My Solution to the St. Louis Rams' Problems

As the NFL enters the middle of the season, it is painfully obvious which teams are heading in the right direction, and which teams are not. I am going to take the teams that have already shown that 2009 will not be their year, and what they need to do in 2010.

Starting at the bottom, the St. Louis Rams are ranked 32 on most people's Power Rankings, at least those that know what they are talking about. Not only have the Rams not won a game this year, they have not won a game in over a year. The Rams' last victory came against the Dallas Cowboys, on Oct. 19, 2008.

That translates to 17 straight losses. If the Rams do not defeat the Detroit Lions this weekend, there is a good chance they may not win a game this year. If that happens, they will not only be the second team to not win a game, but they will have the longest losing streak in the history of the NFL.

Since the Rams' franchise is for sale, I am going to tell you what I would do, if I were to be the one to buy the team.

The first thing I would do, is fire the entire coaching staff. Every one. There have been many coaches that have come in and made an immediate impact to help turn the franchise around.

People would immediately say, go for one of the "BIG" names. Go for Shanahan or Cowher or Holmgren. All good coaches, NONE would come to coach the Rams. They are all going to be courted by teams that have a lot less improving to do than the Rams, so they will be on other sidelines.

I would go for a defensive-minded coach, because if you cannot stop anyone, you can't win. Who would I go after? Leslie Frazier, Minnesota Vikings. Since Mike Tomlin left the Vikings, the defense has not taken a step back. They play with fire and intensity.

Frazier would also be promised that he is going to have five years to turn the franchise around, so that he does not feel the pressure to have to win NOW. There is no greater feeling than having job security, and coaching a team that has not won a game in a year, needs security.

Free Agency. Turning this franchise around is not going to be a one year experience. It is going to take four to five years before the Rams are ready to seriously compete for a Super Bowl. With that is mind, when entering the FA market, only go after young players, that have a big enough upside that they can develop into stars, but don't over pay so that if they don't, you can release them.

Current roster. There are a few key players that are already in place is St. Louis; players you can build around for the future. The 2010 draft is also supposed to be one of the best drafts in years. Take the players that are not going to be part of the  equation in five years, and trade them for what you can get.

Not a fire sale, as some teams have. There is no way Chris Long of James Laurinaitis would be traded; Frazier would build the defense around them. But players like Steven Jackson, who is valued at probably a first-round pick to the right team.

That would give the Rams the top pick in each round of the draft, Plus at least one other first round pick (Steven Jackson).

If you look at two of the most successful teams in the NFL, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots, they do not go out and break the bank with free agents. They build their team through the draft, which is exactly what St. Louis needs to do.

DO NOT USE A FIRST ROUND PICK ON A QUARTERBACK!

The QB's coming out are decent, but you are not on a win-now plan, you are on a five-year plan. Draft someone in the second or third round (Tim Tebow, anyone?), who can develop into the position, and keep Marc Bulger until he does. (Can you honestly blame one person for the problems in St. Louis?)

With your first three picks—first in the first two rounds and the one you traded Jackson for, you take the best available player. With three impact players, even if one of them is a bust, you still have two potential game changers.

In every round after that, other than drafting a QB in the second (you may have to trade up from the first pick in the third), take the players that are rated highest on your board.

This is really the only way things are going to turn around, and it is not going to happen over night. The Rams are a long way from when they were the "Greatest Show on Turf", but respectability is something that is going to have to be earned.

The only question is, are the fans going to be patient enough?