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The Los Angeles Rams surprised a lot of people when they decided to cut James Laurinaitis, the team’s starting middle linebacker since 2009. However, with the emergence of Alec Ogletree and the need to re-sign Mark Barron, the move made sense financially. We may see a similar linebacking corps or a drastically different one for the Rams in 2016. It all depends on what happens with Barron.
Who’s Back:
Alec Ogletree – Ogletree is the most talented and most promising linebacker on the Rams roster. He recorded back to back 100+ tackle seasons in each of his first two years before appearing in just four games in 2015. Ogletree has had plenty of time to recover from his injury and will be needed to step up on this defense following Laurinaitis’s release. Head coach Jeff Fisher has said that Ogletree will likely fill Laurinaitis’s spot and move from outside linebacker to middle linebacker. He’s a tackling machine and should be capable of the move. Ogletree is a key part of the Rams defense heading into 2016.
Akeem Ayers – Ayers joined the Rams last season and proved to be a valued member of the linebacker corps, appearing in all 16 games and starting 11 of them. If Ogletree does indeed move to middle linebacker, Ayers will likely head into the season as one of the Rams starting outside linebackers. Ayers will be an important part of the depth chart no matter if he’s starting or not. He’s not an elite player by any means, but Ayers is a solid linebacker that should provide serviceable play in 2016.
Who’s Gone
James Laurinaitis – The Rams made the decision to cut their all-time leading tackler following the 2015 season. The move was made due to Laurinaitis’s large contract and the Rams deciding to move in a younger direction. The Rams will miss Laurinaitis’s leadership on and off the field and have a crucial part of their depth chart to fill.
Who May Be Gone
Mark Barron – Barron finally came into his own as an NFL player when the Rams moved him from safety to outside linebacker following Ogletree’s injury. Barron led the Rams in tackles in 2015 and was the breakout star of the defense. Barron is a free agent this offeason and the Rams desperately need to find a way to bring him back. The cutting of Laurinaitis, Chris Long and Jared Cook gives the Rams plenty of cap space to be able to re-sign Barron as well as cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson to help keep their young secondary intact.
Barron is the domino that needs to fall in the Rams’ offseason plans when it comes to linebacker. If he re-signs, they’ll have the trio of Barron, Ogletree, and Ayers to roll with heading into the season. You can do a lot worse than that at this position. But if the Rams can’t bring back Barron, addressing the position in the draft or in free agency should be a top priority. Taking a linebacker at some point in the draft wouldn’t hurt either, even if Barron returns.
The Verdict
The Rams have a lot of promise at the position heading into 2016, but they need to find a way to bring back Barron. Their priorities will likely be in making sure Jenkins and Johnson return as the starting cornerbacks this season, but Barron is almost as important to the defense and will likely be available on a much cheaper contract. If the Rams fail to bring back Barron, finding a replacement will become a top offseason priority on a team that already has a lot of needs. Re-signing Barron is a must.
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer for Rams Talk and an undergraduate student at Marquette University. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
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The Los Angeles Rams surprised a lot of people when they decided to cut James Laurinaitis, the team’s starting middle linebacker since 2009. However, with the emergence of Alec Ogletree and the need to re-sign Mark Barron, the move made sense financially. We may see a similar linebacking corps or a drastically different one for the Rams in 2016. It all depends on what happens with Barron.
Who’s Back:
Alec Ogletree – Ogletree is the most talented and most promising linebacker on the Rams roster. He recorded back to back 100+ tackle seasons in each of his first two years before appearing in just four games in 2015. Ogletree has had plenty of time to recover from his injury and will be needed to step up on this defense following Laurinaitis’s release. Head coach Jeff Fisher has said that Ogletree will likely fill Laurinaitis’s spot and move from outside linebacker to middle linebacker. He’s a tackling machine and should be capable of the move. Ogletree is a key part of the Rams defense heading into 2016.
Akeem Ayers – Ayers joined the Rams last season and proved to be a valued member of the linebacker corps, appearing in all 16 games and starting 11 of them. If Ogletree does indeed move to middle linebacker, Ayers will likely head into the season as one of the Rams starting outside linebackers. Ayers will be an important part of the depth chart no matter if he’s starting or not. He’s not an elite player by any means, but Ayers is a solid linebacker that should provide serviceable play in 2016.
Who’s Gone
James Laurinaitis – The Rams made the decision to cut their all-time leading tackler following the 2015 season. The move was made due to Laurinaitis’s large contract and the Rams deciding to move in a younger direction. The Rams will miss Laurinaitis’s leadership on and off the field and have a crucial part of their depth chart to fill.
Who May Be Gone
Mark Barron – Barron finally came into his own as an NFL player when the Rams moved him from safety to outside linebacker following Ogletree’s injury. Barron led the Rams in tackles in 2015 and was the breakout star of the defense. Barron is a free agent this offeason and the Rams desperately need to find a way to bring him back. The cutting of Laurinaitis, Chris Long and Jared Cook gives the Rams plenty of cap space to be able to re-sign Barron as well as cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson to help keep their young secondary intact.
Barron is the domino that needs to fall in the Rams’ offseason plans when it comes to linebacker. If he re-signs, they’ll have the trio of Barron, Ogletree, and Ayers to roll with heading into the season. You can do a lot worse than that at this position. But if the Rams can’t bring back Barron, addressing the position in the draft or in free agency should be a top priority. Taking a linebacker at some point in the draft wouldn’t hurt either, even if Barron returns.
The Verdict
The Rams have a lot of promise at the position heading into 2016, but they need to find a way to bring back Barron. Their priorities will likely be in making sure Jenkins and Johnson return as the starting cornerbacks this season, but Barron is almost as important to the defense and will likely be available on a much cheaper contract. If the Rams fail to bring back Barron, finding a replacement will become a top offseason priority on a team that already has a lot of needs. Re-signing Barron is a must.
Steve Rebeiro is a staff writer for Rams Talk and an undergraduate student at Marquette University. For more of his opinions, follow him on Twitter here.
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