The cog on the wheel that has kept this franchise churning. The player who's passion and determination remained throughout all of these putrid years. One of the driving forces behind the resurgence of the St. Louis Rams. Yes, I am talking about Steven Jackson. As we know, Steven Jackson is probably nearing the end of his prime at age 27 and by the start of the season (assuming no lockout) he'd be 28. As they say, 30 years old is that magical number for running backs when their production begins to regress, and they slowly dwindle away into the past. So I'll raise the question. Should we trade Steven Jackson, or should we keep him until he retires as a Ram.

In 2009, Jackson was 2nd in the league in rushing with 1,416 yards on 324 carries, along with a 4.4 rushing average. He also had 4 rushing TD's, 51 receptions for 322 yards, and 2 fumbles that year.

In 2010, his numbers dropped a fair sum. On 330 carries, he had 1,241 yards for a 3.8 yard average, along with 6 rushing TD's. Out of the backfield, he produced 46 receptions for 383 yards, and had 1 fumble overall.

This drop off can be placed on any number of factors. Maybe the run blocking wasn't as great this year. Perhaps the FB wasn't as productive. Heck, maybe the receivers weren't effective enough this year. Well that all undoubtedly played a role in his production drop, but the fact remains that his numbers went down, and he isn't getting any younger. Compliment that with a tank load of rushes and you got yourself a running back who may become another lost cause. Does Shaun Alexander ring a bell?

How about possibly trading Steven Jackson next year, and drafting Mark Ingram this year? Hmmm....