Rams Team Report
April 23rd, 2007 | by Kevin Morris |
With three interceptions in the last three games of 2006 at the nickel back position, Ron Bartell opened some eyes on the coaching staff. Physically, Bartell has a lot of gifts, including size, speed and athleticism. He needs to continue polishing his game and needs work to be more physical, but entering the training camp the nickel back job is his to lose. In an NFC West brimming with bigger receivers, coach Scott Linehan likes the idea of Bartell (6-1, 200) covering slot receivers. . . .
Earlier this offseason, Linehan extended an olive branch to G Claude Terrell and CB Jerametrius Butler — both players in the coach’s doghouse last season — and said he would give them a clean slate to make an impact on the ‘07 roster. Neither player has done anything to make the most of the opportunity. Butler and Terrell missed the first two weeks of the offseason program and have cast doubts on their interest in playing for the Rams next season. Terrell, who started 10 games at guard as a rookie in ‘05, missed the entire ‘06 season with a wrist injury that some at Rams Park felt he could have played through — at least for part of the campaign. Ideally, the coaching staff was hoping that Terrell could challenge Mark Setterstrom for the starting job at left guard. With Fakhir Brown and Tye Hill secure as the starting corners, and with the emergence of Bartell at nickel back, Butler may see himself without a role in St. Louis. . . .
Despite speculation to the contrary, Will Witherspoon will return to middle linebacker next season. Witherspoon had spent most of his career at Carolina on the weak side. But the Rams staff feels his sideline-to-sideline tackling skills make him better suited to the middle and that he will only get better playing the middle full-time for the second year in a row.
SCOUTING REPORT:C Brett Romberg was a college star at Miami but had to wait more than three seasons to get a chance to see what he could do in the NFL. Romberg made the most of the opportunity in three starts at the end of 2006. The Rams won all three games and averaged 33 points and nearly 170 yards rushing a game. Relatively speaking, Romberg lacks ideal size for the center position and has short arms. But he is a skilled technician with some quickness who makes excellent use of leverage to handle bigger defensive linemen. Romberg showed himself to be an intelligent player, adept at making the line calls that are critical from the center position. His co-op blocking improved the more he played. By making the most of his opportunity last season, Romberg has put himself very much in the mix for the starting center position. He will be challenged by veteran Andy McCollum, who is rehabbing from knee surgery.
DEFENSIVE ADJUSTMENTS:Although he may eventually end up at safety, second-year man Jon Alston will attempt to make his mark as an undersized weakside linebacker. At 220 pounds, Alston has the ability to be a pass-rushing specialist on a defense that needs all the pass-rushing help it can get to complement LE Leonard Little. If Alston gains the coaches’ confidence through strong practice efforts during minicamp and organized team activities this spring, the team could devise some blitz packages for him. Newly-signed free-agent LB Chris Draft is another player in the back seven with some pass-rushing skills who coordinator Jim Haslett’s defense will try to maximize. FS Oshiomogho Atogwe also could be used more as a blitzer now that he has a year as a starter under his belt.
