8-6-2010 - Rams 2010 NFL Depth Chart - therockstar2005's Dynasty

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8-6-2010 - Rams 2010 NFL Depth Chart

Posted on October 1, 2010 at 12:20 PM.

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As training camp is continuing and the first preseason games are almost upon us, we find that the Rams are settling upon their roster selections for the upcoming year. There have been quite a few surprising moves as of late, and we'll break them down for you here:

-A "major" trade will shake up the defense a bit, but hopefully provide the offense with a new weapon that rookie quarterback Sam Bradford will be able to take advantage of. The Rams sent defensive end James Hall and strong safety James Butler to Washington in exchange for tight end Fred Davis and a pair of undisclosed draft picks. Hall was not a spectacular piece of the Rams defensive line, but he was still a solid starter. With Butler gone, the strong safety position seems to belong to second-year man Craig Dahl.

-In the hopes of filling the void left by Hall, the Rams have signed Derrick Burgess. He has been utilized as a linebacker for the past couple of years, but it is expected the Rams will use him at the right end spot in place of Hall. Burgess has had some injury history, but when healthy he has shown he can be a dynamic presence rushing the quarterback. St. Louis has also surprised many by signing Trevor Pryce. Typically a 3-4 defensive end, it seems that, barring a major defensive shift, the Rams will try him in their rotation of defensive tackles to stabilize the middle of the defense.

-The Rams also made moves to help further improve their lackluster defense, bringing in veteran cornerback Shawn Springs, and up and coming linebacker Rashad Jeanty. Springs has had some injury history, but has been a very solid corner when actually on the field. The signing of Jeanty almost shows more about the lack of talent in the Rams outside linebacker corp, as he is expected to be a starter. But he is a good all around linebacker, and should be in good competition with David Vobora for the weak side starting spot.

-Finally, the Rams brought in rookie SS Myron Rolle, HB Daniel Frisch, and WR/KR Yamon Figurs. Out of the three, Figurs may get the most playing time on special teams, where he may challenge WR Danny Amendola for returning duties. Figurs is not very elusive, but he has great breakaway speed, something that the Rams are short on with receiver Donnie Avery landing on injured reserve, and for a team desperate for every yard they can get, he has a chance to be a big difference maker.

Here we have the expected roster for the 2010 St. Louis Rams:

St. Louis Rams - 2010 Depth Chart - Regular Offense

	Starter	2nd	3rd	4th
WR	89 - Mark Clayton	16 - Danny Amendola	11 - Brandon Gibson
TE	87 - Fred Davis	46 - Daniel Fells
LT	76 - Roger Saffold	71 - Renardo Foster
LG	63 - Jacob Bell	79 - John Greco
C	60 - Jason Brown	65 - Hank Fraley
RG	73 - Adam Goldberg	79 - John Greco
RT	77 - Jason Smith	62 - Andrew Gardner
WR	19 - Laurent Robinson	81 - Mardy Gilyard
QB	8 - Sam Bradford	4 - A.J. Feeley
FB	44 - Mike Karney
HB	39 - Steven Jackson	40 - Daniel Frisch	34 - Kenneth Darby

St. Louis Rams - 2010 Depth Chart - Base 4-3 Defense

	Starter	2nd	3rd	4th
LDE	72 - Chris Long	99 - C.J. Ah You
LDT	90 - Trevor Pryce	97 - Darnell Scott
RDT	98 - Fred Robbins	95 - Clifton Ryan
RDE	51 - Derrick Burgess	67 - George Selvie
WLB	54 - Rashad Jeanty	58 - David Vobora
MLB	55 - James Laurinaitis	50 - Bryan Kehl
SLB	53 - Na'il Diggs	59 - Larry Grant
CB	24 - Ron Bartell	23 - Jerome Murphy
SS	43 - Craig Dahl	25 - Myron Rolle
FS	21 - O.J. Atogwe	20 - Darian Stewart
CB	29 - Shawn Springs	35 - Kevin Dockery

St. Louis Rams - 2010 Depth Chart - Special Teams

	Starter	2nd	3rd	4th
K	3 - Josh Brown
P	5 - Donnie Jones
H	4 - A.J. Feeley
PR	13 - Yamon Figurs	16 - Danny Amendola
KR	13 - Yamon Figurs	16 - Danny Amendola
LS	60 - Jason Brown

OperationSports.com

Best Offensive Player: HB Steven Jackson - Even with a bit of an injury history, Jackson is clearly the best player on the team. A powerful running back with a lethal combination of size, speed, and power, when Jackson is healthy this team has a chance. The press may be focusing on the rookie Sam Bradford, but make no mistake, the offense runs through Steven Jackson.

Best Defensive Player: MLB James Laurinaitis - After a very impressive rookie season, Laurinaitis is planted firmly in the middle of a suspect Rams defense. There are great hopes for Laurinaitis, who seems that he is close to becoming a Pro-Bowl caliber talent year after year. The Rams are hoping that he will evolve as a leader and pace setter for the defense this year.

Player With the Most to Prove: (tie)DE Chris Long/RT Jason Smith - Two second overall draft picks; two less than stellar NFL careers so far. Both have been bothered by injuries, but even when on the field, neither one has quite lived up to their overall draft status. St. Louis fans have seen multiple first-round picks on both the offensive and defensive lines fail to impress, so if the Rams are going to improve at all this season, they're going to need far better play from both Long and Smith.

Player Who Could Surprise: TE Fred Davis - Davis was a promising player in Washington, but was stuck behind Chris Cooley, one of the better tight ends in the league. Here, with an offense whose passing game has struggled for years, a somewhat suspect offensive line, a mediocre receiving corp, and a rookie quarterback, Davis could find himself in prime position to make a major contribution to this team and become one of the NFL's better receiving tight ends.

Overall: As bad as the Rams have been, last season has to be seen as a disappointment even by their standards. After going 3-13 and 2-14, only managing one win in 2009 has left a bad taste in this franchise's mouth. Thankfully, it's hard to imagine things getting worse in St. Louis. Plus, with coach Spagnuolo's system firmly in place, ownership of the team finally settled, and the hopeful savior of the franchise in QB Sam Bradford, things have to be looking up for the Rams. Couple that with the weakness overall in the NFC West, and the Rams should be a much more competitive team this year. But expecting a winning record, much less a playoff appearance, seems unlikely.

Season Prediction: 4-12