In part two of my 32 part series, I'll be discussing five questions facing the St. Louis Rams entering this off-season. For my article on the Indianapolis Colts, click here.
Gone "Fish"-ing? With the firing of head coach Steve Spagnuolo after three seasons and a combined 10-38 record, the team is reportedly pursuing former Tennessee Titans coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher is one of the hotter coaching commodities available, as he has a career regular season record of 142-120, and led the Titans to five playoff wins and one Super Bowl appearance in his 17+ years in charge of the team. Fisher is known for producing solid defensive teams, with offenses tending to air on the side of smash-mouth football, something this team needs. They'll have competition for his services, as the Miami Dolphins are also very interested in Fisher, and will likely need to pony up around $5 million per season to have a shot.
Can the offensive line block? Former first round Smith Jason Smith has struggled with injuries so far in his career, and has struggled playing left tackle. Smith has missed 19 of a possible 48 games due to injuries, and with a huge contract on a team that's rebuilding, there's at least a possibility he either moves inside to guard, or gets cut. Rodger Saffold missed nine games this year, but even though he's only been around the league for a couple of years, has proven himself the line's best pass blocker. Guard Harvey Dahl and center Jason Brown are both probably better suited to be backups, and struggled with consistency. As a team, they surrendered a league-high 55 sacks, and racked up 12.1 points (32nd in NFL) and 283.6 yards per game (31st), all numbers that indicate offensive line struggles.
Is receiving help on the way? The acquisition of Brandon Lloyd from the Broncos has given the Rams a #1 receiving option, but Sam Bradford only appeared in a few games with Lloyd before succumbing to injury for the year. Second round selection, tight end Lance Kendricks struggled catching the football this season despite seeing a lot of early playing time, and didn't reach the end zone once. Fellow rookie receivers Austin Pettis (27 catches, 256 yards) and Greg Salas (27 catches, 264 yards) also failed to reach the end zone, and the passing game as a whole threw for 9 touchdowns. Expect the Rams to make every effort to re-sign Lloyd, as well as add another solid receiver either through free agency or the draft to help Sam Bradford.
Can ANY Rams player stay healthy? Among the significant players placed on injured reserve this year included both opening day starters at tackle (Rodger Saffold, Jason Smith), guard Jacob Bell, tight end Michael Hoomanuwanui, cornerbacks Al Harris and Ronald Bartell; and wide receivers Austin Pettis, Mark Clayton, Greg Salas and Danny Amendola. That doesn't include the injuries that hampered starting quarterback Sam Bradford all year, as well as Steven Jackson. The amount of significant players that landed on injured reserve isn't common, which is part of the reason I believe the Rams are a much better team than their 2-14 record indicates. Lets not forget they did beat the New Orleans Saints this year.
How much longer does Steven Jackson have in St. Louis? Jackson has been one of the best running backs in the league over the last seven years, yet few outside St. Louis would realize it due to playing for a team that hasn't been relevant since Kurt Warner left. Jackson has run for over 1,000 yards the last seven seasons (9,093 career), and is a very good receiving threat out of the backfield as well (3,003 yards career). Jackson will turn 29 before the 2012 season starts, and with over 2,500 touches in his career, one has to wonder when his production will take a dip, as most running backs see fairly significant dips in production starting at age 30. Jackson currently sits 32nd on the all-time rushing list, and with two more 1,000 yard seasons, would find himself no worse than 20th on the list. The Rams would do well to look for a mid-round running back prospect that can ease the load on Jackson, so the team can still utilize his underrated talents for a few more years.
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