THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Many believe the third preseason game to be the most important of these exhibition matches as most starters don’t play much in the fourth and final game. The Rams obviously have a number of areas they are still trying to shore up. With that in mind, who is one player you will be watching very closely tomorrow night and why is that player’s performance vital to the success of this year’s Rams?

BERNIE MIKLASZ
I want to see how the defensive tackles play. I can’t single out one guy; all of them are on the spot as far as I’m concerned. This team will be virtual waxpaper against the run unless, and until, it can find DTs who are big enough, wide enough, strong enough, and tough enough to win the interior battles. The Rams have some solid (or better) linebackers. But the Rams LBs will get mauled, just like last year, if the defensive line (and especially the tackles) can’t stop the stampede of blockers. Atlanta absolutely bullied these people in the second preseason game; let’s see if they can put up some resistance in Cincinnati.

BILL COATS
I’ll be keeping an eye on Tye Hill. He’s trying to come back from two injury-shortened seasons and also hoping to prove that the Rams didn’t make a mistake when they drafted him in the first round in 2006. If Hill falters, the Rams will have to make a major secondary adjustment, and that certainly won’t help a rebuilding defense.

JEFF GORDON
I am watching two players: Jason Smith and Chris Long. As second overall picks, they must become difference makers for this team. So far that hasn’t happened. It’s early for Smith, but his inability to run block with any consistency last week was disappointing. We all understand it will take time to develop pass blocking skills at this level, but he ought to run block right out of the box. As for Long, he needs to become a Pro Bowl defensive end ASAP. So far he has just been solid.

BRYAN BURWELL
I will be eyeballing rookie MLB James Laurinaitis and comparing and contrasting him with Cincy rookie MLB Rey Maualuga. Which one looks like the sort of disciplined playmaker that could be a defensive star for the next six years?

KATHLEEN NELSON
Samkon Gado, and by extension the rest of the backs competing to back up Steven Jackson. Gado looked great at Lindenwood and in the first game, and the coaching staff used him as fullback to increase his versatility and usefulness to the team. He was unremarkable last week, though. Either he or one of the other hopefuls has a chance to take ownership of the role.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Tye Hill. I loved him as a playmaker coming out of college but he hasn’t developed into anywhere near the same thing at the NFL level. The team needs another corner to emerge opposite Ron Bartell and I’m sure they’d also like to get something of substance out of a player they spent a first-round pick on. I realize injuries have affected him and playing injured while “out on the island” is a bit of a problem for sure. That said, it’s time. He appears to have the confidence corners need and now he needs to show that he’s got the skill and durability required to be a starter in this league.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: If you were Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo, after watching the first two preseason games what would be your biggest area(s) of concern?

JIM THOMAS
If you can’t stop the run, you will not win consistently in the NFL. As a defensive oriented coach, Spagnuolo had to be concerned about the run defense — or lack thereof — against Atlanta. Especially after all those live tackling drills and an entire preseason spent trying to establish an attitude.

BILL COATS
The first-team offense’s inability to score a touchdown so far. Even though that unit was missing several key players Friday vs. the Falcons, it still was in Atlanta territory four times and produced only a single field goal. The week before, the first unit delivered two field goals vs. the Jets. That’s a lot of wasted opportunity and certainly no recipe for success.

JEFF GORDON
Run defense. The offensive line wasn’t great in Week 2, either, but it was missing Jacob Bell and Alex Barron to start the game. The defense had the bulk of its front seven rotation healthy and it couldn’t even slow down the first-unit Atlanta running game. If this team doesn’t improve there, it is looking at double-digit losses again. A LOT of money has been spent on shoring up that D, so it’ll be interesting to watch what happens the next two weeks.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
My biggest concern would be the defensive line and cornerback. I can give the offense a little bit of a break from the last game because they were without their starting QB and two first-team offensive linemen, but the defense was shredded by the Falcons. It’s important to note that the Falcons are a very strong offensive team and they’re going to do that kind of stuff to other teams in the regular season, but without a stout run defense it’s hard for me to see the team improving much. That starts on the line. As for corner, well, it may be time to move on from Tye Hill. If he doesn’t show something Thursday in Cincy this armchair QB would have to bump him down the depth chart a couple of spots.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: As training camp gets set to open this week, what do you think is the most important question the Rams need to get answered before the regular season begins?

JIM THOMAS
WHO WILL CATCH THE FOOTBALL? Yes, tight end Randy McMichael is healthy. And certainly running back Steven Jackson will continue to be a pass-catching threat out of the backfield. But even with the recent addition of Ronald Curry, there is next to nothing in experience and proven talent at wide receiver. The Rams must find two starters and a reliable slot receiver among the likes of Curry, Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Laurent Robinson, Brooks Foster and Tim Carter. Not exactly, Bruce, Holt, Hakim, and Proehl, is it?

JEFF GORDON
Wow . . . we won’t know where Marc Bulger really is until he starts getting hit for real, so it won’t matter how good he looks in limited preseason action. So I’m most curious about the linebackers. Can these guys give Spags enough to work with? Will Witherspoon should be a beast in this defense, but the Rams could have a rookie at middle linebacker and a journeyman next to him. Also, it’ll be interesting to see if CB Tye Hill can get his career back on track.

BRYAN BURWELL
The single most important question in my mind is whether the upgraded offensive line can protect QB Marc Bulger and keep RB Steven Jackson injury-free.

BILL COATS
Whether the revamped offensive line, with Alex Barron at left tackle, Jason Smith at right tackle and Jason Brown at center, will jell and provide sound protection for Marc Bulger and open lanes for Steven Jackson.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Rams fans seem to be enthused about having a defensive-minded head coach taking the helm of this team. Speaking just in terms of defense, what remains to be done this offseason that will enable Steve Spagnuolo to turn around the fortunes of the Rams defense?

JIM THOMAS
So far, strong safety James Butler is the only new starter on what was one of the NFL’s worst defenses last season. Help at middle linebacker, nose tackle, and cornerback would be nice.

JEFF GORDON
There is much work to do, especially with the front seven. The Rams still must get stronger at the point of attack. The most critical need is an impact linebacker — ideally for the middle, which would allow Will Witherspoon to move outside and make better use of his pass-rushing skills. Still another linebacker would help as well. This team needs another run-stuffer to stick in the middle of the line, supporting and pushing Clifton Ryan and Adam Carriker. The Rams also need to develop another pass-rushing end to ultimately replace Leonard Little and work across from Chris Long. And this team needs more depth at cornerback, where Tye Hill and Justin King are attempting comebacks.

BILL COATS
Draft Aaron Curry and put him at MLB. Find a beefy defensive tackle for the rotation up front. Get some depth — and possibly a starter if Tye Hill disappoints — at cornerback.

KATHLEEN NELSON
The pecking order at linebacker needs to be straightened out. Spagnuolo has said that he will move Will Witherspoon outside and move Chris Draft to the middle. The latter feels a bit like Tony LaRussa’s switch of Skip Schumacher to second base. The Cardinals have declared that move a success, but the Rams will need to see how it works and adjust if necessary.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
The main thing the Rams need on defense is a super-sized linebacker, someone who can be a dominant physical presence on game day. This linebacker would be someone for the middle, ideally, but more important than the specific position he plays is whether or not the player is the kind of impact talent the team needs. Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry would fit the bill, as could several others in the draft depending on how things fall.

I’d also like to see more depth on the defensive line and perhaps another cornerback added to the mix as well, though it may not be possible to address everything before training camp.

There are a lot of good players on the Rams’ defense but as things stand right now none of those players are dominant, nobody is a star. Chris Long may develop into that kind of player, but whether it is him or not, somehow this teams needs to find “The Guy” that makes it all work the way it is supposed to.