You let me know. Now I know.
So go ahead and move on if you wish.
For anyone else still reading, I'd like to address the "question marks" individually.
Aging LT - Big Whit seemed to lose gas at the end of 2017, then not quite as much in 2018, but at his age one wonders when he hits a wall. Do the Rams have a plan B? Will Goff get a lot more pressure from that side? I think it could be another late season problem.
Replacing Saffold - I'm sure the Rams wish they could have kept him. But every year every team has to fill a few holes with new players. I seriously like what Cromer has done for this oline. I hope he never leaves. I'm betting he'll have Noteboom ready to do a good job at the position.
Replacing Sullivan - It was great bringing Sully in for the start of Goff's first two years in the offense. He helped with line calls and was a steady vet presence. But by the end of last season, he was clearly not up to the task physically and getting pushed around too much. The Rams are going with a younger, stronger player that they've been grooming for the position. It's not going to be a downgrade at center. It's more likely to be an upgrade from a physical standpoint.
Gurley - who really knows? But I'm excited by the Henderson prospect, and have confidence in Brown.
Goff - at this point I've given up trying to point the obvious things out. Doubters, feel free to doubt. Me, I'm gonna laugh watching people eat crow and backpedal.
Replacing Suh - I've already written about this. Suh had a rep in Miami of taking plays off, and I think it showed in LA, too. I still appreciate the big plays he occasionally contributed, and the extra gear he showed in the playoffs. But from a
run defense standpoint, I believe the Rams are going to be better off with a lower pad level, driven battler like Gaines going all out on every play. And when you play better run defense, you get more pass rush opportunities.
Matthews and Weddle - these guys aren't question marks to me, they're positive answers. Yes, they're at the end of their careers. But just like Sullivan DID help for a while, and Talib helped last year when he was healthy, these two guys are UPGRADES for the short term. We're going to enjoy having them.
ILB Kiser - Last year, Ramik Wilson was signed as a placeholder until Barron could get healthy. Barron never got it back all the way, and neither one had a strong 2018 season. So I don't see starting a 2nd year player who played the position with excellence in college as being a huge risk. Again, he's not trying to replace a probowl performer at ILB. There is a distinct possibility that he IMPROVES the run defense. And he probably won't be asked to play on obvious passing downs. This isn't worth worrying about.
Nobody knows how the season will go, or how a new starter will fit and perform. In that sense, it's accurate to say that there are questions.
But only in the case of Saffold are the Rams going to have to replace a high performer at the position.
Suh was a mixed bag. Joiner, Barron, Sullivan all had mediocre seasons and/or had become liabilities.
So I think a majority of the question marks will have positive or even surprisingly positive answers.
Yes, I'm feeling good about this upcoming season again.
I'm actually excited about seeing the new starters with horns on. Not concerned and worried.
JMO JMO JMO JMO JMO
Ramily!
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/2019 07:45AM by Saguaro.
