Rams needs: Start with Bradford, then get him a go-to receiver
A year ago, St. Louis Rams general manager Billy Devaney said he expected his team to be competitive in 2010. But now that it's 2010, it's hard to see the Rams as anything but the NFC West doormat for another year.
There are just too many needs, starting with the quarterback position. The Rams can talk about how they're tempted to use the first pick of the draft on a defensive tackle -- and I have no doubt they are -- but when your options at quarterback are A.J. Feeley and Keith Null, I think we all know what the next move is.
Sam Bradford, come on down.
Bradford won't change this team overnight. But he'll help. So will another decent draft by Devaney, who is trying to dig the Rams out of years of bad decisions that sabotaged one of the best clubs in the league.
Granted, the Rams play in a weak division, but they have so many shortcomings they're not fighting to be competitive -- they're fighting to be respectable, and that's a challenge when you go 3-29 over two seasons.
"We need playmakers," Devaney said. "Guys that are game-changers on both sides of the ball."
Well, then, let's get started. The time to start looking is now.
QB: At least the Rams -- and their opponents, for that matter -- don't have Marc Bulger to kick around anymore. Same goes for Kyle Boller. So what does that leave? Try Feeley, whom they signed in the offseason, and Null, who started the final four games of 2009, when the Rams were outscored 122-36. That means there's room for one more, and, gee, can anyone guess who that will be? It's time to start fitting Bradford for a jersey and hooking him up with a real-estate agent. The Rams need to move in a new direction, and adding Bradford is a new direction. The quarterback play here hasn't been right for years, and that's not all Bulger's fault. The poor guy seldom had a line capable of protecting him. Now that there is one, it's safe to put a franchise quarterback back there.
RB: Steven Jackson isn't merely the best player on this football team, he's one of the best backs in the business. Of course, you wouldn't know it by his touchdowns -- with Jackson scoring only four last season, or as many as Brett Favre threw in each of four games. But so what? The guy never quits, and that's not easy when you play for a club that won three games in two years. Jackson last season ran for an NFC-best 1,416 yards and gained 4.4 yards a carry, both outstanding figures on any team. But with this team, they're mind-boggling. It wasn't enough that Jackson played hard all the way through. He led the team in rushing. He led the team in receptions. And, more important, he never complained. The guy is a star, and if there's anything that's missing to his game, it's a backup. The Rams are thin in the backfield, with Kenneth Darby and Chris Ogbonnaya the best they have to offer behind Jackson. It's time to draft a supporting cast.
WR: It won't take Bradford long to discover he's short of premier wide receivers. Donnie Avery is the top pass catcher, with more yards (589) and touchdowns (5) than anyone on the roster. If those numbers seem small, it's because they are. That's what happens when you're part of the 28th-ranked pass offense in the league. Laurent Robinson should be a factor, provided he's able to overcome the fractured leg and ankle sprain that sidelined him last year. Robinson hasn't been able to cut on the leg, but the club expects him to be ready for its May OTAs. Keenan Burton is another guy who didn't make it through 2009, with the former Kentucky star felled by a knee injury in the middle of last season. At the time, he was the Rams' leading pass catcher. Danny Amendola is option No. 4, but he's more effective as a punt returner, with Brandon Gibson -- acquired from Philadelphia -- another young receiver with a future. The problem is that none of these guys is a No. 1. Not yet anyway. The Rams have a lot of candidates here but no stars.
| Five possibilities: Rams |
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Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma: Go ahead and book him as the team's first choice. |
| Draft strategy: Rams |
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Team Needs: All 32 teams |
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TE: Randy McMichael is gone, which leaves ... Daniel Fells? I didn't know who he was, either, but he's the probable starter after finishing 2009 on injured reserve. Fells, who started four games last season, was the Rams' best tight end last year and will play ahead of Billy Bajema and Darcy Johnson. The Rams didn't tender Fells, but re-signed him when New England appeared close to a deal. He had 21 catches last season and three touchdowns, which is nothing more than adequate. Bajema is a blocking tight end, and Johnson is coming off a season that ended with a shoulder injury. Bottom line: The Rams could use help here.
OL: For years, the offensive line was a headache, with the Rams promising to fill holes that were never plugged. Then Devaney arrived, and suddenly the offensive line isn't so bad anymore. In fact, it was downright decent before injuries set in last season. Center Jason Brown was a valuable addition from Baltimore and should be the team's center for the next five years. Tackle Jason Smith struggled in his rookie year, but he has a huge upside and will only improve. Look for him to take a big step forward this season. Right guard will be an open competition, with Adam Goldberg taking on Hank Fraley, Mark Setterstrom and John Greco. Fraley, signed after he was waived by Cleveland, gives the Rams depth at center, where he started for years. Jacob Bell seems locked in at left guard, while Alex Barron -- the subject of offseason trade rumors -- could be back at the other tackle position. I hedge because the Rams aren't high on the guy. Barron is the weak link here, and expect the Rams to look for a replacement in the draft.
DL: The Rams spent two of their previous three first-round picks on defensive linemen, and for good reason: Their line stunk. Chris Long has been good, not great, and critics want to jump the guy for not being dad Howie. Relax, people. He has been in the league two years and should continue to improve. The consensus is he'll never be a great player but should be solid, dependable and valuable. I haven't heard similar comments about Adam Carriker, the Rams' first pick in 2007 and someone whose name was thrown around in offseason trade rumors. Carriker has been a disappointment, and it's time he does something. Coming off shoulder surgery that sidelined him all of last season, he is a question mark. Re-signing James Hall means the Rams keep two of their top three defensive ends, with Leonard Little still undecided if he will retire. Clifton Ryan and Darrell Scott are OK at defensive tackle, but the Rams could use an upgrade at this position -- one reason Ndamukong Suh is hard to resist. But defensive tackles don't sell tickets -- quarterbacks do. The Rams will pass, and take that any way you want.
LB: Now that the Rams have Na'il Diggs, the question is: Where do they play him? He can play weakside or strongside, though he usually played the strong side at Carolina. Diggs joins a reshuffled deck that features last year's leading tackler, James Laurinaitis. Laurinaitis was terrific, intercepting passes, producing sacks, forcing fumbles, hitting quarterbacks, you name it. But he needs help from a group that last season started Paris Lenon (now gone) and David Vobora, the primary starter on the strong side. Look for Vobora, Diggs and Laurinaitis to be the starters, with no decision on which side Diggs and Vobora play. Special-teams standouts Chris Chamberlain -- who missed last season -- and Larry Grant comprise the relief corps, with the Rams looking to fill in.
CB: Ronald Bartell played through injuries last season and it affected his play. Still, he is solid at one cornerback position. The other, however, was a graveyard -- with the club last season trying four in the starting lineup. The Rams remain high on Bradley Fletcher, but he's coming off a serious knee injury so the jury is out there. Justin King, Jonathan Wade and Quincy Butler each took turns at the position, but none played all that well. Maybe Kevin Dockery, signed away from the Giants, can make a push. I always thought he was one of the best under-the-radar guys in New York. Now he'll have a chance to crack a starting lineup. The Rams are in better shape at safety, where James Butler and Oshiomogho Atogwe are the starters and Craig Dahl the backup. Atowge is a top-drawer player who sat down the last four games with a season-ending shoulder injury and should be OK. But the Rams ranked 25th in pass defense and, worse, tied for Oakland for dead last in interceptions with eight. Qualified applicants for the position are urged to apply.
