2011 NFL Predictions: 6 Reasons Sam Bradford's St. Louis Rams Win NFC West

With the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams made the right decision in selecting Sam Bradford. 

While the rest of the NFC West largely stood still during the offseason, the Rams took a step forward in every direction. The Rams put the NFC West on notice last year when they went from a 1-15 team to a 7-9 team and could have taken the division title in the last week of the season if not for a loss to the Seahawks.

However, this is the year of Bradford. He's no longer a rookie, and he's got weapons surrounding him to threaten defenses, making the Rams the team to beat in the NFC West.

Steven Jackson

Steven Jackson has been one of the premier running backs in the league for the last few years.

Many are predicting a sharp decline from him this season due to his overuse recently. On the other hand, Jackson was able to enjoy an offseason of rest and recovery, which many players have said allowed them to heal much more effectively.

The Rams also did Jackson a favor by finding him a suitable backup. Fullback Kenneth Darby was the direct backup to Jackson last year, and they could not afford to use him instead of Jackson on a regular basis. Cadillac Williams comes in to be the backup, a solid replacement that can take some of the heat off Jackson. Jerious Norwood could be utilized on third downs as well.

Jackson should be in line for an up year. The Rams have never been able to utilize him as well as they should, considering they've been so bad for so long. He's always had exceptional talent, and this is one of the last years he may be able to show it.

Strong Offensive Line Play

Every other offensive line in the NFC West is struggling this preseason.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith has been harassed relentlessly; the O-line gave up six sacks in the first preseason game on top of an unbelievable amount of pressure.

The Seahawks offensive line should theoretically be better, given an offseason to heal and the development of Russell Okung. Still, even if Tarvaris Jackson wasn't performing terribly, the Hawks' line is playing abysmally.

The Cardinals offensive line has Levi Brown playing left tackle. Oh, and future Hall of Fame candidate Alan Faneca retired, who might have been their best lineman even after declining play due to his age.

The Rams drafted Rodger Saffold in 2010, who looks like a slam dunk at left tackle and could be even better as soon as this year. Jason Brown is one of the most underrated centers in the league. Harvey Dahl was a great pickup at right guard, and he brings in versatility as a possible right tackle and a nasty demeanor to the trenches.

There's no doubt this line is the class of the division. Sam Bradford is well protected, and Steven Jackson will have holes to run through.

Great Front Seven

The Rams defense has an ace defensive end in Chris Long. Combined with James Hall, the two create one of the better defensive end tandems in the league. Hall may be aging, but the Rams drafted Robert Quinn with their first-round pick, and he's been terrorizing offenses this preseason. That rotation will dominate.

James Laurinaitis is the undisputed leader of the defense at middle linebacker. Laurinaitis flows to the ball with ease and makes exceptional plays against the run. He's no slouch in pass coverage either and has the versatility to rush the passer, racking up four sacks last year.

Fred Robbins had an excellent 2010, ranking 10th in Pro Football Focus' rankings of 4-3 defensive tackles. He can collapse the pocket and blow up runs in the backfield.

Justin Bannan and Bryan Kehl are all solid starters that round out the front seven. None of them are particularly talented at any one thing, but none of them have a glaring weakness.

The Rams are deep and talented up front on both sides of the ball. Winning starts in the trenches, and the Rams are stocked.

Josh McDaniels

The Rams threw the ball 590 times last year, tied for fifth in the league. Expect that to still rise in 2011.

Josh McDaniels comes in as the offensive coordinator for the Rams, and he is a pass-happy maniac. He also knows how to get the most out of mediocre receivers, which the Rams have plenty of.

McDaniels is also known around the league as a quarterback guru. He was instrumental in Tom Brady's development in New England, and there's no doubt he improved Kyle Orton's game in Denver last year.

McDaniels may have failed as a head coach, but he's a proven offensive coordinator. Look for Mike Sims-Walker, Donnie Avery, Danny Amendola and Lance Kendricks to thrive. All of them have unique skill sets that will provide a varied offense with Sam Bradford and Steven Jackson.

Quintin Mikell

One of the most underrated pickups of free agency, Quintin Mikell could be the best player in the Rams secondary.

Brought in to replace O.J. Atogwe after he was cut pre-lockout, Mikell brings a diverse skill group to the safety position. Quietly, he has been the most consistent safety in the league over the least three years. While Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu are more talented and make a great impact on the game, they are injury-prone and have missed double-digit games in the past few years. Mikell has yet to miss any.

Mikell excels against the run and pass and is equally talented at both. He can come down into the box or play single high. If you needed him to play corner in a pinch, he would be more than serviceable. He was an upgrade over Atogwe, who was good in his own right.

He will play a key role in getting the Rams to a division title and will improve a Rams secondary that was below average last year.

NFC West

There's no way around it: The Rams play in the weakest division in the NFL—and possibly one of the weakest of all time.

The NFC West is slowly improving, but this year could be just as bad as last year.

With Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback, the Seahawks will be lucky to win seven games. The offensive line and defense have been shaky, and while they improved themselves at the skill positions, they're going to need to replace Jackson eventually.

The 49ers stood absolutely still during free agency and lost ace nose tackle Aubrayo Franklin and stalwart Takeo Spikes. They cut Nate Clements to avoid his extremely high salary and replaced him with Carlos Rogers. Alex Smith is still Alex Smith and has yet another new head coach and system.

The Cardinals went all in on the unproven Kevin Kolb. At the very least they stand a chance of threatening the Rams if Kolb turns out to be a stud, but that still seems like a long shot. The defense could be incredibly problematic, having lost Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Not to mention Adrian Wilson is playing with a torn biceps tendon, and Joey Porter plays like he's 167.

The NFC West is wide open, and it's ready for the Rams to take.