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By Dan Arkush
Toiling for a franchise with only five wins the past two seasons, one can assume most of the Rams' players realize the need to shape up or risk being quickly shipped out. But there are five players in particular who need to turn it up a notch and avoid turning off not only a new regime determined to change the team's recent history but also St. Louis sports fans who have been spoiled rotten by the success of the local Major League Baseball team. Three of the five players are No. 1 draft picks who have yet to live up to their first-round billing. But the player who's feeling the most pressure by far is QB Marc Bulger, who is facing a do-or-die season.
1. QB Marc Bulger
The numbers don't lie. Since signing a hefty six-year, $65 million contract extension before the '07 season, Bulger has hit the skids big time. In addition to registering a woeful 22-28 TD-interception ratio the past two seasons, he has looked tentative and shell-shocked most of the time. With new backup QB Kyle Boller breathing down his neck, Bulger is feeling the heat. A fractured right pinky finger suffered in a mid-August practice hardly helps matters.
2. DRE Chris Long
Yes, the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long is a great kid who works his tail off. But there's no doubt the Rams' No. 1 pick in the '08 draft (second overall) tailed off over the second half of his rookie campaign. Put simply, only four sacks from a player drafted as high as Long isn't going to cut it. But Steve Spagnuolo worked wonders with the Giants' D-line before becoming the Rams' new head coach and figures to have a very positive influence on Long.
3. DLT Adam Carriker
The Rams' '07 No. 1 draft pick has seldom been able to play at full strength due to injuries and has been merely adequate as a pro. After being forced to deal with nagging injuries to both shoulders and an ankle last season, Carriker has been hindered by a sprained ankle that forced him to miss the first three preseason games. It appears free-agent pickup Gary Gibson picked up the slack enough at left tackle to push Carriker for the starting job.
4. ORT Jason Smith
Shouldn't the second overall pick of the '09 draft be counted on to make an immediate impact on a team coming off a 2-14 record? That's not the case with Smith, who unlike ILB James Laurinaitis, the Rams' '09 second-round draft pick, has had a hard time getting up to speed on the pro level. Expected to be the team's left tackle of the future, Smith begins his career at right tackle, where it's far from a given he will crack the Week One starting lineup.
5. WR Donnie Avery
The speedy Avery was not a first-round draft pick last season (he was drafted in the second round), but he was the first wide receiver selected overall. After displaying impressive flashes in '08, finishing second on the team in catches and receiving yards, the Rams are hoping he can stay healthy and blossom into a consistent big-play threat in the team's suspect passing game. But he's iffy for the season opener after fracturing his foot in training camp.
Toiling for a franchise with only five wins the past two seasons, one can assume most of the Rams' players realize the need to shape up or risk being quickly shipped out. But there are five players in particular who need to turn it up a notch and avoid turning off not only a new regime determined to change the team's recent history but also St. Louis sports fans who have been spoiled rotten by the success of the local Major League Baseball team. Three of the five players are No. 1 draft picks who have yet to live up to their first-round billing. But the player who's feeling the most pressure by far is QB Marc Bulger, who is facing a do-or-die season.
1. QB Marc Bulger
The numbers don't lie. Since signing a hefty six-year, $65 million contract extension before the '07 season, Bulger has hit the skids big time. In addition to registering a woeful 22-28 TD-interception ratio the past two seasons, he has looked tentative and shell-shocked most of the time. With new backup QB Kyle Boller breathing down his neck, Bulger is feeling the heat. A fractured right pinky finger suffered in a mid-August practice hardly helps matters.
2. DRE Chris Long
Yes, the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long is a great kid who works his tail off. But there's no doubt the Rams' No. 1 pick in the '08 draft (second overall) tailed off over the second half of his rookie campaign. Put simply, only four sacks from a player drafted as high as Long isn't going to cut it. But Steve Spagnuolo worked wonders with the Giants' D-line before becoming the Rams' new head coach and figures to have a very positive influence on Long.
3. DLT Adam Carriker
The Rams' '07 No. 1 draft pick has seldom been able to play at full strength due to injuries and has been merely adequate as a pro. After being forced to deal with nagging injuries to both shoulders and an ankle last season, Carriker has been hindered by a sprained ankle that forced him to miss the first three preseason games. It appears free-agent pickup Gary Gibson picked up the slack enough at left tackle to push Carriker for the starting job.
4. ORT Jason Smith
Shouldn't the second overall pick of the '09 draft be counted on to make an immediate impact on a team coming off a 2-14 record? That's not the case with Smith, who unlike ILB James Laurinaitis, the Rams' '09 second-round draft pick, has had a hard time getting up to speed on the pro level. Expected to be the team's left tackle of the future, Smith begins his career at right tackle, where it's far from a given he will crack the Week One starting lineup.
5. WR Donnie Avery
The speedy Avery was not a first-round draft pick last season (he was drafted in the second round), but he was the first wide receiver selected overall. After displaying impressive flashes in '08, finishing second on the team in catches and receiving yards, the Rams are hoping he can stay healthy and blossom into a consistent big-play threat in the team's suspect passing game. But he's iffy for the season opener after fracturing his foot in training camp.
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