Even though the Los Angeles Rams made it to the Super Bowl last year, that doesn’t mean they’re without their faults. Even the best teams have their weaknesses.
The Rams have done a great job constructing a complete roster with playmakers at most positions, but they’re not flawless. Here are the three biggest weaknesses the Rams have entering training camp:
1. Interior offensive line
The Rams’ offense has been one of the best in the league ever since Sean McVay took over, and the offensive line has been a large part of the reason why. Now for the first time in the McVay era, there’s some uncertainty on the unit.
Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein are both rock solid at the two tackle positions, but things are more unsettled on the interior. Rodger Saffold left in free agency after getting priced out of the Rams’ range, and they declined their option on center John Sullivan’s contract.
That means the Rams will have at least two new starters, and the projected ones don’t have a lot of experience. Second-year players Brian Allen and Joseph Noteboom are expected to take over for Sullivan and Saffold respectively. Neither player has ever started a game at the NFL level. Noteboom played just 78 offensive snaps last year while Allen played 36.
Just because they’re inexperienced doesn’t mean they’ll be bad, but it’s hard to feel overly confident about players we just haven’t seen in too much live action. How Noteboom and Allen hold up will go a very long way in determining what type of season the Rams have.
2. Run defense
There’s been a lot of talk about the Rams’ run defense, and for good reason. They allowed the most yards per carry of any team in the league last year, and they were toward the bottom in 2017 as well.
Ndamukong Suh walked in free agency, and it looks like a rookie will be replacing him. The coaching staff has indicated they plan to start Greg Gaines, a fourth-round rookie, next to Aaron Donald. Donald himself has been impressed by Gaines, but it’s hard to tell what he’ll look like before he ever steps on the field.
Gaines won’t be the only first-time starter tasked with stopping the run. The Rams cut Mark Barron this offseason, and right now the plan looks to be starting second-year player Micah Kiser at his inside linebacker slot. Kiser didn’t play a single defensive snap last year, although he was a big contributor on special teams. The coaches have said they expect Kiser, a 2018 fifth-rounder from Virginia, to play a big role on early downs. Like with the interior offensive line, the Rams will be counting on some unproven young players to bolster the run defense.
3. Cornerback
It’s hard to say cornerback is a true weakness, but it has the potential to be an area of concern. The Rams have two big-name stars, Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, starting outside. Last year, Talib was banged up and Peters was inconsistent, to put it kindly.
Talib is 33 now and there’s no guarantee he’ll be able to stay healthy, or be as effective, in 2019. Peters is volatile and you never know what you’re going to get from him. Talib missed eight games with his ankle injury last year, and the Rams’ secondary really struggled while he was gone.
The Rams did extend Troy Hill recently, but they don’t really want him playing too much outside for an extended period of time. The Rams have the potential to have a very good cornerback group, but things could also go south in a hurry. If Peters can play up to his potential and Talib can stay healthy, things will be just fine.
