NFL preview: St. Louis Rams
Steve Spagnuolo was a good hire in St. Louis, but the Rams are still a year away from having hope, let alone competing in a better-than-it's-been-in-a-while NFC.
Projected finish: 3-13 (4th in NFC West)
While the Rams do play in the only NFC division I'd classify as weak, the West, they're the worst of that pedestrian bunch. Spagnulo is just one of a few signs that things could turn before too long in St. Louis. I actually think the Rams have drafted well for two straight years, though DE Chris Long didn't dazzle as a rookie in 2008. Once Spagnuolo's talent starts to ripen, which could happen as soon as 2010, he could make them a force again. Just don't hold your breath on it happening.
There was a time that I considered Marc Bulger a top-10 NFL quarterback, but it seems like that was decades ago. He's coming off back to back seasons with QB ratings in the low 70s, which is almost Rex Grossman territory. Losing veteran WR Torry Holt certainly won't help, as it leaves the Rams with the decent Donnie Avery, Laurent Robinson, Keenan Burton and Derek Stanley at receiver. That's, uh, not good, and while TE Randy McMichael has always been a quality pass-catcher, he's coming off a 2008 season in which he was limited to four games.
Steven Jackson and the Rams running game should be better. As fantasy football players know, Jackson hasn't submitted a truly huge season since 2006, though he did exceed 1,000 yards despite being limited to 12 games in each of the past two seasons. T Jason Smith, who the Rams took with the second overall pick in the draft, should pay dividends quickly on the offensive line. He's still listed as a second-teamer, with Alex Barron, Jacob Bell, Jason Brown, Richie Incognito and Adam Goldberg the starters up front.
Leonard Little and Long, the DEs, are the wild cards for the Rams. I could see them generating a steady pass rush and allowing the Rams to start to shore up what's been a poorous defense. Or, they could combine for 10 sacks, which is what they did in 2008, and the Rams could continue to flounder badly. DTs Gary Gibson, Clifton Ryan and Hollis Thomas combined for zero sacks last season, so it's probably safe to say that the pass rush won't primarily be generated from the interior of the line.
MLB James Laurinaitis is listed as a first-teamer already, despite being drafted an entire round after Smith. He could be a big boost for a linebacking cast that includes Will Witherspoon and David Vobora. Ron Bartell and Jonathan Wade are the underwhelming first-team cornerbacks, and James Butler and Oshiomogho Atogwe the safeties on a defense that should start to improve, but still has a long way to go to respectability.
