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The Rams may have made the jump to Los Angeles, but that doesn’t mean that all of their problems are left behind in St. Louis. The Rams are far from a perfect team, so we can’t expect too much. That said, we can expect to see a few steps in the right direction during the 2016 season:
Jared Goff will be the starting quarterback
It seems obvious, but head coach Jeff Fisher seems adamant that quarterback Case Keenum is the current starter. Don’t get me wrong, Goff needs to earn the starting role. In reality though, the Rams don’t have much of choice but to start Goff, who provides them with the best opportunity to win. He may be raw, but preparation is the purpose of training camp and the preseason.
The Rams could certainly begin the season with Keenum as the starter, but the idea is to improve from last season and Keenum’s game limits the passing attack as a whole. I have no doubt that Goff will be the starter at some point in the season. However, if Fisher has so little faith in Goff to sit him the entire season, then not only is the season likely a failure, but so is the next few seasons due to the investment in Goff.
Ground game is the priority
The focus in the offseason seemed to be all about the passing game, but the ground attack will still be the focal part of the offense. We’ll definitely see our fair share of running back Todd Gurley. Yet the rushing game cannot solely rest on his shoulders; other running backs need to become more involved. Bringing back Benny Cunningham was huge, because of his veteran presence, and he can be an asset in the backfield as a receiver as well. It’s not clear what’s going to happen with Tre Mason, but if he plays for the Rams this season, he will need to have a more active role. If the offensive line stays healthy, it can actually be a huge year for the Rams’ rushing game.
Tavon Austin will have larger role
Austin’s role ties in with Goff becoming the starter. There is no way Austin has much of a role if Keenum remains the starter. For years now we’ve been waiting for Austin to become that impact player we all know he can be, but the problem is there hasn’t been quarterback to deliver him the ball. At Cal, Goff proved that he can be accurate passer, which means Austin can be a perfect target.
The best part of this whole scenario is that Austin has been so lost on the depth chart in recent years that teams across the league likely don’t realize the potential threat Austin can be. They already see him as a threat in the running game and on screen passes. Now he can also be on in the vertical game as well.
Better defensive line depth
Many experts haven’t realized this yet, but the Rams have potentially created an even scarier defensive line. Yes, the Rams did lose defensive end Chris Long and defensive tackle Nick Fairley, but Long hasn’t been healthy and Fairley was expected to leave. It’s been well-established that the Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams revives and makes careers. General manager Les Snead has brought in new projects for him, and if they can live up to their potential, nightmares will be created for opposing offenses.
Snead signed DE Quinton Coples, DT Dominique Easley and DT Cam Thomas. All of them have potential to do some damage, and while they may not be starters, they can certainly become threats. The idea here is to always keep the main starters fresh and to prevent any unnecessary injuries. Despite the defensive line being so young, the injury bug has bit defensive end Robert Quinn and defensive tackle Michael Brockers. If Williams can help each player build around their strengths, this could be the best defensive line corps in the NFL.
Secondary depth will struggle
The secondary depth are a real cause for concern. That should be expected when a team loses two starters in cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod. Jenkins’s departure means E.J. Gaines will likely become the starter, and we are still waiting to see who will replace McLeod.
A team can never have too many talented cornerbacks, and the reality is the Rams still aren’t sure what they have in their depth. Players like LaMarcus Joyner and Coty Sensabaugh will need to step up. Joyner hasn’t been healthy enough to get a fair assessment out of him, and Sensabaugh is coming from one of the worst defenses in the league last year. Following them on the depth chart is a mix of young guys hoping to stay on the roster, such Marcus Roberson, Winston Rose and Troy Hill. In other words, the Rams better hope that Gaines or Trumaine Johnson don’t sustain an injury or become fatigued.
The same can be said at safety. The possibility that Cody Davis could be our starting free safety is nothing short of terrifying. Strong safety T.J. McDonald has proven to be solid, when healthy. However, the Rams’ backup safeties are questionable at best. Maurice Alexander has shown some ability at tackling, but he’s also looked lost in coverage. Christian Bryant hasn’t really done much to show he can be an impact player, and the rest of the safety corps are basically undrafted free agents. I don’t think the Rams are finished shopping for safeties, but Snead may want to hurry up with training camp around the corner. As it stands now, the secondary depth is by far the biggest concern on defense.
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
2016, Benny Cunningham, Cam Thomas, Case Keenum, Chris Long Nick Fairley, Christian Bryant, Cody Davis, Coty Sensabaugh, Dominique Easley, E.J. Gaines, featured, Gregg Williams, Janoris Jenkins, Jared Goff, Jeff Fisher, LaMarcus Joyer, Les Snead, Los Angeles Rams, Marcus Roberson, Maurice Alexander, Michael Brockers, NFL, Quinton Coples, Robert Quinn, Rodney McLeod, T.J. McDonald, Tavon Austin, Todd Gurley, Tre Mason, Troy Hill, Trumaine Johnson, Winston Rose
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The Rams may have made the jump to Los Angeles, but that doesn’t mean that all of their problems are left behind in St. Louis. The Rams are far from a perfect team, so we can’t expect too much. That said, we can expect to see a few steps in the right direction during the 2016 season:
Jared Goff will be the starting quarterback
It seems obvious, but head coach Jeff Fisher seems adamant that quarterback Case Keenum is the current starter. Don’t get me wrong, Goff needs to earn the starting role. In reality though, the Rams don’t have much of choice but to start Goff, who provides them with the best opportunity to win. He may be raw, but preparation is the purpose of training camp and the preseason.
The Rams could certainly begin the season with Keenum as the starter, but the idea is to improve from last season and Keenum’s game limits the passing attack as a whole. I have no doubt that Goff will be the starter at some point in the season. However, if Fisher has so little faith in Goff to sit him the entire season, then not only is the season likely a failure, but so is the next few seasons due to the investment in Goff.
Ground game is the priority
The focus in the offseason seemed to be all about the passing game, but the ground attack will still be the focal part of the offense. We’ll definitely see our fair share of running back Todd Gurley. Yet the rushing game cannot solely rest on his shoulders; other running backs need to become more involved. Bringing back Benny Cunningham was huge, because of his veteran presence, and he can be an asset in the backfield as a receiver as well. It’s not clear what’s going to happen with Tre Mason, but if he plays for the Rams this season, he will need to have a more active role. If the offensive line stays healthy, it can actually be a huge year for the Rams’ rushing game.
Tavon Austin will have larger role
Austin’s role ties in with Goff becoming the starter. There is no way Austin has much of a role if Keenum remains the starter. For years now we’ve been waiting for Austin to become that impact player we all know he can be, but the problem is there hasn’t been quarterback to deliver him the ball. At Cal, Goff proved that he can be accurate passer, which means Austin can be a perfect target.
The best part of this whole scenario is that Austin has been so lost on the depth chart in recent years that teams across the league likely don’t realize the potential threat Austin can be. They already see him as a threat in the running game and on screen passes. Now he can also be on in the vertical game as well.
Better defensive line depth
Many experts haven’t realized this yet, but the Rams have potentially created an even scarier defensive line. Yes, the Rams did lose defensive end Chris Long and defensive tackle Nick Fairley, but Long hasn’t been healthy and Fairley was expected to leave. It’s been well-established that the Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams revives and makes careers. General manager Les Snead has brought in new projects for him, and if they can live up to their potential, nightmares will be created for opposing offenses.
Snead signed DE Quinton Coples, DT Dominique Easley and DT Cam Thomas. All of them have potential to do some damage, and while they may not be starters, they can certainly become threats. The idea here is to always keep the main starters fresh and to prevent any unnecessary injuries. Despite the defensive line being so young, the injury bug has bit defensive end Robert Quinn and defensive tackle Michael Brockers. If Williams can help each player build around their strengths, this could be the best defensive line corps in the NFL.
Secondary depth will struggle
The secondary depth are a real cause for concern. That should be expected when a team loses two starters in cornerback Janoris Jenkins and safety Rodney McLeod. Jenkins’s departure means E.J. Gaines will likely become the starter, and we are still waiting to see who will replace McLeod.
A team can never have too many talented cornerbacks, and the reality is the Rams still aren’t sure what they have in their depth. Players like LaMarcus Joyner and Coty Sensabaugh will need to step up. Joyner hasn’t been healthy enough to get a fair assessment out of him, and Sensabaugh is coming from one of the worst defenses in the league last year. Following them on the depth chart is a mix of young guys hoping to stay on the roster, such Marcus Roberson, Winston Rose and Troy Hill. In other words, the Rams better hope that Gaines or Trumaine Johnson don’t sustain an injury or become fatigued.
The same can be said at safety. The possibility that Cody Davis could be our starting free safety is nothing short of terrifying. Strong safety T.J. McDonald has proven to be solid, when healthy. However, the Rams’ backup safeties are questionable at best. Maurice Alexander has shown some ability at tackling, but he’s also looked lost in coverage. Christian Bryant hasn’t really done much to show he can be an impact player, and the rest of the safety corps are basically undrafted free agents. I don’t think the Rams are finished shopping for safeties, but Snead may want to hurry up with training camp around the corner. As it stands now, the secondary depth is by far the biggest concern on defense.
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
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