2010 St. Louis Rams Likely to Repeat Futility in Rebuilding Process
The Rams have made it very clear that they are looking to rebuild their franchise through the draft, which at this point, is the right thing to do.
The Rams started out right where you need to start when building a team when they drafted Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Sam Bradford 1st overall in the 2010 NFL Draft.
St. Louis may very well improve in 2010, only because it’s so hard for them to get any worse after a 2-14 season in 2008 and a 1-15 season in 2009. It’s hard to go any lower than that. The only team to ever go 0-16 was the Detroit Lions in 2008.
The Rams head into 2010 with the prospect of nowhere to go but up. The team now has a sense of direction and purpose. Coach Steve Spagnuolo spent last season building a foundation for the team’s future and implementing his system. He just needs the right players to fulfill that system; it’s as simple as that.
General Manager Bill Devaney took over in December 2008 and since the he has completely blown up the team and started all over. He has spent his time in St. Louis overhauling the roster. The Rams head into training camp with only nine players on the team before Devaney and only running back (RB) Steven Jackson, defensive tackle (DT) Clifton Ryan and cornerback (CB) Ron Bartell are starters. Perhaps Devaney’s biggest move was releasing quarterback Marc Bulger this offseason, paving the way for the era of Sam Bradford in St. Louis.
The Rams have no scheduled nationally televised games in 2010. The Rams will improve, but they won’t vie for any playoff spot. Why is this?
Well, the team's young offensive line has no depth and they will be expected to keep a rookie QB upright. Steven Jackson will be expected to carry the load on offence as Bradford adjusts to life as an NFL quarterback.
On defence, the Rams have no pass rushers, no talent in the secondary, and with all due respect, a dreadful line backing corps.
Don’t expect anything spectacular out of the Rams this year, that way, if they win a game, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Their goal doesn’t seem to be winning now, otherwise they would have gone after the veteran free agents on the market like Terrell Owens or Brian Westbrook.
One decision will be when Bradford will start. You can’t expect A.J Feeley to lead the team to anything special this year due to the lack of weapons he has, and let’s face it, he’s a career backup. Bradford will eventually start this year and it will be a tough initiation for him into the league. The Rams are very weak at receiver and just don’t have the right supporting cast for just any quarterback in the league.
The Rams defence was a joke last year and will likely be a stepping stone for any decent offenses in the league. John Laurinaitis and Chris Long have underachieved so far in their careers. They are the only hope for the Rams defence to improve.
The Rams special teams may be their only bright side. Josh Brown is one of the league’s best kickers and Mardy Gilyard was drafted to fill the role of return specialist. Punter Donnie Jones has a good leg and a pretty good coverage unit, and they will need to be spectacular as they will probably see a lot of playing time.
The bottom line is, the Rams have started from scratch in rebuilding their team and they simply don’t have enough good players to be a good team. Look for some bright points from Bradford or some flashes from Steven Jackson, but don’t hold your breath on the Rams to win big this NFL season.
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