field, I'm gonna be kinda holding my breath.

Robert Quinn. It's simple, really. If Quinn is healthy, he's an absolute beast. But if his back is still bothering him, he can't even make the active roster. That creates a hole for Wade to try to patch up. Not good. So, I'll be holding my breath regarding Quinn's health all season long.

The good news? That's kinda it for the unknown biggies, don't you think? All else are details by comparison.

More good news? It's a good draft for WR, TE, and CB, just to name a few. A good draft could go a long ways toward plugging these two big holes.

So yeah, I'm cautiously optimistic even as I hold my breath. Lol.

 

[NERamsFan]

For me it's:

Overall depth
Oline
Weapons

I hope we can build some depth thru the draft and post-draft FA bc right now we have a lot of 1 yr contracts and aging vets heading into next year. While I LOVED the LT signing, he is no spring chicken, our LG and center are injury-prone and our entire right side is unproven. I believe Hav will be just fine, but I worry about GROB. The guy just doesn't have the mental make up to play inside and he doesn't seem to show consistency on the outside. This oline is my biggest concern. In many of my recent posts, I am clamoring for Lamp in the draft, some way somehow. We need to focus on he trenches before we worry who is catching the ball. If we can come away with Lamp and Ju Ju or maybe an Engram and Pocic type of pairing I would be pumped, but right now I see a lot of work ahead of us before I can begin to sip the kool aid.

With all that said, i can't remember the last time I was this excited to be a Rams fan! I would say, not since I started following them (GSOT era) have I been this pumped to watch our boys. We are close people!!

 

[Angry Ram]

@Rams43 don't take personal offense to this, but every time I read one of your threads, this gif always pops in my mind.

 

[LACHAMP46]

I actually like the TE situation a little more than most. Hemingway is gonna be a player...Higbee should be as well. Harkey is the cousin/nephew of some fam I have in LA....

Should be several good wr's in this draft in the later rounds.

Question is, are they ready to contribute?

Goff is the key...and the only way to really help him is to give him time on the majority of his drop-backs.

Hence...the line needs to stay healthy and have quality depth. 35 year old tackles, 32 year old center with back issues, and Saffold....I'd concentrate a lot of resources there and on the stronger defensive players (lots of upcoming FA's) in this draft.

 

[Sportsed]

Just gotta say that I like your thinking and I agree with you 1000%.....on offense we need to replace Britt and Kendricks. Kendricks was our blocking TE, with Higbee being our receiving TE. Let's get the best blocking TE in the draft George Kittle, I think he'll be there in round 4.....get the best WR we can in round 2, I think that'll be Godwin (this guy is being so underrated it's ridiculous)----he's a number 1 receiving type, at least imho. Godwin is a more dedicated and committed to his craft than Britt was or will ever be; he's a excellent worker, willing blocker, and a very good athlete----19 reps on the bench, 4.42 speed, 36 vertical, kid will end up being one of the best receivers in this draft. I really love Engram, but "fit" is also important on a team, if we do pick Engram, I actually see him more as a "big" WR and a "TE" in name only; trying to use Higbee as the blocking TE is not a good idea as his best attribute is catching the ball----he's an ex WR after all. I feel we can get a potential starting CB in round 3, especially with this draft being so deep in DB's. Okay, enough rambling.....just my thoughts; but yeah you're right, we need a couple more playmakers on offense-----as McVay says, "can never have too many playmakers, you can always use another one of those guys". JMHO of course.
Anyway, great post and thinking on your part.

 

[FrantikRam]

Woods/Tavon/Cooper will likely be our starters regardless. I still think Cooper is a darn good football player.

There are no "holes" on this team in the classic sense. We have a starter for every position. What we need, and the draft will provide, is depth.

It would be nice to upgrade our offensive weapons by adding a WR and TE - I think we have positioned ourselves beautifully to do just that in the 2nd and 3rd rounds of this draft. On defense our starters are set, we just need depth - Quinn, as you pointed out, is a question mark - which is why I wouldn't be upset at all if we spent an early pick on a pass rusher.

WR/pass rusher/TE in rounds 2/3/4 and all we need is for the OL and Goff to improve.

 

[BonifayRam]

This is a predraft observation, of course. And we all know that FA is not completely over. Especially if there is a TruJo trade.

But here goes...

First, the 2 big holes. And I mean BIG holes.

WR. Absolutely, positively cannot have only Woods and Tavon as starting WR's. Gaping hole here, y'all. Gotta add at least one WR via draft, preferably by 4th round. Two new WR's might be better, if a nice one falls. Tavon is not a WR, so it's foolish to count on him, imo. Otherwise, 2 and 3 WR sets will get little respect from opposing D's. And we've all seen that movie several times, huh? Arrrrrgh!

TE. Same story as WR, only more so. With Kendricks' release, we are down to essentially Higbee and Hemmingway at TE. Two second year players that failed to distinguish themselves in last year's train wreck of an O. And that's being kind, tbh. Our HC loves 2 and 3 TE sets. So a TE via draft seems beyond obvious, don't you think? Otherwise, we're bringing a knife to a gunfight every Sunday. Can't overstate what a big hole at TE we currently have.

Now the big question marks.

QB. Goff has gotta step it up to at least league averages. He doesn't need to make the Pro Bowl. But he does need to look like an NFL QB, for cryin' out loud. I THINK he can and will. I have great confidence in this new coaching staff. But until Goff shows it on the field, I'm gonna be kinda holding my breath.

Robert Quinn. It's simple, really. If Quinn is healthy, he's an absolute beast. But if his back is still bothering him, he can't even make the active roster. That creates a hole for Wade to try to patch up. Not good. So, I'll be holding my breath regarding Quinn's health all season long.

The good news? That's kinda it for the unknown biggies, don't you think? All else are details by comparison.

More good news? It's a good draft for WR, TE, and CB, just to name a few. A good draft could go a long ways toward plugging these two big holes.

So yeah, I'm cautiously optimistic even as I hold my breath. Lol.

I could not argue with this. Most of the members here are where you are at on the offense. I've been set for a while on what this teams needs are in this draft going into the future. The overall receiver units (TE/H-Back/SL/wide outs) the #1 element ...so many young Unknown's here. TA & Woods excluded some, but both will be coming into a new system too. This McVay offense can use a HD load of TE/Move HB types so they might only see 2 wide outs on the field early this season.

They are sure to give both TA & Woods a serious work-out in 2017 to check out the cost of keep both of them after this season is done.McVay has all these Spruce,Cooper,Thomas & McRoberts types that might just be surprising. Then there is pass catching talent @ RB's with Gurley/Dunbar & Green. Those rare Malcolm Brown screens proved that he has hands & when he hits the secondary those small DB' can not stop him.

For me I have more concerns @ outside Corner & LB'ers with very little faith in Quinn. With those 8 selections I would be fine if they can come away with CB's/ OLB's/ OC/ TE/ WR

 

[Todd59]

Am I the only one concerned with the state of our inside linebackers? Ogletree is fine, but I really don't see how Mark Barron fits in this defense. I think he's too small to play inside, and he's not a 3-4 OLB. I sure wish they would go out and get a real thumper to play along side Olgetree.

 

[Sportsed]

I actually like the TE situation a little more than most. Hemingway is gonna be a player...Higbee should be as well. Harkey is the cousin/nephew of some fam I have in LA....

Should be several good wr's in this draft in the later rounds.

Question is, are they ready to contribute?

Goff is the key...and the only way to really help him is to give him time on the majority of his drop-backs.

Hence...the line needs to stay healthy and have quality depth. 35 year old tackles, 32 year old center with back issues, and Saffold....I'd concentrate a lot of resources there and on the stronger defensive players (lots of upcoming FA's) in this draft.

Champ, of course I didn't know about your relationship with Harkey....you should be very proud of him, and that always makes watching games more personal. I always like reading your posts as you have an excellent football mind and you really want to see the Rams succeed and perform well; but, the question you posted about the WR, to me at least, is why we can't "sit back and wait" and hope to get a WR who is ready to contribute. I really do believe we need a starting caliber WR (to replace Britt), and that is so important to this offense that we need to address that as early as possible-----with our 2nd rounder, and that guy is Godwin (unless we can get Ross in round 2, haha). Godwin's Rose Bowl performance against SC was exceptional; that performance will be his norm with a "real" professional qb throwing to him----this guy started as a Freshman at Penn State no less. I'd pound the table for Godwin----he's a perfect fit for this offense, and the best guy we actually have a shot at with our first pick. Our offense needs to improve tremendously if we are to become consistent winners.....at least that's what I think. Identify the best offensive weapon Godwin/Engram, and get him secured as soon as possible.....don't sit back wait and hope we can get that type of player later in the draft. JMHO of course.
Anyway, I've always liked Harkey, and now I feel I "know him through you", this guy "I know" from ROD. Keep posting because I like reading your stuff.

 

[Picked4td]

I still think Cooper, Thomas, and Higbee will all be good players. Would hate to see them not get a fair chance to prove themselves aside from 1 year in whatever that thing pretending to be an offense was last year.

 

[Ramrasta]

This is going to be a marathon and not a sprint. Great teams are built through the draft and this is a light year for us in draft capital so we have signed several veterans to 1 year place-holder deals while McVay plans out the future.

We are inevitably going to have holes because injuries always happen and this team lacks depth at basically any given position. I fully expect improvement on last year but I'm not expecting playoffs for a brand new coaching staff taking over a 4-12 team

 

[tomas]

With Kendricks' release, we are down to essentially Higbee and Hemmingway at TE. Two second year players that failed to distinguish themselves in last year's train wreck of an O.

Tight Ends rarely excel as rookies (Higbee-Hemmingway).Tight Ends, Linemen and cornerbacks explode in their second and third seasons.

 

[OldSchool]

Don't see any holes. If there was no draft and no more free agency we would be able to field a 53 man roster and compete. There are some areas we could absolutely upgrade but no holes.

 

[LACHAMP46]

Champ, of course I didn't know about your relationship with Harkey

I played several years with his cousin, Darren, in pop warner...Really good people.

Goodwin was special....Is special. I watched that Rose Bowl twice....Still can't believe that QB completed some of those passes. It's why I don't really like Adoree....He's a Tavon clone...real good ST, but so-so at his position. Ross ate him for lunch too. I don't think Goodwin will fall to the second round either....Zay Jones won't....Definitely Ross, Williams and Davis won't....That's 5 first round wr's that I believe could have success year one...other than that. IDK???

 

[bubbaramfan]

More debate on "holes" or " whole's"? Holy Moley!

 

[Merlin]

With the receivers you gotta look at the roles. We have plenty of Y & Z types. Woods isn't really an ideal X either, even though they'll play him out there if they don't find an option in the draft. So as I've been saying the draft need is a wideout who can play outside on the LOS. Round 2 Godwin, round 3 Ford, those are the guys I like personally but it might be someone they project to play outside as well so no telling how it will play out.

It's not a sin to enter the season with young players at a given position. We discussed TE early on and it was predicted that Kendricks would be cut and that the Rams would stand pat in FA and draft the position and/or go young there. That's what has happened. Just because you haven't seen them do it on the field doesn't mean it's a hole. Sometimes the team actually does have an answer on the depth chart. I love Higbee, and I'm pretty sure the bottom of the TE depth will be added to in the draft and our TE room will be just fine.

We have coaching now on offense 43. TE will be a strength, only question I have is the depth which should be addressed in the draft. WR it's all about the X, hopefully they can find a guy who has snaps demonstrating an ability to play it, but if not I still don't think it's as doom and gloom.

 

[PARAM]

Welp, I see 2 big holes and 2 big question marks on this team...

You are being too kind Rams43.

Though I don't agree with your "holes". I think the "holes" we have are at WR (agreed) and S.

I think the question marks are many more than you listed.
1. Qb: Is Goff the real deal?
2. TE: Is Higbee a player? Is Hemingway a player?
3. Cornerback: What do we have behind Johnson?
4. Offensive line: Can Sullivan still play. When will Robinson play well? Are Wichmann, Brown and Donnal any good?
5. Running back: Is Gurley, really the 2015 version or the 2016 version?
6. Linebacker: Can Barron play inside? Can Quinn play outside? Who do we have as depth?
7. Defensive line: Donald, Easley and Brockers are great. What about their backups?

Now certainly, the draft could supplement many of those questions. Other's not supplemented might be answered in a positive way by who we have on the roster. The holes may be filled; at safety by Joyner. Maybe Randolph at backup. And the WR situation may be better than we realize (or not) with Woods, Cooper, Austin and Thomas but I'd expect two draft picks factoring into the position.

Two things I think we can be sure of......the offense will be a better offense by system. Whether it produces a lot better remains to be seen. And the defense will be better designed and may be extremely improved. That's big considering we had the #9 unit last year. All in all, I'm not worried or over concerned. I wonder what we have at those question marks and "holes" but it wouldn't surprise me if we have a pretty good all around team.

 

[Merlin]

Two things I think we can be sure of......the offense will be a better offense by system. Whether it produces a lot better remains to be seen. And the defense will be better designed and may be extremely improved.

I see it similarly. Thinking top ten defense in points allowed, which is not unrealistic given talent that Wade is inheriting plus his history. Offense is the question, expect something along the lines of 15-20th in scoring, which I personally do not think is unrealistic but would be a significant improvement.

 

[Picked4td]

I think the Rams biggest "hole" is an edge pass rusher. Barwin and Quinn are talented no doubt but barwin is old and who knows how much he's got let in him, and Quinn hasn't been the same since his back injury. Gonna need to find future players at both those spots sooner rather than later imo