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Shortly after the Seattle Seahawks made one of the most questionable [but not worst] passes in Super Bowl history, savvy NFL experts were prepared to drop fresh 2015 offseason content on the fan bases. Gil Brandt, from NFL.com, and Evan Silva, of RotoWorld, had similar thought processes: addressing the top needs of the 32 NFL teams.
We’re focusing solely on those of the St. Louis Rams here, but you can view Gil’s "Top 3 Needs" and Evan’s "Top Needs and Roster Rankings" at their respective sites.
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Top Needs For the St. Louis Rams
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Gil Brandt
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Evan Silva
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Quarterback
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Offensive Line
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Cornerback
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Wide Receiver
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Running Back
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Quarterback
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Tight End
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Neither Brandt nor Silva numerate the order, so we can only operate under the assumption that the order in which they were mentioned indicates the priority or need. That said, Brandt’s needs probably leave most Rams’ fans scratching their noggin.
Brandt’s Take
Unfortunately he doesn’t stick around to provide much insight or rationale, but simply lists the college prospects the Rams are most likely looking at in the draft; based on their current draft spot [10] and his assessment of the team’s needs:
Top three needs: QB, CB, RBTop-rated prospects at positional needs: QB: Jameis Winston (Florida State), Marcus Mariota(Oregon), Brett Hundley (UCLA); CB: Marcus Peters (Washington), Trae Waynes (Michigan State), Kevin Johnson (Wake Forest); RB: Todd Gurley (Georgia), Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin), Tevin Coleman(Indiana).
My synopsis of Gil’s needs: Out of Touch
There’s no doubting the Rams need help at the quarterback position. Sam Bradford hasn’t played a regular season game since Week 7 of the 2013 season, and head coach Jeff Fisher has openly stated that someone "outside the building" would be his primary competition for the starting gig.
No QB, however, is going to be able to stay upright behind the Rams’ offensive line, and Gil makes no mention of getting them any help in that regard; regardless of whether it’s the draft or free agency.
A cornerback could be viewed as a need, but not Top 3 in my opinion. Sure, Janoris Jenkins got smoked by a few receivers in 2014, but I don’t necessarily think that means the team needs to use a 1st or 2nd round draft to replace him. Trumaine Johnson and E.J. Gaines played well in 2014.
Running back? The Rams drafted Tre Mason 75th overall in the 2014 NFL draft and he maintained starter status for the entirety of the season. He’s not injured and he played well. Zac Stacy nearly disappeared in 2014, but I bet he can still tote the rock if the Rams needed him to.
Silva’s Take
OL: The Rams are likely to release C Scott Wells and LT Jake Long, the former for poor on-field performance and the latter because Long can't stay healthy. Right guard is a glaring need after free agent Davin Joseph flopped there in 2014. St. Louis needs a starting center and potentially a starting right tackle, where Joseph Barksdale's contract is up.
WR: Assuming Brian Quick heals steadily from his 2014 shoulder injury, wide receiver isn't quite as big a need for the Rams as it's been in recent years. Stedman Bailey looks like a future contributor, and Quick flashed legitimate No. 1-wideout chops in a breakout season before going down. St. Louis could solidify its depth by re-signing free agent Kenny Britt. Tavon Austin continues to look like a lost cause.
QB: Coming off back-to-back ACL tears, Sam Bradford has missed 31 games over the past four seasons. He's owed a $13 million salary in 2015, which is also a contract year for Bradford. St. Louis will likely use an early- to middle-round draft pick on a quarterback.
TE: The Rams are paying Jared Cook a lot of money, but he is a one-dimensional tight end who contributes little beyond intermediate seam routes. Free agent Lance Kendricks isn't a difference maker, but his loss would be felt. The Rams need an in-line tight end who can block and move the sticks in the short passing game.
My synopsis on Evan’s needs: Spot on
Silva just makes too much sense here. He starts by pointing out the potential losses along the Rams’ offensive front; namely Long, Wells, Joseph, and [potentially] Barksdale. In all likelihood, assuming they re-sign Barksdale, they’ll still be in need of three new offensive lineman. As aforementioned, even the most elusive of QB’s won’t be able to make it through 16 games if the Rams don’t make bolstering the offensive line a top priority.
Gil and Evan both note that QB is a need. It’s apparent folks know that regardless of whether they’ve watched 30 seconds of Rams’ football or not. And Bradford detractors have been saying this for three seasons now. Nothing to see here, folks.
Wide receiver and tight end could help the Rams’ offense in a big way. He notes the need for Brian Quick’s healthy return, and the uncertainty - at least for now - about the retention of Kenny Britt and Lance Kendricks; whose loss would be felt, Silva mentions.
The Rams’ defense has it’s needs, but the most opportunity for improvement lies on the offensive side of the ball. Silva’s needs, if addressed in this manner, do a much better job of putting the Rams in a position to succeed in 2015.
Your Turn
Gil and Evan identified what they feel are the Rams’ biggest needs heading into the 2015 offseason. Now, it’s your turn. Here’s how:
On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being NO NEED, and 10 being HUGE NEED, rank the level of need for each position on the Rams’ roster.