Rams News

St. Louis Rams
Team Report posted July 14, 1998
by tsn correspondent JIM THOMAS - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

OFFENSIVE LINE: Left tackle Orlando Pace missed all of training camp in a holdout last season as a rookie, and didn't start until Game 5. But he was a workout warrior this past offseason, trimming down to 315 pounds and adding upper-body strength.

Veteran Ed Simmons, the former Redskin, enters training camp as the starting left guard, but will be pushed by promising second-year man Ryan Tucker.

Center Mike Gruttadauria spent the offseason trying to get stronger and add some weight. He played at about 290 last season, his first full season as a starter, and got overpowered at times. John Flannery, a free agent pickup from Dallas, should provide competition.

At right guard, Zach Wiegert, the former Outland Trophy winner at Nebraska has been only so-so as a pro. He was switched to right guard last season after spending nearly all of his previous football existence at right tackle.

Wiegert is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent after the '98 season, so this is a make or break year.

Wayne Gandy returned to right tackle last season after spending the previous two seasons at left tackle. Gandy is athletic, and an above-average tackle but sometimes gets overpowered. Like Wiegert, he's also scheduled for unrestricted free agency after this season.

Fred Miller is a capable third tackle.

QUARTERBACK: In the third year of a three-year contract, Tony Banks could either find himself in the money or out of a job, depending on what he does in 1998.

Banks has the size, the arm and the toughness. He needs maturity. Football needs to be more of a year-round priority for him. He seems to be getting the point because he was a regular in the Rams' offseason conditioning program, something that wasn't the case a year ago after his rookie season.

Steve Bono, acquired in an April trade with Green Bay, appears better equipped to be a veteran backup to Banks than the man he replaces -- Mark Rypien -- but must quickly learn the offense. Will Furrer and NFL Europe's Kurt Warner will battle for the third spot.

RUNNING BACK: Second-round draft pick Robert Holcombe had three straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons in college playing for some lousy Illinois teams. He's not a burner, but knows how to get take what's there and get yards after contact.

Holcombe will battle Jerald Moore for the starting running back spot. Moore was better than expected in five late-season starts in '97 following the release of Lawrence Phillips. He runs hard, and follows his blocks, but durability remains a question.

Amp Lee is one of the game's top pass-catching running backs. He was voted team MVP a year ago when he led the squad in catches (61) and reception yards (825). The Rams say they want to use more two-back sets, and make better use of fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward in the offense.

But first, Ironhead's waistline must cooperate. He earned an early berth in Dick Vermeil's doghouse by reporting to training camp at 287 pounds. (The Rams wanted him in the 260-pound range.) He never really got much of the weight off, and was literally a big disappointment.

RECEIVER: Isaac Bruce is the only Rams player to make the Pro Bowl since the team moved to St. Louis in '95. After carving out a niche as one of the NFL's premier receivers in '95 and '96, a preseason hamstring injury kept him out of four games altogether and slowed him for half the '97 season.

Bruce still managed 56 catches for 815 yards and five touchdowns. He remains a focal point of the offense, and given his pride and work ethic, look for a bounce back season in '98.

Eddie Kennison scored 11 touchdowns as a rookie in '96 (nine receiving, two on punt returns), but had zero touchdowns in an astounding dropoff last season.

He caught 54 passes for 924 yards in '96; but just 25 for 404 last season, when he was bothered by nagging injuries, a questionable work ethic, and a big head. This could be a make-or-break year for him in St. Louis.

Free agent pickup Ricky Proehl has been a consistent receiver in the '90s and could start if Kennison struggles again. Fourth-round draft pick Az-Zahir Hakim adds depth.

At tight end, Ernie Conwell caught 38 balls for 404 yards a year ago, but could have had at least a half-dozen more catches were it not for several drops. He has good straight-line speed, but catches the short pass much better than the deep routes. The Rams want to get him more involved in the offense this season.

The competition should be heated between holdovers Mitch Jacoby and Aaron Laing, street free agent Tyji Armstrong and fourth-round draft pick Roland Williams for two backup spots behind Conwell.

DEFENSIVE LINE: The Rams hope No. 6 overall draft pick Grant Wistrom can provide a speed rush on the edge at right defensive end and the relentless pursuit that was his hallmark at Nebraska.

Jay Williams is a capable journeyman who will spell Wistrom on some running downs. At left defensive end, former No. 6 overall pick Kevin Carter has been slightly above average against the run and rushing the passer in three NFL seasons, but nothing more.

In order to step up their games, the Rams need Carter to elevate his game. At tackle, Ray Agnew, D'Marco Farr, Joe Phillips, and Jeff Zgonina could be part of a four-man rotation.

Generously listed at 6-1, 280, Farr is more like 5-11, 270. He's very quick but gets pushed around against the run. The Rams would like to use him more as a pass rusher, less as a defender. That's where Phillips and Zgonina could fit in.

The Rams raised eyebrows by signing Agnew, the Giants' No. 3 defensive tackle in 1997, to a four-year, $8.1 million free agent contract. But Rams vice president of player personnel Charley Armey, who knew Agnew from their days together in New England, thinks Agnew will help St. Louis' run defense.

LINEBACKERS: The Rams' new defensive system last season under Bud Carson gave right outside linebacker Roman Phifer less freedom to roam, and it showed in reduced tackle totals.

He had only 99 stops after recording 170 in 1996 and 149 in 1995. He's 30 and will be in the final year of a four-year contract this season. Phifer still is an above-average linebacker with above-average mobility.

At middle linebacker, free agent pickup Eric Hill from Arizona replaces the released Robert Jones. He's being counted on to provide better run defense and better leadership than Jones. At 264 pounds, Hill should be better able to shed lead-blocking fullbacks.

In his first season in St. Louis, left outside linebacker Michael Jones was the team's most consistent linebacker, with 99 tackles and 11 pass breakups a year ago. He is the team's best coverage linebacker, a distinction once held by Phifer.

Like Phifer, he's a bit undersized to take on tight ends on an every down basis.

Linebacker depth has been a problem ever since the team moved to St. Louis, but rookie Leonard Little of Tennessee should help as a speed rusher on the end while being groomed as an outside linebacker.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: At left cornerback, Todd Lyght finished with 107 stops, 23 pass breakups and four interceptions, but 1997 was easily the worst of his three seasons in St. Louis. Then again, he was exposed more than ever before, as the Rams gave Ryan McNeil most of the deep safety help.

At right cornerback, Ryan McNeil led the NFL in interceptions last season (nine), but also was one of the league's most penalized players and lacked the closing speed once receivers got behind him. He was better than advertised against the run.

Second-year players Dexter McCleon and Taje Allen will compete for the nickel spot, along with Willie Clark, a free agent pickup from Philadelphia.

After injury-plagued '96 and '97 seasons, strong safety Toby Wright could miss much of training camp while recovering from reconstructive knee surgery. But the Rams have two capable backups in Gerald McBurrows and Billy Jenkins Jr.

At free safey, Keith Lyle is one of the most underrated safeties in the game. He doesn't have great speed, but he is a heady ballhawk with great instincts. He has more interceptions over the past three seasons (20), more than anyone in the NFL.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker Jeff Wilkins made only seven of 16 field goals during a six-game slump last November and December. But he has a strong leg, and with 107 points was the first Rams kicker to score 100 or more points since Mike Lansford in 1989.

After undergoing a double hernia operation in the offseason, Rick Tuten should be an upgrade over both Mike Horan and Will Brice in '97.

David Thompson set a Rams rookie mark for kickoff return yards (1,110) last season. He could be joined by fourth-year man Johnny "J.T." Thomas or rookie Az-Zahir Hakim.

Eddie Kennison figures to handle punt returns again, even though his return average plummeted from 14.6 as a rookie to 7.3 in '97.

INJURY ANALYSIS

The Rams enter training camp with very few injury concerns. The team has decided not to place strong safety Toby Wright on the physically unable to perform list at the start of training camp. Instead, the Rams will let Wright progress at his own pace.

Coach Dick Vermeil says Wright is about 85 percent back from reconstructive knee surgery he underwent in January.

Left guard Ryan Tucker, who missed the Rams' June minicamp with a hamstring injury, should be back at full speed.

FEARLESS FORECAST

The pre-training camp depth chart says Jay Williams at right defensive end and Jeff Zgonina at left defensive tackle, but the starters by opening day will be Grant Wistrom at left end and Ray Agnew at left tackle.

THE RUDY REPORT

As sometimes happens in the world of scouting, the Rams were looking at another Division I-AA player, when this defensive back from Howard jumped out at them.

So they decided to sign Billy Jenkins Jr. as an undrafted free agent shortly after the 1997 draft. Jenkins didn't disappoint.

For starters, he led the club in special team stops with 23. A late-season knee injury to Toby Wright, coupled with an earlier injury to top backup Gerald McBurrows, forced Jenkins into the starting lineup in Game 15 a year ago.

Jenkins responded with 17 tackles against Chicago. Jenkins could be a factor this season if Wright doesn't come around as quickly as hoped from offseason knee surgery.

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