St. Louis Rams "To-Do" List
Our second installment preview is of a team with no obvious direction right now: Your St. Louis Rams. For the record, not knowing what direction your franchise is headed isn't necessarily a bad thing. The direction could be north.
The Rams are under ownership of Stan Kroenke. His first order of business will be deciding on the structure of his football team. He needs to select a new head coach (they fired Steve Spagnuolo) and General Manager.
Jeff Fisher is the name most commonly linked to the head coaching vacancy. This would be a move for quick stability. Also, would give them more of a defensive mindset going forward. They've interviewed offensive and defensive coaches, as well as coaches' with and without head coaching experience. St. Louis appears very open in the direction it will take it's organization.
The good news about St. Louis, is they seemingly have their franchise quarterback in Sam Bradford. They also have pieces along the defensive line, starting with a 2011 breakout performance by defensive end Chris Long. They have a strong, versatile running back in Steven Jackson for a balanced attack.
The bad news is they have health and depth issues along the offensive line, no clear cut starters at receiver (unless the re-sign Brandon Lloyd), a secondary in shambles and no leadership on defense. The inconsistency with the coaching staff is not helping develop the young players on the roster. So, here are a few things the Rams might want to get checked off this off-season:
Hire the right coaching staff: There are plenty of right answer for this job. There are also wrong decisions all around. I think they should go with a young, energetic staff. A staff that will go with some of the "new school" strategies. Spread offense and aggressive defense is the name of the game. They can go with a veteran head coach for stability, but it needs to be a coach who is open to change, a la John Fox in Denver.
Hire GM AFTER you hire Head Coach: I know GMs are the bosses of head coaches but with a young roster, the coach needs to be able to shape it in the direction he needs to go. The GM will need to get the personnel according to the needs of the team after a path is set.
Get Bradford some weapons: Sam Bradford has the tools to be a pro bowl quarterback. What he needs is receivers to throw to. Re-sign Brandon Lloyd. Get a big receiver in the draft.
Build Through Free Agency First: The Rams have many holes to fill on their roster. You do not want to go into a season forced to play an abundance of rookies. St. Louis has $45 million in cap space. They can afford to be very aggressive in the free agent market. They could go after defensive backs such as Tracy Porter and/or Dashon Goldson. They could also choose to attempt a "splash" signing with wide receiver Vincent Jackson or defensive end Robert Mathis.
Be "Trade Happy": St. Louis needs to remain open heading into the draft. They do not need to set their eyes on a certain player. Trading down to get more picks is the way to go. With the new slotting for rookies, the Rams will be able to make trades. They have the number two overall pick. A perfect spot, because someone will be enticed to give multiple picks to trade up for Robert Griffin III. If they are open to gaining additional picks, they could still end up with a quality rookie receiver (J. Blackmon, M. Floyd or A. Jeffery), while being being able to add depth along their entire roster. The Rams also have two early second round picks which can be very useful since the draft format is split into three days now. Teams get antsy and tend to attempt trades to secure a coveted player that slipped out of the first round.
Be "Trade Happy": St. Louis needs to remain open heading into the draft. They do not need to set their eyes on a certain player. Trading down to get more picks is the way to go. With the new slotting for rookies, the Rams will be able to make trades. They have the number two overall pick. A perfect spot, because someone will be enticed to give multiple picks to trade up for Robert Griffin III. If they are open to gaining additional picks, they could still end up with a quality rookie receiver (J. Blackmon, M. Floyd or A. Jeffery), while being being able to add depth along their entire roster. The Rams also have two early second round picks which can be very useful since the draft format is split into three days now. Teams get antsy and tend to attempt trades to secure a coveted player that slipped out of the first round.
Final Thoughts
St. Louis is in a division is becoming defensive oriented. They will need to be aggressive this offseason for a quick turn around. They looked to be on the rise after a positive 2010, and with Bradfor at quarterback, can have early success if they get additional pieces around him. I look for St. Louis to draft a playmaker at wide receiver but have a defensive-heavy plan in both the draft and free agency. 2012 could be a good year if the Rams play their cards right.
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