The Rams open training camp on July 25 at Concordia University in Mequoin, Wis.
Here’s the second installment in a position-by-position analysis heading into training camp:
Running backs
Starting tailback:
Steven Jackson
Starting fullback: Brian Leonard
Backup tailback: Antonio Pittman, Travis Minor, Lance Ball
Backup fullback: Richard Owens, Russ Weil
When the Rams’ offense is clicking, Jackson is one of the Top 5 running backs in the NFL.
Unfortunately, the Rams’ offense spent much of last season in a deep funk.
Look for new offensive coordinator Al Saunders to make Jackson the focal point of his offense as he did with Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson in Kansas City and Ladell Betts and Clinton Portis in Washington.
Jackson ran for 1,002 yards last season despite missing four games due to injuries. He averaged a respectable 4.2 yards per carry, but he scored only five touchdowns.
Jackson needs to run hard all the time — an area where he showed a lot of improvement last season when there were few running lanes opened by the Rams’ patchwork offensive line — and he needs to become a major factor in the passing game once again.
Jackson caught only 38 passes for 271 yards and one touchdown last season, a dramatic decline from the 90 catches for 806 yards and three touchdowns that he had in 2006.
Jackson is the Rams’ most irreplaceable player. If he is sidelined for an extended period of time, they’re in trouble.
Leonard has bulked up a little to handle more of the lead blocking duties this season, but his real value, and the reason he was graded as second-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, was his versatility.
The Rams need to find more ways of utilizing that versatility even if it means lining him up as a wide receiver on occasion.
The Rams liked what they saw from Pittman in limited action (38 carries, 139 yards), but it’s somewhat surprising that they didn’t add another workhorse-type running back in either the draft or free agency.
Minor is more of a third-down back whose greatest contribution last season came on special teams. He tied for second on the team with 17 special teams tackles.
Owens failed to fill Madison Hedgecock’s cleats as a lead blocker last season.
Ball (5-9, 223) rushed for 2,487 and 26 touchdowns during his career at Maryland, while Weil (6-0, 258) paved the way for Rashard Mendenhall to rush for 1,681 yards last season at Illinois.