What's New?
When you have one of the best offenses in the league, along with one of the worst defenses, the logical thing to do in the offseason is (you guessed it) add more offense. At least that seems to be the St. Louis Rams’ line of thinking. Possibly the biggest addition on a defensive unit that ranked 23rd overall and 31st against the run was that of tackle Adam Carriker, and that’s saying a lot considering he’s a rookie.
The Rams did pick up a pass rusher in former Lions defensive end James Hall, and added some depth at both linebacker and the secondary with the additions of former Panther Chris Draft, cornerback Lenny Walls from the Chiefs, and former Bears safety Todd Johnson. But that’s about all the help they picked up for an anemic defense.
On offense, quarterback Marc Bulger has new weapons -- as if he didn’t have enough already -- to throw to in wide receiver Drew Bennett and tight end Randy McMichael. Dante Hall, acquired in a trade from the Chiefs is listed on the depth chart as a wide receiver, but most of his time will be spent returning kicks, where he should add a much-needed spark to the special teams unit. Punter Donnie Jones was also picked up from the Dolphins to replace Matt Turk, who signed with the Texans.
NFL Draft Picks
1st Round - Adam Carriker, DE Nebraska
2nd Round - Brian Leonard, RB Rutgers
3rd Round - Jonathan Wade, CB Tennessee
5th Round - Dustin Frye, C Clemson
5th Round - Cliff Ryan, DT Michigan State
6th Round - Kendrick Shackleford, OT Georgia
7th Round - Keith Jackson, DT Arkansas
7th Round - Derek Stanley, WR Wisconsin Whitewater
Who's Gone?
FB Paul Smith (Broncos)
WR Kevin Curtis (Eagles)
WR Shaun McDonald (Lions)
G Adam Timmerman
DE Brandon Green (Seahawks)
DT Jimmy Kennedy (Broncos)
LB Dexter Coakley
CB Travis Fisher (Lions)
P Matt Turk (Texans)
What Needs to Change?
The Rams were a respectable 8th in the league defensively against the pass, but that stat is a little deceptive because teams could easily move the ball on the ground against them last year. They didn’t need to pass the ball often. Only the Colts gave up more yards on the ground last year than the Rams, and only four teams gave up more points.
The additions of Carriker and Hall to the defensive line should help out, but it’s not nearly enough. This is simply a bad defense, and unless several youngsters step up into bigger roles, I don’t see a whole lot of improvement on the horizon.
Under Pressure to Perform
Marc Bulger - Having received the contract extension he is after, Bulger will be expected to keep playing at an elite level. And if his team is going to be successful, he’s going to have an outstanding season because from the looks of things, he’s going to be in a lot of shootouts.
2006 Rankings
Overall Offense - 6th (360.4)
Rushing Offense - 17th (112.8)
Passing Offense - 4th (247.6)
Overall Defense - 23rd (335.1)
Rushing Defense - 31st (145.4)
Passing Defense - 8th (189.7)
Prediction - The Rams should certainly be a fun team to watch in 2007. They should score a ton of points, but they just might give up even more. If they somehow find some defense, the division is theirs for the taking. But if they don’t, they’ll struggle to hit .500.
Record:7-9 and last in the NFC West
