Gordon, Thomas, & Wagoner on the offense

Gordon: ‘Offense is coming,’ but weak line is real issue for Rams

Jeff Gordon

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jeff-gordon/gordon-offense-is-coming-but-weak-line-is-real-issue/article_b27e9663-e1a5-54ac-9a5e-1120f2e18a7e.html

Rams coach Jeff Fisher is pleased to welcome rookie running back Todd Gurley to team drills this week.

Gurley’s recovery from major knee surgery is continuing apace. He will become the focal point of the Rams offense sooner rather than later this season.

Fisher believes quarterback Nick Foles will bounce back from his messy performance Sunday night in the 27-14 loss at Tennessee. The return of receiver Brian Quick from last season’s shoulder injury should help that process.

“Our offense is coming,” Fisher promised at his Monday news conference. “It’s coming.”

But …

If the Rams don’t start blocking people, the offense won’t arrive in time to prevent still another losing season. Gurley’s rapid recovery, Foles’ emotional resilience and Quick’s comeback won’t matter if their young starting linemen keep getting rag-dolled by their foes.

Their No. 1 offense went nowhere at Tennessee, just as it remained stalled at Oakland. The starters netted 37 yards and zero points against the Titans before taking cover on the sidelines.

The Rams trailed the Titans 20-0 at the half and didn’t generate explosive plays until the reserves (and roster long shots) moved onto the field.

The first-unit line kept quarterback Foles under duress during his brief stint. The starting group didn’t open up much for the running game, either, and it also failed to get out and block a screen pass correctly.

So what do we know about this group?

Left guard Rodger Saffold is the one proven performer on the line, but he has chronic shoulder problems. Since the bulk of his job involves banging shoulders with 300-pound opponents, this figures to be a season-long issue again this year.

Perhaps he will play this week against the Indianapolis Colts, perhaps not. Given Saffold’s extensive injury history, expect Fisher to handle him with care.

Left tackle Greg Robinson has road grader potential in the run game, but he is still learning how to pass block during his second professional season.

Rookie right guard Jamon Brown is earning raves for his quick adaptation to the pro game, but rookie right tackle Rob Havenstein is nowhere near ready to play out on the island against elite edge rushers. Like many rookie tackles, he could remain a work in progress during his first season.

Not much separates center candidates Barrett Jones, Tim Barnes and Demetrius Rhaney as they fight for two roster spots. “It’s going to be a good race,” Fisher said.

Close race, yes. Good race? We’ll have to see about that.

Jones, a fourth-round pick in 2013, didn’t get much contact work in the previous two summers while recovering from a foot injury, then a back injury. He did play in three games as a rookie and seven games last season, but this year he is finally benefiting from full offseason and preseason workloads.

He had to rebuild the strength he lost while recovering from his back injury. “I think Barrett is coming on, just with the playing time, because Barrett hasn’t played much in games,” Fisher said.

Barnes is the veteran of the group, having started four games back in 2013 and playing extensively on special teams the last three seasons. He re-upped with the Rams as a free agent after briefly flirting with the Kansas City Chiefs.

He started the first preseason game, then sat out the second with a sore lower leg. He will return to action against Indianapolis, although it remains to be seen if he will be with the first, second or third unit.

Rhaney is an intriguing athlete. With Barnes shelved, he got the start at Tennessee as Fisher reaffirmed his belief in him. Rhaney is coming back from a knee injury that wiped out his 2014 season, causing him to miss months of developmental time last year.

It is imperative he makes the most of his playing time this preseason. “Demetrius, I thought, played pretty well last night, so we’ll continue to evaluate the position,” Fisher noted.

Among the back-up offensive linemen, Brandon Washington and rookie Isaiah Battle have suffered the most obvious breakdowns and Garrett Reynolds has been the most impressive, in relative terms.

Rookie guard Cody Wichmann will begin making his case this week after coming off the physically unable to perform list. The sixth-round pick from Fresno State has been hobbled by a calf injury.

But he is a project, as is rookie tackle Andrew Donnal. Who knew a team could miss Joe Barksdale so much?

Upon further review, perhaps the Rams shouldn’t have let Barksdale walk — especially after his camp overplayed its hand and left big free agent money on the table.

Rams GM Les Snead has a solid track record of locating decent offensive line help as deeper teams start making cuts. Presumably he will do the same this season, although he won’t have much salary cap space to exploit if he locks a few more players into contract extensions.

To be safe, the Rams must make more of what they already have on the roster. Time is running short to improve for the real games.

“If you go back a year from now, or two years from now, or three years from now, you guys all asked me the same questions: ‘What’s up with your offense?’” Fisher said. “We keep it basic. Our philosophy is to just play and work on fundamentals during the preseason.”

Fair enough, but all that work on fundamentals hasn’t resulted in effective blocking from the No. 1 unit. Offensive line coach Bruce Boudreau must accomplish plenty between now and the opener Sept. 13 against Seattle.

You’ve seen what the Seahawks’ defense has done to experienced offensive lines. What might they do a bunch of kids still figuring it out?