RotoWorld has it's minicamp tour of the NFC West up at their site. They penned it mostly from a fantasy perspective, but that's a decent way to get some insight on teams this time of year.

Items of interest pertaining to the Rams:

• They report that Torry Holt "appears to be healthy" heading into the season, which is consistent with earlier reports on Holt's status. Needless to say, the Rams need a healthy Holt, both because of his ability and his ability to get draw coverage and leave other WR threats open.
• Speaking of those other threats, RotoWorld's assessment doesn't dog Drew Bennett quite like the others. They think he'll get plenty of catches.
• Steven Jackson gets the usual effusive praise. They include a cautious notes about an injury to Pace and the precarious state of the O-line, but I think they're overestimating that threat for a couple reasons. 1) With the addition of Jacob Bell, the middle of the field should be a much friendlier place to run than it was last season with the parade of replacements, 2) while anything's possible, the likelihood of the Rams suffering an injury epidemic on the O-line again is very slight.
• It's becoming widely accepted fact that McMichael's in for a good season with Al Saunders calling the plays.

Nothing out of the ordinary there as far as the Rams go, but I did find a note about Mike Martz interesting in the review. Long time Rams fans won't recall any big seasons for tight ends under Martz. In fact, prior to last season when Randy McMichael had 39 catches, 431 yards and 3 TDs (considered a disappointment and the fewest balls McMichael has caught since his rookie season in '02), the last time a Rams TE had more than 35 catches was in 2001 when Ernie Conwell had 38 catches, 441 yards and 4 TDs.

Seems Martz has changed his tune since arriving in SF. With the 49ers, Martz plans to use TE Vernon Davis as a receiver. Here's what Mad Mike had to say:

"Instead of breaking down and head-faking and doing all these things, we're going to use his speed. And I think he understands that really well at this point."

I suppose that's a big part of their plan given that old friend Isaac Bruce has been thrust into the #1 WR role in SF. Davis will have to get around Chris Long first.

Last day of June. The summer races by and that means we're now less than a month away from the start of training camp. Be prepared, the last leg of the journey is usually the longest.

Outside of their recent interest in Barry Sims, the Rams finished their offseason shopping with the signing of third QB Gradkowski. Are we satisfied they've made the right moves? Is that all they need to/can do heading into the season?

Reading about Kevin Jones working out for teams this weekend got me thinking about any other player acquisitions I might like to see the Rams make before the season starts. I couldn't come up with much off the top of my head, so thought it would be worth a Monday morning discussion to make sure we feel like the bases are covered, or at least as covered as they can be a month out from camp.

Position by position...

Offensive Line
With Pace healthy and high profile free agent Jacob Bell inked and ready to start, the left side of the Rams line is set. Incognito and Romberg will battle it out in the middle and Setterstrom and Barron will hold down the right side. Incognito and Setterstrom have done yeoman work filling in for injured starters the last two seasons, and since they both dealt with injuries last season, neither has reached their ceiling. The Rams intend to push those three, Setts, Cogs and Barron, to their ceiling, and with a couple hungry rookies, John Greco and Roy Schuening, who in the minds of some could start right away at G in the NFL, will do the pushing. Adding Barry Sims to compete with Barron as well as give the Rams a backup OT with plenty of starting experience would have been helpful. The line is in better shape to fill in around key injuries, like Pace. I don't know how many more depth linemen that best what the Rams already have among their backup ranks will shake out, but if they do, the Rams would be wise to at least make offers.

QB, RB
Obviously, the Rams have their starting RB, and he's primed fro a big, big season. Backing him up is Brian Leonard and Antonio Pittman, with one being expected to block more and the other coming in for their straight line speed. I'd like to see Leonard use his ball skills to catch a few passes in the middle, save some wear and tear on Jackson's legs. Is that enough? Are you satisfied with the depth behind Steven Jackson? With names like Travis Henry and Kevin Jones still out there, I'll admit, it's tempting to want to sign one of those guys, but that comes at a cost. At QB, the Rams made Bulger their starter for several years with a new contract last summer. Behind him, Trent Green's concussions give him his share of doubters, and rightfully so, but the Rams seem to think he's fit and need a QB that knows Saunders' complex offense. Finally, the addition of Brice Gradkowski gives them youth with starting expereince in the third QB slot.

TE, WR
Bennett has his doubters after a lackluster season last year, and Holt has a balky knee. Behind those two, the Rams are counting on a rookie, Donnie Avery, to be a deep threat. Reche Caldwell was signed this offseason to give the Rams another experienced WR. There are those who think the Rams should add another experienced #2/3 type WR, but that's not likely now. At tight end, the Rams have a blocker in Becht, a playmaker in McMichael, and something in between in Klopfenstein.

Defensive Line
There's an argument to be made for trying to find a big guy to play tackle in the middle, a roundish nose tackle type. However, the Rams feature a solid rotation at DT with Carriker and Glover starting and Ryan and a possibly much improved Claude Wroten behind them. At DE, the future starts now with Chris Long transitioning under the tutledge of the big man, Leonard Little. Adeyanju and Hall back them up.

Linebacker
This is where, on the surface anyway, the need for additional help stands out. After losing Brandon Chillar to free agency, the Rams turn to Quentin Culberson to replace Chillar's 54 tackles. Added last May as an undrafted free agent, Culberson played in 14 games, staring 1, last season and recorded 24 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. Haslett and the team endorsed Culberson hardily when they made little effort to retain Chillar. It's a big leap of faith with one of the team's other three starting LBs, Pisa Tinoisamoa, having last played all 16 games in 2005.

D-backs
This was a problem area last season with starters Fakhir Brown and Tye Hill both missing time due to suspension and injury. Jonathan Wade enters his second season and Ron Bartell begins his fourth. Bartell's a solid nickel and we'll know more about what Wade has to offer this season. Rumors about adding a proven veteran like Lito Sheppard circulated in the spring, but that had more to do with the assumption that Brown would wind up suspended for the whole season because of a repeat banned substance violation. At safety, the Rams have a real star in OJ Atogwe, who led the NFC with 8 INTs last year. At strong safety, locker room leader Corey Chavous was a bust on the field and the Rams will turn to Jerome Carter and rookie Chris Chamberlin, who has the speed and range to succeed at SS, to spell Chavous.

Special Teams
Josh Brown, K, was the big name added on ST this year, following last year's acquisition of another leg, punter Donnie Jones. The Rams have several candidates for return duties behind Dante Hall, and draft picks David Vorbora and Chamberlin headline the non-kicking/returner additions to ST. This is an area that MUST improve, and if a specialist or two turns up on the waiver wire or free agent roles, the Rams shouldn't hesitate to make a move.

I don't know if anyone saw this last week or not, but I stumbled across it last night and have been obsessing over it every since. It's an overview/prediction for the 2008 season from What If Sports. More than just pithy comments about draft picks and free agents, they map out the entire season, from week one to the Super Bowl.

I really dig it; although, I completely disagree with their 5-11, last place prediction for the Rams. Come on, are we really goning to be worse than the 49ers? No way. They do make a good point about that brutal schedule through the first half of the season. According to their predictions, the first 7 games feature five playoff teams, both Super Bowl teams (Dallas and New England in this sim) and all with a better than .500 record.

Let's delve into a couple of their findings.

The prediction glosses over the impact of last year's injury outbreak and the return of those players to full health, not to mention the addition of Jacob Bell on the o-line. That takes something away from it. Even with the injuries last season, the Rams still managed a few close games, notably a 16-17 home loss to the 49ers in week 2, a 31-34 home loss to the Cardinals in week 5, and a 19-24 home loss to the Seahawks in week 12. With healthier starters and key additions to both the defense and offense, I think their predictions of home losses to all of those teams are a bit dire.

That said, the first half of the schedule is brutal to say the least. Since when did scheduling mandate that last season's cellar dwellers had to play the playoff teams?

I also have a qualm with their identification of turnovers as the most exploitable weakness. The Rams were the worst in the NFC for turnovers, giving opponents 37. But take a look behind those numbers. Marc Bulger fumbled the ball 6 times, losing 5, and threw 15 INTs, his worst season for turnovers since 2003. I hate to trot the injury excuse everytime I hear criticism about the Rams, but I think it's waranted in this case.

With a healthy o-line in front of him, Marc Bulger would have turned the ball over 20 times. No way. That's not to say he would never have turned it over, but 20 times? Gus Frerotte had 12 INTs and one fumble lost; Gus Frerotte probably wouldn't have played without the injuries on the o-line that left Marc Bulger vulnerable to 37 sacks, a concussion and all the other bruises and bumps keeping him off his game. (it's not unreasonable to be concerned about Bulger's recovery from last season.)

The prediction makers did have some nice things to say about the Rams, though. They project Chris Long to accumulate 34 tackles and 7 sacks. But they saved their bulk of their gushing for Steven Jackson:

Steven Jackson - Dude is a monster (in all the best ways possible). When offensive coordinator Al Saunders says that Jackson has not yet even touched his potential, our jaws drop. But, we believe him. Saunders has helped to maximize the productivity of guys including Marshall Faulk, Priest Holmes, Larry Johnson and Clinton Portis. Steven Jackson is not just in the same conversation as those guys; he could end up being better. In the first year of the new system, we give him 1,823 total yards and 15 touchdowns.

Like any good prediction maker, they left themselves some wiggle room, and they'll need it. I don't think there's a playoff team here, but I don't think it's crazy or homerism or crazy homerism that the Rams can get to 7 wins.

Finally, here's another "what if" for the comments section. What if the Rams do only win 5 games? Does Scott Linehan keep his job? Does Steven Jackson become trade bait? Does the team start making plans to beat feet to LA?

If you're looking for something to get bent out of shape about, then I guess you could focus on this comment from Steven Jackson's interview with Yahoo sports' Michael Silver:

You've got to love those Rams fans who showed their loyalty by selling their tickets to Packers and Steelers fans, so half the people in the stadium were rooting against us. It was like playing road games. We ran out of the tunnel and got booed. It was ridiculous. I was livid. In St. Louis, it's one of two things. They either love me or they (expletive) hate me. I'm not a diva, but if I'm pissed, (the Rams' PR staff) won't let me talk, 'cause they're scared of what might come out of my mouth.

My blood stayed at a relatively normal temp when I read that. Hard to blame fans for not finding something better to do with their Sunday afternoons late in a 3 win season. Skipping a game doesn't make you a fair weather fan, does it? And there's nobody to blame but the free market for opponent fans getting tickets to the Rams home games. I suspect that won't be a problem this year because a) the Rams should be a better team and b) at $4+ per gallon, nobody's driving in from Wisconsin or Chicago to see a game, no matter how cheap the tickets are.

On the other hand, I can understand SJ's point. Getting booed at home sucks.

As Jackson points out earlier in the interview, and as if we needed any further reminder, this is big year for the future of the Rams.

I will respectively disagree with SJ on his point about receivers blocking. With a gimpy knee and a few years of wins riding on his ability to catch passes, Torry Holt slamming into a hulking DE. Same with Bruce. And with the Rams constantly playing from behind last season, the receivers had more pressing matters than run blocking.

The colonic has to be good for at least another 250 yards, huh?

ESPN has a post-draft, pre training camp feature up for the NFC West, with Mike Sando's piece on the Rams appearing today.

Concurring with the sentiments of so many Rams fans (myself included), Sando notes the team's most important offseason acquisition is new Offensive Coordinator Al Saunders. Combining Saunders' proven ability to turn out productive offenses with top flight talent like Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson instantly makes the Rams a competitive force in the NFC West.

The question, in Sando's mind is the Rams situation at WR, with big questions marks about Holt's knee, Bennett's seemingly lost ability, and a group of rookies behind them. It's a legitimate concern, and one we won't be able to put to rest until we're into the season. For now, let's try to allay some of those concerns, in bullet points.

• Holt's knee was balky last year, and he still managed to start all 16 games and make 93 catches for 1198 yards, virtually mirroring his 2006 season. He is a year older, 32 now, but has had time to recover in the offseason. I think the question is less about whether or not Holt can still perform at an elite level, but whether or not the Rams have enough other receiving weapons to keep Holt out of permanent double team.
  
• Holt's also playing out the last two years on his contract, and will be looking for a big payday when the cap-less 2010 season rolls around, potentially for a move to Carolina.
• Bennett has seen his number of catches and yards decline each season since 2004. But the 2005 and 2006 seasons in TEN, as well as last season with the Rams, featured offenses in turmoil. Back in April, we noted that Bennett, on a per play basis, actually improved in 2006 over the season prior. 
• For a rookie WR, if learning an NFL playbook is hard enough, learning the Al Saunders playbook must be truly daunting. The trick will be to get Keenan Burton and Donnie Avery familiar with enough plays to make them viable. Avery has the tools to be a deep threat, and Burton could be a decent option in the middle.
• Al Saunders also has a pretty good track record with rookie WRs. As a WRs coach with the Rams in 1999, a rookie Torry Holt picked up 788 yards on 52 catches and scored 6 TDs. Granted the 1999 team was something special, but the Rams made Marshall Faulk their top receiving threat - he led the team with 87 catches and was second to Bruce in receiving yards. Don't discount the plans to make Steven Jackson into a similar pass catching threat.
• With the o-line settled and a true blocking TE in Anthony Becht, Randy McMichael will run a lot more routes. For comparison's sake, think of what Saunders did in KC with his RB, TE Tony Gonzalez, and Eddie Kennison as the top WR. 

There's still plenty of 'ifs' with the Rams offense, too many to make any bold predictions, but the tools are also there to compete.

Want more assurance? Al Saunders' Cheifs went from worst to first in their division in 2003, and every year since at least one NFL team has done the same thing.  At least one person thinks the Rams could be that team in 2008.

I thought of something this morning, something about Brian Leonard's role in the Rams Al Saunders' led offense.

(Yes, I think about Brian Leonard while I'm driving to work.)

So far, much of the talk about Saunder's breath of fresh air in the Rams offense ahs revolved around the big expectations from Steven Jackson, Marc Bulger, and a new life for Randy McMichael. Not much about Brian Leonard, other than that he's bulking up and is expected to do more lead blocking. And that's it, right?

Maybe not. A big part of Saunders' offensive systems is creating mismatches in the middle. Getting a strong pass catcher who overmatches the linebackers into the middle of the field forces teams to cover that receiver with a safety and leave the corners somewhat exposed. That role has traditionally been reserved for a meaty tight end under Saunders, think Tony Gonzalez or to a lesser extent Chris Cooley, and McMichael will still get plenty of looks in the middle of the field. But McMichael's strength is route running, and he'll see a lot of his work down the field, behind the linebackers, similar to Chris Cooley, who wasn't often used banging around with middle linebackers for jump balls.

Another player used in a similar role, albeit not under Al Saunders, was our very own Marshall Faulk. Obviously, Steven Jackson, who compares favorably to the great Marshall Faulk, will be doing some of that. A beefier Leonard, who has pass catching skills, could also fit that more specific role well, and save some ware and tear on the Rams feature back (remember, Saunder's running backs have a history of injury - Priest Holmes, Clinton Portis) who figures to be quite an investment once the Rams get a deal done.

Remember, the NFC West features some top tier linebackers with guys like Tatupu in Seattle and Willis in SF who know how to play the game. Brining in Brian Leonard to threaten the middle of the field on a few plays, and eventually forcing defenses to react to his presence, thereby opening up more room for other receviers.

I promised the Friday Fantasy Tipsheet yesterday, because, you know, it was Friday. I didn't plan on the Biblical deluge that swept through the city, closing streets and making my yard into a rice paddy. It was a mess. My heart goes out to the folks in Iowa and the rest of the upper Midwest suffering through an even worse monsoon. 

On to drier things. 

So much for Steven Jackson being a sleeper in fantasy leagues this season. After coming across this Yahoo! ranking earlier in the week, that puts him at #3, with some cognitive dissonance making #4 on a few lists, I decided to take a quick, unscientific survey of where others are ranking Jackson. 

CBS Sportsline ranks him #3. This one seems to be the outlier, putting SJ in the 5th spot. Obviously Adrian Peterson is the new "it" guy, with good reason, the Vikings have a top notch o-line and the kid's faster than a...uh...insert an analogy here. So Jackson's not a steal, but while the top two picks grapple over Peterson and LT, know that Jackson could be at least as productive as either of those two, a #1 pick in the #3 spot. 

Let's continue on with the ranks. Marc Bulger sits at #9 on the CBS list and 10th overall at Yahoo!. 

What I like about the Jackson and Bulger rankings, as a Rams fan (Bulger could be the real steal in your ff league), is the confidence pundits seem to have in the Rams offensive line. It's been all good news out of mini  camp and OTAs thus far, and that's as good a place as you can hope to be a month and half before intensity picks up a bit. 

I don't know that I'd go as far as saying Al Saunders is some sort of offensive Messiah, but the pressure and the hype thrust upon him to turn the Rams offense around this season is going to put him among the ranks of the game's great miracle workers. Already, Saunders' list of expectations includes putting Randy McMichael among the league's top TEs, getting Steven Jackson his 2,500 yards, breathing new life into Marc Bulger, turning two rookie wide receivers into first year phenoms, and saving Scott Linehan's hide, not to mention the future of the franchise in St. Louis.

That's a boatload of anointing for any deity, much less one man. He'll have help. On his long list of souls to save and things to do, getting Steven Jackson back into his role as the Rams feature back figures to be the easiest task, which of course depends in part on the o-line's status. But let's put that aside for now.

Jackson, after missing four games last season, is once again back at full strength. As he enters his fifth season in the league, his renown dedication, health and a rejuvenated supporting cast ought to clear the way for Jackson to resume his normal workload and make somewhere around 300 rushing attempts and somewhere closer to his 2006 receiving totals of 90 catches for 800+ yards and 3 TDs.

In a story that seems almost designed to drive traffic to their web site, ESPN and Scouts Inc. have compiled a list ranking the top 64 running backs in the NFL. As expected, LT is #1. In somewhat of a surprise, Adrian Peterson is #2. At #3 is none other than our very own Steven Jackson. Here's their take on SJ:

3. Steven Jackson, St. Louis Rams
Superpower -- His versatility. Jackson is an excellent inside-out runner who is smooth and fluid. He is light on his feet for his size and can make the first defender miss in the hole. He can run around or through defenders, making it difficult to get him off his feet. He has excellent hands and creates numerous mismatches for an opposing defensive coordinator.
Kryptonite -- Like many backs who get many touches, durability is a concern. At times, he could run a little more physically in short-yardage situations.

Durability questions haunt any running back. In the pro game, it's one of the most physically demanding roles because of the fast paced stopping, going, changing directions, and the constant contact. Knees just weren't meant to take that kind of abuse. It's why most running backs wash out after 30-years-old. Quite frankly, LT will be 29 when the season starts, and after 300+ carries for the last seven seasons, I'll be shocked if he starts all 16 games.

Fortunately for us, Jackson's only 25. Yes, anytime your marquee player spends time in the infirmary, especially during a 3 win season, fans are going to do some nail-biting until he finishes the season. You'll recall Jackson looked sharp, with fresh legs in the second half of the season last year. That time off last year should benefit him this season too.

Having said all that, I'll be interested to see where Jackson ranks on a similar list after this season. There's no reason he can't go into 2009, provided he has a contract with the Rams, atop that list, with Al Saunders looking on with an angelic glow of approval.

Ok, start turning over rocks, look in your closets, etc. we've got to find some football to talk about. Between dragging out the Super Bowl to February, the Pro Bowl, training camps, and the draft, the NFL made almost every month of the year interesting to the fans. They extended the season for me and you and all those hard working outfits that sell the things you need to have as a fan. It's almost a year round game. Almost. We've entered the dry spell, left to drift like a loney sailor at sea with nobody but his scroungy ship mates to catch his eye. Argh. It's a long slough 'til July maties, but I think we can make it. Tomorrow, we'll kick off the TST fan projection series, wherein we collectively posit the numbers for a key Rams player...similar to what you've seen 'round the internets with baseball fan projections. Anyway, more on that tomorrow. Here's a few links for a slow Monday.

Lost, somewhat, in all this talk about how many sacks Chris Long will or won't have in his frist season with the Rams is informed speculation about how often Haslett will employ the 3-4 that served the Rams so well last season. Yes, the Rams now have two studs to start at DE in a healthy Leonard Little and second overall pick Long, but Long's a rookie and Little's long in the tooth and will need to be kept fresh by not playing each and every snap. And, and, and...it would be foolish not to use a scheme that was so successful against the pass last season. 

I can't imagine we've seen the last 3-4 set with a play ending in a Will Witherspoon sack. Haslett, as you know, likes to mix up his play calls. Bringing out the 3-4 with Wtiherspoon featured as a rushing LB will keep opponents honest and fans happy. It also might make Will Witherspoon as vrey, very rich man when his contract with the Rams ends in 2011. You see, in resolving the Terrell Suggs situation in Baltimore, the league created the "defensive end-linebacker" franchise designatio n, whereas prior to that a pass rusher was either a DE or a LB, which was not a technicality given the disparity in salary attached to either position. Anyway, the more Witherspoon plays as a pass rusher, the more claim he has to that mantle come contract time.

Of course, with the collective bargaining agreement now looking like it might lapse in 2011 , it could be dead issue anyway.

I tried to forget, but reminders that the Rams scored just five rushing touch downs last season just keep appearing. That's likely to change this season. Mike Sando at ESPN takes a look at the Al Saunders/Steven Jackson offensive match made in heaven.

The PD looks at the Al Saunders/Randy McMichael match made in heaven.

The hope/excitement of the draft has yet to wane and with reports of Chris Long breezing through the love fest that was the Rams minicamp, thoughts of rookie sensations are sweeping through my head.

And with nothing much happening on the Rams front for awhile, what better time than to pull the cib webs off the ol' history book, crack it open and take a look back at some of the better rookie seasons in Rams history.

Unfortunately, you've got to have a long, really long memory for stuff like that, as football just hasn't established the footprint on the web that baseball has, where a click or two of the mouse gets you arse deep in history and tradition. So, I thought I'd break it down by memory, starting now with the Rams' history since coming to St. Louis in 1995. Again, not to slight the team's history, but I have a much better recollection of the Rams after they came to St. Louis than before. We'll get into the Los Angeles period later this week.

Kevin Carter, 1995
Taken by the Rams with the sixth overall pick in the 1995 draft , we all hope Chris Long enjoys a long and prosperous career like Carter's. In his rookie season, the team's first in a new city, playing in that old bowl shaped monument to the functionalist architecture of the 1960s, Carter started all 16 games, recorded 33 tackles, 6 sacks, and a safety for good measure.

Eddie Kennison, 1996
That's right, before he was the Chiefs' possession guy, he had a three season stint with the Rams , who drafted him 18th overall in the 1996 draft. His rookie season, it turns out, would be his most memorable for awhile, until he landed with LC in 2002. With the Rams in 1996, Kennison caught 54 passes for 924 yards and a 9 touchdowns. Not bad for the Tony Baks era. It would be his best season until 2004 with the Chiefs, when offensive coordinator Al Saunders' system helped EK, at 31, get his first 1000+ yard season and 8 TDs to boot. If there's ever been a reason to feel confident in the Rams WR picks, it's now, with Al Saunders on board.

Orlando Pace, 1997
There's not really much in the way of stats for the o-line, but Pace started 9 games for the Rams in his rookie season. That year, the Rams allowed 44 sacks and passed for 3,198 yards and 14 TDs. The year before, the Rams allowed 57 sacks, passed for 2,765 yards and 18 TDs. It was the beginning of something beautiful.

Tony Horne, 1998
Finding something good about the '98 season taxes even the most optimistic fans, but Horne picked up 1308 yards on 56 kick returns, including one for a 102 yard TD.

Torry Holt, 1999
Who didn't have a good season in 1999? Holt, the 6th overall pick in the draft , madea splash with 52 catches, 788 yards and 6 TDs, behind only the great Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce in receptions and receiving yards in the year the Greatest Show on Turf was born.

Kurt Warner, 1999*
Technically, Warner's rookie year was 1998, but since he made only one appearance and threw just 11 passes, maybe we can make an exception. Besides, Warner was kind of an exception already, getting his into to hte NFL in his late 20s. Anyway, it's not hard to remember Warner passing for 4353 yards and 41 TDs. It's easy to see why fan boards are still filled with "bring back Warner" posts.

Adam Archuleta, 2001
Fans take note, another Rams first round pick had an impact season in their rookie year. Arch Delux didn't lead the team in any one category, but the safety became a solid contributor out of the defensive backfield in his rookie year. He posted 2 sacks, 47 tackles, a forced fumble and 3 pass deflections.

Marc Bulger, 2002
Starting seven games in place of the injured Kurt Warner, Bulger made his mark as the future franchise QB passing for 1826 yards, 14 TDs and just 6 INTs.

Pisa Tinoisamoa, 2003
Arguably his best season so far . The Rams newest LB and 2nd round pick recorded 2 sacks, 67 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 7 pass deflections and 3 INTs. Injuries have conspired to hide all that Pisa is capable of for the last two seasons, and the Rams will be counting on him to have a healthy and productive year in 2008.

Steven Jackson, 2004
Not his most memorable season  by any means, but on 134 carries, SJ had 673 yards and 4 TDs. Faulk, who played in just 14 games that year, had 774 yards on 195 carries and just 3 TDs, ruining fantasy hopes across the country. Jackson also had 138 yards on 19 receptions.

Tye Hill, 2006
Sour times for Rams fans and rookies. You really have to get the magnifying glass out to see the team's bright spots in the middle part of this decade. Hill, the Rams first round pick, had 47 tackles, 6 pass deflections, and 3 INTs, tying him with Brown and Atogwe for the team lead in a season where the Rams defense was forgettable at best. His second year marred by injury, we're all anxious to see what Hill can do this year.

Clifton Ryan, 2007
You thought I was going to say Carriker here, huh? Well, intangibles aside, Ryan owns the better rookie numbers from last season. The surprise stand out from the 5th round played his way into an indispensible role at DT. In the process, he accumlated 24 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 sacks. Nothing huge, but enough to help put the Rams defense back on the road to respectability.

Ok, feel free to add your own picks in the comments below. The encouraging thing here is that there's a solid history of Rams rookies making their presence known right away. This season, there are several candidates to have a big impact on the team's fortunes. The easy pick is Chris Long, but guys like Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Roy Scheuning, John Greco, Justin King and even Mr. Irrelevant, David Vobora, could surprise us all. Care to venture a guess?