5 Changes St. Louis Rams Must Absolutely Make This Offseason

Watching the St. Louis Rams pummel the Oakland Raiders 52-0 this past Sunday, you'd think there isn't a single thing that the team needs to change this offseason.

But the Raiders are a 1-11 team, and the Rams treated them like one.

However, all is not perfect in St. Louis. If it was the team would have a better record than 5-7. Even if the Rams win all of their remaining games and finish the season with a 9-7 record, they'd likely be on the outside looking in when it came to the postseason.

So how does St. Louis reach that next level? What is it that needs to be changed for it to get back to a championship contender?

Here is a look at five things that could help the team do just that.

Find Its Franchise Quarterback

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The Rams made Sam Bradford the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. He was to be the team's quarterback of the future.

That hasn't worked out to put it mildly.

Bradford has appeared in just 49 of a possible 80 games in his five seasons, including missing all of this season.

But injuries haven't been Bradford's only issue. He hasn't been great when he has played either.

Bradford has a career 79.3 quarterback rating and has turned the ball over 56 times (38 interceptions, 18 fumbles) compared to just 59 touchdown passes.

The Rams should make every effort to obtain a good young quarterback in the upcoming draft, even if that means trading up to do so.

Standout college quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota could possibly enter the draft, but even if they decide to stay another year in school, guys like Garrett Grayson of Colorado State and Sean Mannion of Oregon State are players St. Louis could get outside of the first round.

The Rams haven't had consistently good quarterback play for many years. They've won games this year with guys like Austin Davis and Shaun Hill.

They could be a legitimate contender if they can find the right guy.

Make a Change at Offensive Coordinator

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Brian Schottenheimer has been an offensive coordinator in the NFL since 2006, spending six seasons with the New York Jets before holding that position with the Rams for the last three seasons.

But if the Rams are going to make a change at the quarterback position, they need to install a completely new offense as well.

The Rams should take advantage of their indoor stadium and become a fast offense that spreads the field—just like "The Greatest Show on Turf" used to do.

The Rams don't have an explosive offense right now, mainly because they don't have the weapons. But Schottenheimer wouldn't be the right man for the job even if they did.

Currently, the team ranks No. 25 in the league in total offense. Schottenheimer didn't exactly torch opposing defenses when he was in New York either.

The Rams have played very good on defense, but it's time to start over on offense. Schottenheimer hasn't done a terrible job, but the Rams need a new offensive direction.

Find a Top-Flight Wide Receiver

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The Rams have some pieces at the wide receiver position who give the team a bright future. Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey can be excellent complementary options in the passing game.

But the team needs a No. 1 wide receiver to make the tough catches and be the go-to guy for the quarterback. Though Kenny Britt has had some good games, he won't become that guy.

Britt is a free agent at the end of the season, and the Rams should allow him to find another team while looking for his replacement.

Though Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas are both free agents after the season, the Rams should plan on them being retained by their current teams.

However, players like Jeremy Maclin, Torrey Smith or Randall Cobb would come cheaper and could give the Rams the same kind of results.

According to Over the Cap, the Rams currently have less than $2 million available in salary-cap space, so they'd have to shuffle a lot of contracts to make more room. But making a play for one of the aforementioned wide receivers would help transform the St. Louis offense.

If you're going to get a new quarterback and a new offensive coordinator, you have to give them some weapons, right?

Make Tavon Austin a Bigger Part of the Offense

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Tavon Austin is easily one of the most explosive players in the league with the ball in his hands.

The Rams have found unique ways to get the ball to him, including putting him in the backfield as a running back. But they need to find ways to get the ball to him more often.

As a rookie in 2013, Austin was targeted 69 times as a wide receiver and finished the year with 40 receptions and four touchdowns. This year, he's been targeted just 34 times and has only caught 24 passes without a touchdown.

The Rams have been without Brian Quick for several games due to injury, and one of the other receivers on the team, Chris Givens, has caught just eight passes this season.

There is no excuse for Austin not to be a bigger part of the offense. The team used its first-round pick on him last year. It's time to show the world why he went so high in that draft.

Learn to Win on the Road

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Over the course of the last two seasons, the Rams are just 4-10 on the road. That is not going to get it done.

Playing in the NFC West, the Rams have to travel to places like Seattle and Arizona, where those teams are generally good at home. But if they are ever to rise to the top of the division, they'll have to learn to win tough road games.

All of the top teams in the league are able to do just that, and Jeff Fisher has coached in the league long enough and had enough success that he knows how important it is to win on the road.

The Rams are a young team, so it won't happen overnight. But if they can go to a place like Seattle or Arizona and pick up a victory, they'll grow up fast.

In Week 12, the Rams found a way to snatch a defeat from the jaws of victory when Shaun Hill threw an interception in the end zone, allowing the San Diego Chargers to escape with the win.

Hopefully, the Rams use that game as a perfect example to learn from this offseason.