St. Louis Rams: 10 Moves the Rams Can Make To Compete Next Year

The St. Louis Rams are arguably the worst team in the NFL.  Think about it this way:

Indianapolis is going to finish 1-15 or 0-16, but they will get Peyton Manning back next year, and then they will be at least a .500 football team.

The Minnesota Vikings, at 2-9, have an identical record to the Rams, but they started Donovan McNabb at QB this year, who is so awful that they turned the job over to rookie Christian Ponder.  Next season, with a year under his belt and stud running back Adrian Peterson behind him, Ponder will lead the Vikings to a more respectable record.

Those are the only two teams you can even argue are worse than the Rams.  It's not even close.  The Jaguars have three wins with a rookie quarterback (Blaine Gabbert), who is throwing to a group of pedestrian wide receivers.

Washington is 3-7, but they have a very talented team: They just need a quarterback, and they will have a chance to get a good one in the upcoming NFL Draft.  Carolina is 3-8, but they have a stud rookie QB in Cam Newton, and their future looks very bright.

The Rams...are just a mess.

They play in a pretty weak division, and they should get some serious help with the NFL schedule makers next year in terms of their "out of division" schedule.  So there is hope for next season.

Here are the 10 steps I think the Rams need to make if they want to compete next season.

Draft a Wide Receiver

Sam Bradford needs help.  We all know that. 

The Rams will be picking somewhere between second and fourth, and they should have a great chance to draft Justin Blackmon (Oklahoma State), or Alshon Jeffrey (South Carolina). 

Blackmon has been called "better prospect than Dez Bryant" (via ESPN).  Have you seen Dez Bryant?  That guy is a stud! 

Like Brandon Lloyd up on one side, and put Justin Blackmon on the other side.  We should have a healthy Danny Amendola back to work the slot receiver position, and I love what Greg Salas brings on the inside receiving routes. 

The St. Louis Rams might actually be dangerous on offense with this group of receivers.

Start Cutting the Rest of the Wide Receivers

Brandon Gibson is gone.  He can't make tough catches and he offers no big play ability.

Danario Alexander is gone.  He has explosive ability but he can't stay healthy.

Dominique Curry, you are safe, but only because you are good on special teams.

Austin Pettis, is on the bubble.  I don't care if he is a third-round pick or not.  He isn't a great special teams player, and he hasn't shown the ability to put points on the board. He can't say he didn't get the chance, because he had this entire season, with all these injuries clearing the way for him to play.

If the Rams have to, they should trade Pettis for anything they can get for him—a sixth-round pick—just get something for him.  If he doesn't step up, cut him loose.

My receiving corps would look like this: Brandon Lloyd, Justin Blackmon, Danny Amendola, Greg Salas, Dominique Curry and (maybe) Austin Pettis.

Get Some Big Guys to Play in the Trenches on D

The Rams have two very talented players at defensive end.  Chris Long and Robert Quinn could bring the pain for the Rams for years to come, as both are still very young players.

This is a bright spot for the Rams.

However, the Rams are awful at defensive tackle.  Fred Robbins was great last year, but it seemed like he aged 10 years during the offseason.  Justin Bannan was supposed to be a huge upgrade at defensive tackle, but the Rams are one of the worst run defenses in the NFL.

Every defensive tackle is on the chopping block.  The Rams need to start looking to draft somebody, sign free agents, or work a trade, because these guys are not getting the job done.

Upgrade the Linebackers: Find an Outside Linebacker

What happened to Jabarra Williams?  I mean, seriously? 

Here is a young guy that the Rams could have given a shot.  Instead, they keep playing Brady "the next tackle I make will be the first" Poppinga, and the immortal Bryan Kehl.

I like the way Chris Chamberlain has played at one outside linebacker spot, and he could be a solid fourth linebacker, special teams type of guy.  Of course, middle linebacker James Laurinaitis has the look of a Pro Bowl player if the Rams could put more playmakers around him.

Maybe Jabara Williams could have been one of those players?  We'll never know—he was released and picked up by the Chicago Bears.  He's good enough to play for the Monsters of the Midway, but he's not good enough to play for us?  Geez.

The Rams need to draft a good linebacker.  I have a radical idea: Instead of wasting our 10th mid-round draft pick on a wide receiver like Mardy Gilyard or Keenan Burton, why don't we draft a linebacker? 

Can we do that, please?

Shuffle the O Line

Jason Smith doesn't have the lateral quickness to play offensive tackle.  The Rams know this, and that is why despite being the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft, Smith was moved to right tackle. 

Who wastes the No. 2 overall pick in a right tackle?  Seriously?

So now that he has almost got Sam Bradford killed, can we all admit that he isn't a right tackle either?  Smith is a strong guy, and he has been—at times—a mauling run blocker.  This is a good thing. 

Why not move him to left guard? 

Incumbent left guard Jacob Bell is not setting the world on fire right now, so let him go, move Smith to left guard, and let him team up with right guard Harvey Dahl to form one of the best run blocking set of guards in the NFL. 

If they do that, the Rams can build around left tackle Roger Saffold, left guard Jason Smith, center to be named later (Jason Brown's future is uncertain), and right guard Harvey Dahl. 

I'm in favor of giving Adam Goldberg the job at right tackle.  He did a better job than Jason Smith at that spot this year, anyway.

If the Rams need to upgrade anywhere, look in the draft. 

It's not hard to find a quality right tackle in the middle rounds.  That would require the Rams, once again, to avoid the temptation to draft a wide receiver to be cut later, but I think they can do it!

Lance Kendricks: What To Do with Him?

Lance Kendricks has been arguably the biggest disappointment for the St. Louis Rams this season.  When the Rams reached to draft him in the second round, it was a head scratcher.  Then he kind of tore it up during the preseason.

Then he disappeared during the regular season.

Kendricks is a good run blocker.  He has the ability to get open in the passing game.  He definitely deserves another year to prove himself.  So I'm not saying, "should we cut him?"

I'm saying, "should we draft another tight end?"  A quarterback has to have a good tight end if he is going to be successful. 

Tom Brady has Gronkowski and Hernandez.  Romo has Whitten.  Brees has Graham.  Rivers has Gates.  I could go on and on.

If you want to make Sam Bradford look good, you have to pair him up with a good tight end.  I believe Kendricks is that guy.  Sam Bradford needs to invite Kendricks to live with him this summer. 

Seriously, I'm not even joking.

Bradford needs to run Kendricks through route trees all summer long until Kendricks understands the offense, and he gets a chemistry with Bradford.

If Kendricks and Bradford get on the same page, with the Lloyd/Blackmon combo as wide receivers, plus Steven Jackson running the ball, the Rams offense would be dangerous.

Wait, did I really just type that?   

Find a Backup Running Back... a REAL Backup Running Back

I said this earlier during the season, and everybody was like, "What?  Cadillac is having a great year!  He has been awesome backing up Jackson!!!"

I never said he wasn't.  My point is, he's Cadillac Williams!  Why do you think we got him in the first place?  Because he stays injured!

We need to find a backup running back.  There are always good ones to be found in free agency, and perhaps no position yields more production from late round picks than running back.

As I type that, it occurs to me that the Rams haven't drafted a running back since...

You get my point.  They need to invest in a running back to help take the load off of Jackson, because he isn't getting any younger.  It would be nice to get a change of pace back, or perhaps a Dexter McCluster type who could be a threat on third down. 

Maybe the Rams could get creative and run some of that five wide, empty back formation stuff where they split out Jackson and the newly acquired pass catching running back.

I'm just kidding about that last part.

I'm not kidding about the Rams finding a new running back.  They have to find somebody to help Steven Jackson.  Avoid the temptation to draft the receiver to be cut later and just get a backup running back!

Get Our Starting Corners Healthy

The Rams' biggest weakness, a rash of injuries at the cornerback position, will be a position of strength next year.  Justin King has been baptized by fire this season.  Next year, when he takes his rightful place as our dime corner, he will be an asset.

Ron Bartell, Jerome Murphy and Bradley Fletcher are all starting caliber NFL corners.  Throw in Justin King, along with safeties Quintin Mickell and Darian Stewart, and the back half of the Rams D looks impressive on paper.

This is one area where you can never have enough depth.  This season has proved that!  I just don't think this is one place the Rams need to invest heavily in the draft. 

Be smart, stay on the lookout for a good waiver wire pickup, and just hope that our own guys get healthy. 

Fire Billy Devaney

Billy Devaney has to go.  He just has to go. 

He hasn't made a single good pick in the middle of the NFL Draft, an area where good personnel men make their money.  Okay, maybe Greg Salas will turn out to be a good pick, but other than that, you tell me one player that has been a difference-making Ram that was drafted in the third, fourth or fifth round.

That's what I thought.

Devaney wasted picks on guys like Mardy Gilyard, Kennan Burton and the oft injured Illinois Mike.  We passed on good football players, and our roster reflects that.

Billy Devaney has to go.

Keep Steve Spagnulo

Steve Spagnulo had the Rams turning around.  He went 1-15 that first year, where the team was terrible, but then the Rams went 7-9 last year.

Things looked good.

It's not Devaney's fault that the Rams season was wrecked by so many injuries to the offensive line (Roger Saffold, Jason Smith), and the secondary (Bradley Fletcher, Ron Bartell and Jerome Murphy). 

If you can't block, and you can't cover the other teams' wide receivers, you are in trouble.

That has nothing to do with coaching.  The Rams are still playing hard for Spags.  He deserves another shot, and I'll tell you why.

First, you don't want to overturn the entire coaching staff.  Firing Spags would mean firing the entire staff, and you don't want to make Bradford play for his third offensive coordinator in three years. 

Second, a lot of the moves the Rams made last year were made in an effort to run Josh McDaniels' offense. 

Do we want to take two giant steps backwards, in terms of scheme and personnel?  

I think Spags deserves one more chance.  The Rams will have a favorable schedule next year.  They will have a healthy roster to start the year.  If the Rams do hire a new GM—and they will—Spags will know he has to perform, or he is the next guy out the door.

I think the Rams need to give Spags one more chance to prove himself with a competent GM, and with a full roster.  If the Rams don't start over from square one, I really believe they will compete for the NFC West next season.

Recap...

NFL Draft:

1st pick - Justin Blackmon or Alshon Jeffrey

2nd pick - Find a starting OLB, DT, or RT, whoever grades higher.

3rd pick - Find a starting OLB, DT, or RT, whoever grades higher.

4th pick - Find a starting OLB, DT, or RT, whoever grades higher.  Start looking for a RB.

5th pick - Traded to Denver for Brandon Lloyd

6th pick - Look for a backup RB, tight end, or a DB

7th pick - Look for a backup RB, tight end, or DB.

So based on that, the Rams should come out of the draft with a stud WR, a starting OLB, a starting DT, a solid RT who could start if needed, a backup RB, a DB to give us depth and maybe a backup TE.

The three biggest weaknesses (OL, WR, and DB) on the team would be converted to strengths.  The offense would be in Year 2 of the McDaniels' offense.  The defense would be healthy and a Top 5-10 D in the league. 

Here would be the Rams' starting offense: Bradford (QB), Jackson (RB), Lloyd (WR1), Blackmon* (WR2), Amendola (WR3), Kendricks (TE), Saffold (LT), Smith (LG), Brown (C), Dahl (RG) and Goldberg (RT).

Here would be the Rams' starting defense: Long (LE), Bannan (DT), DRAFT PICK* (DT), Quinn (RE), Chamberlain (OLB), Laurinaitis (MLB), DRAFT PICK* (OLB), Bartell (CB), Stewart (S), Mickell (S) and Murphy (CB). 

So as you can see, they need to nail three DRAFT PICKS* this year, which is the biggest reason Devaney needs to go.  If we keep him, he will just screw it up—again!

If the Rams follow my advice, they can be a contender next year, Steve Spagnulo will turn this team around and Sam Bradford will ascend to his rightful place among the elite QBs in the NFL.