Fantasy Football Team Spotlight: St. Louis Rams

Every NFL team has played 32 regular season games over the past two years. To show how repugnant the St. Louis Rams have been in that period, close your hand and make a fist. Now, open it up one finger at a time and count. Unless you’re Antonio Alfonseca, you counted to five, which is exactly how many victories the Rams have managed the last two seasons.

The reasons for their rottenness are myriad, but much of the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of former GM/Vice-President Jay Zygmunt, an accountant who fancied himself a football man. He and former head coach Scott Linehan were the architects of the disaster, but thankfully for Rams’ fans, Linehan was fired four games into last season, and Zygmunt was forced out at the end of last year. Now, a new regime led by GM Billy Devaney and head coach Scott Spagnuolo has offered fans in St. Louis a modicum of hope. They likely won’t make the playoffs this year, but there is, finally, a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

KEY ADDITION

Steve Spagnuolo (HC) - There was little doubt that Steve Spagnuolo would leave his post as defensive coordinator of the New York Giants to become a head coach, but few thought that he would wind up in St. Louis. However, his relationship with new GM, Billy Devaney, helped him to the Midwest, where he takes on a formidable rebuilding challenge. His thumbprint can already be found on the team, as he and Devaney have quickly reshaped the roster to get younger and stronger. The man who masterminded the New York Giants defense as they shut down one of the most prolific offenses in history in Super Bowl XLII by limiting Tom Brady and the New England Patriots to 14 points is doing his best to put that a similar defense together with the Rams. He moved former middle linebacker Will Witherspoon to the weakside, drafted James Laurinaitis in the second round to play the middle, and then jettisoned former starting weakside linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa, because at about 225 pounds, he didn’t fit the Spagnuolo mold. The team still has a long way to go, but it’s evident that the regime has a clear direction with the new man in charge.

KEY DEPARTURES

Torry Holt (WR) & Orlando Pace (OT) - Losing two potential Hall of Fame players in one off-season isn’t easy. Whether it was because of their age or it was simply a decision made on behalf of the salary cap, both wide receiver Torry Holt and left tackle Orlando Pace were released by the Rams in the off-season. Both were still productive in their own right, though Holt caught the fewest touchdown passes in his career (3) and had the fewest receptions (64) and receiving yards (796) since his rookie year. The two will now attempt to show they have something left in the tank with their new teams with Holt moving on to Jacksonville and Pace now in Chicago.

As for St. Louis, replacing Holt as the No. 1 wide out will be second-year pro Donnie Avery, who was solid last season with 53 catches and 674 yards, while Alex Barron will move from right tackle to left tackle, replacing Pace, as No. 2 overall pick Jason Smith fills the right tackle void.

BRUNO BOYS SPOTLIGHT

Steven Jackson (RB) - When healthy, there isn’t a more complete running back in the NFL than Steven Jackson. Speed, power, lateral ability, hands, route running – he can do it all. The problem, though, has been that when healthy part. In the past, no. 39 has managed to play a full 16-game schedule just once. That season was 2006, when he had a monster year with over 1,500 rushing yards and 800 receiving yards while catching 90 passes and scoring 16 times.

With a new center in Jason Brown, a new lead fullback in Mike Karney, and a new offensive coordinator in former Eagles’ quarterbacks coach Pat Shurmur, the Rams have made it no secret that their offense will revolve around Jackson, which means he comes into the year as the single most important piece of the team’s puzzle. He could be the most important piece of fantasy owners’ puzzles as well if he can stay off the sidelines and in the game.

ROOKIE TO WATCH

Jason Smith (OT) - “I take pride in physically assaulting somebody on the football field.” That quote can be attributed to the Rams’ newest offensive tackle, rookie Jason Smith. The No. 2 overall pick out of Baylor, Smith will eventually take over the role Orlando Pace handled for so many years as the team’s left tackle. However, Smith will start the year at right tackle, with Alex Barron manning the left side of the line for the time being. But, teams don’t select tackles in the top five of the draft to play the right side (though the Arizona Cardinals did do this in 2007 with Levi Brown, but that was to accommodate the left-handed Matt Leinart). Smith brings a nasty disposition to the offensive line, which was part of his appeal to the team. He is a bit raw and may struggle at times in his initial foray into NFL waters, but he’s got the athleticism and strength to become a fixture in St. Louis for years.

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