Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › The OL on the roster now (and counting)
- This topic has 3 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 10 years, 10 months ago by
zn.
-
AuthorPosts
-
April 29, 2015 at 9:02 am #23309
znModeratorfrom off the net…& edited a bit by me
==
Noregar
Aside from Robinson and Saffold, many seem to assume that none the remaining 7 guys the Rams currently have on the roster are worthy of being starters. On the outside looking in we really know little about the rest of this group and how the Rams brain trust feels about them. If just one of these guys can prove worthy of being a durable starter then that is one less question to be answered and if they have two then that is big bonus.
A list of the Unknown 7:
Garrett Reynolds Height: 6-7 Weight: 305 Age: 27:
He is a 6 year vet with 23 starts out of 43 games played. He was a 5th round pick by the Falcons in 2009 while Snead was their director of player personnel and he was coached by Boudreau for his first 3 years in Atlanta. I think most fans consider him more of utility guy than a front line starter but the history with Boudreau suggests he could be viewed as potential starter at either guard or tackle if the Rams come up empty with other alternatives.Barrett Jones Height: 6-4 Weight: 308 Age: 24:
He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2012 draft to play center. In his two years with the Rams he has logged 10 games with 0 starts. There has probably been enough discussion on Jones in in Rams cyberspace to fill the pages of a novel but for Rams fans he is still basically a mystery wrapped in an enigma. He has the college pedigree and by many accounts he is above average in football intelligence but he also has to prove he has the durability and strength to hold up in the NFL. I expect Jones to at least be in the competition for either a starting guard or center spot.Demetrius Rhaney 6-2 Weight: 301 Age: 22:
He is another player that has received his fair share of cyber discussions. Even though he was only a 7th rounder, Rhaney was acquitting himself quite well (by most accounts) before bowing out with a severe bone bruise in his knee. Reports are that the MRI done on Rhaney’s knee did not show any ligament or cartilage damage. I expect him to be a serious contender for the starting job at center (IMO his lack of size will limit him more to center).Tim Barnes 6-4 Weight: 306 Age: 26:
Originally an undrafted free agent in 2011 he has been active for 45 games with only 4 starts. Compared with Jones and Rhaney he is the grizzled vet of the center group so he could be penciled in initially as the starting center. In 2013 he played at a competent level at times when pressed into duty although it seemed to me he got pushed around badly by Seattle’s front in the 2013 season finale. [According to camp reports he put on weight for the 2014 training camp and looked like a different player.] Much of his 2014 season was marred by various nagging injuries. This offseason he signed a one-year, $710,000 contract. The deal included a $50,000 signing bonus and another $290,000 is available through incentivesBrandon Washington 6-2 Weight: 318 Age: 26:
Washington has been with the Rams since 2012 when he was added to the Rams practice squad during early midseason. During that time he has only logged 1 game when he saw playing time in the 2013 season finale against Seattle. He was originally a 7th round pick by the Eagles in 2013. At 6-2 with 33 inch arms he is better suited to play inside although he played some tackle in the 2014 preseason and seemed to hold is his own. The Rams must see something in to have kept him around for two and a half seasons so maybe he fits into their plans more than we may know. Hopefully he can compete for the LG spot with Jones and maybe even Barnes, allowing Saffold to move back to RG.Travis Bond 6-6 Weight: 330 Age: 24:
He was originally a 7th round pick of the Vikings in 2013 but was cut and picked up by the Panthers where he only logged two games (never started). He was in the Rams 2014 training and was added to the Rams practice squad on 10/29/14 and added to the offseason roster on 12/30/14. With 35.5″ arms he has excellent size to be either a guard or right tackle but his limited foot quickness means he is probably a better fit at guard. Bond saw limited action for the Rams in the 2014 preseason and at times he seemed to hold his own. (Note: From what little I saw he was much better at guard than tackle in the 2014 preseason)
Steven Baker Height: 6-8 Weight: 310 Age: 26:
Along with Bond, he was a practice squad addition in late October and then he was signed to a reserve future contract this offseason. At 6′ 8″ and 310 lbs he is strictly a tackle. Interestingly he ran a 4.9 40 at his pro day and he is considered to have pretty good agility for man of his height but otherwise there is very little intel on him at this point. [Scouting reports from his draft year say that he needed to get stronger.] He originally entered the NFL out of East Carolina as an undrafted free agent, signing with the Indianapolis Colts in 2012. After being released at the end of that year’s training camp, Baker spent the 2012 season on the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad. He was then with the New York Giants, where he spent the 2013 season bouncing on and off the team’s practice squad. He was briefly in the Kansas City Chiefs training camp prior to the 2013 season. Before being picked up by the Rams he was in the Dolphins camp.April 29, 2015 at 9:58 am #23312znModeratorSteven Baker Height: 6-8 Weight: 310 Age: 26:
Along with Bond, he was a practice squad addition in late October.
Note — I hobbled this together from about 7-8 different sources, lifting a line here and a line there and then smashing it together as one coherent read.
.STEVEN BAKER
Height: 6074
Weight: 301
40 Yrd Dash: 4.91
20 Yrd Dash: 2.83
10 Yrd Dash: 1.75
225 Lb. Bench Reps: 22
Vertical Jump: 32
Broad Jump: 09’02”
20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.70
3-Cone Drill: 7.91Attended Northern Nash High School in Rocky Mount, N.C.. A three-year starter on the defensive line and a two-way starter, including playing time as a tight end during his senior campaign. Selected to the all-area second-team squad in 2006. Also competed on the school’s basketball and track teams. Finished fourth in the state shot put championships as a junior.
A four-year letterman at East Carolina, Baker played in 42 games for the Pirates during his collegiate career. In 2011 started every game at right tackle. Size, strength, quickness and mobility consistently complimented.
Coming out of East Carolina, SI.com called Baker “a terrific athlete with the size and movement skills to play at the next level.” Strength was apparently a question for Baker, and he is considered a player who is limited to the right side.
April 29, 2015 at 10:49 am #23316
wvParticipantfrom JT’s article. Fisher on the oline:
—————
Fisher added: “We’ve got some good young players on our roster, that you’ve not seen play or haven’t played very much. But we’re developing players currently on our roster. So we feel good about it.”April 30, 2015 at 1:32 am #23388znModeratorFisher added: “We’ve got some good young players on our roster, that you’ve not seen play or haven’t played very much. But we’re developing players currently on our roster. So we feel good about it.”
Bernie: Feel-good Fisher needs O-line help
By Bernie Miklasz
The National Football League convenes its three-day draft Thursday night in Chicago, and presumably the Rams will show up and make their selections, though we can’t be entirely certain of that given the team’s eerily quiet offseason.
I mean, the Rams aren’t obligated to make any picks, are they? Can’t the franchise just shut down and continue to do as little as possible to generate local interest while waiting to see if owner Stan Kroenke receives league permission to order the moving vans?
Given the club’s scant activity in upgrading the roster or promoting ticket sales, suspicious minds would accuse the Rams of trying to sabotage the market.
Admittedly, the Rams’ swap of quarterbacks was a big deal. Sending Sam Bradford’s formidable 2015 salary and his fragile left knee to Philadelphia in exchange for Nick Foles was a trade that had the NFL pundit class buzzing.
And it’s a switch that could actually benefit the Rams if the dynamic 2013 version of Foles shows up instead of the battered and mediocre Foles of 2014.
I also liked the Rams’ free-agent signings of the trimmer and presumably more motivated defensive tackle Nick Fairley and outside linebacker Akeem Ayers.
All of that is fine, but this team still doesn’t have a true playmaker on offense. And then there’s the big problem with the offensive line: The Rams don’t have one. The Rams did sign tackle-guard Garrett Reynolds for depth, but as of now they’re still in need of multiple starters up front.
Where have you gone, Tootie Robbins?
The Rams figure to use this draft to strengthen a barren O-line, but considering coach Jeff Fisher’s passion for defense you can never be certain.
The Rams’ lack of urgency in suturing a broken offensive line is startling. When quizzed about the weakest part of the roster Tuesday, Fisher replied, “I feel good about it.”
Are we supposed to draw comfort from that?
From what we can tell, Fisher feels good about everything, including his three-season 20-27-1 record as Rams coach that includes last season’s step-back 6-10 mark in what was supposed to be a breakthrough year.
Understand that Fisher is that rare pro coach/manager who has little to worry about, especially job security.
NFL.com recently placed Fisher on a five-name list of “the untouchables,” among NFL head coaches.
Really?
I work in a sports town where future Hall of Fame hockey coach Ken Hitchcock faces a possible dismissal after leading the Blues to the NHL’s best regular-season record since being hired Nov. 7, 2011. His Blues flopped in the postseason — but at least they got there.
And an outraged percentage of fans seriously wondered if manager Mike Matheny was in danger of losing his job after the Cardinals lost the 2014 National League championship series to San Francisco — that, after he’d guided the team to the NLCS in each of his three seasons in the job.
And Fisher is untouchable?
Evidently. Different standards for different franchises. And for some reason Fisher carries the largest free pass of any coach or manager in North American pro team sports.
In his last 150 games as an NFL head coach, Fisher has a .430 winning percentage. He has posted only two winning records over his last 10 seasons. In 19 full seasons as an NFL head coach, Fisher has cranked out six winning seasons.
Fisher has coached 310 games in the NFL, which ranks 11th in league history for longevity. (With 16 games, he’ll crack the Top 10 this season.) The 10 NFL coaches who have coached more games than Fisher have combined for 31 league championships and 25 conference championships, and seven of the 10 own career winning percentages above .600.
Fisher’s career winning percentage is .524. His grandest accomplishment was a lone conference title, claimed by the 1999 Tennessee Titans squad that lost the Super Bowl to the “Greatest Show” Rams.
That was so long ago, the Edward Jones Dome was still being touted as an extravagant profit center and the noisiest, most imposing home-field venue in the NFL. Sweet memories.
Kroenke is paying Fisher $7 million a season. As they say: Nice work if you can get it.
And you wonder why Fisher feels pretty good? The man is the NFL head-coaching equivalent of a U.S. Supreme Court justice.
If, however, Fisher and GM Les Snead have designs to improve the team in a significant manner, I hope they’ll get the offense up to speed.
Fisher-Snead have done an effective job of constructing a playoff-caliber defense, but the Rams won’t end a 10-year postseason absence unless Fisher-Snead can get their team into the end zone more frequently.
In the first three seasons of Fisher ball, the Rams ranked 27th among 32 teams in touchdowns from scrimmage and were 29th in yards. In points by the offense — which excludes touchdowns that came on returns by the STL defense and special teams — the Rams have ranked 28th, 22nd and 23rd in scoring (respectively) in his three years.
Big plays? No. Over the past three seasons only four teams had fewer pass plays of 25 yards or longer, and the Rams’ average yards per passing attempt ranked 21st.
What about a bullying rushing attack? Well, no. Under Fisher the Rams are 19th in rushing yards per game and 28th in rushing touchdowns.
Nasty football was supposed to be Fisher’s speciality. Fisher put together a physical, imposing ground game during his years in Tennessee, but there hasn’t been much Rambo in his Rams. At least not on the offensive side of these skirmishes.
Hey, at least the Fisher-coached Rams committed the most penalties in the NFL between 2012 and ’14, getting flagged for 376 infractions for 3,126 yards. So there’s that.
Perhaps the 2015 draft will bring in the talent to push the Rams through to the winning side. If so, at least Fisher would have a legitimate reason to feel good about his work here.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
