With two weeks to go until the Rams open the season in Seattle against the Seahawks, what position has the most question marks?

My sense is that most fans have focused on the wide receiver corps along with the backup running back. In my mind, the biggest problem area has been and continues to be defensive tackle.

Clearly, we were spoiled by having so many great years with Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt at wide receiver. The reality is that very few teams have receivers of that quality, and many teams are successful with offenses that spread the ball around in the passing game with someone other than a wide receiver being the leading pass-catcher. That’s what the Rams will attempt to do, with hopefully a healthy Donnie Avery leading the way.

At running back, there will only be a problem if Steven Jackson is unavailable, as he was for the equivalent of five games each of the last two seasons. Once again, the reality is that every-down backups don’t grow on trees. So, if Jackson has to miss some time, unless someone better drops in the Rams lap in the next week, the current backs will have to get the job done in a committee approach.

Still, those questions pale in comparison to what the Rams face on the inside of their defensive line. Adam Carriker returned to practice Sunday, but he has yet to show he can stay healthy for an extended period of time. Clifton Ryan is solid at nose tackle, but likely can’t hold up for 16 games, being on the field for 40-50 snaps a game.

Gary Gibson is a try-hard guy that, at best, should be a rotation player like Ryan. Hollis Thomas is still trying to get into any semblance of playing shape. How did this position get to this point?

The great irony, is that despite the persistent bashing of past Rams drafts (yes, much of it is deserved), this defense would currently be a lot better if Damione Lewis and Ryan Pickett, first-round picks in 2001, were the starting tackles.

Both players departed as unrestricted free agents in 2006, the year Scott Linehan took over as head coach. Admittedly, Lewis never played to the expectations of the 12th overall pick in the draft, which he was in ‘01. However, he is a good player, and started last season for the Carolina Panthers.

Further irony is that Gibson was on the Panthers last season, but was not offered a minimum tender this past offseason by the Panthers as a restricted free agent.

Pickett was a very productive nose tackle for the Rams, but the Rams refused to match an offer he received from the Green Bay Packers and he left. The departures of Pickett and Lewis resulted in the Rams switching Jimmy Kennedy to nose tackle, signing La’Roi Glover and then drafting Carriker with the 13th overall selection in 2007.

This shows that success in the NFL isn’t only about drafting well, it’s about keeping the players you do develop, or making solid choices when some players inevitably leave.

We know what a bottomless pit existed at middle linebacker for too long following the free-agent departure of London Fletcher. When the Philadelphia Eagles made no effort to retain cornerbacks Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor several years ago, they had Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown waiting in the wings. That’s what good organizations do.

If the Rams had kept Pickett and Lewis, Ryan could be an excellent player in the rotation. And, they likely wouldn’t have drafted Carriker, instead taking the guy they considered anyway with that pick two years ago: Darrelle Revis, who went to the Jets with the next selection, and quickly became one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL.

Need I say anything more?

DON’T BLAME THE PUNT COVERAGE
There has been far too much bashing of the punt coverage in the Rams’ win over Cincinnati last Thursday. What, is no one allowed to criticize punter Donnie Jones?

On the two long punt returns by the Bengals, Jones had simply awful punts of 39 and 37 yards that were also low.

His other four punts, including one negated by a penalty, had a total of 14 return yards. One punt went 33 yards, but the line of scrimmage was the Cincinnati 44 and there was a fair catch of the high punt at the 11. His other three punts went 55, 59 and 55 yards.

The negated punt was 55 yards and was returned seven yards. On the rekick, Jones had a 59-yard punt that bounced at the 8-yard line and was downed at the 3. His final punt was 55 yards and also resulted in a seven-yard return.

Said coach Steve Spagnuolo, “I thought he had some really good kicks. He had a couple where one was supposed to go left and it went right, and it hurt us a little bit. I think both Josh (Brown) and Donnie would tell you if they were standing here that they would have liked to perform better (Thursday) night, but they will.”