Rams needs: It started in front office, now fix up front

The St. Louis Rams started the 21st century as one of the best and brightest teams in the league. Now they're one of the worst and dullest, and blame it on the NFL Draft. As the Rams grew old they struggled to find suitable replacements, which is another way of saying they blew their drafts.

Result: Over the past two seasons, they have won five of 32 games.

Marc Bulger needs more time to throw, but is his time in St. Louis short? (Getty Images)

That's not just bad; it's embarrassing. But give the Rams credit for recognizing their shortcomings. The club overhauled its front office, with GM Billy Devaney now in charge, and introduced Steve Spagnuolo as its head coach. Spagnuolo was in demand after the New York Giants stunned New England in Super Bowl XLII, and the Rams had the patience to wait a year to get him.

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That's a start. Now the guys at the top must straighten out their ballclub, and that won't be easy. Poor drafting left Devaney and Spagnuolo in the position of having to improve nearly every position, with offensive line the first priority. The Rams have been horrible there for a couple of years, and I guarantee Devaney straightens that out. Remember, he was in Washington in the 1980s when the Redskins made three Super Bowl runs under Joe Gibbs and his Hogs, so he knows the value of a competent offensive line.

He also knows the value of good defense, which is where Spagnuolo comes in. He studied under Jim Johnson in Philadelphia and turned out the lights on Tom Brady and the then-undefeated New England Patriots. He and Devaney will make the Rams better. I just don't know how much better. There are a zillion needs here, but never fear, Rams fans: Your team has the good fortune of playing in the NFC West, where a .500 record makes you a contender.

QB: Marc Bulger is the starter, but for now much longer? The poor guy managed to make it through 15 starts last season -- the second time in three years he sat down for no more than one game -- but he's not a force anymore. For the second straight season he had 11 touchdown passes, and for the second straight season he had more interceptions than TDs. There were eight quarterbacks who exceeded Bulger's 22 TD passes from the past two seasons in 2008 alone. Not good. The Rams should start looking for a successor, and no, I don't think Kyle Boller is the answer. Boller did the right thing getting out of Baltimore, but if he thinks it was tough there wait until he gets a load of the pass protection here.

RB: There is nothing wrong with Steven Jackson other than durability ... but that is an issue. He has missed eight games the past two seasons, yet still rushed for 1,000 yards in each of those years. The Rams are vastly better when he's in the lineup but they need him to stick around for a complete season. He not only is one of the game's most productive backs; he can catch, ranking third on the team in that department a year ago. Jackson's history of injuries underscores the importance of finding a complement, someone to give him a breather, but just whom do you suggest? Antonio Pittman and Brian Leonard are nothing more than serviceable. And while Kenneth Darby has ability, he's more effective as a pass receiver.

TE: If Randy McMichael can stay healthy he should be a factor in the pass attack. McMichael, who had 39 catches in 2007, had 11 last season in four games. Then he was lost for the season, and the club suffered basically because backup Joe Klopfenstein hasn't done much since joining the Rams in 2006. St. Louis could use depth at this position, particularly blockers for the rushing attack they would like to produce. Anthony Becht was supposed to be that guy last year, but he's gone.

WR: Once the St. Louis Rams were Air Coryell, Part Deux. Not anymore. Mike Martz is gone. Kurt Warner is gone. Isaac Bruce is gone. And now Torry Holt is down the road. The Rams released the wide receiver last month rather than pay him millions to reprise a disappointing 2008 season. That makes St. Louis young and thin at this position, with Donnie Avery the best of the lot. Avery showed promise last year until he was slowed by a hip injury, but he needs help that isn't there at the moment. Laurent Robinson and Keenan Burton are the best of the backups, which is why the Rams will address this position in the draft.

OL: This has been one of the team's black eyes the past two seasons. The Rams' offensive linemen have either been hurt or overwhelmed and sometimes both. The club doesn't need help here; it needs a tourniquet. Getting Jason Brown was a start. The guy is young, good and versatile. He can play guard or center but will play center with the Rams. Now they could use a tackle -- maybe two -- one reason many mock drafts have them targeting Baylor's Jason Smith with their first pick. Veteran Orlando Pace is gone, but he hadn't played well for some time. For the moment, Alex Barron takes his place, but stay tuned.

DL: Drafting Chris Long was smart. He didn't miss a start. He was second on the team in sacks. He was first in quarterback pressures. And he sure looks like a Pro Bowl player in the making. Long is one of the game's top young players and the Rams could use more at this position. Leonard Little has been a fixture for years, and he can still rush the passer ... when he's healthy. He led the team in sacks despite an injured hamstring. But it's time for defensive tackle Adam Carriker to pick up his game. I know he had ankle and shoulder injuries last year, but he's supposed to be an impact player. So make an impact. The Rams need a plugger inside to improve the league's 29th-ranked run defense.

LB: Another area where applications are in demand because the Rams are short on talent. They have Will Witherspoon, who struggled all season with a shoulder injury and who will move outside, and not much more. Weak-side linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa was one of the few Rams who wasn't shelved by injuries, and he played so well he led the club in tackles. Chris Draft was decent at strong-side linebacker when he played, but he missed four games and then moved inside to replace the injured Witherspoon. Make him your middle linebacker this season. There aren't enough playmakers here, so make this another area of need.

DB: Next to the offensive line this was the biggest concern going into the offseason. But the Rams helped themselves by re-signing cornerback Ron Bartell and acquiring former Giants safety James Butler. Both moves should bolster the 19th-ranked pass defense. Butler joins Oshiomogho Atogwe, the team's franchise player, and there is nothing wrong there. Atogwe is a big-time playmaker, with 13 interceptions the past two years and eight forced fumbles last season. If there's a potential headache it's at right cornerback, where Tye Hill was supposed to be the answer. He has been hurt the past two seasons and struggled early last year when he was on the field. There was a reason the Rams made him their first choice in the 2006 draft. It's time he demonstrated why. Bottom line: The Rams need more playmakers. Only six teams had fewer interceptions.