State of the Rams as Week 1 arrives…reporters & commentators opining

State of the Rams as Week 1 arrives

a position-by-position breakdown of the Rams going into Sunday’s NFL season opener:

• By Jeff Gordon

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/state-of-the-rams-as-week-arrives/article_92f02de5-1431-563b-8cdf-3e4e457ac463.html

Overview: Outlook is cloudy

The demise of Sam Bradford put a dark cloud over the 2014 Rams. Their hopes for a breakout season diminished when Bradford suffered another ACL injury.

Shaun Hill has fine work as a back-up quarterback in his career, but now he must try to elevate the this still-youthful team in the grueling NFC West. His offensive line remains a work in progress and his best route-runner, Stedman Bailey, will miss the first four games of the season suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs.

The Rams will attack opposing offenses with arguably the league’s best defensive line, but their secondary remains questionable — especially with Trumaine Johnson shelved by a knee injury and cornerback Brandon McGee slowed by an ankle injury.

So the state of the Rams heading into Week 1 of the regular season is, well, questionable. Here is the position-by-position breakdown:

Quarterbacks: Life after Bradford

Shaun Hill is The Man now. As such, he stayed in bubble wrap during the preseason finale. He could have used the additional repetitions to build timing with his receivers, but coach Jeff Fisher couldn’t risk another injury.

Austin Davis made his case for further NFL work by completing 12 of 19 passes for 162 yards and a touchdown. He has clear limitations as a passer. But Davis has keen pocket awareness, good mobility and the knack for making plays on the move. Those skills, plus his knowledge of the offense, allowed him to rise from No. 4 on the depth chart this summer to No. 2.

Rookie Garrett Gilbert never got in sync and exited among the final cuts after a lackluster preseason. His failure underscored the team’s failure to draft a developmental quarterback with one of their many high picks in the 2014 draft.

Enter Case Keenum, who posted OK numbers (1,760 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions) in eight games for Houston last season. That Rams gladly claimed him after the Texans put him on waivers. Keenum, like Davis, lacks classic NFL size. Like Davis, he can’t make all the throws Sam Bradford made. But he can manage an offense and his experience under fire should help him move up to No. 2 sooner rather than later.

Running backs: Who’s No. 1?

Benny Cunningham earned a higher preseason profile than incumbent lead back Zac Stacy, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Both will see a lot of work early this season, but in what order?

Isaiah Pead’s demise gave longshot Trey Watts additional opportunity and he exploited it. He is a smooth runner who finds seams and maximizes gains running north and south. He closed his preseason by running 13 times for 51 yards at Miami and filling multiple roles on special teams.

He was more impressive than speedy rookie Tre Mason, who still has much to learn about passing down offense. It seems the Rams have had more luck with undrafted RBs than the ones they draft.

Special teams stalwart Chase Reynolds survived the cut as the fifth running back.

Wide receivers: Britt, Quick rise to the top

Kenny Britt and Brian Quick established themselves as the top pair early on, giving the Rams admirable size and speed on the outside. Both developed a nice rapport with Sam Bradford and now they must do the same with Hill.

Tavon Austin is aiming for a breakout second season after flashing promise as a slot receiver and special teams threat last season.

Will he get more touches this season? Will he hang onto more passes this season? Will his teammates quit offsetting his big plays with ridiculous penalties?

Stedman Bailey’s four-game suspension to open the season will give speedy Chris Givens and possession receiver Austin Pettis a few more opportunities early on. Both made notable scoring plays during the preseason.

But will one of them depart when Bailey comes back on the roster? Or will the Rams keep a sixth receiver?

Tight ends: Kendricks makes his case

Lance Kendricks stayed healthy this summer and reminded us he, too, can make plays down the field. The Rams may be even more run-oriented with Hill at QB, so Kendricks could be a frequent play-action target.

Jared Cook has the size to dominate in the red zone and the speed to stretch defenses. But he will actually have to catch the ball to put that ability to work. Can he produce with any consistency? Or will he look more and more like a major free agent bust?

Blocker Rob Harkey has a key role in this run-oriented offense. Pass catcher Alex Bayer and the physically imposing Justice Cunningham all made their case this summer, but Cunningham suffered a high ankle sprain and landed on injured reserve.

Offensive line: Injuries are the X-factor

Top pick Greg Robinson had some cringe-worthy moments at left tackle and left guard in the preseason. His adjustment from an option offense in college to a pro style passing game will require lots of on-the-job training.

Injuries are a big X-factor with this group. LT Jake Long is scraping off the rust that accumulated during his recovery from knee surgery.

G/T Rodger Saffold suffered his usual array of injuries during the preseason, but he could open the season at left guard. Veteran Davin Joseph, one of the better offseason additions, would start at right guard in that scenario.

Injuries have taken a big toll on veteran C Scott Wells over the years, so it is notable that back-up G/C Barrett Jones will be sidelined with a back injury as the season begins. At this point, RT Joe Barksdale might be the most reliable player in the bunch.

Versatile Brandon Washington cleared waivers, so he will be a handy man to maintain on the practice squad. He played in just one game for the Rams last season, but spent the season in the organization. OT Sean Hooey also got a spot on the practice squad despite his glaring inability to play on the left side.

Defensive line: Leading the charge

The Rams found something special in DE/DT Ethan Westbrooks, who stood out wherever the Rams deployed him. His outstanding performance and surprising versatility cost DE Michael Sam his opportunity to play here.

DT Matt Conrath couldn’t stay healthy this summer and landed on the practice squad as a result. But the rest of the group ranks among the NFL’s elite, with DEs Robert Quinn and Chris Long and DTs Michael Brockers, Kendall Langford and Aaron Donald leading the charge.

(But . . . both Brokers and Langford are trying to overcome preseason ankle injuries, so the interior line play may suffer early on.)

The physical ability of this group — combined with aggressive blitz calls from defensive coordinator Gregg Williams — will make the Rams unpleasant to play against.

Linebackers: Will Laurinaitis be ready?

MLB James Laurinaitis suffered a sprained ankle and didn’t do much this summer. But OLBs Alex Ogletree and Ray-Ray Armstrong stayed busy, as did back-up MLB Daren Bates.

Along with veteran Jo-Lonn Dunbar, they form an above-average unit that offers plenty of upside.

Fisher kept only five linebackers in his first cutdown to 53, signaling the need to look for help on the waiver wire. OLB Phillip Steward got every opportunity to make the team but failed to impress.

So the team looked outside and added Kevin Reddick and Denicos Allen to the practice squad. They were in camp with the Saints and Panthers respectively this summer.

Secondary: Land of opportunity

Injuries created constant shuffling this preseason, creating opportunities for rookies to make an impression. CBs E.J. Gaines and Marcus Roberson seized those opportunities and earned jobs.

With starting CB Trumaine Johnson sidelined for several weeks with a knee injury and Brandon McGee slowed by an ankle injury, Gaines could see regular duty right out of the gate.

Rookie CB Lamarcus Joyner made his share of coverage mistakes as the nickel back, but he also made enough big plays to earn Gregg Williams’ trust. Look for him to do plenty of damage with safety blitzes.

CB Janoris Jenkins hopes to bounce back from a difficult 2013 season with a breakout campaign. The loss of Johnson ensures him plenty of tough match-ups during the first quarter of the season. Safety T.J. McDonald could do the same if he stays healthy.

S Rodney McLeod looks less like a coverage liability, but Cody Davis isn’t a great alternative. Physical S Maurice Alexander holds some promise as McDonald’s back-up. Oft-injured Matt Daniels is hanging around, for now, on the practice squad.

Special teams: Added importance

radford’s absence makes this unit even more important. PK Greg Zuerlein could try lots of long field goals this season. Johnny Hekker’s ability to turn the field with long punts and good placement will be even more important.

And big plays from Tavon Austin in the return game would be most welcome. Hill and Co. will need all the favorable starting points they can get.

Justin Veltung handled lots of the return duties during the summer and he is sticking around, for now, on the practice squad.