In linebacker search, latest picks have been letdowns

ST. LOUIS -- The investment in linebackers the Rams made in the offseason has worked out about as well as the stock market.

First-round pick Robert Thomas is developing so slowly that the Rams just might have to take another linebacker in the first round of next year's draft. Tommy Polley, who never even missed a practice last season, is suddenly brittle. But the biggest disappointment -- by far -- is free-agent pickup Jamie Duncan.

The former Buc was supposed to make Rams fans forget the hyperactive London Fletcher, who left for a free-agent deal in Buffalo. Not by a long shot. Duncan missed four tackles, all of them leading to big plays, in last week's victory over the Arizona Cardinals, and that's the way his whole season has gone.

The Rams went to a 4-1-6 alignment when facing three or more wide receivers earlier in the season largely because of Duncan's woes. He has no interceptions, no forced fumbles, and only one pass breakup and one quarterback pressure. All of his team-leading 11 tackles against the Cardinals came well down the field and Marcel Shipp's 80-yard screen pass that went for a touchdown got a jump-start from a Duncan whiff.

"He's just not getting it done," defensive coordinator Lovie Smith said. "You get in position, you have to make plays. He's gotten in position and he's missed plays."

Duncan began the year with two dislocated fingers, hampering his tackling ability. The injuries haven't had a chance to fully heal because he's banging them on a weekly basis.

"He's got the bad fingers he still can't grip with," Smith said. "But I can't starting making excuses for him. For whatever reason, he hasn't played as well as he used to."

Duncan's salary includes a $3 million bonus over five years and a base salary of $725,000 that would make it hard for the Rams to cut him. To do it, the team would have to take a $1.7 million cap hit.

Instead, the better likelihood is he'll be an expensive backup for at least next season.

At least the Rams feel there's hope for Thomas, the 31st overall pick of the draft out of UCLA. Thomas just missed intercepting a pass that would have produced a touchdown return against the Cardinals and has showed promising signs in recent weeks.

"I'll tell you, he really played well this last game, and I'm pleased with his progress," coach Mike Martz said.

Smith said the team believes Thomas will be a "good player" eventually and downplayed his lack of production most of the year as typical rookie struggles.

"Whatever you get from a rookie is a bonus," Smith said. "It's a simple system that we have, but it's not a simple system for the linebackers. Lately, he's really come around."

Thomas said his rookie year has definitely been a learning experience. For one thing, he was switched from inside linebacker to the outside.

"I've had my ups and downs, but this last part of the season I just want to focus on getting better," Thomas said. "So far, I have been."

Thomas made his first career start in Game 2 and stayed in the lineup for four weeks before becoming a reserve for a month, falling out of favor due to a lack of production. He'll start for the fifth time in six weeks on Sunday at Seattle.

"When I think too much, that's when I make mistakes and do bad things," Thomas said. "You've got to be instinctive at this position."

Polley has been the one constant in the linebackers corps, when healthy. But he missed two games with a pulled muscle earlier in the season and now is dogged by a high ankle sprain that kept him out last week, although he expects to play on Sunday.

"I call it the sophomore jinx," Polley said. "It's trying to get better, but you walk around and it feels good and then you go out there and try to cut and plant and it hurts.

"It's just one of those things."