Rams Gab

Well, it’s that time of year again. It’s time for my preliminary prediction for the Rams 2009 season. I have been waiting and drooling… drooling and waiting ever since the draft to make my prediction, but I didn’t want to break with tradition and patiently waited until the 2009 cheerleaders had been announced. From StLouisRams.com “The two-week long St. Louis Rams cheerleading audition process has concluded with the selection of a 25-member squad including 14 veterans and 11 rookies.” Welcome aboard rookies.

But I digress. This year’s “most likely case scenario” for the St Louis Rams is 6-10. I know. Nothing to write home to mom about, but it is better than last year’s 2-14 (or 3-13 the year before). There are also a couple of swing games that if moved to the win column, could move Rams into the respectability column.

THE BREAKDOWN

Our first 2 games are away. After what I am forecasting to be a positive preseason, I have the Rams beating the Seahawks and losing a close one to the Skins. Of the 2 next games, one is home against Green Bay and then the other away at San Francisco. I give the Rams the win at Green Bay and although I hate losing to the 49ers, it seems like we always do. So I’m counting a loss there. The next three games are at home, but 2 of the three are against very tough opponents (Colts and Vikings) so I am only counting on a win against the Jaguars. Adding a win against the Lions and that brings us half way through the season and up to our bye game with a 4-4 record.

After coming back from a week of rest and relaxation we have three straight home games. Unfortunately, I see all three of these games as losses (Saints, Cardinals, and Seahawks). I would love to see us take the Seahawks, but I just don’t see this happening twice in the season. Next we have away games with the Bears and the Titans which add on two more losses. Week 14 brings us home and playing the Texans. This could be another close game, but I am giving this one to the Rams. Week 15 and we are playing in AZ against the Cardinals. I am also counting this as a win since the Rams tend to play well towards the end of the season when it doesn’t matter. And finally, the last game of the year is against the 49ers. A possible win, but we always seem to find a way to lose to the 49ers. Again, I’m counting this game as a loss.

Season total 6-10. But this is my “most likely case scenario”. Take one game against the 49ers and we are 7-9. Win one more game… say against the Bears and we are 8-8. It could happen. I am definitely going to stay hopeful.

To the Rams Rookie Cheerleaders, “ladies, it is going to be a long season. I want you to know I am totally here for you.” Goooo RAMS!!!

Former Rams QB Trent Green fills in for Peter King on Monday Morning Quarterback on cnnsi.com today.

The NFC West is shaping up to be wide-open this year.  How will it end up?  Let’s take a look for the late June versions of the teams.

1. Arizona Cardinals - overlooked in their magically Super Bowl run and near Super Bowl win was the fact that the Cardinals went 9-7 and looked terrible in a lot of their losses.  They won’t sneak up on anyone this year. Prediction: 9-7

2. Seattle Seahawks - Injury-prone last year, the team gets younger on defense, but stays the same on offense.  Matt Hassleback needs to stay on the field for them to have a winning season.  He won’t stay on the field for the whole year, but do enough.  Prediction 8-8

3. St. Louis Rams - The Rams are on the way back, but not all the way back yet.  Prediction 8-8.

4. San Francisco 49ers - No quarterback is a problem for the 9ers.  They won’t be able to outplay or surprise anyone.  But, they will not embarass themselves for ultra-motivator Mike Singletary.  Prediction 7-9.

Parody all around in the NFC West.  It would go a lot of ways.  It should be a great season.

The Ratings for the Rams in Madden ‘10 have been announced recently and the Rams have the look of an improving squad with some holes.

Some of the choices made by the Madden team are very interesting indeed.

• Backup QB Kyle Boller is a 51.  51!  He’s one point better than Brock Berlin.  That doesn’t seem quite right, but at least they preserve his uncanny arm strength with an 86 in Throw Power.
• The Rams are very light at WR with Donnie Avery at 75, Laurent Robinson at 72, Brooks Foster at 65 and Keenan Burton at a shockingly low 62.
• The Rams have a hole at ROLB.  Chris Chamberlain (66), Chris Draft (65) and Quentin Culberson (64) are battling for the spot.
• The Rams have another hole at 2nd DT.  Cliff Ryan (66), O.Harris (65) and Dorrell Scott (53) are the best candidates.
• Joe Klopfenstein must know someone at EA.  He’s rated as a 72, 3 lower than Randy McMichael.  Klop also has the highest toughness rating for all TEs and WRs…
• And to end this on a good note, the Rams offensive line looks solid.  From left to right the Rams will be starting (according to Madden): Jason Smith (84), Jacob Bell (86), Jason Brown (90), Richie Incognito (73), Alex Barron (77)

(Today in the available player primer, we will look at Mike Vick.  Yes, I know, again.)

We have already debunked this rumor when Bernie Miklasz spoke to Billy Devaney and others about Vick, but the rumor keep resurfacing with national media members online and off.  These media members start rumors by seeing the connection between Billy Devaney from Atlanta when Vick was there and being current GM of the Rams.

Mike Vick is only gaining prominence because of the Wildcat/Wildhog/Direct Snap phenomenon.  Provided he kept in shape or could return quickly to his playing shape, Vick is the prototypical direct snap running back.  He has speed and shiftiness to run inside with the increased space the Wildcat provides.  He has the speed to run outside.  He has an incredible arm and enough accuracy on the run to keep defenses honest.

However, the Rams already have a player to run the direct-snap play with: Steven Jackson.

Michael Vick is no longer going to be a typical quarterback, so his mediocre quarterbacking skills have no bearing on his value going forward.

As with most of the available players, Vick would bring a media circus of epic proportions.  Not only a media circus, but PETA protests at every game.  Being that the Rams are not interested in this type of attention, the odds are long.  Whoever signs Vick will need a strong owner who can stand up and face the protestors and give ESPN 700 interviews.  The Rams don’t even know who their owner will be going forward.

So, let’s see.  The Rams don’t run the wildcat.  If they do, they have someone on their roster who would be great anyway.  So, they don’t need Vick and don’t want the distraction.  So, no to Vick for the second time.

FedEx CEO Fred Smith was brought up as a potential buyer for the Rams, but it only took a few days for that rumor to go where many rumors go: the trash.

A Fred Smith source debunked the rumor he was interested in taking over the Rams in the local Memphis newspaper.

(Hat tip: Turf Show Times)

That leaves potential buyers to the following:

Stan Kroenke - minority Rams owner

Dave Checketts - St. Louis Blues owner

The major hurdle for Kroenke is the fact that he owns two teams in the Denver area and the NFL does not allow cross-city cross-sport ownership.

The major hurdle for Checketts is cash.  If he can find a very rich silent partner, he would be a great fit.

La’Roi Glover retired this week after 13 seasons in the NFL and 4 with the St. Louis Rams.  He was great undersized speedy defensive tackle.  He lost a step in his last two years and was less speedy and more undersized.  I don’t mean this to slight Glover as he was a solid presence for the Rams, but he did not have the motor or strength to stand up to bigger offensive lineman any more.  We wish him the best of luck in his future.

However, the one thing I will most remember about La’Roi was his pants.  You can sort of get the idea from the picture above.  My brother first alerted me to the La’Roi Glover pants phenomenon in the 2008 season.  My brother was amazed and shocked by how high La’Roi’s pants were.  They usually obscured the bottom of his number at the beginning of the game.  To me, this was amazing as well.  It’s not like other players have a lot of slack in their pants and La’Roi was just pulling his up.  No, his pants must have been specially made with extra large  crotch area just for La’Roi to hike his up. They must have had extra material placed in the waistline to create the Urkel or Pee Wee Herman-like effect.  That combined with La’Roi’s smallish torso to create a very odd look to him.

Good luck La’Roi.  Thanks for all your good service to the Rams.  We will miss you and especially your pants.

Things don’t always come in our time. As a fan we want our team to be great. We want it now. But titles or greatness don’t always come via the effort of our team or from the desire of the fans.

Take Deacon Jones. His professional career with the Rams began in 1961. During his first three years the Rams won a total of 9 games. The next 2 years another 9 games. Think about anything you have done for 5 years. Think about anything you’ve done for 5 years that amounted to an abysmal failure. It’s tough to move forward. It is super easy for those outside the bubble to give up. But it also takes a toll on the spirit of the celebrated. It takes a toll on the athlete who feels greatness deep inside.

It has been 5 years since Marc Bulger has had a winning season. Most of us want his head on a platter. But what do we expect to happen in year 6? Year 6 for Deacon Jones brought the first winning season for the then Los Angeles Rams in 10 years. The Rams would go on and achieve winning seasons for the next 14 out of 15 years. Year six would also see Jones going to the Pro Bowl.

There he would mingle with other NFL greats for the next 5 straight years (Jones went to the Pro Bowl in 1964 and 1965 also for a total of 7 straight Pro Bowl nods with the Rams. Toss in 1 more with the Chargers for a career total of 8 Pro Bowl selections.).

So to the now St Louis Rams… to Marc Bulger… don’t give up. Let’s focus on year 6.

PFT.com reports that the waiver claim the team put in on former Falcons OT Renardo Foster has been approved, and the team was awarded his rights today:

Days after submitting a waiver claim on former Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Renardo Foster, the St. Louis Rams were awarded his rights today over the Denver Broncos. Both teams had placed waiver claims on Foster with the Rams winning out due to their inferior 2008 record. As we first reported when Foster was cut and St. Louis and Denver put in their waiver claims, the only team that could top the Rams under the NFL waiver system would have been the Detroit Lions by virtue of their winless record last season.

Quarterback Marc Bulger told the media that he realizes that this season is probably his last chance as a msstarter for the Rams. “I understand we have to win,” Bulger told FOXSports.com after a recent offseason practice. “It’s not fair to our fans or the ownership. If we don’t, I know it starts with me. It’s probably my final chance.” After being a perennial Pro Bowler early in his career, Bulger has been a major disappointment over the last few years as the Rams have turned into one of the worst teams in the league.