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14. IDP - DE Fisher (StL), DT Lewis First In Line To Replace Wistrom and Young
Full Article: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/spo...e+line+answers
Clipped from: St. Louis Today (Bill Coats)
Any coach well-versed in football-speak will insist that all starting
positions are open heading into training camp. But realistically, only
two spots will be up for grabs when the Rams assemble next week in
Macomb, Ill. Both are on the defensive line: End Grant Wistrom, the
team's first-round draft pick in 1998 and a five-year starter,
snatched up Seattle's six-year, $33 million free-agent offer in the
offseason. Brian Young, another free agent who was emerging as a
top-flight tackle, accepted a four-year deal with New Orleans that
included a $4 million signing bonus. Those losses are significant for
a once-porous defense that had improved into a respectable unit.
The leading candidates to take over for Wistrom at right end are Bryce
Fisher, a fifth-year pro who has started just once in 20 games with
the Rams; Sean Moran, a former Ram who recently returned as a free
agent; and Erik Flowers, a six-year veteran who played in only three
games in his first season with the Rams.
"Fisher will start out as the No. 1 guy," Kollar said. "Now, that's
not saying that he is the starter. But right now, he's the guy that
we've got in there, and it'll just depend on how it goes during
training camp and the preseason games."
Although a rotation system is a possibility at right end, coach Mike
Martz said he expected that "somebody will evolve over there
eventually. It's kind of how we started off on the left side when
Leonard was over there. He was making a transition (from linebacker),
and we didn't know how that would work out. But Leonard got better and
better.
"I suspect something will happen like that. One of those guys is going
to come to the top; we'll just see how it goes. The good news is, we
feel real good about who's there. We're not scrambling around for
bodies."
The same can't be said about tackle, where Kollar conceded "we're a
little short."
Damione Lewis, a first-round pick in 2001, probably has the inside
track - if he can stay healthy. Foot and ankle injuries have sidelined
him for 11 games over three seasons. Other contenders are Jimmy
Kennedy, a disappointment last year as the team's top draft choice;
free-agent rookie Brian Howard from Idaho; and Bernard Holsey, who
started all 16 games last season for the Washington Redskins and
recently came aboard as a free agent. Kollar said Kennedy "had a
pretty good offseason - he's gotten his upper body quite a big
stronger - and we're hoping that he can come on and really help us out
this year."
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
This will be a huge battle at the Rams' training camp. There is a lot
of talent competing for the two starting positions including former
first round picks Damione Lewis and Jimmy Kennedy who have the talent
to dominate if they can find a work ethic to match their talent. My
money is on Kennedy to become the player the Rams envisioned when they
selected him a year ago thanks to his improved strength and Bryce
Fisher to replace Wistrom.
Full Article: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/spo...e+line+answers
Clipped from: St. Louis Today (Bill Coats)
Any coach well-versed in football-speak will insist that all starting
positions are open heading into training camp. But realistically, only
two spots will be up for grabs when the Rams assemble next week in
Macomb, Ill. Both are on the defensive line: End Grant Wistrom, the
team's first-round draft pick in 1998 and a five-year starter,
snatched up Seattle's six-year, $33 million free-agent offer in the
offseason. Brian Young, another free agent who was emerging as a
top-flight tackle, accepted a four-year deal with New Orleans that
included a $4 million signing bonus. Those losses are significant for
a once-porous defense that had improved into a respectable unit.
The leading candidates to take over for Wistrom at right end are Bryce
Fisher, a fifth-year pro who has started just once in 20 games with
the Rams; Sean Moran, a former Ram who recently returned as a free
agent; and Erik Flowers, a six-year veteran who played in only three
games in his first season with the Rams.
"Fisher will start out as the No. 1 guy," Kollar said. "Now, that's
not saying that he is the starter. But right now, he's the guy that
we've got in there, and it'll just depend on how it goes during
training camp and the preseason games."
Although a rotation system is a possibility at right end, coach Mike
Martz said he expected that "somebody will evolve over there
eventually. It's kind of how we started off on the left side when
Leonard was over there. He was making a transition (from linebacker),
and we didn't know how that would work out. But Leonard got better and
better.
"I suspect something will happen like that. One of those guys is going
to come to the top; we'll just see how it goes. The good news is, we
feel real good about who's there. We're not scrambling around for
bodies."
The same can't be said about tackle, where Kollar conceded "we're a
little short."
Damione Lewis, a first-round pick in 2001, probably has the inside
track - if he can stay healthy. Foot and ankle injuries have sidelined
him for 11 games over three seasons. Other contenders are Jimmy
Kennedy, a disappointment last year as the team's top draft choice;
free-agent rookie Brian Howard from Idaho; and Bernard Holsey, who
started all 16 games last season for the Washington Redskins and
recently came aboard as a free agent. Kollar said Kennedy "had a
pretty good offseason - he's gotten his upper body quite a big
stronger - and we're hoping that he can come on and really help us out
this year."
[[[[[[[[[[ OUR VIEW ]]]]]]]]]]
This will be a huge battle at the Rams' training camp. There is a lot
of talent competing for the two starting positions including former
first round picks Damione Lewis and Jimmy Kennedy who have the talent
to dominate if they can find a work ethic to match their talent. My
money is on Kennedy to become the player the Rams envisioned when they
selected him a year ago thanks to his improved strength and Bryce
Fisher to replace Wistrom.
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