Category Archives: St. Louis Rams
Next in line: 5 teams Los Angeles should court next
Yesterday it was announced that the Minnesota Vikings are staying in Minnesota for good. The Minnesota Legislator passed a Bill toward a new stadium and Vikings fans can now rejoice and celebrate the biggest win in Franchise history.
Kurt Warner: Past NFL greats
As a St. Louis Rams fan I was used to mediocrity in the eighties and nineties. I was used to ending up behind the San Francisco 49ers in the division.
The Rams acquisition of free agent, Trent Green, in 1998 changed the fate of the franchise. Joined with incredibly fast receivers combined with a QB that was reported to be top shelf left the Rams confidently marching into the 1999 season.
The third week of the preseason, in a game against the San Diego Chargers, Green had his ACL ripped – done for the season. Head coach Dick Vermeil sent Kurt Eugene Warner on to the field.
St. Louis Rams will fill needs by selecting Blackmon and Worthy
If the St. Louis Rams plan on contending in the NFC West they must surround Sam Bradford with talent and there is no better wide receiver than Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon.
The Rams have a huge need at wide receiver. Last season they desperately brought Brandon Lloyd in for fourth round pick but he quickly left and signed with the Patriots this off season.
Some members of the media may want to say Blackmon isn’t the total package and isn’t on the same level as a marquee player such as Calvin Johnson, but I beg to differ.
I believe Blackmon is one of the best players in the 2012 NFL draft and by adding a dynamic wide out like him the Rams could have a solid one-two punch along with running back Steven Jackson.
After the Rams lock up Blackmon another need is defensive tackle and there are plenty to choose from.
2012 NFL draft: Possible selections for the St. Louis Rams
By trading back the St. Louis Rams have a chance to have one of the strongest drafts in team history, but they can’t afford to miss.
The level of confidence they have shown in quarterback Sam Bradford after a sub par, injury filled 2011 season is somewhat questionable. Especially when Robert Griffin and Andrew Luck were there for the taking.
The Rams must find a way to compliment Steven Jackson and become more explosive on offense. There is no better way to do that than to add Justin Blackmon who is possibly the best wide receiver in the draft.
Torry Holt to retire as a Ram
Insiders are saying that one of the greatest receivers in St. Louis Rams history is temporarily leaving his job as an NFL Network Analyst to sign a one year contract with the St. Louis Rams; a contract he is expected to retire from within days of signing, allowing him to forever be a Ram.
The Rams begin free agency offensively – on defense
The first 24 hours of Free Agency have seen the St. Louis Rams nab one of the best cornerbacks in the league from the Titans, Jeff Fisher’s former pupil Cortland Finnegan. Finnegan, 28, is considered one of the best corners in the league and young enough to still have some years in him. Finnegan’s five-year contract is reportedly in the neighborhood of $50 million with $26.5 of that guaranteed.
Rams like Richardson at 6: Steven Jackson out in St. Louis?
In one of the biggest steals in NFL history the St. Louis Rams pulled of a blockbuster trade with the Washington Redskins last week. The Rams exchanged their No. 2 pick in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft for Washington’s No. 6 overall pick.
2012 NFL Mock Draft: NFC West edition
A year after the NFC West gave the NFL a 7-9 playoff team thanks to the Seattle Seahawks, the NFC West in 2011 was much improved and had a shot at getting two teams in the playoffs.
Redskins strike a deal with Rams for second pick in NFL draft
The Washington Redskins search for a quarterback is over as they will move up to the number two pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
Out of the ashes: The St. Louis Rams
As the players sun themselves in Cancun, the offseason for the St. Louis Rams is wide open. While those players order margaritas, new arrivals Jeff Fisher at head coach and general manager Les Snead are in the war room, juggling their options for April’s draft as well as shopping lists in the free agency market. Rams Nation exhaled deeply after the regular season and immediately turned to the front office, demanding to know what is next. The front office responded by bringing in a highly sought after head coach Fisher, whom then wooed Snead away from 13 years with the Atlanta Falcons, and the two in concert have a lot of resources and seem dedicated to bringing about desperately needed positive change to the Rams franchise.
Let’s start with free agency. Free agency for the Rams starts with the fact that they are $40 million under the cap; so Fisher and Snead have money to play with. It also begins with resigning Brandon Lloyd, who proved to be a valuable commodity for the Rams offense;Bradford’s favorite and most productive target when Bradford was healthy and throwing the ball. Other possibilities at WR include Vincent Jackson from the San Diego Chargers and DeSean Jackson from the Philadelphia Eagles; both are game changers but also both have ‘Den Mothers’ who would like to keep them – but then again , note that $40 million to play with.
In keeping with the Rams’ needs, Carl Nicks, OG for the Saints is potentially up for grabs at an expensive price tag – one the Saints may not be able to maintain after they signed OG Jahri Evans to a huge deal in 2010 – chances are they can’t keep both. Also out there is Demetrius Bell from Buffalo at OT who despite an injury last season could come back healthy and potentially be a blind side threat reducer. Both are players that again are not wanted to be let go by their current squads but given the restraints of salary caps and NFL regulations, as well as the Rams wealth in this area, the possibilities do exist.
And now for the draft. The Rams with the 2nd pick of the draft have a lot to play with – much depending on the results from the 2012 NFL Combine. Many believe that it would be foolish for the Rams to not trade that pick away, most likely to the Cleveland Browns for their No. 4 and No. 22 picks. Going back to the combine, and given a for gone conclusion that Andrew Luck will go first overall to the Indianapolis Colts, there are many teams – like The Browns – that would trade up for a chance at Heisman winner Robert Griffin III. As ESPN Draft Analyst Todd McShay put it:
“I would do it,” McShay said of the Browns trading their two first-round picks. “I wouldn’t do it for any other position, but I would do it for quarterback.”
If the Browns were to do this that leaves the Rams wit the easy ability to pick up USC LT Matt Kalil or Oklahoma WR Justin Blackmon with the 4th pick and then virtually have their way with the 22nd pick – perhaps Louisiana State CB Morris Claiborne if he is still available.
Bottom line is that both Snead and Fisher have already stated that they believe in Bradford at QB, despite last season. Which opens up this years draft and offseason as a playground for the Rams; if Fisher can tame the talent about to come in, the Rams could easily change the face of an emerging NFC West.
Brent Bakeman is an NFL writer for The Penalty Flag. He can be contacted at BBakeman@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com
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Spreading the Wealth: What Teams Could Adopt the Spread Offense in 2012
“Conventional knowledge” has always said that the spread offenses featured in the college game would never work in the NFL. However, the Denver Broncos, under Coach John Fox, proved different this year. The Broncos adopted the new system to better compliment quarterback Tim Tebow and ended up winning the AFC West and upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wildcard round of the playoffs this year. Make no mistake, there are other teams in the NFL that could excel by utilizing this new trend of offense, especially teams with quarterbacks that have had trouble adapting to the pro-style. Here are some teams that would not surprise anyone if they used this new offense in 2012.
Carolina Panthers
- Cam Newton greatly excelled in college and junior college running this scheme, and since he has already established himself as a threat both throwing and running the ball teams would be put into a sticky situation trying to defend him. Compliment that with the one-two punch of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart running the ball and Steve Smith outside could be lethal. One catch here is that they are a fan of the two tight end sets with Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen, so the spread could be used as a compliment to their already established offense.
Philadelphia Eagles
- This would be the perfect way to get the fans excited and light a spark underneath the offense. Not to mention that Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy would give defenses nightmares! Also, arguably their top receiver, Jeremy Maclin, had success in the system in college. Inadvertently, this would help out their defense too if they decide to stick with their hybrid-nickel scheme with three corners.
Cleveland Browns
- Considering that Colt McCoy and their suspected target in the draft, Robert Griffin III, both had success in college running the spread, the change would make sense. The hang up here is that Pat Shurmur was the offensive coordinator for Sam Bradford in St. Louis and insisted on running the pro-style. Also, new offensive coordinator Brad Childress is also an advocate for the more conventional offensive scheme. However, with an offense that has Greg Little as its top receiver and a running game that will most likely be without Peyton Hillis, creativity is necessary to have success in the AFC North.
New England Patriots
- When have we ever known Bill Belichick to not love new trends, especially when it condones spreading the ball around in the passing game! In no way do I suggest that they will completely scrap the offense they have featured this year, but with Bill O’Brien leaving for Penn State some minor changes could occur. The most likely replacement for O’Brien is former offensive coordinator and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels. McDaniels is already on the Patriots’ staff and started to feature the spread last year with the Rams to help out Sam Bradford.
Minnesota Vikings
- This could be an interesting endeavor for the Vikings. Christian Ponder showed signs of being a solid starter in this league, but they greatly overworked Adrian Peterson to make the rookie quarterback’s transition easier. With the spread, it would help Ponder in the passing game, give Adrian Peterson less but more effective carries, and would be better suited to fully utilize the skill set of Percy Harvin. Either way, they need to find a way to limit Peterson’s carries and further Ponder’s fragile progression as a starter in the NFL.
Detroit Lions
- How scary could this be? The passing game would open up further for Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson while also making the running load easier for Jahvid Best. In games against high powered offenses, the Lions seem to convert to a pass-first scheme anyway.
Miami Dolphins
- This is very contingent of them not signing Peyton Manning, but if they decide to stick it out with Matt Moore or sign Matt Flynn this could be a good option. The main reason is because this team had success running the Wildcat in the past and now with personnel like Reggie Bush and Steve Slaton, if they re-sign him, they could run the legs off of teams. Also, with the development of Devone Bess and Brian Hartline alongside Brandon Marshall this offense could put up some serious numbers.
St Louis Rams
- Josh McDaniels tried to implement this offense last year but wasn’t very successful. New coach, Jeff Fisher might try the same moving forward to cater to quarterback Sam Bradford’s strengths. Surely, there will still be pro-style sets since Fisher is old school and favors a run-first offense, which is well-equipped with running backs Stephen Jackson and Cadillac Williams. However, in the modern game you need your quarterback to be productive and the spread would seem to be the answer.
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Blaine Gabbert had a rough time showing any consistency in his rookie season, but coach Mike Mularkey is known for creating unique ways to get production out of his offenses. He will probably try to implement the same style of offense he featured in Atlanta, but considering the Jaguars biggest threat in the receiving game is tight end Marcedes Lewis they will have to effectively utilize the ground game. Also, Gabbert had success running the spread at the University of Missouri.
Steve Gross is a Featured Journalist for The Penalty Flag and can be contacted at SGross@ThePenaltyFlagBlog.com
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Rams Hire Brian Schottenheimer
Brian Schottenheimer
Sam Bradford of the St. Louis Rams has had three offensive coordinators in his three first years in the NFL. The newest member of the team is Brian Schottenheimer, the former offensive coordinator of the New York Jets.
Once rumored for the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching position once the position was filled the Jets quickly removed the coordinator and son of legendary coach Marty Schottenheimer.
According to PFT and NFL.com , the Rams have offered Schottenheimer the job, according to Michael Lombardi of NFL.com. The two sides still have to work out a contract, but Lombardi writes that will accept the position.
The former Jets offensive coordinator met with Jeff Fisher over dinner on Sunday night. Fisher’s contract hasn’t even officially been completed, but that is expected to happen shortly.
While it can be argued that Bradford is a better talent than Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez can Schottenheimer get the job done?
As an offensive coordinator he does gain something he did not have in New York, Steven Jackson.
In Schottenheimer’s system Jackson should be able to take the pressure off Bradford with the amount of times he chooses to run the ball.
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