Rams News

Five questions: St. Louis Rams
JUNE 4, 1998

Five questions facing the St. Louis Rams:

1. Is Tony Banks a legitimate NFL quarterback?

Banks has good size (6-4, 225 pounds), a strong arm and decent mobility but has yet to show the NFL world that he is a legitimate quarterback. He has been way, way too turnover prone as he is a human fumbling machine at times and has almost as many interceptions in his two-year career as touchdowns (29 TDs, 28 picks). Banks' leadership skills and work ethic have been questioned, not exactly what you want in a quarterback. There is plenty in Banks' defense, though. His offensive line has been horrible. The running game has been non-existent. Last year, his receivers were either injured (Isaac Bruce) or a major disappointment (Eddie Kennison). Still, the quarterback is responsible for the bottom line, and Banks is 10-19 as a starter.

2. How fast will Orlando Pace and Ryan Tucker develop?

As stated above, the Rams offensive linemen have been nothing more to defensive linemen than a slightly annoying speed bumps on their way to the backfield. Last year's draft netted No. 1 overall pick Orlando Pace and highly regarded Ryan Tucker, who slipped to the fourth round because of a knee injury in college. Pace missed all of training camp in a contract dispute and then part of the season with an injury. Tucker missed almost all of the season rehabbing his injury. While both gained some experience, the season was pretty much a wash for both. The plan, though, is for Pace to anchor the left tackle position and Tucker to man the left guard spot for years to come. The rest of the offensive line will probably be made up by center Mike Gruttadauria, who is a journeyman-type, right tackle Wayne Gandy, who is adequate, and left guard Zach Wiegert, who is injury prone. As coach Dick Vermeil says, this unit is holding the rest of the offense hostage when it comes to the unit's progress in 1998.

3. Will the real Eddie Kennison please stand up?

Kennison was dazzling as a rookie. He caught nine touchdown passes in 1996. In one game, he had 226 receiving yards. He returned two punts for touchdowns and averaged 14.6 yards per punt return. Kennison won the NFL's fastest man contest. And then came the sophomore slump. Kennison caught only 25 passes in 1997 -- not one of them went for a touchdown. He also lost his zip on punt returns, with nary a score and often looking timid. The worst part was that standout receiver Isaac Bruce missed half the season with a hamstring injury and the club needed Kennison to step up. Never happened. Kennison has too much ability for such a mediocre season. His comeback is vital, as he is the club's home run hitter on offense and special teams. Bruce also needs him to return to his rookie form so he isn't smothered to death by opposing defenses.

4. How will the defensive line fare?

The D-line lost 50 percent of its starters as defensive tackle Bill Johnson went to Philadelphia as a free agent and defensive end Leslie O'Neal latched on with Kansas City after getting released. Holdover starting tackle D'Marco Farr is quick but undersized (6-0, 280). The club brought in two new tackles to help against the run. Joe Phillips was brought in from Kansas City, but he will be 35 when the season starts. Ray Agnew was lured away from the Giants with a ridiculous four-year, $8 million contract even though he played sparingly last season. Farr, Phillips, Agnew and sub Jeff Zgonina are being counted on to provide stout run defense up the middle. That group doesn't exactly strike fear in opponents. At defensive end, the club has two players who went No. 6 overall in their respective drafts in Kevin Carter (1995) and Grant Wistrom ('98). Carter and Wistrom should be bookends for years to come. Carter was solid last year (7.5 sacks) but not up to his limitless potential. Wistrom was considered a gamble by some draft experts because he played at only 255 pounds in college. Though he beefed up to 270 pounds in the offseason, the question will be whether he can keep that weight on throughout training camp and a long season.

5. Can they transform their image?

The Rams have been the worst football team in the 1990s. They have lost more games than anyone else. They have moved cities. They have changed coaches. They have made dumb trades. They have drafted Lawrence Phillips. While the Rams have decent talent, they have a knack for finding a way to lose. Coach Dick Vermeil is in his second season of trying to turn all of this around. Vermeil is working endlessly trying to achieve this, though his results were mixed in his first season back after more than a decade in the broadcast booth. He is trying to build the team through the draft, while emphasizing hard work. The image of this team is that of a laughingstock. Can Vermeil change all of this, and does he even have the patience to stick with the Rams for the long haul?

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