With the NFL combine beginning in the next couple days, the young stars of tomorrow will be strutting their stuff trying to make it to the next level in their careers. Coaches, GMs, team owners and scouts from all over the country will be in Indianapolis trying to find the next Joe Montana or Ray Lewis.
In St. Louis, the front office of the Rams will be looking to fill holes caused by free agency and poor performance. In addition, the team will also be sizing up GM, Les Snead’s offseason decisions as well as the success new defensive coordinator, Tim Walton. These are just a few of the questions circling around the St. Louis Rams community. Here’s a list of the top five going into the rest of the offseason:
What Will Happen to SJ39 this Offseason?
For the past 10 years, Steven Jackson has run his heart out for the St. Louis Rams to the tune of 10,000 plus yards. Now, his option year has approached and he is faced with one of the toughest decisions a decent sports personality could be faced with: take a pay cut and finish my career in the city where I’ve made a home and where there is a mutual love, or give it all up for a chance to win a championship (or even make the postseason) before the end of my career.
The 30-year old veteran is scheduled to collect $8.89 million for this final year if he decides to stay. Alot of money for a guy that only had a handful of touchdowns last year and has yet to have a healthy season over the past five years.
I want to see SJ39 retire as a Ram, but I can understand his frustration of never being to the postseason, playing on a team with a winning record and having zero teammates left from his entrance into the league.
How Will Les Snead Handle the Holes?
In a recent article from the St. Louis Post Dispatch, writer Jim Thomas said it perfectly stating simply, “…when it comes to filling out a roster, there are “wants” not “needs.”
With three picks in the first two rounds of the NFL draft, Les Snead is interested in figuring out what head coach, Jeff Fisher, and the Rams “want” to help push the team to its first winning season in over a decade.
“Sometimes when you ‘need’ something, you become desperate,” Snead said. “When you’re desperate, you can make bad decisions.”
In the meantime, taking care of Steven Jackson, dealing with major free agent issues, finding wide receivers for Sam Bradford to throw to and finding and offensive line to give him time to throw are all on the list of needs floating around in head of this GM.
What Will New DC, Tim Walton, Bring to the Table?
Last season, the St. Louis Rams did not have a bad defense. They did not have a great defense, but it was not bad. They ranked somewhere near the middle of the pack in almost every defensive category. Most of the games they lost were due to a lack of offense, not a lack of defense.
What’s even more amazing is that they did this without a defensive coordinator. Former Saints, DC, Gregg Williams, was suspended last season due to his involvement with “BountyGate.” So the Rams ran a defense by committee being head-up, for the most part, by defensive minded head coach, Jeff Fisher.
Just last week, the Rams signed Tim Walton, defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, a team that was just as mediocre, at best, as the Rams. His pedigree does fall from the Fisher Family tree, however, everyone in St. Louis is excited, curious, and anxious as to what Mr. Walton has in store for the Rams lackluster defense.
Will Sam Bradford be Able to Succeed this Season?
For the first time in Sam Bradford’s short two year career, he will have the same offensive coordinator from the previous year. Many are blaming Bradford’s woes on the lack of coaching consistency since he has come into the league.
OC, Brian Schottenheimer, will return to the Rams’ sidelines for a second season and will be able to continue his growth of the offense that showed more promise last season than it has since the early 2000’s.
With the proper holes getting filled, an offensive line and some top rate receivers, Bradford might be set up for a successful season and could put the Rams in position to compete for the top spot in the NFC West.
What is to Become of the Rams’ WR Corp?
With Brandon Gibson, veteran Steve Smith and star slot receiver, Danny Amendola all up for free agency this offseason, there is a huge, multi-faceted hole to fill. Amendola, who missed five games last year due to injuries and still led the Rams in receptions, will be asking for a lot of money next season and he is well worth it…if he can stay healthy. Gibson is, at best, a number two or three receiver on any other team and Steve Smith, the veteran he might be, had a whopping 14 receptions in all nine games he played in year.
Besides free agency issues, there is no one on the Rams’ squad that could be considered even close to a number one receiver on any other team in the NFL.
Last years WR draft picks did show small glimpses of hope, however. Second-rounder, Brian Quick, showed very few rays of sunlight through the clouded view of his helmet, hauling in 11 catches in 14 outings and fourth-round pick, Chris Givens, had a decent season bringing in 42 for 698 and three touchdowns.
There is still a “want” and a “need” for a stand-out wide receiver. And only time will tell who the front office will make a move for.
Shu in the Lou 