Following an exciting first round, we break down the favorite picks, most pleasant and biggest surprises, most under-appreciated pick, worst move and more.
Peyton Manning, Mario Williams, Mike Wallace and Carl Nicks headline an intriguing free agent class that can shift the balance of power this offseason.
The Eagles seemingly came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha as they eye a trip to the Super Bowl.
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I've read every preseason preview magazine and listened to various prognosticators, both well-informed and fledgling, and it appears that one team consistently falls through the cracks. The St. Louis Rams are picked by almost nobody to make a return to the NFC playoffs. Apparently their crushing 47-17 loss in the NFC divisional playoff to the Falcons has made for overly critical eyes. Here's some Visine to help get the eyes focused more clearly on a team that could be a lot better than most people think.
Any conversation about the Rams has to start with their explosive offense. Marc Bulger is back at QB and he's at the age and seasoning where most QBs make the leap from very good to elite. The only QBs with better overall numbers the past two seasons are Culpepper, Manning, and Trent Green. The glaring exception to Bulger's strong numbers are TD passes, primarily a function of poor red zone passing. That is something that can only improve with more experience and a stronger interior running threat. Enter Steven Jackson.
Jackson takes over the starting RB job from the exceptional Marshall Faulk. Jackson is bigger, tougher, and a pile mover between the tackles. But he also has enough explosiveness and is nimble enough to break it outide, keeping LBs honest and opening up the field for more slant and 10-15 yard curls. Those are staple red zone routes and Bulger has the arm to deliver the ball into tight quarters. No knock on Faulk, who will shift into a 3rd down back that will allow him to utilize his still-great hands and get him into open space more often, but Jackson is the big back who can absorb contact and drive the ball forward inside that the Rams sorely need. His threat of interior running will only open up the field more for the lethal passing game.
Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, Kevin Curtis and Shaun McDonald is easily one of the top 3 WR corps in the league. Bruce isn't the elite #1 wideout he was during the Warner era, but Torry Holt just might be better than Bruce ever was. Curtis emerged in the final 3 games as a tremendous #3 wideout, averaging over 100 yards and almost 20 yards a catch and catching anything thrown near him. McDonald is a big-time burner that will get to match up against 4th CBs or safeties, a major mismatch. Faulk remains an above-average pass catching back and Jackson has shown he can ably snare a few passes. Even TE Brandon Manumaleuna is a capable short-yardage receiver and a devastating run blocker. In short, the Rams are equal to any team in terms of overall skill position talent and depth. Put them together with a line that features all-world Orlando Pace (happy with a new contract), solid vets Andy McCollum and Adam Timmerman and stud rookie Alex Barron and the Rams should be able to put up averages of 24 points and 400 yards per game.
The naysayers will point out (correctly) that the offense wasn't the problem last season. The defense defined "anemic", ranking 29th against the run, 25th in scoring D and forcing a league-low 18 turnovers. While the defense is still certainly the weak sibling, at least now the personnel is in place to keep the scores in the twenties. Linebacking was a disaster last season, so the Rams acquired significant upgrades in Dexter Coakley and Chris Claiborne. A healthy Pisa Tinoisamoa will shore up the weak side, and moving Robert Thomas to a more suited backup role gives them depth and versatility they haven't had in years.
The starting corners are solid in coverage and the team added 3 rookie DBs to shore up what was a dreadful overall unit in 2004. This by no means makes them a good defense, but they should be enough better at tackling and faster in zone coverage to make the opponent work harder to score. Jeff Wilkins is a top-notch kicker who can nail long game-winners when called upon. The punt and kick coverage and return units all remain subpar, a major sore point of Mike Martz's coaching. A new punter and an influx of hungry rookies should help make the units better, though the special team woes keep the Rams from being serious NFC title contenders.
The NFC West is perhaps the weakest division in the NFL, and the Rams feature the most experience, best offense and a soft early schedule that could provide a commanding lead by November. People tend to overlook that the Rams defeated the Seahwaks in the playoffs last season and beat the Eagles and Jets in must-win games at the end of the season. They're not on par with the other 3 likely NFC division champs, but there's enough firepower and experience in place to pull a surprise trip to the NFC Championship game if they stay healthy and win turnover battles.
