Are Rams better? No, but they still could be a contender
By Jeff Gordon
STLTODAY.COM SPORTS COLUMNIST
03/20/2007
The Rams are back to work, doing their “voluntary” offseason activities at Rams Park with a reconfigured roster.
Is this team better than the 2006 team that finished 8-8?
No.
Could the Rams become an NFC title contender by cleaning up in the NFL Draft and by adding a key second-wave free agent or two?
Of course.
The addition of rangy possession receiver Drew Bennett and tight end Randy McMichael made great sense, since they are better fits for Scott Linehan’s offense than speedy Kevin Curtis and
Dominique Byrd. Both players should become favorite targets for
Marc Bulger in the red zone, where the Rams were highly inconsistent last season.
ESPN.com’s KC Joyner warned Rams fans not to get too excited about McMichael, who didn’t produce good yards-per-attempt numbers in Miami.
“If the Rams are thinking they acquired an elite tight end, the signing will be a miss,” Joyner wrote. “If they realize they simply added a solid possession tight end, it could be considered a hit.”
Pete Prisco of CBS Sportsline is somewhat skeptical of the new Rams wide receiver. “Bennett is a nice player, but is he really better than Curtis, the man he's replacing with the Rams? I'll take Curtis' speed.”
Former Rams coach Mike Martz liked to use lots of three- and four-receiver sets. He liked small, speedy receivers in the No. 3 and No. 4 roles because he could put them in motion to get them off the line of scrimmage in one piece.
Mad Mike was confident he could get these guys open and get them the ball. What he coveted, then, was yards-after-catch capability.
Linehan prefers to use two-receiver and two-tight end sets, so Bennett and McMichael ought to be good fits. The Rams aren’t looking for either of those players to supplant
Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce as the primary receivers this season.
On the defensive side, the Rams added depth and created a bit more competition by trading for defensive end James Hall and signing safety Todd Johnson, linebacker Chris Draft and defensive back Mike Rumph as free agents.
Here are snippets from the Scouts Inc. breakdowns of the new Rams:
Draft: “Against the run, he is a bit overmatched when lined up on the left offensive side and is at his best in the bubble as the weak side linebacker. He doesn't play real big when attacking downhill towards the line-of-scrimmage. He is more of an edge than a natural take-on player. He is an aggressive and physical take-on player. Draft has good reactions and has some suddenness and quickness. However, he does struggle to disengage and get off blocks. He can and will get engulfed at the point of attack.”
Johnson: “(He) has been a special teams stalwart with his speed, tackling and nose for the football and could gather some attention from NFL teams needing an intelligent, physical safety.”
Hall: “He is a great pursuit player who makes more than his share of backside plays. He is very good at locating the ball while on the move. He excels on blitzes and stunts and always seems to be around the ball. He can be effective in some zone-blitz situations. But Hall is undersized and lacks power. He can be overpowered at the point of attack when reached. He lacks great edge speed and is able to finish plays based more on his effort than any closing burst.”
Rumph: “He is a ferocious hitter and tackler when he gets a target lined up. But Rumph lacks quick-twitch athleticism and fluid hips. His mental mistakes, focus and durability have further held him back. He lacks the make-up speed to recover if he misses with his jam. He is slow to flip his hips in transition. He is a straight-line athlete who doesn't play in control in space. He struggles against quick, darting receivers and isn't a sure open-field tackler. He takes some bad angles to the ball. He guesses too often and gets out of position. He lacks burst and is slow to close his cushion from off coverage.”
None of the defensive additions are headliners, which is fine. The ’07 free agent class was dramatically overpriced. The Rams didn’t land a big impact defender, but there were few to be had.
The team also didn’t make a big mistake. Jay Zygmunt continues to handle the salary cap quite well and now the football staff is positioned to beef up the “D” during the draft.
The Rams’ work isn’t done. But the groundwork for a productive offseason has been laid. Let’s see if the front office can finish the job.
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