SB Nation - Mark Setterstrom

Changing of the guards at Rams Park

VanRam — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:51:10 -0000

More photos » by Ted S. Warren - AP

Jacob Bell joins the pile.

On the same day the St. Louis Rams dumped troubled asset starting right guard Richie Incognito, they sent starting left guard Jacob Bell to the injured reserve list. One to purgatory, one to heaven or hell, depending on how you feel as a player being a member of the Rams.

That means the Rams will have three backup linemen when they take the field against the Houston Texans. One of the two remaining starters, Alex Barron, will have the unenviable task of containing Mario Williams who has four sacks in his last three games. In the middle, C Jason Brown will be flanked, most likely, by John Greco and Mark Setterstrom. As frustrating as it is to see two more starters off the roster, the silver lining here is getting Setterstrom and Greco some playing time. Setterstrom started six games in 2006 at guard, and made a real impression as a rookie. Injuries have limited his progress since then, but the Rams made resigning him during this offseason a priority. Second year man John Greco, a third round pick from the 2008 draft, is no stranger to filling in for Richie Incognito. The Toledo product started in Cog's place during the final game of the season last year; Richie was seen eating a candybar on the sidelines...connect the dots between here and there for Richie.

A flurry of other moves to bolster o-line depth: The Rams signed OT Ryan McKee who was released by the Jets. At 6' 6" 291 lbs, McKee may be more of a guard than anything, until he adds some weight. OT Eric Young was signed from the Rams practice squad to the active roster.

In two seasons with the Rams, Bell has dealt with injuries and played just 13 games in both seasons. Bell improved his play considerably this year, after playing through injuries and underwieght last season. The Rams need this guy to stay healthy, but since he hasn't shown the ability to play 16 games, it's good to get a look at the depth behind him.

I miss Jason Smith in the lineup.

Rams finished with Richie Incognito

VanRam — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:58:24 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

The end arrived for Incognito today.

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You want credibility, you got it. The St. Louis Rams released former starting RG RIchie Incognito this afternoon. Incognito committed two pretty blatant personal foul penalties that put the Rams offense in a bad spot against the Titans. It wasn't even the first game this year that Incognito had more than one personal foul called on him; in the opener against Seattle he had two flags for personal fouls that week too.

After that first game, Cogs got a talking to and played consistently well and level-headed...until this week. His "it's not my fault" routine with Spagnuolo, documented by the Fox camera crews yesterday, probably proved to be the final nail in his coffin.

Some team will snap him up. He has the talent, and some coach will think for sure that he has what it takes to keep him on the straight and narrow...or tolerate his antics. The Rams have depth at the guard position, though the news that Jacob Bell will most likely land on IR, ending his season, will stretch that depth. With Adam Goldberg filling in for the concussed Jason Smith at RT, Mark Setterstrom and John Greco will most likely be the Rams starting guards this week.

The call for Incognito's release from fans and the local media was impossible to miss in the wake of his most recent outing. Have to give him props on handling it with class though. Here's the meathead himself on Spags and the team:

I passed along to Spags and Billy. I told them they’re doing a wonderful job. I really do think Spags is doing a great job. It’s obvious what the team needs here _ and it’s talent. It’s not a lack of coaching. And it’s not a lack of desire. It’s just a lack of talent right now. And they’ll get that sorted out. They’re the right men for the job.

Rams VP Kevin Demoff covers the cap, free agency, TST and more in his chat today.

VanRam — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:22:34 -0000

by Carlos Osorio - AP

The St. Louis Rams would like to see safety Oshiomogho Atowgwe in their future.

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St. Louis Rams VP of Football Operations and COO Kevin Demoff held a live chat with fans today. Some highlights, with comment:

If there is a salary cap in 2010, the Rams will be approximately 35m under the salary, which would be the third most room under the cap in the NFL. There has been some pain this year, but the salary cap should not be the driving force behind any personnel decisions moving forward. This year, we were forced to create a dollar of salary cap room for every dollar of salary cap room spent. That meant making difficult decisions with some talented players, but we made the decisions that we thought were best for the long-term future of this organization.

Though I don't believe there will be a cap, having $35 million worth of space under the cap is great news. It means that the Rams can really make some strides to fill the big holes on the roster, without having to choose between one position at the expense of the other in the draft. Of course, if it is an upcapped year that means...

However, if 2010 is uncapped, there will be a limited free agent pool consisting of players with 6 years or more of experience. That will make it harder to sign young, talented players in free agency, the type of player every team wants in free agency. As a result, in an uncapped year, the draft will be paramount, which is one of the reasons we are trying to stockpile picks in the 2010 draft.

I don't know what his definition of stockpiling is, but so far the Rams have added a 5th round pick from the Eagles in the Witherspoon trade and a 7th round pick from the Falcons in the Tye Hill trade. Those could be packaged to move up in other rounds, of course. I don't know that they'll have much in the way of compensatory picks, since they really didn't lose many free agents of note.

Which players are up for free agency this year? It depends on the cap situation. Here's the list from Demoff:

...eight players...[that] would normally be Unrestricted Free Agents in 2010 who will be Restricted Free Agents in 2010 if there is no salary cap. Those players are as follows: Victor Adeyanju, OJ Atogwe, Alex Barron, Samkon Gado, Gary Gibson, Richie Incognito, Ruvell Martin, Mark Setterstrom. We would have the right to "tender" all of those players as RFA's. There are 6 players who will be UFA's no matter what the cap situation is: Kyle Boller, James Hall, Paris Lenon, Leonard Little, Chris Massey, Randy McMichael.

We'll talk plenty more about these guys down the road. For now, I'd say you can count on the Rams making an effort to hang onto Atogwe, Gibson, Incognito, Setterstrom, and some combination of Hall and Little. Those last two guys will surely be considering retirement, though they could still be useful as part timers.

The highlight of the chat...a TST shout out from Demoff. Check it out:

I couldn't let the good guys at TurfShowTimes go unrewarded for their drive to send in questions for this chat.

Hell yeah! Anyway, he answered our question about re-signing Atogwe, and it sounds like the team plans to keep him in the picture for the future.

Alright, go read the whole thing. It's pretty informative.

Snowball Effect: Random Ramsdom, 10/27

VanRam — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:56:54 -0000

Just when you thought 0-7 for the St. Louis Rams was enough bad news, comes a morning like this. What is it about struggling teams like the Rams and the snowball effect? What cosmic force looks down on this team and decides to heap additional punishment onto the Rams, on top of their general suckiness?

Let's delve into the bad news.

Fletcher likely to miss part of 2010 too - Here's the worst news of all this morning. Fletcher was looking like a real find for the Rams. Once a head scratcher of a pick in this year's draft, he was the poster boy for the new regime's drafts, righting the wrongs of the past. Not only could Fletcher now miss part of 2010, what happens when does come back? Is he the same player? Does he catch Tye Hill syndrome and never fully regain his ability and confidence after an injury? Add CB to the list of team needs. If the Rams do get a new stadium, wherever it might be, let's hope they dump the turf.

Witherspoon flies with Eagles - From the rubbing it in department...Will Witherspoon took off with his new team this week, scoring a TD, forcing a fumble, and splitting the atom. Ever notice that former Rams get better when they leave? Why is that?

Null could see mop up duty - Next time the Rams are down by 30 points or so, there's a chance that rookie QB Keith Null could see some playing time. Why not? Start turning this operation over the youngsters. His future may not be more than a backup, but let's have a look.

Goldberg to fill-in for Incognito - Nothing against Goldberg, but why not Setterstrom or Greco? Setterstrom has started at G before, and did quite well. Greco will assume Goldberg's swing OL role.

Vobora is back- He's no lock to play this week after sitting out the last four, but it's good to get him back on the team. The former Mr. Irrelevant has played well for the Rams this season.

Lions without Stafford this week? - The Lions could be without first overall pick Matt Stafford when they play the Rams this week.

Rams cut Klopfenstein and three others

VanRam — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 15:06:08 -0000

St. Louis Rams TE and 2006 second round draft pick Joe Klopfenstein got the axe today, as the Rams trimmed their roster to meet the league's mandate to pair down to 75 player rosters today.

Also getting cut were WR Jarrett Byers, CB Marcus Brown and C Daniel Sanders. That leaves one more cut to go. Could that move be putting Brooks Foster on IR? Stay tuned.

Klopfenstein had decent enough hands during his days playing at Colorado, but his, um, potential never developed at the NFL level. The Klop pick, along with Brian Leonard, symbolize the Rams drafts of the Linehan era. Klop did not have the speed required of NFL tight ends to keep defensive backs honest on seam routes. Klop never developed as a blocker either, leading to more than one mistake or two in pass protection. A tight end without speed and blocking ability in the NFL...

Like Brian Leonard, his skill set was somewhere in between two roles. Both players were absurd wastes of a second round pick, a pick that could have been used on solid contributors. In 2006, the Rams could have selected Maurice Jones-Drew, Cedric Griffin, Pro Bowl OT Marcus McNeill (at a time when the Rams could have really used OT depth), Darryl Tapp, Devin Hester, yada, yada, yada. Hindsight is always 20-20, but it should have been clear their were more projectable, better prospects to be had with the pick the Rams used on a TE lacking speed and blocking ability.

The 2006 draft is the perfect example of why the Rams are going through a rebuilding program, even though nobody on the team will call it that. Guys taken that year in the draft would be gearing up for their fourth year in the league, emerging as reliable starters, if not key building blocks. This year, the Rams are giving their first round pick from 2006, CB Tye Hill, one last chance to stick on the roster...and he's probably going to lose a starting role to 2007 third round pick Jonathan Wade. The Rams had 10 draft picks that season, more than they've had since. Of those 10 picks, only HIll, DE Victor Adeyanju (4th round) and OL Mark Setterstrom (7th round) remain with the team, the later two having given the Rams solid depth at their respective positions (don't forget that Setts has been a starter and probably could be a regular starter). For the Rams, the 2006 draft was a colossal failure. I get pissed every time I think about it. Breathe, Van, breathe. It's a new day for Rams football.

Where things stand: A mid-August assessment of the Rams offense

VanRam — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 16:14:02 -0000

More photos » by Seth Perlman - AP

St. Louis Rams wide receiver Laurent Robinson, has been a pleasant surprise for the Rams so far.

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The St. Louis Rams have had, so far, an up and down preseason. The practices at Rams Park kicked off the new era. They were intense, physical, and exciting to see. Each session bolstered fan hopes for an improved Rams team after a long time in the wilderness. Summing up the difference between this year's camp and those from previous seasons, the PD has the most apt anecdote:

"Get low and stick 'em!"

It was the players' tribute to one of those fans, Jerry Harrison — aka Coach, aka Superfan. "Get low and stick 'em!" has been Harrison's trademark chant during training camp practices for more than a decade. (Except for the three years he was muzzled by Scott Linehan, that is.)

Scott Linehan and the Rams former top brass did much to silence fans over the years, mostly by turning out a sub-par product, but the fact that they actually ordered one of the most enthusiastic fans - at a time when paper bags were widely distributed prior to home games - to be silenced say all you need to know about the changes at Rams Park.

A win over the New York Jets to open the preseason kept the fires of interest burning, though a few instances of what happened on the field (like Bulger getting sacked three times) evoked an eerie deja vu and reminded us all that dominance was still down the road a bit.

News of injured starters made for some unsettling days between the Rams' first two preseason games. Then, with last Friday's loss to the Falcons, the sound of teeth gnashing and nail biting started drowning out the excitement, and the legacies of seasons past look harder to shake than they should be.

Take a deep breath, count the bumps on that little string of beans, and repeat after me: "It's still preseason. Om. It's still preseason. Om." Before the Rams play their third preseason game this Thursday against the Cincinnati Bengals, it's worth taking a look at where things stand and what questions still need to be answered. Let's start with the offense:

We'll start with the big questions and then go unit by unit with a look at their progress and work remaining.

Will Bulger be able to play like a starter again? So far, the beleaguered Bulger hasn't really had much time to answer the question that's dogged him every since he signed a big new contract before the start of the 2007 season. Throughout camp he has demonstrated the accuracy that made him famous and a solid grasp of the playbook. In limited playing time against the Jets, he was sharp, going 4-for-4. He made a couple of throws with rushers in his face, and the three sacks didn't seem to faze him. On just one sack did it look like he held the ball too long. He connected with his receivers, despite the #1 Donnie Avery being sidelined since the August 7 scrimmage. We need to see more sync with Steven Jackson, who hasn't played much at all in the preseason. Bulger will miss this week's game against the Bengals; he might miss the next one against the Chiefs too. Though he should be back for the season opener against Seattle. Obviously, he'd be better off having more practice time, but it doesn't look like Bulger will be the issue holding the offense back.

Can Steven Jackson stay healthy and become an elite, do-it-all back? Jackson certainly came to camp in the best physical shape of his life, but we haven't seen much from him in preseason play. If he has the holes, we know he can run. We also know he can catch passes, but it still would be nice to see a little bit more of that in the new offense. Though it didn't seem like it would be an issue when camp started, the big question surrounding Jackson now is whether or not he's going to get the running lanes he needs.

Will the offensive line be improved? That seemed like a sure thing just a month ago, with the addition of C Jason Brown, drafting Jason Smith and getting younger and tougher across the line. Against the Falcons, a team that featured a notably porous run defense, the Rams had terrible run blocking and the line has again opened itself up to questioning. Part of the problem was that Jason Smith just wasn't ready. Contradicting camp reports (and maybe offering some hope that it was just a matter of first exposure to NFL starters) Smith blocked decently against the pass rush but poorly for the run. He has some time to establish himself and learn the ropes. On the other side of the line Barron has looked solid. In the middle, I don't know what I was expecting, but I somehow expected the combo of Brown, Incognito and Bell to look a little sharper than they have. Bell's hurt, again, and his replacement, Mark Setterstrom, did just fine. Curiously enough, the Rams never ran up the middle with Steven Jackson against the Falcons. Granted, he was only in for one series, but that seems unusual. Gado ran up the middle to no avail. Some of that is the steep drop-off between Jackson and Gado, but the linemen had trouble getting to the second level against the Falcons stacked box, leaving little running room for Gado to exploit. That's a good lead-in to the next question that faced the Rams when preseason began...

Who will backup Steven Jackson? The jury's still out on that one. Sakmon Gado looked good against the Jets, but played mostly against guys battling for a roster spot, an easy matchup for a guy who has had success at the NFL level. Against the Falcons' first team Gado got nado. I want to officialy go on the record as stating that Gado is a camp/preseason phenomenon, nothing more. Kenneth Darby looked to have a solid grasp on the #2 job heading into the preseason opener, but struggles in pass protection and running the ball pushed him back down the depth chart. Antonio Pittman had nice night in relief of Steven Jackson against New York, faring a little better than his rivals against the Falcons. Of course, all the Rams runners struggled against the Falcons. Right now, Pittman looks like he might be the lead horse for the second spot. I wouldn't discount Chris Ogbonnaya yet either. He has shown good ball control (though limited reps) and can catch passes, which theoretically makes him a good fit in this offense. I'd like to see what he can do against NFL starters.

Will inexperience among the Rams wide receivers hurt the team? Of all the questions we figured to still be trying to answer midway through the preseason, this topped the list. Turns out, the receivers look pretty solid Laurent Robinson looks every bit like a starter, and when Avery gets back the two should be a nice 1-2 pairing. Keenan Burton has looked sharp in limited action. The tight ends have done well in passing game too, even blocking TE Billy Bajema has more than 50 yards on 4 catches. Playing with backup QBs makes this a little tougher to evaluate.

Now the units...

Quarterback - We covered Bulger above. After what he's endured in recent seasons, heightened risk of injury will always be there, hanging over Bulger. The problem with that as things stand now is what we've seen from his backup, Kyle Boller. Boller was inaccurate and made questionable decisions in the pocket, despite having the kind of time Marc Bulger would have killed for. Those are the two main points of criticism that have always followed Boller. In all honest, it might be nice to see what Null and Berlin can do with the first team.

Running back - Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur must have supreme confidence in Jackson, because they're being really, really stingy with him in preseason play. Call it the Ladainian Tomlinson approach to preseason play. Finding a backup and consistent blocking is still the main story here.

Wide receiver - Robinson and Avery look like a very competent combo for the Rams starters. Keenan Burton has looked sharp too. Sean Walker and Derrek Stanley have looked alright with the second team. Another stand out performer here would finally put questions about this unit to rest.

Tight end - McMichael and Bulger looked to have a mind meld going in the Jets game, but Boller's accuracy left him catchless last week. It's fair to ask at this point mow much speed he has left. Fells was widely expected to grab the third spot on the depth chart, and that still seems likely. He made some noise with the first team against the Falcons. Bajema's been the most pleasant surprise. The blocking specialist is the second leading receiver on the Rams right now. Klopfenstein has done nothing to justify his spot on the roster.

Offensive line - Discussed above in more detail. I just need to see some consistency from this unit to rest easier. Smith hurt his cause last week, giving Goldberg a good chance to start the season on the right side. The first rounder will get better; he has the talent and will to do so. The backups look good.

Fullback - Mike Karney missed the preseason opener. The poor run blocking against the Falcons didn't give him much of a chance to clear lanes ahead of the runner. Need to see more here. Ditto for converted Jerome Johnson, a converted linebacker with nice size to play FB.

We'll run down the defense next.

Three questions for the Rams vs Falcons: #2 Testing the depth chart

VanRam — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 15:31:26 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

St. Louis Rams offensive lineman John Greco will get a chance to prove himself against the Falcons in the Rams preseason home-opener.

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Anyone who has watched the St. Louis Rams over the last three years (especially those that actually watched all 16 games) knows just how damaging injuries and the team's lack of depth on the offensive line was for the team, not to mention the well-paid guys playing behind said line.

This year, the Rams look to have much improved o-line depth behind their starters. Tonight, against the Falcons, two starters will sit out: LT Alex Barron and LG Jacob Bell. Which brings us to the question:

Is the Rams offensive line depth good enough?

This week, with Barron and Bell out, the left of the Rams line will have quite a different look. Adam Goldberg has filled in at LT during the regular season. Next to him will be John Greco, as well as Mark Setterstrom and Roy Scheuning who'll get some time with the first team.

The Falcons totaled 34 sacks last season, for a 6.9% adjusted sack rate. That put them solidly in the middle of the pack. They sacked Marc Bulger three times last season, which was really no great feat for opposing defenses. They were, however, rather costly sacks considering how close the game was. One came late in the second quarter, on 4th-and-3 with the Rams leading 7-3. The Falcons scored on their next possession. The last sack came on the Rams final possession of the game, just after the two minute warning with the Falcons leading 31-27. It was 2nd-and-2, and the sack made it 3rd-and-10. The rest is history.

None of those three sacks came from the Falcons' sack leader John Abraham, who had 16.5 last year. However, the Falcons move him from side-to-side to play the matchup, so this could create problems for the Rams blockers. Atlanta uses LB Stephen Nichols against the pass, mostly because of his coverage skills, but he did get a sack against the Rams last year.

Atlanta struggled against the run last year. Staring in the are 2009 first round pick Peria Jerry and Jonathan Babineaux; both players are good one-gap technique tackles who could figure heavily in the team's pass rush, but could struggle against the run. The Rams tough middle linemen should be able to handle both players, and I'm curious as to whether or not the Falcons will double team Jason Brown. The guards filling in for Bell have a decent matchup with either of these two DTs.

Players to watch:

Jason Smith - He'll be starting on the right side tonight. Smith has shown real aplomb in run blocking but Abraham and other Atlanta rushers will be looking to give him a proper introduction to NFL-level pass blocking. I suspect the Rams, on passing plays, will put the TE on the right side or assign someone from the backfield to reinforce pass protection on Smith's side of the line. This is Smith's golden opportunity to play himself into a starting job.

John Greco - Last year's third round pick, Greco got his first NFL start against the Falcons, making a good impression and giving us all reason to believe that the line's depth was indeed better.

Mark Setterstrom - Had a great debut filling in for injured starters in his rookie season, 2006, playing both guard positions. His injury early in 2007 hurt the Rams line, making Milford Brown the starter. A serious preseason knee injury put him out all last season. Setterstrom has proven his ability, and now needs to prove that he's 100% ready to play again.

Injuries and depth on the Rams and Jets offensive lines

VanRam — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:07:31 -0000

More photos » by Rich Schultz - AP

New York Jets' Alan Faneca broke his finger and will miss the preseason opener against the St. Louis Rams. His Wild West hair is reportedly in good condition.

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Here's an interesting parallel between the Jets and the Rams: offensive line depth.

I still have nightmares about the injury-decimated offensive lines of the recent past. An injured running back, an injured and gun-shy quarterback, we're just now digging ourselves out from the hole caused in part by an injured o-line.

And now the Jets find themselves in a similar situation. They're without three starters up front this week with LG Alan Faneca, C Nick Mangold and RT Damien Woody sitting it out this week. Right now, all of those guys should be ready to go for the regular season, but it's a reminder of just how important depth is up front. It's got Jets fans worried. From Gang Green Nation:

A theme you've heard over and over from us is how scary the lack of offensive line depth is for this team. It plays out again here. Faneca should be healthy for the Houston game, but the Jets are one play away from having real problems. Considering how physical it gets up front, it's a minor miracle Gang Green didn't lose a single start to injury on the offensive line in 2008. Even a fluke play like what happened to Faneca can bring a disaster. Losing even one of the five could throw off the entire equilibrium. Lines function as a unit.

Painful, painful memories. This also gets back to a point made in the 2009 Football Outsiders Almanac about injuries. It's unlikely, especially with a younger group up front, that the Rams will suffer as many season-wrecking injuries as they have in the past. According to the FO Almanac, that's one reason we can expect a better season from the Rams this year. The Jets, on the other hand, had an unusual season in 2008 because of the lack of injuries they had to deal with.

The other difference between the Rams and Jets situation is depth. We now find ourselves in a position where we have good depth behind our starters. We've scored with draft picks like John Greco and Mark Setterstrom, and made some nice finds on the waiver wire with guys like Adam Goldberg. Something to think about.

Camp report roundup 8/6: Offensive line's time to shine

VanRam — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 19:37:04 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

The St. Louis Rams offensive line is in a much better place than it was this time last year.

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Let's dive into the day's news & observations from Thursday a.m. at the St. Louis Rams training camp.

First, an injury update.

FB Mike Karney is still out; however, he is rehabbing his ankle and riding a stationary bike on the sidelines today. He's expected back soon. I won't breathe easy until I see him smash a few defenders in a preseason game. He's a key player in the shift to a run-first offense and making Steven Jackson the centerpiece of the game plan, and if he misses any regular season time, it just makes that goal more difficult. Remember, there's a reason Jackson himself urged the team to get a fullback after last season.

G John Greco returned to the field today.

More and more, I feel like the Rams offensive line is a real strength. When the season started last season, depth was a big issue. Depth became a rather glaring issue when projected starting center Mark Setterstrom suffered a season ending injury in camp. That thrust the undersized career backup Nick Leckey into the starting role, and contributed to a weak middle which hurt the Rams running and passing game. Not this year. Setterstrom is working as the main backup center, behind free agent acquisition Jason Brown. Today's camp report from the PD cites some snap issues, but a positive report from the coaches about Setterstrom's performance. If he can get the snaps ironed out, Setterstrom's a much better backup than the players the Rams had starting last year. Setterstrom can also play guard if called upon; he's made starts at both guard spots with the Rams in the past. Combined with Greco, that gives them two solid options as backups in the middle, and there are some intriguing options behind them in Roy Scheuning and undrafted rookies like Roger Allen III.

In other offensive line news, the same PD report notes that rookie OT Jason Smith is "progressing steadily" and the coaches have plenty of praise for the youngster. I'm anxious to hear reports about Alex Barron's progress on the left side. Anyone out there who has been to camp have anything to add here?

The Rams are going to have a really good offensive line this year.

One more item that's music to my ears: DE James Hall seems to have become the DL du jour. Great news, as he figures to be an important player as a member of the all rush, all the time front line.

Best & worst case scenarios for the Rams: The offensive line

VanRam — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:20:17 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Roberson - AP

If the St. Louis Rams offensive line is going to improve this season, first-round draft pick Jason Smith will need to find success in his first season in the league.. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

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Hey turkey, want the inside scoop on the Rams training camp? Then don't miss the Turf Show Radio training camp spectacular! Tomorrow night, 6 p.m. central time. Here's the call-in and listening info.

Yesterday, we started looking at the burning issues facing the St. Louis Rams as the begin training camp this week. Our lens focused on the receivers yesterday, so we might as well stick with offense and take a look at the offensive line today.

With apologies to the fans who have spent the better part of the last two years talking about Marc Bulger, no part of the offense is as essential to the Rams rebuilding project as the offensive line. The new leadership at Rams Park spent considerable time and resources to upgrading this part of the team, making painful a painful decision to cut Orlando Pace, filled a hole in the middle by making C Jason Brown one of the highest paid players in the game, and using the second overall pick in the draft to pick Jason Smith, a talented OT who many believed had the most potential upside of any OT in a draft rife with them.

It's not just a big year for the new guys either. LG Jacob Bell, a pricey offseason addition in 2008, disappointed in his first year with the Rams, playing underweight and through injury to form one half of the weakest link, the middle, of the offensive line. Bell has to improve this season or risk losing his starting job. RG Richie Incognito, whose services were retained via restricted free agency, continued to show his nastiness and ability on the field, but he has to reign in the boneheadedness this season. Through the quirks of the CBA-less league, he'll be a RFA again after this season, but if he puts together a more complete game, getting the 26-year-old locked up with a long term deal will be a priority. And then there's Alex Barron. Accused of lacking professional interest in the game and his well-documented trouble with penalties, Barron has been moved to the left side, where many believe he has the tools to be more successful, thanks to a notable stint there filling in for an injured Pace in '07. He's been an adequate starter on the right throughout his career, having little in the way of injury. Early returns from spring practices have been good, but he's playing for the future of his career now.

Worst case scenario: Barron's performance on the left side too closely resembles his performance on the right side. His penalties consistently disrupt the offense's timing, and rushers brush him aside like a nuisance. Jason Smith, though loaded with talent, struggles in his first season in the NFL, particularly because of the transition to RT after plying his trade on the left side for so long. Guard play is one area the Rams have some security with quality depth like John Greco and Mark Setterstrom. An injury to C Jason Brown could leave the team scrambling. They can convert Incognito or Setterstrom, but the impact, while still acceptable, isn't the same.

Best case scenario: Barron finds a new passion for the game, and Smith does fine in his first season in the league. Together they give the Rams the best play from the tackle position that the team has had since Pace was in his prime. In the middle, a bulkier Bell, Jason Brown and Incognito clear super highway sized lanes for Steven Jackson, making the offense a threat every time they have the ball.

Most likely outcome: Barron makes the transition to LT, and does a good job protecting Bulger's blindside, not Orlando Pace in his prime good, but well above average. The new coaching staff helps him find his inner peace and cut down on the number of penalties. Don't expect the flags to disappear totally. On the other side, Smith turns in solid rookie performance, not airtight, but still reassuring his place as the team's future LT. In the middle, the line combination does a fine job, proving to be the real asset many think the unit can be. It's hard not to imagine a Rams line without injuries, but they're unlikely to be quite as decimating as they have been in the past. In that case, the Rams have some good depth guys in Adam Goldberg, Greco and Setterstrom, as well as some intriguing prospects brought in as undrafted rookies such as Roger Allen and Phil Trautwein.

What to watch: Keep an eye on Barron's focus and intensity through camp, that will say lots about how well he's putting his talent to use. Intensity isn't such a problem for Smith, who by all accounts is a great leader, but watch how he handles contact as well as working out of the three point stance. I'm really not at all worried about the middle of the line so much, but whether or not Bell's offseason work produced results should be evident in camp. The guys vying for backup spots make for an interesting subplot.