Rams linebacker Ogletree will have surgery on ankle

ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis Rams outside linebacker Alec Ogletree, the team's leading tackler, will undergo surgery today for a broken right ankle and could be out for the season.

Rams coach Jeff Fisher said Monday the team would have a better idea after the procedure. He said Ogletree attended team meetings and was optimistic he could be placed on injured reserve/designated for return.

"You have to look long and hard to find a linebacker playing better than he did the first four weeks," Fisher said. "We just have to look at the integrity of the entire ankle."

Akeem Ayers becomes the starter for now and safety Mark Barron, who's subbed in on passing downs, will get more time, too. Ayers made four starts for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots last season and got a one-year deal in St. Louis.

The team is bringing in outside linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar, among the final cuts before the opener, for a physical. He was a starter for three years from 2012 to 2014.

Ogletree was hurt when teammate T.J. McDonald landed on his legs while trying to make a diving tackle in the second half of Sunday's 24-22 victory at Arizona. Ogletree had 11 tackles against the Cardinals and has 55 on the season, hitting double figures every game.