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SCOUT'S HONOR: Rams pre-camp preview
Brian DeLucia / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 8 hours ago
Last season, Marc Bulger proved he was a great regular-season quarterback. In 2004, Rams fans need him to prove he can be a great playoff quarterback. (Otto Greule Jr / GettyImages)
St. Louis Rams
CAMP SITE: Western Illinois University
LOCATION: Macomb, Ill.
ROOKIES REPORT: July 27
VETERANS REPORT: July 28
TEAM ATMOSPHERE
The Rams remain a playoff contender that can put plenty of points on the board, but there are more questions heading into this season than any other time during Mike Martz's tenure as head coach. Last year's devastating playoff exit against Carolina was followed by some key free-agent losses that could linger into the season.
POSITION OF STRENGTH
The offense has the ability to score on short notice due to the depth at wide receiver. Torry Holt took his game to another level last season. He matured and became a lot more focused on the little things that make a difference on the field. Isaac Bruce remains a fixture of stability who still maintains his quickness to separate from coverage. Dane Looker became a clutch performer on third downs out of the slot. And Mike Furrey emerged as a solid reserve who runs good routes and has enough quickness to get open. Keep an eye on Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis. Both have intriguing skills to bolster the depth in the passing game.
POSITION OF WEAKNESS
Under Mike Martz, the Rams have struggled to find productive return specialists. Arlen Harris (kickoffs) and Mike Furrey (punts) did an adequate job last season, but neither is a gamebreaker. Harris might have outgrown his role further by putting on more weight during his transition to fullback. Furrey was reliable and has good toughness on punt returns. The Rams expected more from DeJuan Groce last season, but had trouble hanging on to the ball. Shaun McDonald could be worth keeping an eye on.
BIGGEST QUESTION MARK
Will Marc Bulger bounce back after a tough finish last season? Bulger's struggles down the stretch and in the playoff loss were disturbing. He forced a lot of balls into coverage and was sloppy about pushing the ball downfield. With Kurt Warner out of the picture, Bulger must relax and play loose. I believe Bulger displayed enough of a track record to suggest he'll bounce back and have a productive season.
KEY POSITION BATTLE(S)
The Rams are looking at several options to replace Grant Wistrom at right defensive end. Bryce Fisher in many ways is the most like Wistrom. He has a quick first step off the ball and plays with a lot of tenacity and effort. The coaches are also very intrigued by the raw tools displayed by rookie Tony Hargrove. They feel he's responding very well to pro coaching, but must now prove himself during training camp. Veteran Tyoka Jackson is quick and relentless. He's effective in spot duty. Former Bills first-rounder Erik Flowers is also competing for a spot here. Flowers has the kind of quickness that intrigues a lot of people as a pass rusher, but isn't very instinctive and fails to play with enough leverage. If anyone can work out the rough edges with Flowers, it's defensive line coach Bill Kollar.
IMPACT NEWCOMER
Although Stephen Jackson was drafted with the long term in mind after Marshall Faulk's days are over, expect him to play a key role immediately. Jackson's strength between the tackles can take a lot of wear and tear off Faulk and allow Martz to design more creative ways to utilize his versatility.
CRITICAL LOSS
Although the Rams have Leonard Little and three former first-round picks at defensive tackle, losing Grant Wistrom and Brian Young leaves the front four with a lot of uncertainty. Both were blue-collar performers who brought an attitude along the line of scrimmage. Young, in particular, could be missed because he was their most productive interior player in 2003.
Brian DeLucia / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 8 hours ago
Last season, Marc Bulger proved he was a great regular-season quarterback. In 2004, Rams fans need him to prove he can be a great playoff quarterback. (Otto Greule Jr / GettyImages)
St. Louis Rams
CAMP SITE: Western Illinois University
LOCATION: Macomb, Ill.
ROOKIES REPORT: July 27
VETERANS REPORT: July 28
TEAM ATMOSPHERE
The Rams remain a playoff contender that can put plenty of points on the board, but there are more questions heading into this season than any other time during Mike Martz's tenure as head coach. Last year's devastating playoff exit against Carolina was followed by some key free-agent losses that could linger into the season.
POSITION OF STRENGTH
The offense has the ability to score on short notice due to the depth at wide receiver. Torry Holt took his game to another level last season. He matured and became a lot more focused on the little things that make a difference on the field. Isaac Bruce remains a fixture of stability who still maintains his quickness to separate from coverage. Dane Looker became a clutch performer on third downs out of the slot. And Mike Furrey emerged as a solid reserve who runs good routes and has enough quickness to get open. Keep an eye on Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis. Both have intriguing skills to bolster the depth in the passing game.
POSITION OF WEAKNESS
Under Mike Martz, the Rams have struggled to find productive return specialists. Arlen Harris (kickoffs) and Mike Furrey (punts) did an adequate job last season, but neither is a gamebreaker. Harris might have outgrown his role further by putting on more weight during his transition to fullback. Furrey was reliable and has good toughness on punt returns. The Rams expected more from DeJuan Groce last season, but had trouble hanging on to the ball. Shaun McDonald could be worth keeping an eye on.
BIGGEST QUESTION MARK
Will Marc Bulger bounce back after a tough finish last season? Bulger's struggles down the stretch and in the playoff loss were disturbing. He forced a lot of balls into coverage and was sloppy about pushing the ball downfield. With Kurt Warner out of the picture, Bulger must relax and play loose. I believe Bulger displayed enough of a track record to suggest he'll bounce back and have a productive season.
KEY POSITION BATTLE(S)
The Rams are looking at several options to replace Grant Wistrom at right defensive end. Bryce Fisher in many ways is the most like Wistrom. He has a quick first step off the ball and plays with a lot of tenacity and effort. The coaches are also very intrigued by the raw tools displayed by rookie Tony Hargrove. They feel he's responding very well to pro coaching, but must now prove himself during training camp. Veteran Tyoka Jackson is quick and relentless. He's effective in spot duty. Former Bills first-rounder Erik Flowers is also competing for a spot here. Flowers has the kind of quickness that intrigues a lot of people as a pass rusher, but isn't very instinctive and fails to play with enough leverage. If anyone can work out the rough edges with Flowers, it's defensive line coach Bill Kollar.
IMPACT NEWCOMER
Although Stephen Jackson was drafted with the long term in mind after Marshall Faulk's days are over, expect him to play a key role immediately. Jackson's strength between the tackles can take a lot of wear and tear off Faulk and allow Martz to design more creative ways to utilize his versatility.
CRITICAL LOSS
Although the Rams have Leonard Little and three former first-round picks at defensive tackle, losing Grant Wistrom and Brian Young leaves the front four with a lot of uncertainty. Both were blue-collar performers who brought an attitude along the line of scrimmage. Young, in particular, could be missed because he was their most productive interior player in 2003.
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