Rams need new-look defense to be great in Goff's 1st year
The Rams have a new home and a new quarterback. In order to make both work, they're going to have to run the football and play great defense. Much has changed for this organization, but the great defense remains a constant. Or does it?
Todd Gurley is already a star, and being another year removed from his knee injury, we might see this second-year phenom take a big jump forward - which would be rather amazing considering what we've already seen. Also, the Rams have been extremely aggressive in drafting offensive linemen in the 2014 and 2015 drafts. Those youngsters up front could also be poised to collectively take a step forward.
With a seemingly strong running game, Los Angeles has prepared well for the arrival of rookie passer Jared Goff. The Rams are lacking a true No. 1 receiving option, but did use some later picks on pass-catchers for Goff to grow with.
The problem is that the Rams didn't have much else in the way of draft capital to reinforce a defense that took some hits during free agency. It was also surprising that Los Angeles didn't do more in free agency to either keep their own players or bring in outsiders, especially in a secondary that lost Janoris Jenkins to the New York Giants and Rodney McLeod to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Rams also released Chris Long and James Laurinaitis, but kept Mark Barron and Trumaine Johnson. So this isn't the same unit as last year.
The Rams' great defensive line can certainly make things easier on its secondary. Aaron Donald is the best defensive player in football not named J.J. Watt, and is an utter wrecking machine on the interior. Next to Donald is Michael Brockers, another former first-round pick whose size and stout playing style complements Donald very well. Robert Quinn, yet another former first-round defensive linemen, is one of the very best pure 4-3 defensive ends in the league, and William Hayes has been more than solid at the other starting spot.
But depth up front is now a concern. Los Angeles has brought in two more former first-round picks as reclamation projects in Quinton Coples and the recently signed Dominique Easley, who was surprisingly released by New England. Coples and Easley wouldn't have been available if they were without flaws, but playing end in a 4-3 is what Coples is best designed to do, and Easley's playing style is similar to Donald's (which isn't to say that he's anything close to the force Donald is). If either Coples or Easley turns out to be a diamond in the rough, that could go a long way toward keeping the Rams' defense great.
Even without Laurinaitis, Los Angeles should remain quite strong at linebacker. Barron was very good in his strong safety/linebacker hybrid role, and Akeem Ayers is a much different type of outside linebacker that is more like a typical 3-4 outside linebacker, which makes him more or less the opposite of Barron, and gives the Rams some flexibility. Alec Ogletree is right in the middle of the two in terms of his traits and playing style. Ogletree is the new leader of the defense. He didn't play great in 2015, but certainly could be primed for a huge step forward. If he reaches his potential, the Rams will be exceptional on the second level, but there's no certainly that will be the case.
As the Rams' defense gets further away from the line of scrimmage, more questions arise. Most notable is the massive hole in the deep center-field safety position that McLeod occupied so well. Right now, it appears there will be a training camp battle between Maurice Alexander and Cody Davis - not exactly household names - to be McLeod's replacement.
While it could be argued that Johnson isn't worthy of franchise tag-type money, he is certainly a very good and ascending player at one cornerback spot. But there are still questions outside of him at this important position. E.J. Gaines, who didn't play a snap last year, and Lamarcus Joyner - both drafted in 2014 - are the two other corners set for serious playing time, but neither has asserted himself as a stalwart at the position, and the only other cornerbacks on the Rams' roster of note are Coty Sensabaugh and Marcus Robinson.
The Rams really only have two members of their secondary they can count on. The front seven looks very strong still, but it's thin. Los Angeles cannot afford many injuries on this side of the ball.