Who is the player, other than QB, we can least afford to lose?

[Ballhawk]

I want to say Gaines, because we wouldn't have had a secondary without him last year. But I think that it is in fact Saffold, due to the lack of experience in the Oline.

 

[Big Willie]

just cant count on an unproven rookie yet..not when you have the horses in the stable like the Rams do. I would love to see TGII set all kinds of rookie records and lay havoc on the entire NFL... but until he proves himself at this level, we cant say whether or not we would miss him

"But until he proves himself..." That applies to every player...it doesn't mean you can't / shouldn't rely on them to perform. We expect Robinson, Quick, Austin, etc to perform but in my eyes each are still unproven. My point is that if you want to go from Team that is perennially around five hundred to one that annually is a playoff participant you need playmakers. Gurley has the chance to be that person, and my expectation is that he will become that player by game five.

 

[RamFan503]

I'm going McDonald. PFF (I know, I know) had him rated far and away ad the best safety in the NFL over the 2nd half of the year. No one can step in and be an enforcer like he's been playing in the secondary. And he does it in both pass pro and run defense, so don't pretend Barron could slip in there unnoticed.

How in THE hell is @Alan liking this post? Alan? You starting to warm to my boy McD? You realize I'm personally shipping you a crow pie if he makes the Probowl - right?

 

[RamFan503]

Todd Gurley because if he is the player we expect him to be, we may finally have a running game that will allow the offense to consistently score touchdowns.

This is what I was thinking. I think the premise is that he goes down as in injured. I will be supremely upset if our new future stud RB goes down in his rookie campaign.

I think we are at a point where we are decent on depth - even at QB. My problem would be the future and I see Gurley as a huge part of that.

 

[bwdenverram]

I gotta go Quinn also. Nobody else can replace 29.5 sacks in two years.

 

[RamFan503]

I guess my only gripe is you can almost bank on Saffold getting dinged up and playing less than 100% or missing time as it is. I'd be less than excited to hear Barron would be starting for an extended period of time. The Bucs all but gave him away. I really wanna see what Mo Alexander can do, but he still hasn't set foot on the field.

I'm really going to hope that the surgery he has been putting off has actually corrected the biggest problem with Saffold. Because when he is in there and healthy, he is a force to be reckoned with - with which to be reckoned - for all you grammar nazzis.

 

[Boston Ram]

If you are good enough, then there is no one player outside of QB then is hard to overcome.

No one player outside of your QB should cripple your team if built correctly.

 

[Akrasian]

Lots of good answers. I was tempted to say Brockers, as a space eater - but I'm going to say Donald. As good as Quinn is, they've figured out a way to slow him down (hint: against any other RDE it would be called holding). Donald is too quick for the OL to actually get their hands on him consistently.

I think he's going to have a monster year, not just sacking the QB or hurrying him, but disrupting runs up the middle.

 

[Alan]

RamFan503 thinking I've changed my spots:
How in THE hell is @Alan liking this post? Alan? You starting to warm to my boy McD? You realize I'm personally shipping you a crow pie if he makes the Probowl - right?

I sure hope I'll have to ask for seconds.

What I like is that some of you guys like him. It makes me think he's very good and better than I thought he was. Who doesn't like very good players on their team.

For me personally though, he's after Quinn, Donald, GR, Long, JL, Saffold, JJ, and Gaines. I'll probably have to eat some crow on Gaines too. I hope so. Although to be fair to me concerning Gaines, I still have the same issues with him as I did before but the problem is, Tru didn't look good last year even when he was healthy and if our secondary isn't good this year it will again, blunt the effectiveness of our D-line. I think we're really going to need our D to be at it's best. Especially early in the year.

But our play at safety is hugely important too and McD is our best player there. I'm still not a fan of McLeod and Barron is situational. Which means Mcd is hugely important.

Like I said, I like everyone's choices.

 

[RamFan503]

I sure hope I'll have to ask for seconds.

What I like is that some of you guys like him. It makes me think he's very good and better than I thought he was. Who doesn't like very good players on their team.

For me personally though, he's after Quinn, Donald, GR, Long, JL, Saffold, JJ, and Gaines. I'll probably have to eat some crow on Gaines too. I hope so. Although to be fair to me concerning Gaines, I still have the same issues with him as I did before but the problem is, Tru didn't look good last year even when he was healthy and if our secondary isn't good this year it will again, blunt the effectiveness of our D-line. I think we're really going to need our D to be at it's best. Especially early in the year.

But Our play at safety is hugely important too and McD is our best player there. I'm still not a fan of McLeod and Barron is situational. Which means Mcd is hugely important.

Like I said, I like everyone's choices.

You politician you.

 

[Alan]

Golden tongued aren't I?

 

[VegasRam]

I'm really going to hope that the surgery he has been putting off has actually corrected the biggest problem with Saffold. Because when he is in there and healthy, he is a force to be reckoned with - with which to be reckoned - for all you grammar nazzis.

nazis only has one 'z'. ...and btw, you were perfectly correct the first time.

 

[drasconis]

"But until he proves himself..." That applies to every player...it doesn't mean you can't / shouldn't rely on them to perform. We expect Robinson, Quick, Austin, etc to perform but in my eyes each are still unproven. My point is that if you want to go from Team that is perennially around five hundred to one that annually is a playoff participant you need playmakers. Gurley has the chance to be that person, and my expectation is that he will become that player by game five.

That is a lot of pressure on a just drafted player coming off an injury....he means a lot to the future, but do you really think that if he gets hurt or fails to live up to the hype the Rams have a bad year this year?

I say Saffold or Robinson that Oline already worries me....

 

[Big Willie]

That is a lot of pressure on a just drafted player coming off an injury....he means a lot to the future, but do you really think that if he gets hurt or fails to live up to the hype the Rams have a bad year this year?

I say Saffold or Robinson that Oline already worries me....

No. I don't think they have a bad year, but I wonder if they are a 7-9 to 9-7 team without him becoming a factor. For the record, I am not expecting him to be a 1600 yard back, but I do expect him to be able to gain yardage against the tougher defenses. We lost some games last year because we couldn't run the ball.

 

[den-the-coach]

 

[dieterbrock]

If you are good enough, then there is no one player outside of QB then is hard to overcome.

No one player outside of your QB should cripple your team if built correctly.

Great post I totally agree. I think we finally have some depth at all positions and won't be in doomsday mode over the loss of any one player outside of qb

 

[blue4]

Lots of good answers. I was tempted to say Brockers, as a space eater - but I'm going to say Donald. As good as Quinn is, they've figured out a way to slow him down (hint: against any other RDE it would be called holding). Donald is too quick for the OL to actually get their hands on him consistently.

I think he's going to have a monster year, not just sacking the QB or hurrying him, but disrupting runs up the middle.

I agree with Donald. The best DT last year, how can he not be picked?

Second would be JL. QB of the defense, solid play, no real back up available. Also he leads the league in unwarranted criticism.

I really can't go with any of the OL. Saffold's health is unreliable. GL wasn't all that good last year, so he's going to have to make some strides before I'd call him irreplaceable.

I can't agree with Gurley either. I'm not even sure if he's going to be a good draft pick yet, let alone irreplaceable. I'd say Mason way before Gurley. I don't think Bennie is an every down back, and Gurley is no lock to be healthy by week 1.

Third, I'd say Gaines. TJ and JJ haven't been the most consistent corners around, and they are coming up on the end of their contacts.

 

[Big Game]

Greg Robinson, With out Greg we pretty much will start an all rookie Oline. I have no problem with rookies like Havenstein at RT or Brown at RG. But having a rookie as well at LT could make for a long season.

 

[Ken]

Hekker

 

[BonifayRam]

A. What unit is our most inexperienced team unit?

B. What unit has been the weakest team unit for years?

C. What Unit has lost four veteran starters from the five who started week of 2014?

D. What unit has seven rookies being injected into it in order to play a major role in its strengthening & improvement .

E. What Ram player is the most experienced starter of the unit mentioned above ?

Who is now the unit leader of the above team unit.


Rodger Saffold