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Rams' loss of free agents makes secondary a primary concern
By Rich Hammond
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-709288-season-last.html
The Rams appeared to be young, productive and full of potential at defensive back. Then came March.
Free agency burned the Rams’ secondary worse than any opposing quarterback. On the same day last week, starting cornerback Janoris Jenkins left for a mega-deal with the New York Giants and starting free safety Rodney McLeod signed with Philadelphia. The Rams desired to keep both, but the open market won.
Within a few hours, the Rams lost half their secondary, a group it had carefully constructed through the draft (and the shrewd signing of the undrafted McLeod). Now the Rams must rely on depth at defensive back.
“We’ve drafted well there,” Coach Jeff Fisher said recently. “They’ve produced.”
Indeed, the website Pro Football Focus used statistical models to claim that the Rams had the NFL’s fifth-best secondary in 2015, even though the Rams ranked among the bottom one-third of the league in opponents’ completion percentage (66.8) and average passing yards per game against (254.1).
“I feel like, for part of (the 2015) season, that we were one of the better secondaries in the league,” said starting safety T.J. McDonald, a former USC standout. “We felt confident going into every game, no matter what quarterback we were facing, so coming into next season we have high expectations for ourselves.”
The Rams’ four primary starters in the secondary were age 27 or younger, and the group increasingly made progress last season in spite of injuries to key contributors. Now, some retooling will be required.
It won’t be easy to replace Jenkins, a four-year starter at cornerback who totaled 10 interceptions in 60 games. Pro Football Focus ranked Jenkins as the 14th-best cornerback in the NFL last season.
Here’s the good news: Trumaine Johnson ranked 12th. That’s why, with both cornerbacks facing unrestricted free agency this month, the Rams chose to apply their one-year “franchise” tag to Johnson and keep him.
Johnson, the Rams’ third-round pick in 2012, was a part-time starter in his first three seasons, in part because of injuries, but in 2015 he accounted for seven of the Rams’ 11 interceptions and was an under-the-radar star.
Asked, at the end of the season, about his improvement, Johnson said, “Just consistency. It was a rough year (in 2014), with getting hurt and only playing two months. This was my first complete season. I was glad to come out cool.”
The Rams don’t have a perfect answer when it comes to Jenkins’ replacement, but they have plentiful options, and those options contain plenty of motivation.
Start with E.J. Gaines, the 2014 sixth-round pick who started 15 games in 2014 but missed all of last season because of a foot injury. Versatile defensive back Lamarcus Joyner finished fourth on the Rams last season with 72 tackles. Free-agent addition Coty Sensabaugh started for Tennessee last season.
Perhaps nobody in that group can replace Jenkins individually, but collectively, the Rams should have enough, both to defend the outside and slot receivers. Plus, Johnson could improve even more.
The situation at safety is more complicated. McDonald, who had shoulder surgery late last season, is a stalwart and again should be a defensive leader, but there’s no natural replacement for McLeod.
The Rams’ internal depth at safety includes Cody Davis and Christian Bryant, both of whom have thrived in special-teams work but neither of whom has proved anything against an NFL offense.
Maurice Alexander capably filled in for McDonald at strong safety near the end of last season, but it would take a huge leap in confidence for the Rams to think Alexander, at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, could thrive at free safety. More likely, the Rams will look to the draft, a trade or free agency to improve their depth here.
Last month, General Manager Les Snead said “Priority A” for his offseason was to bring back the Rams’ secondary intact. Snead went 1 for 3, but the Rams hope health and depth will compensate for the free-agency losses.
“We’re coming along,” Gaines told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at the end of last season. “The young guys back there are coming along. I’m just hoping we can get everybody back and healthy for next season.”
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RAMS DEFENSIVE BACKS
2015 starters: CB Trumaine Johnson (13 starts), CB Janoris Jenkins (15 starts), S T.J. McDonald (11 starts), S Rodney McLeod (16 starts)
Others: CB Lamarcus Joyner (6 starts), CB E.J. Gaines (injured in 2015), S Cody Davis, S Maurice Alexander (5 starts)
Contract status: Jenkins and McLeod left via free agency, for the New York Giants and Philadelphia, respectively, but the Rams retained Johnson through a one-year "franchise tag" and a guaranteed one-year contract worth $13.95 million. The Rams signed cornerback Coty Sensabaugh for depth, and McDonald will be entering the final year of his contract.
Biggest strength: Jenkins' loss will hurt at cornerback, but the Rams have a strong No. 1 corner in Johnson and plenty of depth. Gaines, Joyner and Sensabaugh all have been NFL starters. The best-case scenario, and a reasonable one, is that Gaines can replace Jenkins, Joyner can handle slot receivers and Sensabaugh can be a versatile complement.
Biggest weakness: Who is going to play free safety? It seems improbable that the Rams would hand the starting job to either Davis, Alexander or special-teams contributor Christian Bryant, but they don't have any other options unless they move Joyner, a former college safety, back to that spot. The Rams were smart not to overpay to keep McLeod, but now they need an answer.
Help in the draft: Keanu Neal (Florida), S; Karl Joseph (West Virginia), S; Vonn Bell (Ohio State), S; Darian Thompson (Boise State), S; Jeremy Cash (Duke), S.
By the numbers: Jenkins, Johnson and McDonald all missed time with injuries, which is why the Rams' pass-defense stats in 2015 appeared weaker than is probably fair. Opponents tested the Rams a fair amount, as they averaged 37.3 pass attempts per game against the Rams (the NFL's 11th-highest total). The Rams ranked 28th in opponents' completion percentage (66.8) but held opponents to an average quarterback rating of 90.4, 16th in the NFL.
By Rich Hammond
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/rams-709288-season-last.html
The Rams appeared to be young, productive and full of potential at defensive back. Then came March.
Free agency burned the Rams’ secondary worse than any opposing quarterback. On the same day last week, starting cornerback Janoris Jenkins left for a mega-deal with the New York Giants and starting free safety Rodney McLeod signed with Philadelphia. The Rams desired to keep both, but the open market won.
Within a few hours, the Rams lost half their secondary, a group it had carefully constructed through the draft (and the shrewd signing of the undrafted McLeod). Now the Rams must rely on depth at defensive back.
“We’ve drafted well there,” Coach Jeff Fisher said recently. “They’ve produced.”
Indeed, the website Pro Football Focus used statistical models to claim that the Rams had the NFL’s fifth-best secondary in 2015, even though the Rams ranked among the bottom one-third of the league in opponents’ completion percentage (66.8) and average passing yards per game against (254.1).
“I feel like, for part of (the 2015) season, that we were one of the better secondaries in the league,” said starting safety T.J. McDonald, a former USC standout. “We felt confident going into every game, no matter what quarterback we were facing, so coming into next season we have high expectations for ourselves.”
The Rams’ four primary starters in the secondary were age 27 or younger, and the group increasingly made progress last season in spite of injuries to key contributors. Now, some retooling will be required.
It won’t be easy to replace Jenkins, a four-year starter at cornerback who totaled 10 interceptions in 60 games. Pro Football Focus ranked Jenkins as the 14th-best cornerback in the NFL last season.
Here’s the good news: Trumaine Johnson ranked 12th. That’s why, with both cornerbacks facing unrestricted free agency this month, the Rams chose to apply their one-year “franchise” tag to Johnson and keep him.
Johnson, the Rams’ third-round pick in 2012, was a part-time starter in his first three seasons, in part because of injuries, but in 2015 he accounted for seven of the Rams’ 11 interceptions and was an under-the-radar star.
Asked, at the end of the season, about his improvement, Johnson said, “Just consistency. It was a rough year (in 2014), with getting hurt and only playing two months. This was my first complete season. I was glad to come out cool.”
The Rams don’t have a perfect answer when it comes to Jenkins’ replacement, but they have plentiful options, and those options contain plenty of motivation.
Start with E.J. Gaines, the 2014 sixth-round pick who started 15 games in 2014 but missed all of last season because of a foot injury. Versatile defensive back Lamarcus Joyner finished fourth on the Rams last season with 72 tackles. Free-agent addition Coty Sensabaugh started for Tennessee last season.
Perhaps nobody in that group can replace Jenkins individually, but collectively, the Rams should have enough, both to defend the outside and slot receivers. Plus, Johnson could improve even more.
The situation at safety is more complicated. McDonald, who had shoulder surgery late last season, is a stalwart and again should be a defensive leader, but there’s no natural replacement for McLeod.
The Rams’ internal depth at safety includes Cody Davis and Christian Bryant, both of whom have thrived in special-teams work but neither of whom has proved anything against an NFL offense.
Maurice Alexander capably filled in for McDonald at strong safety near the end of last season, but it would take a huge leap in confidence for the Rams to think Alexander, at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, could thrive at free safety. More likely, the Rams will look to the draft, a trade or free agency to improve their depth here.
Last month, General Manager Les Snead said “Priority A” for his offseason was to bring back the Rams’ secondary intact. Snead went 1 for 3, but the Rams hope health and depth will compensate for the free-agency losses.
“We’re coming along,” Gaines told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch at the end of last season. “The young guys back there are coming along. I’m just hoping we can get everybody back and healthy for next season.”
==================
RAMS DEFENSIVE BACKS
2015 starters: CB Trumaine Johnson (13 starts), CB Janoris Jenkins (15 starts), S T.J. McDonald (11 starts), S Rodney McLeod (16 starts)
Others: CB Lamarcus Joyner (6 starts), CB E.J. Gaines (injured in 2015), S Cody Davis, S Maurice Alexander (5 starts)
Contract status: Jenkins and McLeod left via free agency, for the New York Giants and Philadelphia, respectively, but the Rams retained Johnson through a one-year "franchise tag" and a guaranteed one-year contract worth $13.95 million. The Rams signed cornerback Coty Sensabaugh for depth, and McDonald will be entering the final year of his contract.
Biggest strength: Jenkins' loss will hurt at cornerback, but the Rams have a strong No. 1 corner in Johnson and plenty of depth. Gaines, Joyner and Sensabaugh all have been NFL starters. The best-case scenario, and a reasonable one, is that Gaines can replace Jenkins, Joyner can handle slot receivers and Sensabaugh can be a versatile complement.
Biggest weakness: Who is going to play free safety? It seems improbable that the Rams would hand the starting job to either Davis, Alexander or special-teams contributor Christian Bryant, but they don't have any other options unless they move Joyner, a former college safety, back to that spot. The Rams were smart not to overpay to keep McLeod, but now they need an answer.
Help in the draft: Keanu Neal (Florida), S; Karl Joseph (West Virginia), S; Vonn Bell (Ohio State), S; Darian Thompson (Boise State), S; Jeremy Cash (Duke), S.
By the numbers: Jenkins, Johnson and McDonald all missed time with injuries, which is why the Rams' pass-defense stats in 2015 appeared weaker than is probably fair. Opponents tested the Rams a fair amount, as they averaged 37.3 pass attempts per game against the Rams (the NFL's 11th-highest total). The Rams ranked 28th in opponents' completion percentage (66.8) but held opponents to an average quarterback rating of 90.4, 16th in the NFL.
