For The 2009 St. Louis Rams, It's All About Change

by Jeff Stahlhut

If the average fan wants to try to figure out what the St. Louis Rams are going to change in 2009 under new coach Steve Spagnuolo, the answer would on the surface seem rather simple.

Everything.

Then again, not everything is as simple as it might seem.

They were, in case you have forgotten, a dismal 2-14 last year. That said, there are a few specific areas in which we’re likely going to see the biggest changes, while the other biggest “changes” will come if the team can only stay healthy.

First, let’s take a look at some of the more well known personnel who are no longer with the Rams and what their departures might mean.

• Pisa Tinoisamoa
With Tinoisamoa no longer around to lead the team in tackles (I’m just sayin’), that should open the door for Will Witherspoon to move to middle linebacker – where he excelled during his days in Carolina. Tinoisamoa will be missed, but let’s say it again… Two wins, 14 losses.

• Orlando Pace
What can anyone say about Orlando Pace? Sure, he’s getting up there in age and has long-since passed the average lifespan of an offensive lineman, but there is no way to understate what Pace, now with the Bears, meant to the Rams. The first-ever draft pick of the St. Louis Rams was around for the bad years, the Super Bowl years and then back to a 2-14 season, and he will be missed even as rookie Jason Smith (Baylor) joins the team to help anchor the line.

• Torry Holt
Like Pace and Tinoisamoa, Holt was a leader both on and off the field for the Rams, and was a part of two Super Bowls in St. Louis. But with some younger legs in camp and the hangover from a 2-14 season, the Rams are moving forward – not looking back – and the time was right for Holt to move on to Jacksonville.

So what to these departures mean for the on-field performance of the Rams? Plenty. In addition to Witherspoon’s role changing, the Rams will have a new look on the offensive line with Smith learning the ropes and perhaps just as importantly, the volatile Richie Incognito looking to become the total package.

Right now, Incognito is about as close to greatness as you can get without actually being there? What’s missing? Any Rams fan knows this answer. Incognito needs to better control his emotions on the field, something he has vowed to do in 2009.

In the offensive backfield, the biggest change under Spagnuolo will likely be to change absolutely nothing. Marc Bulger should still (they hope) have plenty left in the tank, and if properly protected by the offensive line the team believes he can regain his All-Pro status. A healthy and motivated Steven Jackson should sent shivers down the spines of the rest of the league, because when Jackson is on his game and on the field it could be argued there is not a better back in the league.

A well-protected Bulger and a healthy Jackson should also open the door for Spagnuolo and his staff to better utilize tight end Randy McMichael, who will likely have the opportunity to catch a lot more than 11 balls in 2009 – the exact (and shockingly low) number he caught in 2008. Great teams always seem to have great hands at tight end. McMichael gives the Rams what they need in that spot, if properly used.

In the defensive backfield, the Rams are also banking on getting healthy, perhaps most importantly with Tye Hill being at 100% and being a playmaker. Meanwhile, Derek Stanley will likely continue to grow and improve – most notably as a kick and punt returner – giving the Rams a dangerous weapon in that department.

So what can we expect from a new coaching staff, some major changes in personnel and an apparently strong draft? Time will tell. But one thing is for certain… change is in the air in St. Louis.