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August 4, 2014 at 8:48 am #3243
RamBillParticipantOn today’s Breakfast With Bernie, the Post-Dispatch’s Bernie Miklasz talks up the improvement of the Rams offense with an added focus on the power running game and the return of QB Sam Bradford. (2:25)
http://www.rams-news.com/bernie-rams-offense-on-the-rise-video
August 4, 2014 at 8:48 am #3214RamBillParticipantMonday, August 4, 2014
St. Louis Rams’ projected roster
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/9992/st-louis-rams-projected-roster-2
Examining the St. Louis Rams’ roster:
(Note: WR Stedman Bailey is expected to make the team but is suspended for the first four games of the season and will not count on the initial 53-man roster)
QUARTERBACKS (3)
Sam Bradford
Shaun Hill
Garrett GilbertBradford and Hill are locks. Gilbert is already taking reps with the second team. It doesn’t appear he’ll have much competition from Austin Davis for a potential third spot. The only question is whether the Rams keep three.
RUNNING BACKS (4)
Zac Stacy
Benny Cunningham
Tre Mason
Isaiah PeadThe Rams went heavy on running backs last year, keeping five, but with Pead handling more special teams duties, it could make Chase Reynolds expendable and allow them to keep an extra body elsewhere.
RECEIVERS (5)
Chris Givens
Tavon Austin
Kenny Britt
Brian Quick
Austin PettisWith Bailey suspended the first four weeks, the Rams could take a longer look at another wideout for the first quarter of the season, but Bailey plus the five listed here seem to be in pretty good shape. It will be more interesting to see how this group shakes out in terms of playing time.
TIGHT ENDS (4)
Jared Cook
Lance Kendricks
Cory Harkey
Justice CunninghamThe first three are probably pretty safe, but the Rams could have an intriguing competition for a potential fourth tight end if they opt to keep one. Cunningham intrigues them, but undrafted rookie Alex Bayer continues to show promise. I’m not ready to elevate him past Cunningham but it’s going to be close if they keep four.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9)
Jake Long
Joe Barksdale
Scott Wells
Greg Robinson
Rodger Saffold
Davin Joseph
Barrett Jones
Tim Barnes
Mike PersonThe Rams could easily go heavy here and keep another lineman or even two as they did in 2013. The first seven listed here should be in good shape, but beyond that, the competition is wide open. Players like Sean Hooey, Brandon Washington, Mitchell Van Dyk and Demetrius Rhaney could be heard from before preseason is finished.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (9)
Chris Long
Robert Quinn
William Hayes
Eugene Sims
Michael Brockers
Kendall Langford
Aaron Donald
Alex Carrington
Michael SamThe first eight listed are all but locks barring injury, but the Rams have kept a ninth defensive lineman each of the past two seasons. The battle for that spot should be fierce with Sam trying to fend off the likes of Sammy Brown, Matt Conrath and undrafted rookie Ethan Westbrooks. Sam’s ability to emerge on special teams will likely determine his fate.
LINEBACKERS (6)
James Laurinaitis
Alec Ogletree
Jo-Lonn Dunbar
Ray-Ray Armstrong
Daren Bates
Phillip StewardDon’t be surprised if the final tally here looks different than the above. Beyond the first four listed, there could be plenty of room for change, including the potential for a veteran to provide depth. Bates is a strong special teams player and should stick, but Steward will face plenty of competition from an eager group of undrafted rookies.
CORNERBACKS (5)
Janoris Jenkins
Trumaine Johnson
Lamarcus Joyner
Brandon McGee
E.J. GainesJenkins, Johnson and Joyner should be set, but there could be some good battles in camp for the spots behind that trio. McGee has a year under his belt and an inherent advantage that goes with it, but he will face competition from the likes of Gaines, Greg Reid and Marcus Roberson. It also wouldn’t surprise if the Rams kept a sixth cornerback instead of a fifth safety.
SAFETIES (5)
T.J. McDonald
Rodney McLeod
Maurice Alexander
Cody Davis
Matt DanielsThere is plenty to sort out at this position with Alexander, Daniels and rookie Christian Bryant coming off injury. Bryant didn’t participate in the spring, so he is difficult to project at this point. Davis should stick for his special-teams contribution, but there is little guaranteed here.
SPECIALISTS (3)
Johnny Hekker
Greg Zuerlein
Jake McQuaideIt would take a serious injury to disturb this strong trio.
August 4, 2014 at 2:50 pm #3240RamBillParticipantGordon: So far, so good in Rams camp
By Jeff GordonThe Rams spent their first full week of training camp blending rookies with veterans on the practice field.
Myriad minor injuries contributed to some of that shuffling, but coach Jeff Fisher is stressing player development again this summer. Several rookies will fill key roles this season and many young guys will provide depth.
How far this team goes will depend on how quickly the young players learn and grow.
“This game is not too big for any of our rookies,” Fisher said after Saturday’s session at the Edward Jones Dome. “They’ve all accepted their responsibilities very well. They’re practicing well and again we’re mixing them in with the veterans.
“We had a young period there at the end (Saturday), it was predominantly young players, but for the most part on the practice field the ‘rooks’ are mixing in with the ‘vets’ and doing just fine.”
Here is an overview of where the team stands heading toward its first preseason game:
QUARTERBACK
Sam Bradford is firing the ball all over the field, reminding folks why he was a top NFL Draft pick. His comeback from knee injury is going about as well as possible. All that extra weight room work allowed him to add even more zip on this throws.
It will be interesting to see if this improvement translates into performance this season, which could define his career for better or worse.
Veteran back-up Shaun Hill is a much better passer than Kellen Clemens, so the Rams should be able to keep the full offensive playbook if Bradford gets hurt again.
Rookie Garrett Gilbert is getting every chance to stick around as a developmental player. He, too, can make most of the throws on the practice field. But what can do under duress during preseason action?
As for Austin Davis . . . well, Saturday’s session wasn’t pretty for him. He took a step back in the 2013 training camp and he hasn’t taken a step forward this time around.
RUNNING BACK
With Daryl Richardson hobbled by a toe injury last season, the Rams ground game became the Zac Stacy Show. But rookie Tre Mason figures to be a major factor this season, as fans saw Saturday afternoon. That should create a better two-back tandem.
But how much damage can he do between the tackles? Richardson — who was miscast as the lead back to start last season — struggled on inside runs last season even before he got hurt. Mason did plenty of north-sound running at Auburn, but he also had some massive holes behind Greg Robinson and Co.
Richardson’s departure created one more opportunity for Isaiah Pead, who has been relegated to special teams duty in his first two NFL seasons. Then there are Benny Cunningham, a poor man’s Mason, and handyman Chase Reynolds.
Those three could compete for two spots in preseason play.
WIDE RECEIVERS
Bradford’s connection with Stedman Bailey has been strong throughout training camp. They played a lot of pitch and catch against Saturday afternoon.
“He knows how to get open and knows how to make the plays,” Fisher observed. So it is a shame Bailey will miss the first four games of the season while serving a NFL suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.
In his absence, reclamation project Kenny Britt could be Bradford’s go-to guy. Saturday they hooked up on a home-run ball that excited the crowd at the Dome. Britt is showing no ill-effects from previous injuries and he is providing some desperately needed leadership to the passing game.
Tavon Austin’s greatest value could be on crossing patterns where can use his quickness to get open and then turn the play up field. As fans saw Saturday, Austin will get some hand-offs in the Brian Schottenheimer offense as well as many crowd-pleasing wide receiver screen passes.
But can he get separation on deep passes down the field? Or will he continue doing his damage by trying to turn little passes into big plays?
Brian Quick has been noticeable when healthy in camp, but he was among the inactive players Saturday. Maybe, just maybe, he is finally ready to factor into the passing game. Like Britt, he could benefit from Bailey’s absence during the season’s first month.
Chris Givens is still fast and Austin Pettis is still a decent possession receiver. Both have been with Bradford for a while now. Both are overdue to become difference makers. But both have been second-teamers this summer.
TIGHT ENDS
Jared Cook still adds freakish physical skills to the passing game. And he still has some work to do, as Saturday’s session underscores. Can he run every pass route with conviction? Can he catch everything thrown within his considerable range?
Lance Kendricks had a tough 2013 season, missing time with a broken finger and losing prominence due to Cook’s presence in the offense. He caught five passes in the season finale, reminding that he could still be key weapon. He has the best all-around skill set among the Rams at this position.
The Cory Harkey Package remains in the offense, as we saw Saturday. The man can block and he usually catches what comes to him — although he is seldom far downfield when the ball arrives.
Former Colts fringe player Justice Cunningham looks like a possible developmental player. He is a big, big man. Also keep an eye on Alex Bayer, who has stood out in Saturday’s blocking drills.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Jake Long seems right on schedule to return to his left tackle post after suffering a catastrophic knee injury last season. But like a lot of these players, he is missing time during training camp team drills.
The group seems largely set: Long at left tackle, rookie Greg Robinson at left guard, Scott Wells at center, Rodger Saffold at right guard and Joe Barksdale at right tackle. Free agent David Joseph looks like a terrific free agent addition at guard and Barrett Jones should offer quality center/guard depth after his redshirt year.
With Robinson and Saffold able to play guard and tackle, the Rams should have admirable flexibility to deal with injuries.
Beyond that, the Rams have some raw rookies battling players (Tim Barnes, Mike Person and Brandon Washington) with some limited NFL experience.
DEFENSIVE LINE
This unit is much deeper than the offensive line. That showed Saturday as the defensive tackles and ends had lots of fun in pass rushing/pass blocking drills. Their physical ability, combined with a renewed emphasis on blitzing, allowed them to penetrate again and again.
During one stretch, poor Austin Davis would have been sacked six times in a row had tackling the quarterback been allowed.
Rookie defensive tackle Aaron Donald is a very hard man to block. Several teams will regret passing on this young man.
His presence could make defensive tackle Michael Brockers an even greater force. Brockers aggravated an ankle injury in Saturday’s session, but he was able to walk off the field without help.
The playing rotation is largely set for this season, so most of the media attention will focus on rookie defensive end Michael Sam’s bid to land one of the final spots. He will get his chance to make plays (or not) in preseason play.
LINEBACKERS
With the D-line capable of overwhelming many O-lines, this could have a lot of fun this season. Gregg Williams’ blitz calls will also create big play opportunities.
OLB Alec Ogletree could be a game-wrecker in this scheme and MLB James Laurinaitis (currently shelved by an ankle sprain) could make more plays at the point of attack. Run-stopper Jon-Lon Dunbar could also benefit from a better line push.
The guy to watch is Ray-Ray Armstrong, a terrific athlete Williams may deploy in special packages. Among the long shots, rookie Aaron Hill was by far the most visible linebacker Saturday.
SECONDARY
This is a tough group to figure due to its collective youth and the various minor injuries costing players practice time.
Starting cornerback Trumaine Johnson has missed work in camp. Starting cornerback Janoris Jenkins was on the sidelines Saturday, as was rookie Lamarcus Joyner — the likely nickel back this season.
Fourth cornerback Brandon McGee could establish himself with a strong preseason, since his competition is coming from a small army of rookie hopefuls. Mizzou fans will be pulling for rookie E.J. Gaines during the preseason action.
Rookie Maurice Alexander looks like a good bet to fit in behind safeties T.J. McDonald and Rodney McLeod, but the lack of experience at the back end of this defense leaves experts wondering about a potential veteran addition later this summer.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Greg Zuerlein failed to convert a couple of field goals from 65 yards Saturday, leaving the balls short and to the right. But he didn’t rattle one home from 63 yards earlier in the session.
The Rams could have an elite kicking game if they can find some players capable of blocking in the return game WITHOUT TAKING PENALTIES. The Rams failed miserably in that area last season
August 4, 2014 at 5:31 pm #3251RamBillParticipantRams release unofficial depth chart
Nate Latschhttp://stl.scout.com/2/1429478.html
ST. LOUIS — The Rams released an unofficial depth chart on Monday afternoon in release of their preseason opener against the New Orleans Saints on Friday.
Again, this is an unofficial depth chart. So be careful not to read too much into it, but here we go anyway.The biggest surprise on the first team offense, if it’s a surprise at all, is newcomer Kenny Britt’s inclusion as one of the starting wide receivers. The other wide receiver is Tavon Austin.
The rest of the first team is as most would expect. Sam Bradford is at quarterback, with Zac Stacy at running back and Jared Cook at tight end. The offensive line is left tackle Jake Long, left guard Greg Robinson, center Scott Wells, right guard Rodger Saffold and right tackle Joe Barksdale.
There are no surprises on the first-team defense.
Chris Long and Robert Quinn are the two defensive ends, with Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford at the defensive tackle spots. James Laurinaitis, Alec Ogletree and Jo-Lonn Dunbar are the three linebackers. Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson are the starting cornerbacks, with Rodney McLeod at free safety and T.J. McDonald at strong safety.
The second-team offense has Brian Quick and Stedman Bailey at wide receiver, Shaun Hill at quarterback and Benny Cunningham at running back. The linemen are rookie Mitchell Van Dyk at left tackle, Mike Person at left guard, Tim Barnes at center, Davin Joseph at right guard and Sean Hooey at right tackle.
The second-team defense has William Hayes and Eugene Sims at defensive end, Alex Carrington and rookie first-round Aaron Donald at defensive tackle, Daren Bates (middle) and Ray Ray Armstrong and Phillip Steward at outside linebacker, Brandon McGee and rookie E.J. Gaines at cornerback with Cody Davis at free safety and rookie Maurice Alexander at strong safety.
The only real surprise there is the exclusion of rookie second-round pick Lamarcus Joyner, who is listed as the third-team free safety. He’s more like a second-team cornerback/nickel cornerback at this point, though he’s missed some practice time recently with an injury.
The third-team offense has Austin Davis at quarterback, Isaiah Pead and Chase Reynolds at running back, Kadeem Jones at fullback, Chris Givens, Austin Pettis and Emory Blake at wide receiver and Cory Harkey at tight end. The offensive line has R.J. Dill at left tackle, Travis Bond at left guard, Barrett Jones at center, Brandon Washington at right guard and D.J. Morrell at right tackle.
The third-team defense has Sammy Brown and seventh-rounder Michael Sam at defensive end, Matt Conrath as the only defensive tackle, Etienne Sabino and rookies Aaron Hill and Johnny Millard at linebacker, Marcus Roberson and Greg Reid as the cornerbacks, Joyner at free safety and Christian Bryant at strong safety.
Listed with the fourth teamers on offense are quarterback Garrett Gilbert, running backs Mason and Trey Watts, wide receivers Justin Veltung, Jordan Harris, T.J. Moe and Austin Franklin, tight ends Justice Cunningham and Alex Bayer with rookie seventh-rounder Demetrius Rhaney as the lone offensive lineman.
The defenders listed as fourth teamers are defensive ends Ethan Westbrooks and Kournei Brown, defensive tackle Deantre Harlan, linebackers Lawrence Wilson and Pat Schiller, cornerbacks Jarrid Bryant and Darren Woodard, free safety Avery Cunningham and strong safety Matt Daniels.
The first-team specialists are as expected with Johnny Hekker at punter, Greg Zuerlein at kicker and Jake McQuaide at long snapper. Austin is listed as the No. 1 punt return, followed by Veltung. Cunningham is the No. 1 kickoff returner, with Austin listed as second string and Pead listed as third string. Bobby Cowan is listed as the back-up punter and kicker and Jorgen Hus is the back-up long snapper.
August 4, 2014 at 6:28 pm #3273RamBillParticipantGregg Williams still sorting through options
By Nick Wagonerhttp://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10178/gregg-williams-still-sorting-through-options
EARTH CITY, Mo. — Much is expected of the St. Louis Rams’ defense in 2014.
The Rams have spent the past three offseasons bolstering the talent on that side of the ball, regularly spending premium picks to keep building. Coach Jeff Fisher is defensive minded and he has an experienced coaching staff capable of leading the group.
In the offseason, Fisher finally got the man he wants to lead it all when he brought in Gregg Williams to be defensive coordinator after a series of stops and starts.
Now, Williams’ greatest task is figuring out how best to use the talent that’s in place so he can take a group that has been solid, if unspectacular, and make it the foundation upon which winning is built.
At the top of the to-do list is paramount for any coach worth his salt when he works with new players: Figuring out what their skills are so they can be best utilized.
And though the Rams offer great defensive promise in 2014, that process is still a work in progress.
“Improving, but it’s not there yet,” Williams said. “One of the things, in the spring, I let the assistant coaches set all the depth charts. Obviously they set them the way I like them to set. I let them. I didn’t have any discussion with them.”
In the time since the players and coaches departed for summer hiatus, Williams had plenty of conversations with himself. While most of the coaching offices were empty as the rest of the staff took a much-needed vacation, Williams remained in St. Louis. Aside from a quick stop at his annual charity golf tournament, Williams stayed in the laboratory cooking up schemes and options for his charges.
“I was here every day,” Williams said. “I was here Saturday, Sunday, Fourth of July, going back through and getting ahead of a lot of things. Watching films and studying people that I don’t have time to study once the season starts. But the big thing, I went back and re-watched every single practice, every single drill. I’m a lot more familiar with these guys, but until the pads came on, that was the next step. And until we play a preseason game, that’ll be the next step. It’s ever changing. It’s moving on, but I’m getting a lot more familiar with them.”
That familiarity is the key to how fast the defense will coalesce. The best coaches find ways to tailor their schemes to the players rather than attempting to shoehorn players who might not fit into a hard and fast scheme. So while many expect Williams to play nothing but press coverage with a physical approach from the corners, he may ultimately decide that’s not how they’re best deployed.
That isn’t to say he’s leaning that way, just that making broad assumptions about what the defense will look like at this point is getting ahead of ourselves a bit. The Rams are still about only halfway through camp’s version of defensive installation so there’s plenty of room and time for tweaking.
At this point, the one thing we do know for sure is that Williams wants to be aggressive. That means a greater emphasis on takeaways and continued attempts to get after the quarterback. And with a defensive line he calls the best he’s coached, Williams has more creative freedom to concoct schemes he’s never used before.
“I tell the players all the time, and I’ll tell you guys: There’s not going to be any magic dust,” Williams said. “There’s not going to be any LeBron James magic dust. That’s not going to happen. What’s going to happen is these players are going to play aggressively. They’re playing for somebody and with somebody that’s on the same page as them. Nobody’s going to hold them back. We’re going to go and we’re going to play aggressive.
“If you want to make sure that you always have a fail-safe excuse about making a mistake, make it aggressively. That’s been the fun part of seeing them all of the sudden be so robotic. They’re a talented group of players, but I want them to play instinctively. I want the coaches to coach instinctively. Jeff’s allowing that to happen, and I’m happy that he’s allowing that to happen because that’s the way I’ve always been.”
August 4, 2014 at 7:01 pm #3280
wvParticipantGW: “If you want to make sure that you always have a fail-safe excuse about making a mistake, make it aggressively. That’s been the fun part of seeing them all of the sudden be so robotic. They’re a talented group of players, but I want them to play instinctively. I want the coaches to coach instinctively. Jeff’s allowing that to happen, and I’m happy that he’s allowing that to happen because that’s the way I’ve always been.”
==================================What does he mean: “seeing them all of the sudden be so robotic” ?
w
vAugust 4, 2014 at 7:10 pm #3282
rflParticipantI’m guessing he meant that they have played robotically, and he’s trying to coach them out of that.
Still, he apparently hammers guys who make mistakes very, very hard. That can limit the freedom with which guys play …
Unless, as he seems to suggest here, they can be confident that they will be OK if they play aggressively and make that sort of mistake.
By virtue of the absurd ...
August 5, 2014 at 12:58 am #3319RamBillParticipantBurwell: Rams have ability, experience to match expectations
• By BRYAN BURWELLThree years ago when he arrived here with the heady title of “franchise savior” of the St. Louis Rams, it felt as though the biggest part of Jeff Fisher’s new job was far more that of a persuasive salesman than an ingenious football coach.
The Rams — and for that matter, the city’s desperate football fan base — needed a voice that sold them on hope that the worst finally was over for this struggling franchise.
And for two years, that’s what Fisher did. As he and general manager Les Snead carefully churned the roster, drafting speed, size and athletic talent, the coach tried to convince anyone who would listen that this green-but-growing rehab project was good enough to challenge for a playoff run even if he knew better.
For two years Fisher was the slick pitchman, offering faith, hope and a low-bar dream that what we were seeing was infinitely better than what we already had seen. He would scoff at any question that suggested the Rams couldn’t compete for a playoff berth in the challenging NFC West. He used to repeat over and over that his young team was good enough to hang in the toughest division in football.
But the hope phase of the Rams’ reconstruction project officially is over now. Hopes and wishes have been replaced by something a bit more substantial.
“It’s all about expectations now,” Fisher said as he stood on the edge of the Rams Park practice field early Monday night. “Yes, we have youth, but now there’s skill at every position. There’s experience there, too.”
Fisher’s previous positive sales pitches were a necessary distraction from the harsh reality that this was a rebuilding franchise on training wheels, growing through the draft but stumbling along with the mistakes of youth and inexperience.
Now, you can feel the different mood at training camp. You can listen to the coaches, the front-office types. You can hear it in the tone of Fisher’s words. He thinks Year Three will be the breakout season that will move the Rams off that sub-.500 plateau they have rested on for the last two seasons (back-to-back, nearly-identical seasons of 7-8-1 and 7-9), and catapult into a 10- or 11-win season.
This is the first of many very big weeks in the 2014 preseason. After spending the entire offseason practicing against themselves, the Rams begin the exhibition season Friday night in the dome against the New Orleans Saints. Sam Bradford and his surgically repaired knee will get a first real test against a defense that can and will bring him to the ground. Every exhibition game will allow a glimpse into the possibilities that this season could bring.
Will they be faster, stronger, quicker, smarter? Will the wide receivers make plays? Will the offensive line protect Bradford? Will the quarterback continue to show the elevated play we’ve seen in training camp’s early days against opposing defenses? Will new defensive coordinator Gregg Williams’ imaginative schemes turn this already dangerous defense into the sort of unit that can carry the Rams to championship dreams?
It’s always so easy to become infatuated with a football team in training camp. Fisher was almost giddy about Bradford’s progress in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 passing drills, the way he has shown so much big-arm strength and accuracy on deep routes every day.
“The quarterback is looking as good now as I’ve ever seen him since I’ve been here,” the coach volunteered after watching Bradford gun a deep rocket to Austin Pettis in tight coverage. “What you saw him do (on Monday) looked even better last Saturday.”
So is this the season of the Big Tease or the Great Fulfillment? Is Bradford ready to make his breakthrough and show the pro football world that he deserved all the money and respect as a No. 1 overall draft pick? Are the Rams ready to put it all together and fill the dome with an excitable playoff edge that we haven’t seen around here since the turn of the century?
A year ago at training camp, there was a scene that played out that was so full of high hopes and turned into realized expectations. Early in camp, a rather excitable fan shouted from across the end-zone barricade his vision of what he hoped would be the story of the 2013 season.
“Hey Robert (Quinn), you gotta get 40 sacks this year. You gotta get 40!” the man bellowed in a voice loud enough that it caused the Rams’ gifted defensive end to do a quick double take and give him an “Are you crazy?” stare.
“Forty is a little crazy,” Quinn joked at the time.
Of course a few months later, Quinn did have a breakthrough season, threatening Deacon Jones’ unofficial club record of 26 sacks, finishing with an NFC-leading 19 sacks, became a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro and finished a half sack shy of NFL leader Robert Mathis.
On Monday at camp, there was another energetic fan — this one a kid probably 8 or 9 years old — who wanted to up the ante for Quinn.
“Little guy said he wanted 2,000 sacks,” Quinn chuckled.
For the season or for your career?
“Either way, that’s a bit much, don’t you think?” Quinn asked smiling.
Instead, Quinn has taken a bit more pragmatic approach to what he and his teammates need to do to make this season the success everyone is expecting.
“Small steps,” Quinn said. “Gotta take small steps. Just try to take small steps every day and get better. Remember, we’re just kids playing in the dirt. OK, maybe we’re a little bigger than the rest of the kids, but if we can approach every day with that spirit— little boys playing in the dirt — we’ll be just fine.”
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