Biggest Questions Facing St. Louis Rams This Offseason
After a slow start to the 2014 season, the St. Louis Rams have won three of their last four games to bring their record to 6-7. They're playing great football as we head toward the end of the season.
But with the playoffs likely out of reach, the Rams shouldn't wait long to start preparing for the offseason. It will be an offseason loaded with questions.
There are always questions regarding what a team wants to do in the draft or how it will handle free agency, but the Rams have questions surrounding the entire organization.
Whether it be a franchise quarterback who has missed 28 games in a five-year career or a head coach who has yet to reach the playoffs in three seasons, the Rams will have to make some tough decisions.
Those decisions won't just impact the team in 2015, but for several years to come. Here, we take a closer look at the biggest questions on the horizon for the Rams.
Will the Coaching Staff Remain Intact?
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After sitting out a year following 17 seasons as coach of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans franchise, Jeff Fisher was brought to St. Louis to coach the Rams. Many high hopes came with him.
Though Fisher's record with the Rams is just 20-24-1 and his team currently sits at the bottom of the NFC West, he should be commended for the job he has done this season.
Not only has he posted a 6-7 record in arguably the toughest division in the league, he has done so without the services of his starting quarterback. Sam Bradford has missed the entire season.
Fisher is still one of the great minds in the league and clearly has the team trending in the right direction despite the aforementioned obstacles.
But does he have the right people in place on his staff?
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has the defense ranked No. 11 in the league. They've also pitched back-to-back shutouts over the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins.
Offensively, Brian Schottenheimer doesn't seem to be the right fit. Though he hasn't had the chance to work with Bradford this season, Schottenheimer hasn't been able to devise plays to get the ball in the hands of the team's playmakers, such as Tavon Austin, as often as he could.
"I think Brian Schottenheimer would be a great hire for #OregonState, kidding Beaver fans, would never wish that on anyone
— Greg Biggins (@GregBiggins) December 4, 2014"
Instead, Schottenheimer calls a very predictable game and his offense ranks 27th out of 32 teams. Also, according to SportingCharts, the Rams have had nearly 21 percent of their drives end in 3-and-outs this season.
Fisher and Williams should continue to build upon a solid nucleus of players and a stout defense, but an improvement could be made at the offensive coordinator position.
Who Is the Team's Quarterback of the Future?
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It's hard to give up on a young, once-promising quarterback. It's even harder to do so when you invested a No. 1 overall pick on him. Just ask the Washington Redskins.
But the Rams will have some serious questions to answer this offseason as it relates to Sam Bradford. When he's been on the field, Bradford has shown flashes of being a very effective quarterback.
There's the good Bradford—11,065 career passing yards with 59 touchdowns. But there's also the bad Bradford—58.6 percent completion rate with 56 career turnovers (38 interceptions, 18 fumbles).
Most troublesome, however, is the fact that Bradford has played in just 49 out of a possible 80 career games. Injuries have really hampered him. They have also made it very difficult to judge how successful Bradford can eventually be.
On top of all of this is the fact that he is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent following the 2015 season.
"It amazes me that some of the same people who continually excuse Sam Bradford's injuries are so quickly writing off RG3. He's not healthy.
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) December 6, 2014"
Do the Rams ask him to take a pay cut and give him one more season to be the guy? Or do they spend a high draft pick this season on a player coming out of college.
If the Rams chose to look at the free-agent market following this season, they wouldn't find a player they could build their team around. Unless they really like Mark Sanchez.
So which direction do the Rams go? The choices don't seem great, but it's a decision they can't afford to get wrong.
How Should the Team Approach the 2015 NFL Draft?
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The Rams have a plethora of young players who will help build the future of the franchise. Players like Alec Ogletree, E.J. Gaines and Tre Mason, to name just a few, appear to be great draft finds so far.
So how should the team approach the draft following this season? Should it use a high pick on another offensive lineman or should it trade back and stockpile picks for the future? Maybe the Rams have their eyes on another wide receiver to add to the mix.
Cedric Ogbuehi is a player they could target in the first round. The offensive lineman out of Texas A&M has a rare combination of athletic ability and strength. He has very long arms and is an effective blocker in both the running and passing games.
After drafting Greg Robinson in the first round of the 2014 draft, the Rams could set themselves up nicely by drafting a guy like Ogbuehi, giving them a pair of lineman who could eventually become one of the best pair of tackles in the league.
If the team allows Joe Barksdale to find a new home via free agency, Ogbuehi makes a lot of sense in the first round.
If it chooses to add another explosive weapon to the offense, DeVante Parker would be an excellent selection.
Parker, a senior wide receiver at Louisville, could be considered the best wide receiver in the 2015 draft. He has big playmaking ability and can easily gain separation off the snap due to his quickness. However, utilizing Parker on a short route over the middle and watching him turn it into a big gain is what teams will fall in love with.
This video will give you some insight into Parker's game if you're not familiar with him.
He would be good no matter where he goes, but getting him indoors in St. Louis might bring back memories of some of the plays the "Greatest Show on Turf" used to come up with.
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How Will Team Address Free Agency?
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| David Joseph | Guard | Unrestricted Free Agent | 31 years old |
| Shaun Hill | Quarterback | Unrestricted Free Agent | 34 years old |
| Alex Carrington | Defensive End | Unrestricted Free Agent | 27 years old |
| Lance Kendricks | Tight End | Unrestricted Free Agent | 26 years old |
| Kenny Britt | Wide Receiver | Unrestricted Free Agent | 26 years old |
| Michael Person | Tackle | Unrestricted Free Agent | 26 years old |
| Rodney McLeod | Safety | Restricted Free Agent | 24 years old |
| Joe Barksdale | Tackle | Unrestricted Free Agent | 25 years old |
| Cory Harkey | Fullback | Exclusive Rights Free Agent | 24 years old |
| Austin Davis | Quarterback | Restricted Free Agent | 25 years old |
Free-agent statuses courtesy of Spotrac.com
The Rams have a key free-agency period upcoming this offseason, particularly as it relates to their own free agents.
In addition to Barksdale, offensive lineman Davin Joseph, wide receiver Kenny Britt, safety Rodney McLeod and quarterback Shaun Hill are scheduled to become free agents.
According to Over the Cap, the Rams currently have only about $1.2 million in available cap space. That means they'll need to rework some contracts or let go of a bunch of talent.
Hill has played well in relief of Bradford and Austin Davis this season, throwing for six touchdowns in six games and compiling a 90.8 quarterback rating. The Rams may want to hang onto him, particularly if they are going to keep Bradford.
It will be interesting to see what the Rams choose to do and how they go about freeing up more salary-cap room.
Will the Team Stay in St. Louis?
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The St. Louis Rams have only been the St. Louis Rams since the 1995 season. For 49 years prior to that, they resided in Los Angeles.
Is there a chance they go back there? Yes, a good one.
Though it would take three-quarters of team owners to pass such a move, it's not out of the realm of possibilities. Current Rams owner Stan Kroenke may have even foreshadowed the move by purchasing 60 acres of land in Inglewood, California.
That doesn't mean a move is imminent, but fans in St. Louis must consider the possibility. Most importantly, the Rams can get out of their year-to-year lease with the Edward Jones Dome without paying any penalties.
That means nothing is stopping them from moving. The only thing that could may be a new stadium in St. Louis.
City officials in St. Louis might want to draw up a proposal for a new stadium...and soon. That is, if they are interested in keeping the team.
"Eric Dickerson says Rams officials have told him team likely to move back to LA He wants Adrian Peterson in backfield http://t.co/oiv4L6BCFV
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) November 19, 2014"
If not, the Rams could be going back to California. Back in October, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio said the Rams would be the most likely team to make the move back to the Los Angeles market.
The NFL will get a team in Los Angeles and it won't be long before it does. Will it be the Rams?
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