5 questions facing the Rams in training camp

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The Jeff Fisher era in St. Louis has been a disappointment so far.

A 20-27-1 record in three seasons is not what Rams' brass had in mind when they hired the longtime Tennessee Titans coach in 2012, but there are signs of a major turn around in the offing.

The defense is on the verge of becoming one of the league's best, holding teams to six points or less in four of their last five games of 2014. With the addition of freakishly talented running back Todd Gurley and quarterback Nick Foles, Rams fans are hoping to witness a return to the offensive success of the early 2000s. But realistically, a dominant defensive line will be the driving force behind a Rams resurgence in 2015.

Here are five questions facing the Rams heading into training camp:

Is Todd Gurley healthy enough to contribute?

The Rams seemed to have a deep backfield heading into the draft with Tre Mason, Benny Cunningham, and Isaiah Pead making up a solid, yet unspectacular position group. Taking Todd Gurley makes this one of the deepest backfields in the league.

But as it stands now, Gurley won't be available as training camp opens. He may miss all or most of training camp and his Week 1 availability is in serious doubt eight months on from a torn ACL.

It looks like a steady dose of Mason and Cunningham will be administered early in training camp, with Gurley patiently waiting to take the reigns whenever he's healthy enough.

Does the secondary take a step forward?

Janoris Jenkins is definitely a playmaker, intercepting seven passes and forcing two fumbles in his first three seasons. It's the other 50, or so, snaps during the course of a game that he struggles to keep receivers in check.

Quietly, E.J. Gaines is the Rams best cover corner, and the 2014 sixth-round pick still has a lot to improve upon. If Gaines slips up in training camp Trumaine Johnson could grab that spot. Whoever plays opposite Jenkins needs to be solid and fundamentally sound to best accentuate his playmaking abilities.

It's fairly status quo at safety with Rodney McLeod and T.J. McDonald occupying the starting spots once again. Mark Barron, acquired from the Buccaneers last season for fourth- and sixth-round picks, is an intriguing option to challenge for playing time, highlighting the depth the Rams feature at the back of their defense.

What do you have in Nick Foles?

The future of the Rams offense sits squarely on the shoulders of quarterback Nick Foles, who is coming off a disappointing season in which he threw eight interceptions over his final five games. He's also coming off a broken collarbone.

Are the Rams getting Foles from last season, or the Foles from 2013 that threw 27 touchdowns against just two interceptions?

The Rams do not feature the most enticing group of receiving options, with Kenny Britt and Tavon Austin likely to dominate the targets. Foles will have to take a big step forward without the benefit of the high-octane weapons he was surrounded by with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Who's the No. 1 receiver when camp breaks?

With no additions at receiver, the Rams are relying on a stable of talented yet flawed pass catchers to get them through 2015. At the moment, Austin does not look like a No. 1 option, while Britt is an unreliable bet to stay on the field consistently.

Brian Quick and Stedman Bailey offer good depth at the position but don't qualify as game-breaking threats. Safe money is on Britt getting the majority of targets when camp breaks, but if Austin can take a step forward and develop some chemistry with Foles, he could still be a No. 1 option for the Rams.

Can the defense get better without any rookie infusion?

The Rams did not select a defensive player until the seventh round in this year's draft. Armed with one of the most talented defense's in the league, the team chose instead to focus on offense, but there are still question marks in this unit. Namely at the linebacker position.

The trio of James Laurinaitis, Akeem Ayers, and Alec Ogletree will start, and form a fairly steady group, but should injuries occur, Jo-Lonn Dunbar is the only solid option waiting to take snaps. The Rams have decided to spread out their talent as opposed to building on the strength of their defense.

Should they be hit with the injury bug in training camp or any of their young studs take a step back in development, this strategy could come back to bite them.