Rebirth in St. Louis Has Rams' Horns Pointed Straight Ahead

AFTER WINNING JUST FIVE GAMES OVER THE LAST TWO SEASONS, AND DRAFTING SECOND OVERALL IN BACK TO BACK DRAFTS THE FUTURE IS GETTING BRIGHTER FOR THE ST. LOUIS RAMS. 

THE RAMS HAVE NOT ONLY A NEW COACHING STAFF TO LEAD THEM ON THE FIELD BUT A NEW POWER STRUCTURE IN THE FRONT OFFICE AS WELL.

OWNER CHIP ROSENBLOOM ELEVATED BILLY DEVANEY TO THE GM POSITION WHILE PHASING OUT FORMER GM AND PRESIDENT OF FOOTBALL OPERATIONS JAY ZYGMUNT, WHO HAD BEEN WITH THE TEAM FOR 27 YEARS. 

ROSENBLOOM THEN ASSIGNED LONGTIME TEAM PRESIDENT JOHN SHAW TO A LESSER ROLE AS SENIOR ADVISOR TO OWNERSHIP.

STEVE SPAGNUOLO DIDN'T WASTE ANY TIME PUTTING TOGETHER HIS STAFF.  THREE COACHES WHO HIGHLIGHT THE NEW STAFF ARE KEN FLAJOLE, THE NEW DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR; PAT SHURMUR, THE NEW OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR, AND NEW STRENGTH COACH ROCK GULLICKSON. 

YES, I SAID THE STRENGTH COACH.  THIS 10-YEAR VETERAN OF THE NFL HAS BUILT SOME OF THE BEST WEIGHT ROOMS AND TRAINING STANDARDS IN THE LAST DECADE.

AND AS ALL OF US THAT WATCH THE RAMS ON A STEADY BASIS KNOW THAT WE NEED TO GET BIGGER AND STRONGER IN THE TRENCHES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL.

GULLICKSON AND SPAGNUOLO HAVE WASTED NO TIME IN RENOVATING THE WEIGHT FACILITIES OUT AT RAMS PARK AND THE MEASURES BY WHICH THEY TRAIN. 

ANOTHER DOWN SEASON AND ANOTHER NO. 2 OVERALL PICK FOR ST. LOUIS.  LAST YEAR THEY IMPROVED THE DEFENSIVE LINE AND THIS YEAR THEY REELED IN BAYLOR OFFENSIVE TACKLE JASON SMITH TO ANCHOR THE LEFT TACKLE SPOT FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. 

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE LONDON FLETCHER LEFT TOWN, THE RAMS MAY HAVE FOUND THEIR MIDDLE LINEBACKER OF THE PRESENT AND FUTURE IN OHIO STATE MLB JAMES LAURINAITIS.

THIS MOVE MAY BE TWO-FOLD FOR THE RAMS BY LETTING WILL WITHERSPOON MOVE BACK OUTSIDE, WHERE HE CAN SHUT DOWN THAT SIDE OF THE FIELD.

WELL WE'RE HERE FOR PREDICTIONS AND I'VE GOT ONE FOR YOU.  I AM IN FULL BELIEF THAT THE RAMS WILL FINISH THE 2009 SEASON WITH A RECORD OF 7-9, FINISHING THIRD IN THE DIVISION JUST BEHIND THE SAN FRANSISCO 49ERS, AND AHEAD OF THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS. 

I BELIEVE THE 49ERS IMPROVED THEMSELVES IN AN AREA OF NEED BY HAVING MICHAEL CRABTREE FALL TO THEM IN THE DRAFT, AND WITH A GREAT VETERAN PRESENCE THERE IN ISAAC BRUCE, CRABTREE WILL CONTRIBUTE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. 

BUT DON'T WORRY SAN FRANSISCO ISN'T THAT FAR AHEAD OF THE RAMS AT THIS POINT WITH NO TRUE LEADER AT QB IN THE FOLD.

THE SEAHAWKS SPUN THEIR WHEELS IN THE DRAFT, AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS SURE THEY GOT AARON CURRY FOR THEIR LINEBACKING CORPS, BUT HE SIMPLY FILLS A HOLE CREATED BY THE TRADE OF JULIAN PETERSON. 

TJ HOUSHMANDZADEH WILL HELP THE OFFENSE, BUT RAMS FANS SHOULD BE GLAD THEY DIDN'T KEEP PETERSON AND DRAFT CRABTREE TO CREATE A VERY DANGEROUS 1-2 PUNCH.

ARIZONA IS ANOTHER STORY ALL TOGETHER, I CANNOT BELIEVE I AM GOING TO SAY THIS BUT THE CARDINALS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER AND WILL REMAIN ON TOP OF THE DIVISION.

GETTING CHRIS WELLS IN THE DRAFT TO PAIR WITH TIM HIGHTOWER SHOULD IMPROVE THE RUNNING GAME.  HOW WILL THEY SHARE THE BALL?  PRAY FOR A BOLDIN TRADE OR HOLDOUT.

THE REST OF THE SCHEDULE HAS SOME INTERESTING GAMES THIS YEAR.  I AM A FIRM BELIEVER THAT INDY WILL TAKE A DIP THIS YEAR WITH ALL OF THEIR TURNOVER ON THE FIELD AND THE SIDELINES.

JACKSONVILLE IS A WINNABLE GAME, AS IS DETROIT AND HOUSTON.  CHICAGO WITH A NEW FIELD GENERAL, MINNESOTA EVEN WITH THE 4 GAME SUSPENSION OF THE WILLIAMSES, WE PLAY THEM IN WEEK 5, WHICH WOULD MEAN THEY WOULD BE WELL RESTED. 

NEW ORLEANS, GREEN BAY, AND TENNESSEE STILL HAS THE RUNNING GAME WHICH IS OUR BIGGEST WEAKNESS.

THE BIGGEST FACTOR IN THE OUTCOME OF THIS SEASON WILL BE THE HEALTH OF THE TEAM.  I KNOW EVERY TEAM CAN SAY THAT, BUT LET'S BE REAL FOR A MINUTE. 

THE LAST COUPLE YEARS THE RAMS HAVE BEEN DECIMATED ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE, AND PLAGUED EVERYWHERE ELSE WHETHER IT BE STEVEN JACKSON MISSING FOUR GAMES OR MARC BULGER MISSING A COUPLE GAMES AND PLAYING HURT MOST OF THE REST. 

ANOTHER REASON THE RAMS HAVE TO STAY HEALTHY IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO DEPTH!!! 

SURE THE RAMS HAVE GOTTEN BETTER ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL AT SEVERAL POSITIONS BUT IF THE FIRST STRING GOES DOWN AT ALMOST EVERY POSITION IT WILL PUT A LOT OF STRESS ON THE REST OF THAT UNIT.

TWO HUGE FACTORS FOR THE RAMS TO GET BETTER IN A HURRY THIS SEASON WOULD BE THE SIGNINGS OF NEW CENTER JASON BROWN, AND FULLBACK MIKE KARNEY.

THERE WERE PLENTY OF TIMES THE PASS RUSH CAME FROM THE MIDDLE LAST YEAR NOT THE EDGES, AND JASON BROWN WON'T BE AS EASY TO PUSH AROUND AS EITHER NICK LECKEY OR BRETT RHOMBERG. 

LEFT GUARD JACOB BELL HAS BULKED BACK UP TO 297 LBS. AROUND HIS USUAL PLAYING WEIGHT.  AND THE RAMS ACTUALLY HAVE A FULL BACK FOR THE RED ZONE!  THAT SHOULD ADD AT LEAST FOUR MORE TD'S TO STEVEN JACKSON'S TOTALS FOR THE YEAR.

ONE TREND THAT COULD HURT THE OFFENSE WOULD BE DONNIE AVERY HAVING A SOPHOMORE SLUMP.  THERE IS LITTLE EXPERIENCE IN THE WR CORPS, WHEN TIM CARTER (SEVEN YEARS) AND LAURENT ROBINSON (THREE YEARS) ARE YOUR MOST EXPERIENCED WIDE OUTS YOU CANNOT HAVE ANYTHING GO WRONG.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THE SECONDARY LOOKS TO BE IN SOLID SHAPE.  WITH RON BARTELL AT ONE CB, AND OJ ATOGWE, AND JASON BROWN MANNING THE SAFETIES THAT IS A VERY GOOD FOUNDATION. 

NOW TYE HILL, WOULD YOU PLEASE STAND UP.  IF NOT JUSTIN KING WILL BE BACK HEALTHY, AND THERE IS A NEWCOMER IN THIRD-ROUND PICK BRADLEY FLETCHER TO CHIP IN, AND DON'T FORGET JONATHAN WADE EITHER.

AND FINALLY NEVER COUNT OUT WHAT A NEW REGIME AND ATTITUDE CAN BRING TO THE FIELD.  NEW SCHEMES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL, AND I AM WILLING TO BET MY HOUSE RIGHT NOW THAT STEVE SPAGNUOLO WILL NOT GET OUT COACHED LIKE SCOTT LINEHAN DID BEFORE HIM.