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Kyle Boller, one of the former first round picks starting for the Rams in 2009.

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For years and years, leadership at Rams Park didn't get the memo that the draft was a great way to renew the talent on your roster, keep a competitive product on the field and move forward. Fortunately, the ship has started to right itself in recent years, and the new St. Louis Rams administration has been able to start using the draft in their favor, rather than an April Groundhog Day where it's always 2006.

Mid-decade poor drafting still haunts this team, jumping out to say "boo" whenever you look at the Rams' records of the last few years. Not so long ago, there was a quote from head coach Steve Spagnuolo (sorry, I can't find the link) expressing his exasperation at just how many players on the roster where late round picks and undrafted guys. So, here, presented for your information is the Rams roster from 2009 broken down by draft pick.

Starting with the defense...position listed with the number of players from the round in which they were drafted, if they were drafted at all. 

When you think about the Rams defense last year, the fact that six of seven linebackers on the roster were seventh round pick or undrafted says much about the team's problems, especially against the run. The origin points for the defensive linemen is equally as telling. 

There are many first round picks on the Rams offensive roster from last season as there are first and second rounders on the defense. Think about that for a minute. Not that either unit was a glowing success, but the struggles on offense were epic. The Rams got a much better bang for their buck on defense. The first round QB on the list: Kyle Boller. 

Thirty players on the roster last year were undrafted or seventh round picks. 

The first year of the St. Louis Rams rebuilding project is in the books. Fans swallowed the early returns, a 1-15 season, with surprising amount of optimism due to their confidence in the vision of the franchise's new leadership. As the makeover continues and before roster gets any more reconfiguration, TST delves in for a look at the positions and players, grading their performance from the 2009 season and assessing their status for the next season. The review turns its eyes today to the quarterbacks. QB represents the last skill position on the offense we have left to cover, having put the receivers, tight ends and running backs under the microscope previously. 

Marc Bulger

2009 Season: 9 games, 8 starts, 140 completions, 247 attempts, 56.7%, 1,469 yards, 5 TD, 6 INT, 14 sacks, 70.7 rating
Bulger's career continued its downward spiral this season, a glaring reminder that the human body can only take so much punishment. I feel kind of bad for the guy. This year, he actually had time in the pocket, thanks to the team's decision to finally bolster the offense line, but he had no weapons to work with, a new offensive system and most of his ability beaten out of him. It's easy to forget that Bulger was once a pretty good quarterback. And he had his moments this year, replacing Boller against the Vikings, the Jacksonville game, and a near upset of the undefeated New Orleans Saints.
Contract Status: Signed through 2013
Outlook: As first reported here at TST, word is that Bulger is leaning toward retirement. That's probably the best course for him at this point. I have a hard time imagining the situation in which he would have success. The possibility remains that he could return to the Rams for a renegotiated contract, mentoring whatever youngsters the Rams bring in at the position. I doubt either the team or Bulger would go for that. 
Grade: D

Kyle Boller

2009 Season: 7 games, 4 starts, 98/176, 55.7%, 899 yards, 3 TD, 6 INT, 17 sacks, 61.2 rating
Kyle Boller used his 2009 season to remind everyone that he was, in fact, still Kyle Boller. This seemed like a good move when the Rams signed him after pursuit of Gus Frerotte didn't work out. Boller was young, had some tools and maybe just needed a fresh start. Nope. Boller still had the tools, but didn't show the head for the game.
Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook: Out of the league in 2010
Grade: F

Keith Null

2009 Season: 4 games, 4 starts, 73/119, 61.3%. 566 yards, 3 TD, 9 INT, 13 sacks, 49.9 rating
Null became a rallying cry, sort of a great white hope for Rams fans long disgruntled with the team's QB play. It was a rough debut, throwing 5 INTs in a blowout loss to the Titans. It wasn't all bad though. Null had poise and toughness, and showed some ability to read his receivers well. The completion percentage alone is impressive for a greenhorn from a Division II school. We all chortled as the coaches kept saying he wasn't ready. Uh, yeah, they were right.
Contract status: Signed through 2012
Outlook: Null has some ability, and I look forward to what he can do with some time and work in spring practices and camp this year. He needs to show that he can adjust to the NFL game. That said, I wouldn't pencil him in as the Rams starter. 
Grade: D

The Rams need a QB, desperately, for the 2010 season and beyond. There will be, there should be, a healthy debate around who the Rams will select in the draft this year. They have an adequate developmental prospect in Null, so taking another QB beyond the first round just doesn't make much sense, especially since they could always wait a year for guys like Locker or Mallet. GM Billy Devaney could pursue a veteran, but the team can't afford to give up a pot full o' draft picks for Mike Vick. It's just not worth it with all the needs we have. The free agent market could be thin too, leaving the Rams with very few options, so they'd better do their homework on Clausen and Bradford, just in case. There's no bigger need for the Rams than QB going forward.

The first year of the St. Louis Rams rebuilding project is in the books. Fans swallowed the early returns, a 1-15 season, with surprising amount of optimism due to their confidence in the vision of the franchise's new leadership. As the makeover continues and before roster gets any more reconfiguration, TST delves in for a look at the positions and players, grading their performance from the 2009 season and assessing their status for the next season. Today, we continue TST's Rams Review with the running backs, having covered tight ends and wide receivers recently.

For the Rams there's Steven Jackson and everyone else, and that's where the problem lies. No credible backup and a flaccid passing game left the Rams with a one dimensional offense that was easily shut down by opponents week after week. Lacking a legitimate threat behind Steven Jackson also puts SJ39 at greater risk of injury and the Rams at risk of averaging 3 points a game as opposed to the league-worst 10 points per game in 2009. Jumping in...

Continue reading this post »

The first year of the St. Louis Rams rebuilding project is in the books. Fans swallowed the early returns, a 1-15 season, with surprising amount of optimism due to their confidence in the vision of the franchise's new leadership. As the makeover continues and before roster gets any more reconfiguration, TST delves in for a look at the positions and players, grading their performance from the 2009 season and assessing their status for the next season. Now, we turn our attention to the tight ends as we continue our look at the roster, following up on the review of WRs last week. 

With the notable exception of RB Steven Jackson, the Rams desperately need playmakers on offense. We've experienced and discussed that need at WR, but for a team implementing a West Coast offense a quality tight end is a must-have component. This season, Rams tight ends caught most of their passes in short yardage, which is part of their job. However, the Rams lack a TE capable of threatening with his speed on seam routes and the ability to go anywhere on the field, especially down it after catching a pass. Rams tight ends didn't match up well against linebackers and defensive backs either, limiting their role and effectiveness in the offense. Let's take a look.

Randy McMichael

2009 Season: 34 receptions, 332 yards, 1 TD
McMichael's age really started to show itself this season. Maybe it was age, maybe it was the injuries that put him on IR last year, but with slower legs a key facet of McMichael's game was gone. Only three of his 34 catches went for 20 yards or more. The dropped passes stand out even more in the minds of fans. 
Contract Status: Free agent
Outlook: It's unlikely the Rams will keep McMichael.
2009 Grade: C-

Daniel Fells

2009 Season: 21 receptions, 273 yards, 3 TD
After making Billy Devaney look like some kind of waiver wire savant last year, Fells broke out of a slow start with a two TD game against Green Bay in week 4. Of course, you can't forget his special teams TD on a fake kick against Detroit in the Rams only win of the season. He faded after a strong middle part of the season, but much of that can be attributed to the Rams struggling offense. He ended his season with a trip to the IR list after fracturing his thigh bone and spraining a knee ligament in week 15 against Houston.
Contract Status: Restricted Free Agent
Outlook: RIght now, he's the best TE on the roster. The top of the depth chart probably isn't the right spot for Fells though. Fells has good hands (60% catch rate this season) and size to create mismatches against smaller linebackers. What he lacks is the speed to expand his role as a receiving threat, and as such is limited to the more traditional TE role of blocking and check downs, though his strengths make him a legitimate target in the end zone.
2009 Grade: B

Billy Bajema

2009 Season: 8 receptions, 94 yards
The Rams signed Bajema as their blocking TE, part of their effort to upgrade blocking up front. The move worked. Bajema proved himself to be a useful contributor, and until the OL started to suffer injuries, the Rams QBs had time in the pocket. He even subbed for FB Mike Karney some. Pat Shurmur even made use of Bajema's hands a few times. 
Contract Status: Signed through 2011
Outlook: Bajema will be 27 when the season starts. He's a solid, important young role player whose contributions will always fly under the radar.
2009 Grade: A

Eric Bulter

2009 Season: Butler was signed to the practice squad after the final roster cutdowns came in early September. He made it to the active roster late in November, working some as a backup FB in the wake of Mike Karney's injury.
Outlook: Butler's a blocker. It's reasonable to think he'll be in camp this year as an insurance policy for Billy Bajema. I'd be surprised if he made the final roster next September though.

Finding a receiving threat at TE will be a big priority for Devaney and Spagnuolo this offseason. The right guy would mix well with the current crop of Rams receivers, helping get them open more and mitigating the need to find a true blue #1 WR. Keep an eye on the draft as there are some good names in the mix at TE. Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham would be a great addition to the Rams, if he proves to be healthy after missing this season, and might be an option in the second round. 

The statistics won't tell you anything about the 2009 St. Louis Rams that you would not have otherwise been able to pick up after watching a few games: they stunk, really, really stunk. However, the numbers do confirm some interesting trends about the Rams and the direction they're headed.

Checking the Numbers, a nice little stats blog, has a review of the Rams 2009 season that I would highly recommend to you. There's one thing that really stands out to me in Larry's analysis. Even though they were still among the worst in the league, the Rams defense performed much better than the Rams offense. A couple points of note:

The Rams defense held opponents much closer to their average points scored, while the Rams offense scored far fewer points than opposing defenses allowed on average. That same pattern held true for total yardage gained.

For me, the one truism that this underscores is how badly the Rams need talent on offense. We saw that all season long, not just late in the year as the injury list filled up with key starters. Had the offense been more effective - and when I say offense here I really mean the passing game - the win-loss record would have looked a little different.

The biggest weakness on defense was against the run, where the team made every running back look like Eric Dickerson. Obviously the Rams' need for a DT had something to do with that. However, I think play behind the front four had as much to do with the porous run defense as anything. Back in December, this post looked at the performance of the Rams run defense before and after the team traded WLB Will Witherspoon. I still think the lack of a real threat on the weakside hurt the Rams run defense as much as the lack of a run stopper at DT. Opponents were able to put men on MLB James Laurinaitis, and run wild with him covered up. The fact that blockers were able to get to the second level indicts the offensive line, but a better OLB would have still made the going tough for running backs even with Animal Jr. out of the play.

I would also add here that the Rams cornerbacks didn't do well in run support either, and opposing running back too often were able to get too far down field once they got past the 5- and 10-yard mark beyond the line of scrimmage. You'll note the run defense stats from Football Outsiders show a Rams defensive front fairing as poorly on the edges as they did in the middle.

So what does this tell us about the Rams' needs and likely direction as we approach free agency and the draft? While the team has lots and lots of needs, the biggest holes are on the offense. While the defense isn't necessarily "close" they are better positioned to get a big boost next season. I think specifically that they can find a better group of supporting players that would compliment the key defensive players the team has in MLB James Laurinaitis, FS Oshiomogho Atogwe and DE Chris Long. 

Spagnuolo and defensive coordinator Ken Flajole were able to get some pretty solid performances out of their players, especially guys that are probably best suited as role players and depth that found themselves starting with the Rams. This head coach made a reputation for himself making those second tier players into household names. That should give you some insight into what course the Rams will follow in free agency and the draft. I'd be really, really surprised if they jump into the bidding for any of the A-list free agents on defense and concentrate on the players just behind them. Think James Butler.

And if you want an early start on reading the draft tea leaves, keep an eye on what moves they make, if any, at DT and DE. Given the return of Adam Carriker and their common practice of using DEs in the middle, I wouldn't be shocked in the least bit to learn that they're making DE a priority over DT. And if that's the case, they might try to find an experienced specialist DT to play against the run or look for a DT in the second or third round of this draft, which is deep with DT talent that should go well into the second round...especially with so many 3-4 teams just looking for NTs.

The first year of the St. Louis Rams rebuilding project is in the books. Fans swallowed the early returns, a 1-15 season, with surprising amount of optimism due to their confidence in the vision of the franchise's new leadership. As the makeover continues and before roster gets any more reconfiguration, TST delves in for a look at the positions and players, grading their performance from the 2009 season and assessing their status for the next season. Today, we start with a position that was a particular trouble spot for the offense: wide receiver.

We knew early during last year's offseason that wide receiver would be a position of need for the St. Louis Rams. As if you needed any reminders that the "Show" was indeed over, 2008 was the first season since 1998 in which no Rams receiver topped the 1,000-yard mark. The last icon from the 1999 Super Bowl team, Torry Holt, wanted out, and the front office was eager to oblige given their cap needs and Holt's contract. With so many needs and the coaching staff's stated desire to immediately address the offensive line, the Rams wide receiver sitation took a back seat in 2009 forcing the Rams offense to rely on a single playmaker, RB Steven Jackson. Let's take a look at the players currently on the roster.

Donnie Avery

2009 season: 47 receptions, 589 yards*, 5 TDs*
Avery was called upon to be the team's No. 1 receiver this year. As the draft passed and it became clear that the team would not be adding a more prototypical No. 1 WR, the debate began as to whether or not Avery could thrive in that role where he'd be catching passes on hitch routes, in the middle and not just relying on his speed to beat DBs down the field. That wasn't the case. Avery dealt with injuries off and on through out the season, starting off by missing the first three preseason games, though he did start in all 16 games. A myriad of factors impacted his performance this season, but the bottom line is that Avery was out of position as a No. 1 wide receiver where double teams and physical DBs kept his numbers down...along with the Rams anemic offense.
Contract Status: Signed through 2011.
Outlook: Avery still shows plenty promise when he's matched up one-on-one, working mid-range and deep routes where he can use his speed. He probably works best out of the slot where he could hit high gear on his way down field and avoid getting jammed at the line. Slot or not, he needs a receiver on the other side of him that draws double coverage or at least an opponent's top CB. As the season went on and Bradon Gibson and Danny Amendola started catching some passes, the coaches put Avery back into these roles to success.
2009 Grade: C+

Continue reading this post »

As tough as the 2009 season was for the St. Louis Rams, the TST community is still behind the team. Last week, 84% of you said that you felt the Rams were still heading in the right direction. That speaks well of the changes occurring this time last year at Rams Park.

Now, with the NFL playoffs underway, let's go back to the fan approval polls for the team's leadership, starting today with rookie head coach Steve Spagnuolo.

The dust is settling on the St. Louis Rams 2009 season, a rough slog through 17 weeks of football. When the season ended this time last year events created a renewed sense of optimism, something Rams fans hadn't experienced in several seasons. Jay Zygmunt was out; the experienced football man Billy Devaney was installed as GM by the children of the late Georgia Frontiere. A little later in the offseason, the team hired an outgoing rookie head coach, Steve Spagnuolo, who brought an impressive resume as the defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl Champion NY Giants and a long track record of success as a defensive coach with the Eagles.

Next came the cuts. Long-tenured veterans, big name players who once helped sell tickets were jettisoned along with their hefty contracts and replaced with players with their best years still ahead, some came through the draft, some were just replacement parts collected from practices squads and the ranks of the undrafted. The cuts, while somewhat draconian, and the new additions were needed for the franchise to rebuild. Of course, those cuts left the team vulnerable at key positions, giving us our first red flag that the going might get a little rough before it starts getting better.

The front office will be making some very important moves during this offseason, moves that should translate to more wins on the field in the season ahead. Of course, there isn't much room for error. A miss with a free agent or a high draft pick would be a huge hurdle for the Rams future. The team being for sale adds another wrinkle to the story. As much as 1-15 hurt to watch - and man were Sundays painful sometimes - the vision for the Rams still seems clear.

Let's take the pulse of Rams Nation and get a feel for we, the fans, are feeling about the team's overall direction.