Nick Wagoner: Rams mailbag, parts 1 and 2

Rams mailbag: Do Rams get enough respect?

Nick Wagoner

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/19680/rams-mailbag-do-rams-get-enough-respect

EARTH CITY, Mo. — Well, we are almost there. The St. Louis Rams are set to open training camp Friday with rookies reporting Monday and the veterans jumping in Wednesday.

But before we get there, we’ve got time for another edition of the Rams Twitter mailbag.

As always, you can find me on Twitter @nwagoner. Please use hashtag #RamsMail so I can see your questions. On to business.

Josh @josharace
Are the Rams are underestimated by other teams?Don’t see much respect despite tough play vs good teams, with a backup

@nwagoner: I think I understand what you’re getting at here with the implication that the Rams are able to pull off upsets against teams you wouldn’t think they can beat, so perhaps those teams overlook the Rams? I think there might be something to that idea though I think it’s important to note that these aren’t the same Rams that were pushovers before Jeff Fisher arrived. Now by no means are these Rams a dominant team or even an accomplished one, but if you’re playing a .500 team, that tells you that at least half the time they are coming to play and they have a knack for knocking off some of the better teams. They also have a knack for losing to teams that some would say they should beat. I do think the teams in the division respect the Rams and understand that they can lose to them if they don’t bring their best. But some teams — the Denver Broncos last year, the Indianapolis Colts the year before — certainly seem like maybe they overlook the Rams. Of course, the Rams would probably prefer to take everybody’s best shot because that would mean they’ve actually earned a level of respect commensurate with a team that wins on a regular basis.

LA Rams Fan Zone @LARamsFanZone
4 QB’s are one too many. Would Keenum or Davis have trade value if one has to go? We need draft picks for next year.

@nwagoner: I find the battle for the No. 2 quarterback job to be one of the most fascinating entering camp for this reason: The loser not only won’t be the No. 3 quarterback but will probably be out of a job. In how many other jobs can you find where they keep three people, you’re competing for the second spot and if you lose, you’re out of a job completely? I think you also bring up a valid point. Let’s say the Rams keep Case Keenum. If that’s the case, I would think there’d be a team that would covet Austin Davis enough to make a deal for him. Maybe not but wouldn’t you want a guy who has starting experience and has showed he can at least offer hope in a spot start here and there? Perhaps the Rams could recoup the seventh-round choice they gave up for Keenum in that scenario. Maybe that was part of their thinking in bringing him back and having him compete with Davis. Either way, it’s going to be a tough decision when the time comes.

Michael Chase @Michael_Chase23
Is Lamarcus Joyner going to have a bigger role in the defense in year 2?

@nwagoner: I believe the Rams would like to see him take on the nickelback role and make it his own moving forward but there’s going to be competition going on around him that could alter that outlook. The competition for the outside cornerback job is between E.J. Gaines and Trumaine Johnson. If Johnson wins that job, it’s likely that Gaines would kick inside to handle the slot job when the team goes into nickel. Likewise, they could also decide that they want to have Gaines start outside and kick inside to the slot in the nickel with Johnson coming in instead of keeping Gaines in place and having Lamarcus Joyner come in to handle the slot. But I think in an ideal world, the Rams want Joyner to win the nickel job with Gaines and Janoris Jenkins on the outside.

Jordan Gallacher @Jordan3110
According to coaches, Saffold was playing at Pro Bowl level at RG. Why move him and play 2 rookies on right side of OL?

@nwagoner: This is a good question and one that I have wondered about myself. It’s something I’ll ask about as we get into camp but I have heard the Rams would like to leave Rodger Saffold at the same spot he played last year for once and that right guard is considered to be an easier adjustment for a rookie like Jamon Brown than the left side. Why that is, I don’t really know. But I do like the idea of spreading out what little experience you have on the line to give Havenstein a sounding board in Saffold and Greg Robinson there to help Brown.

Adam Johnson @acjohnson_ruiz
I watched JJ Watt’s top 100 video. Could we see Donald move around the line to take advantage of the best matchup, a la watt?

@nwagoner: I put nothing past the creative mind of DC Gregg Williams. I think you’ll see Aaron Donald moving around and with some of the ways they use Robert Quinn, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Donald in other spots, either. I tend to think Donald probably isn’t best used as an edge rusher, but I could see scenarios in which you see him coming from the edge off a twist or stunt.