Time to look at the #2 pick in this years NFL draft. And the team that not only couldn't make it on the west coast, but is in serious need of help now in the gateway city to the West.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Rams. Once again in the hunt for a head coach and once again looking at a new system.
Will Haslett retain the job and lose the interim title? I don't know. I will say they clearly played a little better once he took over. But can you really, really change anything...unless you bring in a new staff? I am always a lean on Defense preference. I also am a Haslett fan. But if I can get Rex Ryan...I do it. Only time will tell though. Canidates interviewed so far are: Haslett, Moss (asst. in Greenbay) and Fassell. On the list to be interviewed - McDaniels of NE( new head coach in Denver), Spagnuolo DC for NYG, Rex Ryan of Balt., Bowles of Miami, Frazier of Minn and Sherman the Wr coach in St. Louis are still options as well. Of all, I would think Ryan or Spagnuolo would be the top targets. Although the players are pushing hard for Haslett to stay.
Okay, now for the team:
OFFENSE:
QB: Bulger. He is servicable, but he gets hurt alot(due to poor OL) so some move to shore up a young Qb of the future is needed. Trent Green and Brock Berlein are NOT long team answers.
RB: S.Jackson. Lets face it folks, he resigns to a new huge contract and then has injury issues. How often have we seen this? Still, I don't think the wheels have fallen off quite yet. If they can fix the O-line...I think he can still play for a while. Back up depth is not great. Pittman was servicable while filling in...but Darby and Minor aren't real help.
WR: Holt, Avery. I think it is once again time to change the guard at Wr. Last year the Rams dumped Bruce, and I think Holt is also gone. His huge contract and lack of production this year may be the end of him in St. Louis. But not all is lost. Avery had a very, very nice season, and you still have Looker and youngster Burton on the horizon. Still another Wr will only help and cutting Holt and saving cap is probably a good idea.
OL: OUCH! Orlando Pace isn't what he was, and Alex Barron has NEVER been what he should have been. G and C were okay but not great. Incognito always seems to be hurt. Obvously a rebuild of the line is needed, and a replacement for Pace has to be found soon. Getting Smith at OT would be solid, or Eugene Moore OT from Virginia would also be a good target.
TE: Yuck. Klopfenstein, Becht and Fells don't produce. If you get a young Qb, a solid receiving TE only helps for those learning years. Granted they will probably keep Bulger...but since he can get hurt at anytime...........
They need an OC that will work the OLine and use the talent they have which is Jackson...to help protect Bulger, so Avery will be a tool as well. The years of the greatest show on Turf are over. Time to run, run and then pass once the pressure is off of Bulger.
DEFENSE:
DL: St. Louis has done work here. They have drafted Long and Carricker in back to back years. All pretty good players, but they need another end to put pressure on. Little is a solid DE, but is smallish and has been hurt. Another beefy DE would help. But this is NOT a dire area.
LB: Okay but not great. Tinoisamoa, Witherspoon and Grant aren't spectacular. Most felt Witherspoon would solve the MLB issues..but he was not enough. More depth here is needed. Aaron Curry OLB from Wake Forest could be a potential target for St. Louis if they don't go OT. in the draft.
CB: Brown, Butler and Bartell. My, my, my. Obviously some real work needed here. Malcom Jenkins for Ohio State would be a good fit..but I still think OT is more a need. But they need serious, serious help at Cb.
S: Again...get them some help here. My, my, my. No wonder this defense was so awful.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
P- Donnie Jones and PK - Josh Morgan were not bad at all. Looker was okay at PR, Minor at KR left a little to be desired.
Lots of work to do, need to get a coach in place, and a philosophy established to make it all work. A defensive HC would be a good fit after two failed OC runs.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Rams. Once again in the hunt for a head coach and once again looking at a new system.
Will Haslett retain the job and lose the interim title? I don't know. I will say they clearly played a little better once he took over. But can you really, really change anything...unless you bring in a new staff? I am always a lean on Defense preference. I also am a Haslett fan. But if I can get Rex Ryan...I do it. Only time will tell though. Canidates interviewed so far are: Haslett, Moss (asst. in Greenbay) and Fassell. On the list to be interviewed - McDaniels of NE( new head coach in Denver), Spagnuolo DC for NYG, Rex Ryan of Balt., Bowles of Miami, Frazier of Minn and Sherman the Wr coach in St. Louis are still options as well. Of all, I would think Ryan or Spagnuolo would be the top targets. Although the players are pushing hard for Haslett to stay.
Okay, now for the team:
OFFENSE:
QB: Bulger. He is servicable, but he gets hurt alot(due to poor OL) so some move to shore up a young Qb of the future is needed. Trent Green and Brock Berlein are NOT long team answers.
RB: S.Jackson. Lets face it folks, he resigns to a new huge contract and then has injury issues. How often have we seen this? Still, I don't think the wheels have fallen off quite yet. If they can fix the O-line...I think he can still play for a while. Back up depth is not great. Pittman was servicable while filling in...but Darby and Minor aren't real help.
WR: Holt, Avery. I think it is once again time to change the guard at Wr. Last year the Rams dumped Bruce, and I think Holt is also gone. His huge contract and lack of production this year may be the end of him in St. Louis. But not all is lost. Avery had a very, very nice season, and you still have Looker and youngster Burton on the horizon. Still another Wr will only help and cutting Holt and saving cap is probably a good idea.
OL: OUCH! Orlando Pace isn't what he was, and Alex Barron has NEVER been what he should have been. G and C were okay but not great. Incognito always seems to be hurt. Obvously a rebuild of the line is needed, and a replacement for Pace has to be found soon. Getting Smith at OT would be solid, or Eugene Moore OT from Virginia would also be a good target.
TE: Yuck. Klopfenstein, Becht and Fells don't produce. If you get a young Qb, a solid receiving TE only helps for those learning years. Granted they will probably keep Bulger...but since he can get hurt at anytime...........
They need an OC that will work the OLine and use the talent they have which is Jackson...to help protect Bulger, so Avery will be a tool as well. The years of the greatest show on Turf are over. Time to run, run and then pass once the pressure is off of Bulger.
DEFENSE:
DL: St. Louis has done work here. They have drafted Long and Carricker in back to back years. All pretty good players, but they need another end to put pressure on. Little is a solid DE, but is smallish and has been hurt. Another beefy DE would help. But this is NOT a dire area.
LB: Okay but not great. Tinoisamoa, Witherspoon and Grant aren't spectacular. Most felt Witherspoon would solve the MLB issues..but he was not enough. More depth here is needed. Aaron Curry OLB from Wake Forest could be a potential target for St. Louis if they don't go OT. in the draft.
CB: Brown, Butler and Bartell. My, my, my. Obviously some real work needed here. Malcom Jenkins for Ohio State would be a good fit..but I still think OT is more a need. But they need serious, serious help at Cb.
S: Again...get them some help here. My, my, my. No wonder this defense was so awful.
SPECIAL TEAMS:
P- Donnie Jones and PK - Josh Morgan were not bad at all. Looker was okay at PR, Minor at KR left a little to be desired.
Lots of work to do, need to get a coach in place, and a philosophy established to make it all work. A defensive HC would be a good fit after two failed OC runs.
