EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Free agency and the NFL draft are over, and the St. Louis Rams will soon be back on the field for organized team activities. Soon enough, training camp will be here and the competition will heat up.
At first glance, there doesn't appear to be much guesswork in figuring out which new additions will fit in where but there will be plenty of competition at a number of positions.
With that said, here's one man's guess at how the defensive depth chart figures to shape up as we head toward summer. (Asterisk indicates a rookie and undrafted rookies not included.)
DEFENSE:
Left end
Projected starter: Chris Long
Backups: William Hayes, Sammy Brown
Comment: The beat goes on for this group as Brown looks to earn a spot on the active roster after earning the promotion for the final game of 2013.
Tackle
Projected starter: Kendall Langford
Backups: Aaron Donald*, Matt Conrath
Comment: It doesn't really matter who starts between Langford and Donald because both will play and play a lot in 2014. Drafting Donald should put Conrath on notice that he needs to make a move or get left behind.
Tackle
Projected starter: Michael Brockers
Backups: Alex Carrington, Jermelle Cudjo
Comment: Brockers will handle the bulk of the work here but Carrington can give the Rams some additional pass rush in certain situations. Like Conrath, Cudjo will need to take a step forward to remain on the roster.
Right end
Projected starter: Robert Quinn
Backups: Eugene Sims, Michael Sam*
Comment: Quinn is the best player on the roster and will play a lot but shouldn't have to carry as much of a load this year with more depth inside allowing Sims to stay on the edge more consistently. Sam will have packages designed for him but will need to make a difference on special teams to stick.
Right outside linebacker
Projected starter: Jo-Lonn Dunbar
Backups: Ray Ray Armstrong, Phillip Steward, Caleb McSurdy
Comment: Dunbar looks to bounce back with Gregg Williams back as his coordinator. Armstrong could push for playing time beyond his usual special-teams role.
Middle linebacker
Projected starter: James Laurinaitis
Backups: Dunbar
Comment: There's not much depth behind Laurinaitis, but he's been so dependable that the team hasn't needed it. Dunbar could slide over if needed.
Left outside linebacker
Projected starter: Alec Ogletree
Backups: Daren Bates, Etienne Sabino
Comment: Armstrong would probably be the first to step in if Ogletree suffered an injury, but the Rams have some openings for depth here. Bates is a special-teams bulldog who remains as a core player there.
Left cornerback
Projected starter: Trumaine Johnson
Backups: Lamarcus Joyner*, Greg Reid
Comment: Joyner is almost certain to handle nickel corner duties but could also play outside in a pinch. Fellow former Seminole Reid has much to prove to make the roster.
Right cornerback
Projected starter: Janoris Jenkins
Backups: Brandon McGee, E.J. Gaines*, Darren Woodard
Comment: McGee has raw potential but will need to turn it into performance if he wants to hold off Gaines, who could be the sleeper of this draft class.
Free safety
Projected starter: Rodney McLeod
Backups: Cody Davis, Christian Bryant*
Comment: The Rams felt good enough about McLeod to not draft or sign an obvious replacement though they could theoretically use Maurice Alexander or Joyner there. Bryant and Davis could be surprises but will likely have to battle for one spot with special teams as the primary factor.
Strong safety
Projected starter: T.J. McDonald
Backups: Maurice Alexander*, Matt Daniels
Comment: Daniels has been an intriguing talent since he arrived but needs to stay healthy in order to prove himself. Alexander could potentially play opposite McDonald if the Rams want a pair of physical presences on the back end but his first job will be to help on special teams.