Three Things The St. Louis Rams Need To Do To Succeed In The Future

The Rams ended with a record of 1-15 back in 2009—yes, not good at all.

A team once called "the best show on turf," now they are struggling to get out of their slump.

The past two seasons have been horrifying for the team, having the second and first overall in 2009 & 2010, respectively.

If they don't want to be the next Lions, they have to follow these steps.

Give Steven Jackson Some Rest

Steven Jackson ran the ball 324 times, having the most rushing attempts behind Chris Johnson (358) and Thomas Jones (331).

That's not a good thing, because while he performed at a high level, he battled through injuries all season long.

Kenneth Darby, his back-up, needs more carries. Last year he averaged 5.6 yards per carry, but only had 26 carries. If Darby can take more carries and give Jackson some rest, they'll both perform at a high level.

A veteran like Brian Westbrook may help, if Darby doesn't play as well as last year.

The Rams Need To Use The Shotgun More Often

I actually got this idea from reading an article on Yahoo! Sports called: "Rams need to utilize Bradford in shotgun" by Doug Farrar.

This paragraph basically says why they should do it:

The article explains that first-overall pick Sam Bradford threw only one pass from under center in 2009—and it was incomplete.

Also, that Jason Smith the team's first-round pick in 2009, has demonstrated he is more effective from out of the shotgun when blocking due to his experience in college.

Similarly, the article describes, second-round pick, tackle Rodger Saffold, is a natural fit for the right side. The veteran center, Jason Brown, can help Saffold and Smith acclimate themselves.

Get More Playmakers

Or at least try to develop the young players that they got.

Last year they averaged 10.9 (32nd overall) and allowed 27.2 points (31st). At this point in the off-season, they probably won't get that game-changer that they need.

So let's add some experience to go with the young talent.

Players like James Laurinatis, Donnie Avery, and Chris Long played well last year, but they can't do everything for the team. They need Darell Scott, Jerome Murphy, and Mardy Gylard to really have a lot of time in the field so they can make an impact on the team.

That probably won't happen if they're on the bench.

Any Suggestions?

What else do you think the Rams need to do to succeed in the future?