Will St Louis Rams target offensive linemen in free agency?

With St Louis Rams fans resigned to the fact that they will once again be sitting out the playoffs, it is probably not too early to cast an eye towards next year’s offseason. Crucial to the Rams seemingly never-ending rebuilding process is the opportunity to snap up veteran talent in free agency. With the Rams ranked 31^st on offense this season, it is a no-brainer as to where the biggest need lies.

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In recent years the Rams have swung and missed on some big name free agent offensive linemen. Scott Wells came to St Louis in 2012 after eight successful seasons in Green Bay. Wells was hit by injury in his first season with the Rams and never really looked the same player after his return.

He was not picked up by another team after the Rams let him go in 2015. Similarly, former number one overall draft selection Jake Long was another big name whose performances with the St Louis Rams were not on a par with those at his earlier team. In the 2014 preseason he missed a block in Cleveland which resulted in the second ACL tear to Sam Bradford, and would ironically suffer the same injury himself in the regular season against the Chiefs. Long would be released at the same time as Scott Wells.

This season has shown real concerns the Rams may have taken a bust with Greg Robinson at number two overall in the 2014 draft. Rookie Jamon Brown has suffered a horrendous broken leg, and fellow members of the 2015 class Cody Wichmann and Andrew Donnal are yet to really demonstrate that they have what it takes to be NFL calibre linemen. With major questions over the Rams youthful line, has the wheel gone full circle resulting in the Rams again looking to free agency to reinforce things up front?

Dec 6, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; Denver Broncos guard Evan Mathis (69) in pass protection during the first half of the game against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium. Denver won 17-3. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

2016 will again see some big name linemen hit free agency. Among them is former Oakland center Stefan Wiesniewski, who was rumoured to be a target for the Rams before 2015 only to sign a one-year deal in Jacksonville. With Rams center Tim Barnes the only member of the St Louis line scheduled to hit free agency, Wisniewski may again feature as a potential target. At guard names such as the Denver’s Evan Mathis, Dallas’ Ronald Leary and Atlanta’s Chris Chester are all scheduled to be free agents this offseason. Will the Rams take a chance on any of these?

Probably the biggest factor in which free agent linemen (if any) the Rams go for is whether or not Jeff Fisher is still the Head Coach. With what is almost certain to be a fourth losing season and #firefisher trending regularly on Twitter on Sunday evenings in recent weeks, the question over whether Fisher remains in an increasingly hot seat is becoming more relevant.

Fisher is an unashamed defensive-minded coach and while the Rams defense is the envy of many, the investment in the D has arguably come at the expense of the offense. A new Head Coach may have an altogether different philosophy, which could easily translate into different targets when free agency is upon us.

Of course, all this is mere speculation in mid-December. Clearly the Rams need to improve the line. Whether they choose to do this through free agency, which players they may look at bringing it – and whether Jeff Fisher is still around to do so – are all questions that we need to wait a few months before being answered.

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