St. Louis, MO (Shane Gray, Missouri Sports Magazine)
With the 2012 St. Louis Rams preseason finally upon us, it is time to take a look at nine pressing questions for St. Louis fans to keep in mind as they view the preseason slate.
Keep in mind, when looking at any of these questions during preseason action, that this is only the preseason, and little in the way of definitive answers, particularly in regard to eventual team success or lack thereof, is typically deduced from the exhibition slate.
1. Will Quarterback Sam Bradford Show Glimpses of 2010 or 2011?Â
Although we will likely witness just short bursts of Bradford over the next few weeks, with the exception of the annual dress rehearsal that is the third exhibition game, we should see enough to get a feel for a few things:
-How comfortable does Bradford look in the pocket?
-Is he progressing through his reads rather than locking onto receivers?
-How does Bradford look, mobility wise?
-What type of accuracy and decision making is he displaying?
During the 2010 season, Bradford’s NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign, Bradford answered the above questions relatively well.
Last year, however, especially after the ankle injury that curtailed his season, none of the above questions could be answered positively.
Again, although we should not and cannot read too much into the preseason, we should be able to get some ideas on the above inquiries, even if the answers only serve as vague and non-definitive foreshadows.
2. Will the Pass Protection Show Signs of Enhancement?Â
The answer to this question and that of its its’ predecessor above will be crucial over the course of the coming campaign. St. Louis gave up the most sacks in the league last season, with 55, and that helped make a limited potential offense all the worse.
During training camp, defensive ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn have terrorized the Rams offensive tackles.
To this point in camp, right tackle Jason Smith, who is performing well in the ground game, has consistently struggled to block Chris Long when the Rams throw. Likely due to that fact, Barry Richardson has recently taken over with the first unit, with Smith working with the twos.
At left tackle, Rodger Saffold, who is nursing a leg injury and will likely miss the exhibition opener at Indianapolis, has had his own troubles with speedy defensive end Robert Quinn. Saffold performed well as a rookie in 2010, but struggled with injuries and diminished play last season before a pectoral injury landed him on the injured reserve.
On the positive side, center Scott Wells, a Pro Bowl honoree a season ago, is expected to solidify the interior line and help with pre-snap adjustments. He is still recovering from minor arthroscopic knee surgery but is expected to return before the season opener.
It should be noted that Paul Boudreau, the Rams new offensive line coach, is renowned for getting more from his offensive line than the individual talent level might otherwise suggest.
In addition, St. Louis will likely use tight ends and backs to assist with pass blocking as often as needed to help ensure that Bradford stays as clean as possible.
Furthermore, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will incorporate more three and five step drops than his predecessor Josh McDaniels did. This should result in more quick throws and also aid the offensive line in keeping quarterback hits and sack totals down.
If the Rams and Bradford are going to have a better passing attack in 2012, it all starts up front: this unit must show improvement, and we will get a taste of what to expect over the next few weeks.
For Bradford to answer the questions posed under No. 1 question in the affirmative, the offensive line must answer question No. 2 positively this Fall. Of course, we will get an idea of how this season’s pass protection will look during the preseason slate, making this something critical to watch.
3. Will Chris Long and Robert Quinn Continue to Dominate?Â
If what Chris Long and Robert Quinn have displayed during training camp translates to the regular season, the defense is going to have some fun and find some serious success.
Both defensive ends have looked scary good thus far, consistently beating their man to pressure quarterbacks time and again.
With what looks to be an enhanced secondary that should often give more time for Long and Quinn to reach quarterbacks and an upgraded interior defensive line in place to better push the pocket, the ingredients appear to be just right for this duo to become dynamic, a rare pair of ends who should each reach double digit sacks.
If Long and Quinn annihilate blockers in the preason as they have in camp, it will be a nice indicator of what is likely to come beginning September 9 in Detroit.
 4. Will the Rams Rookie Runners Step Up?Â
Potentially, second round rookie Isaiah Pead represents the best backup/change of pace back that St. Louis has had during Steven Jackson’s run as a feature back, which began in 2005.
Pead has flashed immense potential in camp, both as a runner and a receiver.
In addition, seventh round pick Daryl Richardson looks to offer the potential to be a terrific No. 3, a player that former NFL executive Tony Softli seems to like.
If Pead and Richardson run well in the exhibition games, it will better affirm what many already sense: Pead and Richardson could represent the best depth that St. Louis has had in the backfield since 2004 when Marshall Faulk had another promising rookie playing behind him: Steven Jackson.
If all goes well, Pead will spell Jackson and maintain a strong running game while providing exemplary injury insurance in case Jackson misses any time in the coming campaign.
5. How Will the Young Players Look?Â
St. Louis currently has the youngest team in the league. With that said, it is imperative to look closely at the youngsters during the preseason if one wants to get an idea of what this team will look like this Fall, as several will undoubtedly play key roles.
Considering the Rams had five premium picks (defined as players chosen between rounds one and three) in the 2012 NFL Draft and ten picks in all, it is possible that several rookies make a significant impact this season.
On the other hand, it is possible that several rookies thoroughly disappoint.
Of course, the Rams prefer the former, and indications in camp thus far would suggest that at least a few Rams rookies will show well in their inaugural seasons.
Key rookies to keep an eye on include defensive tackle Michael Brockers (No. 90), cornerback Janoris Jenkins (No. 21), running back Isaiah Pead (No. 24), kicker Greg Zuerlein (No. 4) and wide receivers Brian Quick (No. 83) and Chris Givens (No. 13.)
6. Who Separates at WR, TE, OLB, LG, RT and CB?Â
There are lots of competitive positional battles taking place in Rams camp, especially at wide receiver, tight end, outside linebacker, left guard, right tackle and cornerback.
-At wide receiver, it appears that four and probably five players are locks: Danny Amendola, Brian Quick, Chris Givens, Greg Salas and, most likely, Steve Smith.
That leaves three guys (Austin Pettis, Danario Alexander and Brandon Gibson) battling for what is likely to only be one spot.
-At tight end, there are a multitude of players fighting for a total of three or four spots.
Lance Kendricks, a 2011 second round pick, is a lock. Beyond that, there are two highly probably guys, Michael Hoomanawanui and Matthew Mulligan, but nothing that is necessarily set in stone.
Rookies DeAngelo Peterson and Cory Harkey have looked good in camp, and St. Louis native Mike McNeill has shown consistent hands.
-At outside linebacker, it looks like Jo-Lonn Dunbar, formerly of the Saints, will nail down the starting weakside job. Fisher says he is “just a perfect fit.â€
The competition is more open on the other side, with veterans Mario Haggan and Rocky McIntosh among those competing for time.
Several rookies are also vying for roster spots at outside linebacker, including Aaron and Sammy Brown.
-At left guard, Quinn Ojinnaka, a versatile veteran who has made 15 NFL starts in six seasons at guard and tackle, has taken most of the snaps here.
However, the last few days he has swung to left tackle with Rodger Saffold recovering from a minor injury. While there, Bryan Mattison has been taking first team reps at left guard.
Another player who could theoretically make a push for the starting spot here is fifth round rookie Rokevious Watkins, who reported to camp out of shape but has displayed some solid skills since getting on the field.
-It will be highly interesting to see who wins the job at right tackle.
Jason Smith, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, began camp with the first unit but has since seceded that spot to free agent addition Barry Richardson, formerly of the Chiefs. Â This battle for the starting spot at right guard appears to be far from over, with one of the two aforementioned men destined to come out on top.
-At cornerback, it appears that Cortland Finnegan and Janoris Jenkins will start. Â Jenkins has been impressive, as assistant head coach Dave McGinnis made clear here.
In nickle coverage, Bradley Fletcher has come on at times with Finnegan sliding inside. Of late, Finnegan has been staying outside with Jerome Murphy coming in to play over the slot.
The Rams are at least six deep at cornerback (Finnegan, Jenkins, Fletcher, Murphy, Trumaine Johnson and Josh Gordy), so the preseason figures to go a long way in determining what the depth chart looks like on opening day.
This question, unlike some of the others, is one that the preseason will in fact offer a ton of insight, as what occurs at the above mentioned positions during game action will be significant in regard to the depth chart and the 53 man roster.
7. Will the Rams Defend the Run in 2012?
The preseason will only offer minor clues, not clear cut answers, in regard to this question, like all of those above with the exception of question seven.
A year ago, the Rams were 31st in yards allowed per game and 27th in yards allowed per rush.
That, of course, needs to change and change significantly.
A key factor will be the play of defensive tackles Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford. Â Both should be upgrades over aging, declining veterans Fred Robbins (now 35) and Justin Bannan (33), both of whom have departed.
Secondly, the run defense at outside linebacker needs to improve.
Free agent addition Mario Haggan, huge at 6’3″ and 275 pounds, should help on run downs. Starting weakside back Jo-Lonn Dunbar should also prove solid. A third player who could help stop the run is veteran Rocky McIntosh, another free agent acquisition.
8. Will Offense Flash Potential to Compete?
Regardless of how good this defense ultimately is, and it could be very, very good, the offense must improve on last season’s performance if this team hopes to compete in the era of high powered, high scoring offenses.
Last season, St. Louis averaged just 12.1 points per game, dead last in the league. To put it in perspective, the Green Bay Packers averaged 35 per contest.
On average, for every time the Rams scored last year, the Packers scored three times. Amazing, yes, but all too true.
We can catch some indications and hints, yes, but will not be able to gauge the offense by the preseason for a number of reasons, not limited to the following:
-One, the Rams will keep things vanilla and leave their tricks in their pocket.
-Two, the first team offense will not be on the field that much.
-Three, the offense is still evolving with two rookie wideouts likely to play key roles.
9. Will the Secondary Show Signs of Supremacy?Â
The talent is there for this to be one of the team’s strongest areas and one of the league’s deepest units.
-Cortland Finnegan was signed after having a stellar 2011 season, giving up the fewest yards per pass attempt in the league.
-St. Louis added second (Janoris Jenkins) and third (Trumaine Johnson) round cornerbacks.
-The Rams return a very solid former starter (Bradley Fletcher) and a talented youngster (Jerome Murphy) from the injured reserve. In addition, Josh Gordy is back after filling in nicely after an onslaught of injuries a season ago.
At safety, Darian Stewart had a strong 2011 and former Pro Bowl and All Pro honoree Quintin Mikell returns.
If the secondary meshes quickly, it could become of the Rams brightest spots.
We will, of course, get our first glimpse at this talented group during the preseason and a corresponding idea of what to expect, albeit just a taste, during the four preseason contests.
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