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Peter King tells you why the Rams were the smartest team in 2012
This is a "must read" article. It tells you a lot of what you probably already know about the Rams this year, but does a great job of explaining why all your feelings are true. King does a great job breaking down the Rams organizational reconstruction, and shares some really great information on the plans Kroenke, Demoff, and Fisher had for the team heading into this season. He - along with several other great sports writers - have all fallen into the trap of mentioning that if the Rams don't turn Bradford into a winning QB there will be a large amount of criticism for not drafting RGIII. But he rebounds quickly and does a nice job outlining what the Rams truly got in return for the pick, and highlights the future possibility of those picks as well.
Are the Rams a Playoff team in 2013?
I think most fans probably have a justified expectation of a playoff season heading into next year. It would appear to be a ridiculous notion for a fan base that has seen some of the worst football in NFL history over the last decade, but with Jeff Fisher at the helm anything seems possible for the St. Louis Rams future.
Underrated offensive play-making draft prospects
The Rams need some pro-bowl caliber offensive players. The defense is filled with potential pro-bowlers, 1st round picks, and high profile free agents, but the offense is a much sadder bunch at the moment. None of the players mentioned in this article are too far off the radar, but none should go in the first round (although, Peterson has been mocked in the first in a few mock drafts). The Rams will have to do well adding impact-talent in the mid-late rounds of the draft again this year.
5 biggest needs for the St. Louis Rams
An article that sorta drops the ball in assessing what the Rams really need. There's no doubt the Rams need a safety and guard, but there is no mention of a tackle - instead they list defensive tackle as on of the top needs. In all sincerity, when you go with a "top 5 needs" column it should be pretty hard to exclude a necessity like a right tackle. 5 different areas of even a bad team can be addressed pretty comprehensively. Either way, it's interesting to read the perspectives surrounding why the Rams needs each of the positions listed. Form your own agreements or disagreements.
Crazy Random Things I Think That I Think
- If Percy Harvin is available for trade this off-season Bill Belichick will be first in line. The evil hoodie wearing east coast devil sees just how effective someone like Harvin could be in the "Welker-role", and pushes Wes Welker out the door to bring Harvin in for one of the most successful receiving seasons in Patriot history.
- With all the mock drafts coming out, most are not accounting for the gross amount of quarterbacks that will be overdrafted in picks 1-15. Last year Tannenhill and Weeden had no business in the first round, but to the teams that selected them they became "must-haves". If a team is losing and isn't viewed as having a top notch quarterback, the team is moving on whether its the quarterbacks fault or not. With the salary system in place it's much easier to take a chance in a round 1 QB than ever before. I think there will be 4 taken in the first 15 picks, and one of them may not even be on the radar yet. Teams need to provide hope to their fan-bases to sell tickets, and that starts with a new leader. This is usually a coach, QB, or both. There will be a lot of "both: this year.
- The Rams will not select an offensive lineman in round 1. This might not seem crazy to some, but others are predicting that the Rams actually will select 2 O-lineman. Fisher has a long enough track record to clearly see trends, and one apparent trend is the lack of offensive linemen in the early rounds of the draft. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see the Rams select just about any position in the first round other than offensive line.