Jeff Fisher Rams: Frustrating Hiring Process Ends with Correct Choice

At long last, the wait is over. Jeff Fisher has decided where he wants to coach next.

Sports Illustrated NFL guru Peter King broke the news a short while ago on Twitter:

Hats off to the St. Louis Rams. Fisher had everyone confused as to where he was leaning over the last two weeks, but he has chosen the Rams over the Miami Dolphins.

We don't yet know exactly why Fisher has chosen the Rams, but various reports throughout the week painted a pretty good picture of what Fisher was looking for. He was basically looking for a kingly salary and major personnel influence, and I'm going to presume that the Rams gave him an offer that was to his liking.

Offers aside, picking the Rams over the Dolphins is the right choice for Fisher. At the end of the day, it's all about what Fisher can do with the team at his disposal, and the Rams offer all sorts of intriguing possibilities.

Above all, it stands to reason that Fisher is drawn to the idea of developing Sam Bradford, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. He was named the Rookie of the Year after the 2010 season, but his 2011 campaign made it abundantly clear that he still needs work. Fisher is a guy who oversaw the development of Steve McNair during his time with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, so he's not exactly inexperienced when it comes to nurturing a young quarterback.

But the rebuilding process in St. Louis isn't limited to Bradford. The entire team needs a facelift, as there are major weaknesses to address up and down the roster. Don't be surprised if Fisher steps in and starts jettisoning bodies right away.

To that end, having the No. 2 overall pick in the draft will help. In fact, a good haul in the 2012 draft will put the Rams back on the right track. Another good draft haul in 2013 will put them in the playoff discussion.

By comparison, the Dolphins are caught somewhere between not too bad and not good enough. They have some good players, but they don't have a solid foundation that Fisher can build on. Not as strong as St. Louis' foundation, anyway.

Rebuilding the Rams will be difficult, but tearing apart the Dolphins and rebuilding them from the ground up would have been more difficult. The Dolphins are undoubtedly a better team now, but Fisher's focus had to be on what these teams could be, not what they are.

With his help, the Rams could be great again.