With the start of the 2015 regular season just over a month away, the St. Louis Rams will have plenty to watch unfold in training camp and the preseason. That said, here are the top five position battles to watch heading up to the first game of the season:
Right Outside Linebacker
This is arguably the most interesting position battle on the defensive side of the ball to watch over the next month.
Jo-Lonn Dunbar is coming off yet another disappointing season that saw his production drop for the second consecutive year. This included playing on just 40 percent of the snaps on the field, and not starting in five out of the last six regular season games.
What also points to Dunbar’s starting job being in jeopardy was the addition of Akeem Ayers, who played under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams with the Tennessee Titans. Ayers had his most success in the NFL playing in a 4-3 defensive scheme, which is the same formation that the Rams use. He is also just two years removed from a career-best 104 tackles and 6.0 sacks during the 2012 season.
Ayers may also have the upper hand when it comes to preference for Williams as he looks to emphasize the pass-rushing ability of his outside linebackers, and that is something that the five-year veteran has excelled at through his first five years of his NFL career.
Although Dunbar looks to be out of Williams’ favor, this new competition at the position could be what he needs to reclaim his spot on the team, or it could result in a new face in the starting linebacker trio.
Running Back
When the Rams made the decision to select former Georgia standout running back Todd Gurley, it immediately signaled that Tre Mason’s title as the team’s sole starting tail back will be short-lived.
Mason is coming off a productive rookie season that saw him take over the starting role about a quarter of the way through the year. However, it appears that he was unable to show the Rams that he can be relied upon as a three-down running back. On that same note, Gurley has received nothing but high praise from the organization as a “unique talent” and “complete back.”
Head coach Jeff Fisher has even compared Gurley to his former great running back Eddie George, who played under him during his coaching days with the Titans. There is another similarity both players share and that is being the only running back to be selected in the first round by a team with Fisher as the head coach.
With the organization seemingly behind Gurley as the team’s future at tailback, it appears that the only thing holding him back will be his health at this point in time. He is ahead of schedule. but there still remains much uncertainty if he will be able to give it a go come the regular season opener as he is currently in limited individual workouts.
Right Guard
St. Louis this offseason underwent much change along their offseason line by letting go three starters from last season in Jake Long, Scott Wells, and Joe Barksdale.
The team has replaced these longtime veterans with fresh faces through this year’s draft using four picks on the offensive line. Among these changes to the offensive line, the one spot to watch will be the competition at right guard.
It is a two-player race at the position with rookie Jamon Brown and three-year veteran Brandon Washington vying for the starting spot. Free-agent acquisition Garrett Reynolds may also play a part in this position battle, but early indications have Brown holding a leg up in the competition.
What may also go in Brown’s favor is that the coaching staff appears to be interested in pairing him alongside fellow rookie Rob Havenstein on the right side of the offensive line. What also benefits him is the fact that he excelled most at playing guard, in particular as a run-blocking lineman. Since the Rams are built around a heavy-run game this season, Brown may be in the driver’s seat.
Center
Keeping the along with the theme, there also will be a wide-open competition at center after the release of veteran Scott Wells earlier in the offseason.
This has made way for the battle for the starting spot amongst three unproven young linemen in Tim Barnes, Barrett Jones, and Demetrius Rhaney. Barnes had re-signed with the team under a one-year contract this offseason, and looked to be the early favorite to win the starting gig, but Jones and Rhaney may prove to be stiff competition for the job.
Barnes has the most experience of the bunch with four starts, but Jones has shown potential in limited playing time and Rhaney has received positives reviews this offseason after missing his entire rookie season due to a knee injury.
Ultimately, the starting center spot is essentially up for grabs and how each plays in the preseason will likely determine who will win the job.
Defensive Tackle
With one starting defensive tackle position all but cemented by last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in Aaron Donald, it doesn’t appear to be the case for the other spot.
Four-year veteran Michael Brockers is the early projected starter for the right defensive tackle job, but offseason addition Nick Fairley could be a candidate for the gig. Brockers has been the team’s starter over his first three seasons in the league and has been a constant for the team in the last two years playing all 16 regular season games in each campaign.
That said, the addition of Fairley could mean change may be on the horizon. The former Detroit Lion is coming off a frustrating 2014 season that was shortened after a knee injury in Week 8 ended his year. Although he had an inconsistent first four years of his career due to under performing and struggles with his weight, Fairley does possess the potential to be a force on the defensive line.
This isn’t to say that Brockers isn’t the favorite to keep his starting job, but it wouldn’t be a surprise either to see the Fairley get the call.
Source: NFL.com
Bob Garcia IV is a sports journalist from Southern California. He is also the Los Angeles Lakers beat writer for Sportsoutwest.com. He was a reporter for the award-winning newspaper, The Daily Sundial, at California State University, Northridge. You can follow him on Twitter, @Bgarcia90.
