Expect Defensive Line to Feed Off Each Other

A message to Roger Saffold and Jason Smith: Eat something light for breakfast during this year’s training camp because there’s going to be DEs flying left and right.

When the Rams decided to use their first round pick on DE Robert Quinn, the initial thought was that he would eventually take over for James Hall and end up anchoring the defensive line with Chris Long for many years to come. Though this may be true, by drafting Quinn, the Rams infused an even higher level of competition between the young defensive linemen. George Selvie and Eugene Sims are heading into their second year in the league, and both are agile and speedy ends. We saw Selvie considerably more last year because Sims played in only eight games due to injury. Selvie was a two-time All American at the University of South Florida before he had a subpar senior year that allowed him to drop to the Rams in the seventh round of the 2010 draft. We saw glimpses of his ability last year, though. His speed is what you notice first, and Spags would even line him up at defensive tackle on third down situations to add another gear to the pass rush (It’s also worth mentioning that Selvie showed up at camp last week considerably heavier—in a good way). Sims also showed a lot of promise with his great speed.

Look for Sims and Selvie to bring it as training camp progresses. These two are out to show Spags and the coaching staff that they possess just as much ability of getting to the passer as anybody else on the team. Quinn is the sexy candidate because he’s a first-rounder, but you can’t underestimate the experience Sims and Selvie received in their first year in the NFL. Don’t forget C.J. Ah You, who also showed a lot of promise at disrupting the passing game of opposing teams.

The offensive line will undoubtedly feel the heat in these sweltering practices. Long, Hall, Quinn, Selvie, Sims, and Ah You: they’re coming, and they’re coming fast.