Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › the 2015 D: articles & vids on McCleod, Ogletree, Ayers, Gaines, Hayes, Fairley
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June 15, 2015 at 6:47 pm #26329
znModeratorRams impressed with growth of safety Rodney McLeod
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — From undrafted rookie to special teams contributor to competing for a starting spot, St. Louis Rams safety Rodney McLeod has climbed the NFL ladder the hard way.
But for those who still wonder whether McLeod has staying power as the team’s starting free safety, the Rams offered an emphatic answer this offseason when McLeod became a restricted free agent. The team didn’t simply tender McLeod an offer at the lowest level, they tendered him at the second-round level, guaranteeing him $2.356 million and the Rams a second-round pick in exchange for him if he had received an outside offer they chose not to match.
In three years with the Rams, it was clearly the biggest public vote of confidence for McLeod yet.
“It says a lot,” McLeod said. “I just appreciate them for recognizing what I’ve been doing the past three years.”
McLeod arrived in St. Louis in 2012 when Rams coach Jeff Fisher and his staff took over. Then, he was an undrafted rookie out of Virginia who quickly became a stalwart on special teams. In 2013, McLeod claimed the starting job at safety but had enough ups and downs that many thought he’d be replaced. McLeod kept his job and returned in 2014 in the same role.
Each season, Fisher has been increasingly impressed with what he’s seen from McLeod.
“Every year he just steps it up a huge notch,” Fisher said. “From being our best special teamer the first year, to starting last year to now he’s in a role as a starter. He gets the game. Moves very well. I thought he played really well last year. He misjudged a couple deep balls, but everybody does that. But I thought he was really active, knew what to do, and run-supported very well.”
The Rams have added to McLeod’s role in each season. Last year, McLeod found himself playing more single-high coverage than in any of the previous years, often serving as the last line of defense while fellow safety T.J. McDonald spent most of his time near the line of scrimmage.
That added responsibility did occasionally result in the costly mistakes to which Fisher referred. Against Arizona in Week 10, Cardinals receiver John Brown got behind McLeod for what turned out to be the game-changing touchdown.
Despite those types of hiccups, the Rams clearly believe in McLeod in the present and for the future. He’s scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after the season, one of many the Rams will have to re-sign. It’s a group that includes fellow defensive backs Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins.
The Rams valued McLeod enough to put the second-round tag on him this year which would indicate they’ll make a push to bring him back after this season. For his part, McLeod said he’s set a goal to make the Pro Bowl this year but is more concerned about winning than individual accomplishments or signing a new contract. Still, there’s no doubt where McLeod wants to play his football in the future.
“I love this organization and I love coach Fish and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else but here,” McLeod said. “We all came in together from Tru to Jenkins. It’s a lot of us. Our chemistry is amazing on and off the field. I want to be a Ram forever if I can.”
June 15, 2015 at 7:58 pm #26339znModeratorAyers Brings Championship Mentality to Defense
Myles Simmons
The Rams made a few significant roster moves at the start of the free agency period, headlined by the additions of quarterback Nick Foles and defensive lineman Nick Fairley. So while the signing of Akeem Ayers may appear to be an undercard, the linebacker has the potential to help a strong defense reach new heights.
Ayers is headed into his fifth pro season, having been drafted by the Titans in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft out of UCLA. Tennessee traded him to New England in October of last year, and Ayers went on to play a key role for the eventual Super Bowl XLIX Champions.
“I learned a lot just from my short time there,” Ayers said after an OTA session last week. “They are a team that prepares very well. That’s the way they coach the players.”
Ayers tallied 4.0 sacks for the Patriots in nine games, the most he’d registered since 2012 when he had 6.0.
“Once I got to New England I hit the ground running and haven’t looked back since,” Ayers said.
The linebacker recounted that he had preliminary discussions with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick about returning, but wanted to see his options on the open market. And once he visited the Rams, he knew St. Louis was the right team for him.
One reason why was his familiarity with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and linebackers coach Frank Bush, both of whom Ayers had worked with in Tennessee. Williams was a Titans senior defensive assistant in 2013, and Bush was Ayers’ position coach from 2011-2012.
“When Gregg put in some of his wrinkles, I remember I really liked it and I felt at the time that’s what I was comfortable doing,” Ayers said. “Bush really helped me make that jump from my first year to second year. My second year, I feel, was one of the best years I’ve had and that’s really because his coaching style helped me learn a lot, helped me understand, and helped me play at a high level.”
Another advantage the linebacker has with the Rams is the team’s many returning players. Ayers said one of his goals at OTAs has been to prove to his teammates that he’s worthy to be a part of what evolved into an excellent unit last year.
“Everyone around me has been in this defense,” Ayers said. “They are comfortable and good at communicating with each other, so it really allows me to come in and focus on what I need to focus on — getting the scheme right, my technique, and the little things to help me get on track.”
The Patriots primarily featured Ayers as a pass rusher in 2014, so he’ll have to adjust to being out in coverage once again. But the linebacker said he actually thinks getting after the quarterback is not his biggest strength on the field.
“Covering, playing zone, and catching is something that I’m natural with and comfortable with,” Ayers said. “All I did was rush last year, so it is on me to get back and get into the groove of it.”
Even though Ayers has to recalibrate a bit coming to the Rams, he gained invaluable experience as a member of a championship team. He said that gives him some perspective on what leads to success in the NFL, especially because he’s also been on a team that won only two games in a season.
“I think I really have a good view on how a team that does it right — how it looks, how they prepare, and how they work — and what teams who don’t make the playoffs look like,” Ayers said.
“I went to New England and I saw how they did it,” he continued. “There were times when we were down by 14 and no one panicked. They had been there before. They had the confidence that they were going to come back, put it together, and win a game. I think that’s the biggest thing — just knowing what you’re doing and really being a smart team.”
Ayers was in attendance to receive his Super Bowl ring in Massachusetts over the weekend, and said he might bring it to Rams Park as a motivational tool. But these players may not even need it. Ayers said while the Rams are young, they appear to be on the right road to success.
“This team has all the ability, and all the talent, and everything you need,” he said. “But it can’t just be the offense, and it can’t just be the defense — it has to be us as a team having that confidence and that mindset that you’re going to win.”
June 16, 2015 at 4:26 pm #26400znModeratorRams’ E.J. Gaines looks to solidify starting cornerback job
By Nick Wagoner
EARTH CITY, Mo. — After emerging as one of the steals of the 2014 NFL draft, St. Louis Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines’ rookie season came to an abrupt end when he suffered a Week 16 concussion against the New York Giants.
Gaines missed the season finale at Seattle, putting a damper on what to that point had been the most pleasant surprise of the Rams’ season. That Gaines missed a game because of an injury brought his season full circle after he’d become a starter on the heels of the team’s many cornerback injuries in the preseason.
It’s what happened in the time between injuries to the likes of Trumaine Johnson and Gaines’ concussion, though, that has the Rams looking at Gaines’ future with nothing but optimism. Despite bouncing between outside corner and the slot, Gaines was one of the defense’s most consistent performers.
In 15 games, Gaines had 70 tackles, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and eight pass breakups. There were the bumps you’d expect from a rookie sixth-round cornerback along the way, but Gaines quickly curried favor with his coaches by almost always being in the right spot at the right time.
“E.J., I can’t say enough about what he did for us last year as a starter and as an inside player in the nickel,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He can come out there and compete outside. Our expectation is that last year Lamarcus would be the inside third corner and that took a little longer and scheme was an issue. It was a good deal for our defense when you look at his production and what he did and his body of work. He made very few mistakes.”
Gaines’ football acumen has him playing a much different role in these organized team activities. While Gaines was hoping to compete for a roster spot last year as a sixth-round pick, he’s now in prime position to win a starting job outside. The Rams have worked him mostly at outside corner opposite Janoris Jenkins during OTAs and seem to like the idea of having Lamarcus Joyner handling nickel duties with Johnson as a primary backup.
There still figures to be some competition between Johnson and Gaines as training camp approaches, however.
“Our thought is that we’re going to have E.J. compete outside and even inside and it gives us depth,” Fisher said at the March owners meetings.
In order to win the job on a more permanent basis, Gaines has taken to focusing on the details this offseason. He said he’s fully recovered from the concussion and is spending extra time in the film room studying where receivers line up, route concepts and what quarterbacks check to so that he can see things before they happen.
Gaines also wants to provide defensive coordinator Gregg Williams with the flexibility to be multiple in his coverage schemes while allowing him to dial up various blitzes without having to worry about his cornerbacks.
“I feel like my all-around game can be better,” Gaines said. “I’m working a lot on my man to man coverage, press man and off-man. The concepts of routes. That’s a lot of the things the coaches and Janoris talk about. He has great instincts and able to jump routes. You see things like that and I feel like that’s where I can grow as far as the corner spot.”
Gaines believes that improving in those areas will give him a chance to lock down a cornerback spot for a long time, especially with Jenkins and Johnson scheduled for free agency after the season.
“I feel like they know I have high expectations out of myself to come out here and compete like I usually do, whether that’s at corner, nickel, special teams, whatever,” Gaines said. “I’ll come out and compete for the job but I’m definitely going for that corner spot.
June 17, 2015 at 8:26 am #26428
AgamemnonParticipant
AgamemnonJune 17, 2015 at 8:34 am #26429AgamemnonParticipant AgamemnonJune 17, 2015 at 11:38 pm #26525znModeratorAyers calls Rams a good fit for him
By Jim Thomas
Akeem Ayers spent half of his 2014 season with the Tennessee Titans, a team that would finish 2-14.
Following a late October trade, he spent the rest of the season with a team that went on to win the Super Bowl — the New England Patriots.
“So I’ve been from the bottom to the top,” said Ayers, the Rams’ new starting outside linebacker. “I really have a good view on how a team does it right. How it looks, how they prepare, and how they work.”
He plans to bring some of that understanding and advice to St. Louis — not to mention the Patriots’ gaudy Super Bowl XLIX championship ring he picked up Sunday at festivities in Foxborough, Mass.
“I think that’s some good motivation, somebody who you’re playing with who just recently won a Super Bowl and a young guy,” said Ayers, who turns 26 next month. “I think everybody would love to see (the ring) and just get some motivation.”
As coach Jeff Fisher sees it, all that will come in time. Right now, Fisher’s more interested in seeing sacks and tackles from Ayers than Super Bowl bling.
“I don’t think he’s gonna stand up and say anything about it now,” Fisher said. “But we’re all happy for anyone that comes in the building that’s had that (Super Bowl) experience. I think in time it would be beneficial, but we’ll let him choose that time.”
If nothing else, Ayers’ experience in 2014, when he went from being unwanted and unused by one of the league’s worst teams to being a valuable role player with the eventual NFL champions, showed how small the margin is between winning and losing at this level.
“Everybody has the talent,” Ayers said. “It’s just the teams who put the extra work in. I think it’s more of the film study and just having a smart team. When you have a smart team and you have a team that plays with a lot of confidence, that’s the biggest thing.”
Drafted in the second round (No. 39 overall) by the Titans out of UCLA in 2011, Ayers played in all 48 games with 43 starts during his first three seasons in Tennessee. But a coaching staff change after the ’13 season and patellar tendon operations on both knees doomed him in Tennessee last season.
Ayers wasn’t able to participate in practice until the start of training camp, so new coach Ken Whisenhunt and his staff really didn’t know first-hand what Ayers could do.
“New defensive coaching staff,” Ayers said. “New scheme — we switched to a 3-4 that year. I pretty much had a late start, and I guess they didn’t have time to wait. But it ended up working out.”
Ayers played in only two of the Titans’ first seven games before the trade last Oct. 21 that sent him to New England.
“I was excited just to get out of there period, honestly,” Ayers said. “I’d seen where it was going early on, and I requested a trade early on in the season.”
At the time he was traded to New England, Ayers was not only back to full health but back in football shape. He clicked almost immediately with the Patriots, registering sacks in three of his first four games there. He appeared in all nine regular-season games for New England, including four starts, and finished with four sacks and an interception.
Ayers became expendable this offseason when the Patriots signed Jaball Sheard in free agency, but he’s thankful for the opportunity that revived his career in New England.
“It was great,” Ayers said. “I learned a lot in my short time there.”
St. Louis was his one and only visit in free agency, and he ended up signing a two-year deal that includes $2.75 million in guaranteed money and can max out at $9.2 million if all incentives are met.
“After I came here, it really was a no-brainer for me,” Ayers said. “I feel like this defense is something I can thrive in.”
His position coach with the Rams, Frank Bush, was his linebackers coach in Tennessee in 2011 and ’12. And Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was a senior defensive assistant for the Titans in 2013. That familiarity helped Ayers make his decision.
“(Bush) really helped me make that jump from my first year to my second year,” Ayers said.
In that 2012 season, Bush registered career highs in tackles (104) and sacks (six), while also coming up with an interception and eight pass breakups.
Ayers is expected to start ahead of Jo-Lonn Dunbar at strong side linebacker, adding yet another talented pass-rusher to the group.
“Akeem in Tennessee played behind the (line) and he rushed and he did everything,” Fisher said. “Then at New England he primarily was a rusher. Did some dropping (in coverage) but was primarily a rusher.
“He’s got the ability, and as you know, in our defense our linebackers are blitzers and they rush. So he’s got the ability to do both. He’s a big man and he runs well. He’s smart and he strong, so I think he fits.”
And he’s got the ring to show he’s won at the highest level.
June 19, 2015 at 8:06 am #26578znModeratorRams notes: McLeod excited about defense’s potential
By Joe Lyons
Signed as an undrafted free agent from the University of Virginia in May 2012, safety Rodney McLeod has made steady progress with the Rams.
As a rookie, he quickly established himself as a playmaker on special teams, leading the team with 16 tackles and catching a 21-yard pass from rookie punter Johnny Hekker in the Rams’ 24-24 tie in San Francisco.
In 2013, McLeod started 16 games at free safety and was third on the squad with 87 tackles. In addition, he picked off two passes, recovered two fumbles and had five pass defenses. On special teams, he made three tackles and forced a fumble that Daren Bates returned for a touchdown.
He made 16 more starts a year ago while recording a career-best 96 tackles to go along with two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and six pass defenses.
“Every year, he just steps it up a huge notch,” Rams head coach Jeff Fisher said. “He gets the game. Moves very well. I thought he played really well last year. He misjudged a couple deep balls, but everybody does that. But I thought he was really active, knew what do and run-supported very well.”
The Rams tendered McLeod, a restricted free agent, at a second-round level, guaranteeing the 24-year-old $2.365 million this season and assuring the club a second-round draft pick if he had received an outside offer that the team elected not to match.
“It meant a lot, honestly,” McLeod said. “It’s nice to see they appreciate the work I’ve put in the last three seasons. It’s a blessing. But I really don’t think it’ll change me or my approach. I’m still hungry and motivated and working to do whatever I can got get this team back to the Super Bowl.”
McLeod joins 2012 draft choices Janoris Jenkins, Trumaine Johnson and Mark Barron as the veteran players in a young and versatile group of defensive backs with the Rams. And it’s a role he takes seriously.
“Anything I can do to help, I’m more then willing,” the 5-foot-10, 195-pounder said. “As (defensive coordinator Gregg Williams) likes to say, there are no true starters because of all the different packages we use. Guys are out there competing, getting their hands on the ball and making plays. By pushing each other, everybody stays sharp.”
McLeod adapted quickly to Williams’ system and feels even more comfortable now.
“Each year, you just have a better idea what to expect,’’ the fourth-year pro said. “I’d like to make more plays and I’m watching film of the Pro Bowl safeties, seeing if there’s anything I can do to improve my game. As a group, our main goal is starting fast this year. If we can do that, I feel like the sky’s the limit.’’
ALEXANDER WITH THE STARTERS
With veterans T.J. McDonald and Barron slowed by injury, safety Maurice Alexander, the second-year pro from Eureka High, has been working in OTAs with the starters.
“It’s definitely exciting to be out there and getting a chance with the No. 1s,” said Alexander, 24, a fourth-round draft pick from Utah State. “Last year was tough for me, mainly because of injuries, but Coach Williams did a great job of keeping me ready mentally. Then, once I got healthy at midseason, I was able to do some good things and finish the season on a high note.”
After dressing for just one of the team’s first nine games, Alexander was a regular on special teams for the final seven games of the season. He finished sixth on the squad with seven special-teams tackles.
“Obviously, special teams is a big part of my role here,” he said. “Wherever they need me, I’m there. But being out there with the starters, it’s a great learning opportunity for me and I’m trying to take advantage of every rep.”
Williams is excited about the progress Alexander has made.
“If you want to talk about a guy that’s drastically different than last year, it’s Maurice,’’ the coach said. “He could hardly speak what we’re doing last year. He’d only played one season in college as a DB and now he’s in the NFL as a DB. Holy Cow, he was lost, but we knew he was talented. He’s had a great spring because he’s gotten more reps — next man up — because T.J. and Mark haven’t had as many.
“We’ve got a ton of stuff to do with three safeties and Maurice is now vying for get some of those shots, too.’’
June 22, 2015 at 10:30 am #26656znModeratorRams cornerback E.J. Gaines can’t wait for the 2015 football season to begin! Gaines, going into his second NFL season played 15 games with the Rams last season. Not bad for a sixth round draft pick. The Mizzou alum over-achieved in his rookie season and can’t wait to surprise his Rams teammates and coaches some more in 2015. Fox 2 Sports reporter Zac Choate talks it over with Gaines.
http://fox2now.com/2015/06/21/rams-e-j-gaines-ready-for-season-two/
June 22, 2015 at 1:46 pm #26667znModeratorSecret Superstars: St. Louis Rams
Thomas Maney
https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/06/22/secret-superstars-st-louis-rams/
Next up in PFF’s Secret Superstar series is the St. Louis Rams, a team looking to bounce back from a last-place finish in the competitive NFC West. Among the players we’ve highlighted in past seasons are Fred Robbins, William Hayes, and last season’s selection, Zac Stacy. This time another rookie makes the cut in cornerback E.J. Gaines.
In 2013, the Rams didn’t have a single defensive back end the year with a positive overall grade and unsurprisingly finished the season with a losing record. The team responded to this by investing heavily in the secondary during the 2014 draft and used their sixth-round pick on Gaines after his first-team All-SEC senior season at Missouri.
Gaines saw the field almost immediately, playing 52 of 68 possible defensive snaps in the team’s preseason opener against the Saints, compiling a +2.1 overall grade in the process. Among his notable plays was a second quarter pass breakup and a pair of stops. Perhaps the Rams saw all they needed to see as Gaines logged just 53 total snaps in the remaining exhibition games and opened the season starting at the left corner spot.
After a fairly quiet regular season debut against Minnesota during which he surrendered three catches for 25 yards, Gaines Graded above +1.0 overall in three out of his next four games and managed a +5.8 grade through Week 7 – only 10 corners started the season better. Of note was a Week 5 performance at Philadelphia that earned him a +3.0 in coverage after he allowed a meager 26.7 QB rating on 10 targets. In that game, he got his hands on a pair of passes, first making an impressive break on the ball at 5:35 of the first quarter before coming down with an interception in the second quarter at 10:02, taking advantage of a poorly located throw by Nick Foles.
As might be expected from a rookie corner, Gaines also had his share of struggles during the season, including some rough games against the Chiefs, Broncos, and Chargers. He accrued seven of his 14 missed tackles in those three games and allowed a reception on more than 80% of passes that went his way. But take a look at his plays against Arizona in Week 10 (+2.6 overall) breaking up a pair of passes in the end zone (2Q, 5:06 and 3Q, 5:17). Over the entire season, Gaines delivered more of that type of play than he did negative ones – 7:55 of the first quarter in Week 6 and 3Q, 1:02 in Week 16 are two more examples.
Statistically he was outstanding and perhaps the only negative you can find is his tackling: he missed 14 attempts and ranked 60th at the position with a 6.0 Tackling Efficiency Rating (attempts per miss). But he still managed a Top-5 Run Stop Percentage and considering his 5-foot-10, sub-200-pound frame, it’s not too surprising that he had some tackling issues. In coverage, Gaines only surrendered one touchdown all season and the longest gain against him went for 23 yards, the third-lowest figure among corners. His average gain allowed was also very low (9.6 yards) and was bested by just six players. And although he played more than 50% of his snaps at the outside LCB spot, he also fared well in the slot, allowing just 0.95 yards per snap in coverage there (13th out of 61 qualifying CBs).
Further, not only did Gaines contribute on defense, but he also performed well on special teams, specifically as a vice on punt returns. His +6.0 grade on special teams was second only to Johnny Hekker on the team and only one player in the entire NFL (KC’s Kelcie McCray) had a better grade on punt coverage. Take a look at his play during the team’s Week 15 matchup against the Cardinals at 4:21 of the third quarter; Gaines does an excellent job slowing down gunner Jaron Brown.
For a sixth round pick to take a starting job from Week 1 and finish with an overall grade in the 70th percentile among corners is impressive. That’s why E.J Gaines is our Secret Superstar for the Rams and we’re eager to see how he fares in his second season.
June 22, 2015 at 9:37 pm #26676znModeratorRams defenders aren’t shy about voicing their potential in 2015
Elisabeth Meinecke
ST. LOUIS — Scary.
That’s how William Hayes is predicting the Rams’ defense will look in its second season under coordinator Gregg Williams.
“Last year, we were going into the season still trying to really get familiar with the scheme,” the defensive end explains. “Guys came in this year with a different mentality. We didn’t come in this year trying to figure things out. We’ve already got everything figured out. We know what’s expected of us. And we know the schemes like the back of our hand. It’s going to be scary this year.”
The unit’s final numbers last year didn’t do its talent justice, thanks to a slow start to the season. Despite two shutouts, the Rams finished 17th in the league in yards allowed last year, though slightly better than average at getting to the opponent’s quarterback (40 sacks, tied for 13th). But the stat that likely hurt most was a 6-10 record, kicked off by a 1-4 start.
The Rams’ defense, however, isn’t shy about its potential this September.
“It’s about time for us to push into that top five defense in almost every statistical category, and I think that’s what we’re aiming to do, and I think that’s what we’re going to accomplish,” says linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar. “I think we can go head-to-head with any offense in this league, and I think we can stand toe-to-toe with any defense.”
Or, as defensive end Eugene Sims says: “I wouldn’t say we’ll have to go toe-to-toe with any defense. Any defense will have to go toe-to-toe with us.”
These aren’t idle words, uttered carelessly or naively in the relaxed atmosphere of the offseason. Rams defenders have a healthy confidence in what they can become, and there are several reasons to think they may prove right come fall. For starters, there’s the team’s familiarity with Williams — as Hayes points out, it’s the first time in four years with the Rams that he’ll have had the same coordinator in back-to-back seasons. And Williams has been using that familiarity to harp on the concept of starting fast, so much so that Sims edited one of the alarms on his phone to “fast start.”
“Once we get in meetings (during OTAs) every day, we have a different type of picture — we have a racing picture, we have a racecar, a horse, a snake eating something, that says, ‘Fast start,'” Sims says. “He overemphasizes it every day, so we wake up to it pretty much.”
The theme runs through the entire team.
“We’re preaching start fast. That’s something we haven’t done since I’ve been here,” says Dunbar, who joined the Rams in 2012. “We usually get out of the block 2-2, 1-3, something like that. So I think if we start fast, I think that will give us the momentum to carry on throughout the season.”
One way to help accomplish that, Dunbar says, is by ensuring every practice has a sense of urgency.
“Make sure practice has a sense of urgency. Everything you do as an individual, and as a core, just a sense of urgency. And I think it’s something that if you preach, it’s basically the law of attraction,” he says. “I feel like defense is playing a little faster (in OTAs), a little quicker. I think we’re anticipating a little better.”
But there’s something else, besides the familiarity, that justifies the Rams’ confidence for the upcoming season: an even deeper roster. This offseason, the Rams acquired former first-rounder Nick Fairley, a defensive tackle, from Detroit and linebacker Akeem Ayers, who won a Super Bowl with the Patriots last season. Add those names to a unit that already includes the likes of James Laurinaitis, Chris Long, Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn, E.J. Gaines and Alec Ogletree, and you start to picture the nightmare Hayes was describing for opposing offenses. Entering his eighth NFL season, Hayes has been around long enough to know.
“It’s probably the best group of talented guys I’ve ever played with,” he says. “And I’ve played on some pretty good defenses, especially in Tennessee.”
Williams, meanwhile, appears committed to getting the most out of his roster depth and spoke at the end of OTAs about the variety of packages for his linebacker group, which also includes Dunbar, who is entering his eighth NFL season and won a Super Bowl with the Saints. The coach struck a similar tone when speaking of Fairley’s addition to the defensive front.
“The thing that has been really fun for me to watch is the big eyes that he had when he came in and saw the talent in that room,” Williams said. “We just don’t play four guys or three guys on defense. We try to have as much of a 50-50 split or 45-55 split of a ballgame keeping those guys fresh.”
For someone like Hayes, there’s a personal goal of ensuring his level of play stays consistent with his teammates.
“I don’t want there to be a huge difference from when Chris Long is in the game and when I’m in the game. I don’t want people to say, ‘Well, gosh, if Chris was in the game, that wouldn’t have happened,'” Hayes says. “My goal is never to be the drop-off. When I come in, I want to be the spark. I want excitement when I come in the game. That’s what I thrive on — just trying to be the best football player I can be.”
June 22, 2015 at 9:57 pm #26680znModerator“It’s probably the best group of talented guys I’ve ever played with,” [Hayes] says. “And I’ve played on some pretty good defenses, especially in Tennessee.”
A little creative license there. Of the 4 Titans defenses Hayes was on, the 2008 D was ranked 7th. Not so much after–the rest are in the low 20s. But the 2008 D included players like Bullock, Haynesworth (in a pro bowl year), Finnegan (in a pro bowl year), Kearse (an old-timer at that point), Vanden Bosch, FS Michael Griffin (in a pro-bowl year), and SS Chris Hope (in a pro-bowl year).
June 23, 2015 at 11:53 am #26696
ZooeyModeratorThe cynic in me wants to point out that they said the same thing last year about how scary they would be.
But I am fairly optimistic this year.
They do have the continuity of Williams at DC this year. There is a learning curve, both for the players, and for the coach. While the Giants game, in particular, was pretty disturbing, nevertheless the overall trends on defense were good as the season progressed.
Secondly, the Rams have a lot of youth. They were the youngest team in the NFL for two years in a row, and I am sure a number of their breakdowns were youth/experience related. One guy to watch in this regard is Jenkins. Is this guy going to grow up this year? That is one of the things I will be looking for in camp reports, but even if he doesn’t, I feel pretty good about the depth in the secondary after last year’s draft and the emergence of a couple of players there who were longshots (Gaines, McLeod) and performed well. And there are still a couple of guys who got red-shirted back there who might emerge this year. In any event, this is a defense with most of its players early in their prime.
Finally, I like the message this year. RFL has complained about the coaching. Well, this is what we want. A sense of urgency right from the beginning. A fast start. They are instilling that right now. That’s good. That’s corrective. That mindset will yield results.
June 24, 2015 at 2:39 pm #26719znModeratorRodney McLeod happy to be back with the Rams
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story/1557768-rodney-mcleod-happy-to-be-back-with-the-rams
The St. Louis Rams showed free safety Rodney McLeod how much they valued him this offseason when he was a restricted free agent.
The Rams tendered the two-year starter at the second-round level, which equates to a one-year contract for $2.4 million, and just about made certain that the safety would be back in St. Louis for the 2015 season.
“It meant a lot, honestly, just to see them and how they appreciate me around here and the work I’ve put in the past three seasons,” McLeod said during OTAs. “It’s just a blessing, man. I don’t look at it any differently. I approach every day the same as I have the past three years, just hungry and motivated, honestly, and just trying to bring a Super Bowl back here and do whatever I can.”
It was possible that another team could offer a contract to the 24-year-old, but the Rams would have had the ability to match any offer or receive a second-round draft pick. The tender showed a significant commitment to McLeod, who worked his way from undrafted free agent to special teams stalwart to starting safety.
“Talking with my agents and things like that, we kind of had a good idea that the Rams were possibly going to do whatever it took to bring me back,” McLeod said. “I’m just happy to be back, man, and just ready to take on the season — start the year off with Seattle; no better game than that — and just focused on trying to get to the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. Do whatever I can.”
The 5-foot-10, 195-pound McLeod, who turned 25 on Tuesday, was all over the field for the Rams last season.
McLeod was credited with 96 tackles (64 solo), six passes defensed, three quarterback pressures, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He ranked fifth on the team in total tackles, but was tied for the team lead in fumble recoveries, tied for second in interceptions and tied for third in forced fumbles.
“Every year he just steps it up a huge notch, from being our best special teamer the first year, to starting last year to now he’s in a role as a starter,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He gets the game. Moves very well. I thought he played really well last year. He misjudged a couple deep balls, but everybody does that. But I thought he was really active, knew what to do, and run-supported very well.”
McLeod is looking to step his game up even more this season.
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is expecting more out of his group in his second season. McLeod said he also received some good feedback from assistant secondary coach Brandon Fisher and defensive quality control coach Dennard Wilson this offseason.
“I feel like I need to make more plays,” McLeod said. “Going back we started off this year looking at plays from last year, things that we need to work on, looking at other Pro Bowl safeties and things that they do that I can add to my game. Brandon Fisher has been getting me right and Dennard (Wilson) as well. And just taking it on the field. I think you can just see a lot of things that we practiced before OTAs got started out here on the field.”
McLeod said he could see a lot of differences with his defensive teammates going into the second season under Gregg Williams’ leadership. The safety feels more comfortable in the system and knows what his defensive coordinator wants him to do.
The Rams are looking to break through defensively after ranking in the middle of the pack last season in several statistical categories. They were 14th in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (110.3 per game), 17th in points (22.1) and yardage (351.6) allowed and 19th in passing yardage permitted (241.3).
St. Louis returns all 11 starters on defense from last season, but added two potentially key players in defensive tackle Nick Fairley and outside linebacker Akeem Ayers.
“Those are the two big pickups for us,” McLeod said. “The D-line, how can you get much better? But adding Nick is tremendous. And adding a guy like Akeem who has been to the Super Bowl and knows what it takes; just adding that leadership to what we already had. Secondary-wise, we just started off so much faster and built off last year. Training camp is going to be great. Game 1, just look out.”
McLeod can’t wait to put the pads on and get the season going and he’s not alone.
The team’s stronger play in the second half of last season, including the shutouts against the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins, has many of the players eager to see what they can do in 2015.
“Last year we kind of just got started,” McLeod said. “I think this year you’re going to see a lot of that and a lot of guys making plays. The sky’s the limit for this group.”
And McLeod is happy to be back to be a part of it.
June 26, 2015 at 9:07 pm #26797znModeratorSiriusXM NFL Radio
Nick Fairley says the Rams D-Line is going to be fun to watch. Fairley, St. Louis Rams DT, joined The End Zone and talked about the talent on the Rams Defensive Line, what his playing weight is right now, and why he signed in St. Louis.
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