St. Louis Rams Offseason Needs
February 22nd, 2007 | by Kevin Morris |
ESPN
Defensive tackle: The Rams need a lot of help on their interior defensive line. Veteran La’Roi Glover still shows good quickness and pass-rush ability, but teammate Jimmy Kennedy does not play with the same quickness and tenacity. A quick defensive tackle would help complement the aggressive defensive scheme of coordinator Jim Haslett by slowing down the opponent’s run game.
Linebacker: Speed was the emphasis in the Mike Martz/Dick Vermeil eras, but the Rams have seemingly lost a step in this area in recent years. There is considerable need for younger, faster linebackers who can run from sideline to sideline. Pisa Tinoisamoa has been riddled with injuries over the past two seasons and teammate Brandon Chillar struggles in open space against quicker players. The addition of middle linebacker Will Witherspoon has given the Rams some relief inside, but a bigger, stronger middle linebacker would help the Rams inside and allow Witherspoon to return to his natural weakside linebacker position.
Bulger
Quarterback: With Marc Bulger entering his seventh year with the Rams, there is growing concern for a quality backup and a candidate for quarterback of the future. Bulger had a great year in 2006, but injuries happen at a moment’s notice and the Rams will need a quality quarterback to step in and make plays if Bulger goes down.Guard: The Rams struggled inside at the guard position last season. With right guard Adam Timmerman entering his 13th season, St. Louis needs start thinking about a replacement. This position is critical in slowing down the pass rush up the middle and helping to create a pocket for the quarterback.
Offensive tackle: The Rams are in need of a solid offensive tackle. With two first-round players in Orlando Pace and Alex Barron, the Rams seem to be solid in the starting lineup. However, the Rams do not have a quality offensive tackle they can rely on should injuries continue to persist as they did throughout the 2006 season.
