EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Rosey Grier, one of the members of the great "Fearsome Foursome," came to St. Louis recently and decided to stop by for a visit with the St. Louis Rams. Many of the players knew who Grier was, even if they weren't alive to see him play, but now some of them will never forget the unexpected treat they got from the 81-year-old Grier.
"He showed us some of his moves," Rams defensive tackle Kendall Langford said. "He was doing spin moves with a cane."
The Fearsome Foursome, first made up of Grier, fellow tackle Merlin Olsen and ends Deacon Jones and Lamar Lundy is considered one of the best -- if not the best -- defensive lines in NFL history.
That makes playing the position for the Rams franchise -- even one now based in St. Louis -- special for those who do.
It also means living up to big expectations.
"We know how good they were," Rams defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. "We're just trying to do our own thing. We're trying to bring it back. But we call ourselves the "Elite Eight."
That name comes because the Rams, who tied Denver for the league lead in sacks in 2012 with 52, have an eight-man front that might be as good as any in the league. It is deep and talented, thus the nickname.
"Oh, they have a nickname already?" Rams coach Jeff Fisher said surprisingly when I told him they did.
Fisher is a big believer in what good, strong, four-man lines can do for a football team. He saw that as a player on those great Chicago Bears teams in the mid-80s.
That's why he and general manager Les Snead have put such a premium on building a powerful front line. First-year defensive coordinator Tim Walton has a lot of talent to work with on his front.
The starters are Langford and Brockers inside, with Robert Quinn and Chris Long on the outside. The depth is good too, but it's those down four who will decide just how good this unit can be.
"We led the league in sacks last year and we were still trying to figure out who we are as a unit," Long said. "We're at an age where we are all ascending and nobody should be on the decline. I don't see why we can't be a lot better."
The 28-year-old Long is the oldest of the group. Langford is 27, Quinn is 23 and Brockers is 22. They have a chance to really grow together into something special.
"I believe the defensive front is what sets the tone for a team," Fisher said. "I think we have the kind of line that can do that."
If you doubt it, pop on the two tapes from their games with the 49ers last season...
