Some nights, I lie still (or is it lay? I hate that crap) and wonder to myself...
Why are some YouTube videos so properly color-balanced? Why do the colors in mind match the colors pressing against the rods in my eyes? What do the chartreuse-loving Americans, soaked by the sun amid the amber waves of grain, have to do to finally get a yellow-soaked video talking about the St. Louis Rams?
You're welcome.
No, it wasn't like the sandstorms back at Speicher. Just a weird camera thing that, of course, happened during the best take. Anyway, let's get to the content.
After the jump, recapping the three groups.
Wide Receivers
We've talked about this before. We're talking about it now. We'll talk about it again.
The Rams have two groups of wide receivers to deal with - those brought in by the Snead/Fisher regime (Steve Smith, Brian Quick and Chris Givens), and everyone else (Danny Amendola, Brandon Gibson, Danario Alexander, Greg Salas, Austin Pettis and a few UDFAs/camp bodies, etc.).
The first group isn't going anywhere any time soon. Sure, Smith will have to demonstrate his physical readiness, but these are the only three WRs that have an implicit stamp of approval from Jeff Fisher and Les Snead.
The latter has some convincing to do. Including Amendola. Remember, it was just two months ago that the Rams didn't exactly take a hatchet to the Amendola to the Patriots rumors.
It's not something I think we'll get a good sense of until we see a couple preseason games to know who's going to be involved and to what degree.
Offensive Line
Let's go across the line from left to right, looking at the probable starters going into camp:
LT - Rodger Saffold
Saffold has to step it up this year. His position is arguably the most important on the team after Sam Bradford's. The Rams cannot tolerate mediocre play from throughout and into 2013, his contract year. Showing that he can be more is key not only to his bank account, but to the Rams' fortunes.
LG - Someone who exists but Fisher doesn't know his name
There are a handful of names in the mix here, with Bryan Mattison and Rokevious Watkins the likely front runners.
C - Scott Wells
Any time you have a free agent over 30 changing teams, you should approach the topic with skepticism. Not cynicism though.
RG - Harvey Dahl
He may be the easiest question to answer in this group. Pray he doesn't get hurt.
RT - Jason Smith
Opposite of the first sentence no Harvey Dahl. Same as the second.
Cornerbacks/Secondary
This unit has nearly been entirely remade in a single offseason. Ronald Bartell, Justin King, Al Harris and a handful of others who played corner for the Rams last season are gone. In their stead, the Rams brought in Cortland Finnegan in free agency and drafted Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson. BFB, Jerome Murphy and Josh Gordy fill out the unit depth chart.
Finnegan's on field demeanor is well documented. Jenkins' off-field hijinx are as well. But where does BFB fit? And is there a move to FS for someone behind those three on the depth chart?
Having this many questions doesn't mean the Rams are headed to another season after which you can count the wins with one hand, or even not using much of a hand to do so. It just means that there's been some significant changes.
Given the way 2011 went, that's a good thing.
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