FanPost

RB or WR

It is obvious that the Rams do not have a #1 wide reciever. Correct? And our beast of a running back in Steven Jackson isnt the guy he used to be. Right? And this lockout isnt helping anything. So what can the Rams do about that? It seems like there are three options. First, the easiest and most immediate being FA. But that doesnt garruntee any huge results. There could be injuries or it might just not be a good fit. The second would be to try to groom a RB. As of now our options are Keith Toston, and I dont think that is going to work. Lastly would be the draft. This year we picked up two wide recievers that can catch the ball very well so that should help a lot. But still dont have a #1. And for RB, we need a backup for this year and a successor for years to come. The backup we can fix now, or when the lockout ends. And when it does, we need to pickup as many players we can that fills needs.

If we do that, we can concentrate on WR and RB the following year.

So which is more important to a team on the rise? More importantly, which is more important to a team ready to compete in the playoffs?

To me, a team on the rise needs a running back. A very good one just like SJ39 to give the fans hope that the team could succeed. But I think that if you dont have a legit #1 wide reciever, you cant go far into the playoffs. Lets look at the past 5 superbowl champs.

First the Colts. In 2007 Peyton had Reggie Wayne who was a very reliable target for him.

Next the Giants. In 2008 they had Plaxico Burress who caught the game winning touchdown.

Then there was the Steelers. They had Santonio Holmes and Hines Ward.

After that there was the Saints. They had Marques Colston.

Last was the Packers. They have Donald Driver and Greg Jennings.

Plus you cant forget our Superbowl camps. We had Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.

So as you can see, no team in the past five years has won without a sure #1 reciever. And guess what. That's exactly what we're missing. You can always argue that we have guys who can catch the ball now, but there is no #1. So what to do about it? Since there isnt a great reciever that can contribute for sure in FA we need to draft someone who can build chemistry with Bradford from day one. Someone like Justin Blackmon or Alshon Jeffery. I know as of now it looks like we cant get them, but with this crazy lockout, who knows what will happen. If we only play 8 games, we could end up with a good record which would most likely happen with our schedule, or have a terrible one and get a top 10 pick. The only way i see us doing badly is if Bradford has a sophmore slump. But I dont see that happening.

On the other hand, a hard-nose running back would be nice. Basically the only RB that I could see use picking up to take over Jackson's duties someday is Trent Richardson. But when the lockout does end, we will be making a deal with a RB. Whether it's a big-name guy like Darren Sproles or Michael Bush, or a undrafted free agent like Derrick Locke or Graig Cooper. And I think a good backup will help prolong Steven Jackson's career for a couple more years than he should without one. But in the end we need a successor.