I have to admit that I am a little worried that Chris Long has still not signed a contract with the St. Louis Rams yet. However it is only late June and we still have a few weeks before training camp opens in Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin. Yahoo sports has a short article this week called Inside Slant which talks about how well Chris Long is doing in camp, and how the St. Louis Rams might be able to use his abilities in the 2008 season.
Said coach Scott Linehan, “We’ve thrown a lot at Chris, and that was the objective. He’s seen a lot of offense since he’s been here. Once that starts to click in with him, I know he’s going to really take off.”
Defensive coordinator Jim Haslett has been impressed and looks forward to the different ways he will able to utilize the rookie.
Haslett said, “I think he’s very good in run defense. He does a great job in hand placement and getting off blocks. He looks like his father from that standpoint. You can tell his dad coached him when he was young because he’s got the Howie moves.”
The Rams will need Chris Long to have an impact on the overall play of the defense. A pass rush will do nothing but help the lack of depth at linebacker, and help the secondary play a little more aggresive. Chris should be able to provide a pass rush while playing the 3-4 because he will be lined up over a TE from time to time. When Jim Haslett switches to the 3-4 Chris should be even more comfortable. I expect much more impact from Chris Long than the Rams were able to get from Adam Carriker.
