After a tumultuous offseason, plenty of hype, and a season of hard knocks..... meaningful football is once again upon us. The slate is clean and the Rams have their sights set on their first winning season under Jeff Fisher. If that is going to get off on the right foot, then some Rams are going to have to step up their games.
QB Case Keenum
Keenum has the trust of Jeff Fisher and will be your starting QB on Monday in San Francisco. If Todd Gurley is giong to have any success running the ball, he's going to need some help from the passing game. In his 5 starts last season, Keenum averaged 165 yards per game.
Gurley is an amazing talent at RB, but he won't win many games by himself. The Rams have invested a lot of draft capital in the passing game - to include trading up for Jared Goff this offseason - but don't have much to show for it. Keenum needs to step up his game in 2016.
OT Greg Robinson
Robinson has been downright horrible at times since being drafted #2 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft. He is charged with keeping Keenum upright and will soon be asked to do the same with Franchise QB Jared Goff. That's not something he should take lightly.
He spent a lot of time this offseason working with former Pro Bowl Center Lecharles Bentley. Time to see if his extra work paid off.
WR Tavon Austin
Austin is an elite athlete - and gets paid like an elite WR. While the merits of his extension are up for debate, his importance to the Rams offense is not. Gurley is going to get his but Tavon has been hit and miss in his career.
The Rams have expressed a desire to get Tavon more touches - which I hope happens. But until it does, the Rams top WR will continue to be looked at as a gadget player.
DE Robert Quinn
This is purely health related. If Quinn's injuries are truly behind him, WATCH OUT. If they aren't...... let's just not talk about that, OK?
K Greg Zuerlein
The Rams kicker has gone from rookie sensation to an embattled vet awfully quick. No one doubts his kicking power, but kickers are paid to make field goals and Zuerlein missed a third of the attempts he took in 2015. Only one other kicker in the NFL (Matt Bryant, 78%) had a kicking percentage under 80%.
Zuerlein will only get to kick in a dome for 2 games this season. It's time to show that you have an NFL leg kid.