Camp Confidential: St. Louis Rams/Wagoner

Camp Confidential: St. Louis Rams
By Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/10353/camp-confidential-st-louis-rams

EARTH CITY, Mo. — As one of the few training camps in the league at which music doesn’t regularly blare through temporary speaker setups, the soundtrack to the St. Louis Rams 2014 camp is limited to the sounds of pads cracking and the ensuing trash talk.

It’s a drastic departure from last year’s camp, when the Rams attempted to turn their offense into a spread-based passing attack flinging the ball all over the field.

That experiment failed miserably but also cleared the path for the Rams to forge their current identity, which is regularly on display on the Rams Park practice fields.

At an early August practice, the sight of running back Zac Stacy and tight end Cory Harkey consistently dropping their pads and creating collisions with defenders set a physical tone that manifested into a fight between cornerback Lamarcus Joyner and receiver Austin Pettis.

As residents of the NFL’s toughest and most physical division, the NFC West, the Rams permanently adopted the approach they used in the season’s final 12 games. Which is to say, they want an offense based on a power-rushing attack and an aggressive defense.

If that plan sounds similar to what Seattle and San Francisco do, it’s because it is. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.

“Obviously, that’s the way we’re built,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said. “We’ve always been built that way. That’s what we’re going to be based on — play great defense, run the football. Our play-action game comes off of that.”

THREE REASONS FOR OPTIMISM

1. Defensively, the Rams have the pieces in place to be one of the league’s elite groups in 2014. Coordinator Gregg Williams gives Fisher’s Rams the chance to move from a middling group to a top-10 or even top-five unit in the NFL. Even without Williams’ aggressive guidance, the Rams have combined for more sacks than any team in the league over the past two seasons. With the additions of defensive tackles Aaron Donald and Alex Carrington, the defensive line is the deepest and best in the league. Defensive end Robert Quinn is already one of the best pass-rushers in the league and should get better. That group should be good enough to wreck game plans on a weekly basis.

2. The aforementioned shift to a run-centric offense should be buoyed by the offseason addition of No. 2 overall pick Greg Robinson and running back Tre Mason, as well as the retention of guard Rodger Saffold. With a line built to run the ball and an offense that now knows what it should be, the run game should be better and more consistent.

3. The advancements in modern medicine should benefit the Rams, as quarterback Sam Bradford and left tackle Jake Long are on track to be ready when the season begins. Both are coming off major knee surgery, but you’d hardly know it from watching them move around on the practice field. Bradford is facing a huge season and knows this is the time to finally prove he’s the long-term answer at quarterback. Long played at a Pro Bowl level for most of the past season, especially in the run game, and is critical to ensuring that Bradford stays healthy. Having both back this early would have been a big surprise in the past but is a welcome sight in St. Louis.

THREE REASONS FOR PESSIMISM

1. For the second straight season, the Rams’ offensive line has the potential to be among the best in the league. But the dark injury cloud hovering over that projection remains. Long, center Scott Wells and Saffold are each either coming off an injury, have a lengthy injury history or both. Although line coach Paul Boudreau has a gift for making it work with whoever is playing, he has a group of question marks behind the starters. Guard Davin Joseph is the only backup on the line with substantial experience.

2. Among the many positions in which the Rams are young, perhaps none are of greater concern than the secondary. Cornerback Janoris Jenkins is headed into his third season and third as a starter, which makes him the elder statesmen of the group. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson and safeties Rodney McLeod and T.J. McDonald have experience, but they’ve also been spotty in terms of performance. The Rams are banking on the pass rush to help the secondary, but it’s unrealistic to think the defensive backs won’t have to stand on their own in key moments.

3. Attempting to project what any team will do in a season based on the previous year’s result is a fool’s errand, but it’s hard to ignore the on-paper strength of the Rams’ schedule, particularly in the NFC West. Like last year, it’s possible the Rams will be better than the past season but left with nothing to show for it in terms of record or postseason appearances.

OBSERVATION DECK

All that talk about defensive end Michael Sam being a distraction for this team has been just that: talk. Sam has earned nothing but positive reviews from his teammates and coaches for his work ethic and desire to improve. He still faces a battle to make the roster, but aside from a couple days of increased media attention, the circus many expected has never materialized.

Once again, the Rams are almost wholly unproven at wide receiver, but they believe they are ready to change that this year. Kenny Britt has been a pleasant surprise, both in performance and leadership, and has had a particularly positive effect on Brian Quick. Breakout is a relative term with this group, given that the Rams won’t be airing it out like other teams, but big plays will be needed to complement the run game.

The Rams will miss young receiver Stedman Bailey as he serves a four-game suspension to start the season. He’s been the most consistent wideout in camp and looks poised for a much bigger role upon his return.

Donald might not start, but he is going to play a lot. He has wowed coaches and teammates with his advanced technical skills and maturity. Some in the organization believe he could become Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Looking for an undrafted rookie or two who could win roster spots? Look no further than tight end Alex Bayer and defensive lineman Ethan Westbrooks. Both flashed potential in the spring, and it has carried over into training camp and the preseason.

Although Stacy and Mason garner most of the attention at running back, Benny Cunningham should not be overlooked. The Rams like him a lot, and he returned to St. Louis bigger, stronger and faster. He’s another year removed from a serious knee injury and could play a more integral role in his second season.