Rams trade Bradford

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Just like that, after five years of "Sam's our man", "we're all in with Sam", "I came here because of Sam", Sam Bradford is out the door at Rams Park, traded to Philadelphia Tuesday for quarterback Nick Foles. They stuck with Bradford, and an injury history to make Evel Knievel wince, all this time, let him have significant input on promoting the offensive coordinator and hiring the new QB coach, and a couple of weeks later, pull out the rug.

Bradford had a fine rookie season in 2010 after the Rams made him the first overall pick in the 2010 draft and signed him to a $78 million contract. That was the last big rookie contract before the NFL enacted a rookie salary cap, and it hung around the Rams' necks like a millstone. Though he did nearly lead the Rams to the playoffs his first season, Bradford missed about half the next season with a (corrected) ankle injury that took a year to heal and never ascended to the top tier of NFL QBs. His career passer rating's no better than Ryan Fitzpatrick's.

Nearly five years after he was drafted, the NFL still doesn't know what it has in Sam Bradford. He was never surrounded with the best protection or receiving weapons. But he also pales in comparison to his contemporary first overall picks. Andrew Luck doesn't have jack around him, either, and was just a game short of the Super Bowl this year. Cam Newton hasn't exactly been throwing to the Greatest Show in Carolina. But he's got two Pro Bowls and has gotten the Panthers to the playoffs twice in four years. The main comparison to Bradford has been the fellow drafted #1 the year before, Matthew Stafford, and Sam loses that pretty decisively. Sure, Stafford's got Calvin Johnson, but he's also got a far better gun than Bradford's overestimated arm, and he's been to the playoffs twice now himself. And don't get me started with younger QBs than Bradford, nowhere near as high-drafted or expensive - Russell Wilson, Colin Kaepernick, Andy Dalton, etc. - who have already taken their teams to far greater heights than 7-8-1.

Bradford has seemed short on a lot of qualities for a first pick overall and a mega-contract player. He does not seem like a take-charge player on the field. His deep ball and outside throwing are average at best. Rarely from Bradford do you see that breathtaking seeing-eye fastball so many good QBs have. I doubt he has one. Pass rush still really gets into his head. He gets way too many throws batted down at the line for a tall guy. He's a safety-first thrower who takes too many checkdowns, doesn't show the derring-do to make big plays down the field. He isn't a quarterback who elevates the play of his teammates. These are all qualities you should be able to expect from a #1 pick overall. They're all qualities Luck and Newton and Stafford have. I don't think St. Louis ever saw much of them from Bradford. Though they didn't miss out on an Aaron Rodgers like the 49ers did in 2005, more and more, it looks like what the Rams got for their troubles in Bradford was a slightly stronger-armed, much less durable version of Alex Smith.

Bradford should be comfortable in Chip Kelly's fast-break offense, though, which may well show he was misused here. That is, if he can last any amount of time into the season. Though he started 2013 on pace for career highs, the Rams still started 1-3 because the offensive load was too much for Bradford to carry, and he missed the last nine weeks of the season anyway due to a torn ACL, which he re-tore in the 2014 preseason to end that year before it even started.

That's the reason the Rams never knew what they had in Bradford. He missed 31 of 80 possible starts here. Actually, the Rams did know what they had in Bradford. An injury risk. That and his apparent unwillingness to re-negotiate to a cap-friendlier contract forced the Rams' hand and put Bradford on a flight to the NFC East.

I think it's altogether uncertain that the Rams even gained stability at QB in the trade. Foles followed his terrific 2013 season (27 TDs, 2 INTs) with a pretty ragged start in 2014 (13 TDs, 10 INTs) before getting knocked out of half the season himself due to a broken collarbone. One thing Foles does is win, though; he's 14-4 as a starter the past two seasons. While discrediting the Rams front office for their fly-by-night plan at QB, credit them for getting decent value in return while still being able to unload that contract. Now go and do something good with that $26 million in salary cap room, which basically doubles from where it was with Bradford's departure.

The Rams also gave the Eagles their 5th round pick this year, but got back Philly's 4th-round pick, and get a 2nd-round pick next year (which may or may not be conditional on Bradford starting in 2015. Reporting on the terms of this deal sure has been spotty). However, as Jim Thomas reports, if Bradford plays less than half the snaps, the Rams have to give the Eagles their 4th-round pick next year, and that becomes a 3rd-rounder if Bradford misses the whole 2015 season. Which you can't rule out.

The Bradford Era is over in St. Louis, but like Bradford's career to date, it's ending without a conclusion. If he can defy his odds and actually play a full season, Bradford may yet demonstrate he's worthy of the status of the first overall pick of a draft. St. Louis just couldn't afford to wait for him any longer.

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Rams release J. Long, Wells

The Rams released veteran offensive linemen Jake Long and Scott Wells Tuesday. The moves gain the team $12.5 million in salary cap space; according to Jim Thomas, the moves put them $16 million under the cap for the opening of free agency tomorrow. With starting right tackle Joseph Barksdale believed to be on his way out the door, the Rams braintrust better have a solid plan for filling a lot of holes up front. In both of these cases, free agent signings didn't have the big impact they would have hoped.

ESPN

Wells was the Rams' starting center for three seasons. He was a solid presence in the middle when he was at the top of his game, but he missed 13 games his first two seasons due to injuries. He answered the bell every week in 2014 but was weakened before the season by a mysterious tick-borne illness and during it by an elbow injury. His play declined noticeably during the season. He's probably got some juice left at age 33, but he'll have to find a front office willing to gamble on his injury history. My best bet is that he'll be a fill-in for a team that gets a key o-line injury. Wells was a fine and durable player in Green Bay, but the Rams bought high and he ultimately wasn't the key contributor hoped for when he came here. It's all part of the risk teams take signing older players.

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Former first overall pick Long only played here two seasons. He tore an ACL at the end of the 2013 season and re-tore it midway through last season. Long was a fine mauler as a run-blocker but was much more of a liability in pass protection than expected for a left tackle signed at a franchise tackle rate ($34 million). Injuries started to pile up on him at the end of his run with the Dolphins and he was much less effective at the start of his career here than he was there. He probably came back too early from the 2013 injury, and the tons of rust he had last preseason were a major reason Sam Bradford didn't even make it to opening day.
Again, the Rams bought high on a free agent and missed.The Rams are reportedly interested in bringing Long back at a reduced rate, probably to play right tackle or right guard.

If the Rams are going to make any significant signings tomorrow, they'd better have done their homework well. Overpaying for older players or players breaking down with injuries are exactly how you blow money in free agency.

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Rams in review: LB

Dallas Morning News

Alec Ogletree (111 tackles, no sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 2 INT, 12 pass breakups) – C-

I’d expected Ogletree to have a breakthrough season after his strong rookie year showing, but he was frustratingly inconsistent as a sophomore. Gregg Williams misused him early in the season and played him tight to the line too much, when his strengths are his speed and ability to play in space. But Ogletree compounded his problems for himself by showing up for camp out of shape and assumedly not getting into proper condition until well into the season. That was a huge disappointment, not just Ogletree’s poor discipline, but the Rams’ apparent failure to make sure their players with discipline issues in their past were doing what they were supposed to in the offseason. Ogletree got blocked out of a lot of plays and failed miserably in the role for which he was drafted, to be the spy defender against Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson. He was largely responsible for Wilson becoming the first player in NFL HISTORY to throw for 300 and rush for 100 in the same game. Fortunately, Ogletree came on late in the season, flashing his turnover-forcing ability from his rookie year and becoming a fine blitzing weapon, especially with his ability to knock down passes while flying in off the edge. But Alec should know now he needs to bring it every week of the season. Every week of the offseason, too. If he does that in 2015, he’ll get back on the all-pro track he was on.

James Laurinaitis (109 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups) - C

Started the season injured, which may have caused his fairly slow start. Had early problems missing tackles and failing to get off blocks. The most frustrating part of Laurinaitis’ game this season was the number of times he bit on play-fakes, which really seemed like a lot for a 6^th-year veteran. He was extremely ineffective as a blitzer at the start of the season, but blitzed better and played better overall by the end. His goal line fumble recovery preserved a win in San Francisco. A fully healthy Laurinaitis at MLB in 2015 should improve on this grade.

Jo-Lonn Dunbar (36 tackles) – C-

Made more plays than you’d think on first reflection. Since he’d already played for Gregg Williams, he was one of the most comfortable players in the system to start the season. Dunbar was responsible for some clutch short-yardage stops. But, as the Rams went to a lot of nickel defense, his playing time and playmaking dropped off, and he essentially lost his job to Mark Barron.

Looking ahead: Just looking at the roster, the Rams don't look very deep at LB with just Daren Bates and Will Herring backing up the “first unit”, but with Barron a de facto LB anyway, you could say Dunbar actually provides them decent depth. 

RamView's move: I don't want to spend much in free agency here, and the Rams didn't leave me much to work with the third day of the draft, so start listing Barron on the program as a LB, I guess. 

Shoot the moon: The Rams already shot it trading for Barron last year.

Rams predictions: Nothing to see here. Bates is a keeper because he's so good on special teams. Herring's also valuable there. Dunbar's a keeper because he's still not too bad and he's a Williams guy. The Rams have what they need at LB, especially if Ogletree makes the leap to the next level.

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Rams in review: defensive line

ESPN

Aaron Donald (48 tackles, 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 1 pass knockdown) – A

For (at least) the second straight year, the best player on the team was a defensive lineman, and a rookie at that, Donald also rightfully took home the league’s Defensive Rookie of the Year honor. His phenomenal explosion and quickness off the snap made him the team’s best run defender and one of its sack leaders. Donald seemed to spend entire games in the opposing backfield at times, and didn’t just beat up on bad offensive lines getting there. Philadelphia, San Francisco, Arizona, Denver, Oakland and Washington and Seattle were all victims of Donald’s dominating play. And he didn’t appear to wear down at the end of the season. Donald’s Pro Bowl selection this year may be the first of many.

Let me add here that I am stunned the NFL, NFL.com at least, does not track tackles for loss. We know Donald had a boatload of them.

Robert Quinn (46 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 6 passes knocked down) – B

I’m all over the place on Quinn, but a B feels about right. On the down side, he was all but invisible the first five weeks, and his run defense declined as he pressed and overpursued plays trying to get his sack count going. And seven of his sacks came in three games, so even when he got hot the second half of the season, he wasn’t consistent. However, for Quinn to get as much accomplished as he did in 2014 while blockers double-teamed him a lot of the season and held him for most of it speaks to his ability.

Chris Long (5 tackles, 1 sack in 6 starts) – C-

Lost season for the leader on the line. Got his ankle stepped on the first week and missed the next ten. Did not get off to a good start in run defense and again struggled to get off tight end blocks. Was dominant against Washington after his return but kind of faded out from there. The pass rush really missed his presence, though, and didn’t really get going until his return to the lineup. Sack City’s prosperity in 2015 depends on a strong showing by Long as its mayor.

William Hayes (42 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 forced fumble) – C

Still a capable enough backup who can stop the run and get you some pass rush, but forced into the lineup long-term after Long’s injury exposed Hayes a bit as an average DE. Plus he carried a lot of injuries into the season himself, so 2015 may see him back on the upswing.

Michael Brockers (32 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 pass knockdown) – C-

Not sure he’s lived up to the high draft position. Developed into a solid run-stuffer but didn’t provide a whole lot in pass rush. Both possibly happened because Donald’s emergence pushed him over into more of a nose tackle role. Donald was already getting double-teamed a lot in 2014; Brockers has to bring it strong enough in 2015 to make teams pay for that.

Kendall Langford (25 tackles, 1 sacks) – D+

He's 29 and may be starting to show some mileage. Struggled to hold the point or penetrate the pocket as a pass rusher early in the season. It was only a matter of time before Donald took over as the starter, and that seemed to put a charge in Langford, showing he’s used best in bursts off the bench at this stage of his career.

Eugene Sims (27 tackles, 3 sacks) – D+

Likeable player with a good motor and ability to rush the passer from inside or outside, but he also had more personal fouls than sacks. When he’s disciplined he’s capable of a high level of play.

Alex Carrington (1 tackle) – F

LOL, he was on the roster all year? Who knew?

Ethan Westbrooks (5 tackles) - D

Nice young player on the rise as long as he gets off the stupid penalty habit. Big, strong, and versatile. A good hitter who already has several solid pass-rush moves. Shows disruptive ability. 

Looking ahead: A healthy season from Long should put Sack City back into the top 5 next season. Refereeing that recognizes the Rams, especially Quinn, getting held all the time could make them a force of historic proportions. Langford's already been released in a cap move and Carrington doesn't look likely to return, so depth at DT has become a need.

RamView's move: I like Jarvis Jenkins, formerly of Washington, for the third DT spot. He's only 26, should be injury-free for the first time in several years and sounds like the kind of guy Mike Waufle and his potential Rams teammates could light a fire under.

Shoot the moon: If the Rams want to go bigger (contract-wise) on a free agent DT, C.J. Mosley and Letroy Guion are both young and were very effective rotational DTs last year in Detroit and Green Bay respectively. The Rams will especially love Mosley because he was suspended two games for pot possession last year. And Guion beats that: he got arrested in the offseason for pot and illegal weapons possession (and probably has a suspension coming from the league at some point). Oh, they'd love Jenkins, too; he has a 4-game suspension for PEDs on his record.

Rams predictions: Can you imagine if the Rams use yet another high draft pick on a defensive tackle? Oh the humanity. Since they went after free agent Darnell Dockett, who signed with the 49ers, they don't sound too afraid to spend in free agency or go after an older guy at the position. Cory Redding, Henry Melton and Kevin Williams are all said to be considering retirement, but maybe the Rams can pull them back in with a decent paycheck and a chance to play on a defense with historic potential. (Also, I didn't check but I feel there's a good chance Waufle has worked with Vince Wilfork.) Something else to look out for is the fine job the Fisher regime has done developing late draft picks and rookie free agents into very good pass rushers. (I'll even propose a candidate: Zack Wagenmann of Montana. Fisher loves Montana guys.) Don't be surprised to see it happen again this summer and get Rams Nation wondering again if the Rams can keep 9 or 10 d-linemen on the roster. The one nice problem to have the team has had lately.

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Rams in review: offensive line

ESPN

Jake Long: F

This grade was pretty set in stone when Long's terrible first-quarter play in the preseason game at Cleveland destroyed Sam Bradford's season. Showed flashes of his old run-blocking dominance but struggled with edge pass rush speed all season until week 7, when he blew out his knee for the second straight season. Long looked so bad it seems evident he rushed back from the first blown knee. It also seems evident that his free agent signing was one of the worst the franchise has ever made, and it seems very possible he’ll be playing elsewhere in 2015.

Greg Robinson: C-

Very up-and-down rookie season for Robinson. Didn't get on the field until week 5, at left guard, and made good impressions quickly against long-time Ram-killers Justin Smith and Brandon Mebane. At LT, had some early technique problems against much-smaller DEs and appeared to miss a number of assignments throughout the season. Too many times a defender hit the Rams QB completely unblocked while Robinson appeared to be just standing around. He proved to be a real bulldozer of a run-blocker, though; the Rams should have run behind him much more than they did.

Joseph Barksdale: D+

Barksdale was a major liability in pass protection, struggling with edge pass rush speed every week and even worse than he did last year. That was most apparent in Kansas City when Justin Houston beat him with the same inside move every play. Saving grace is that he generally did well as a run-blocker, helping key the Rams' wrap plays. He is the unrestricted free agent the Rams should try to sign first this offseason and simultaneously one they would be advised not to break the bank for. He didn’t show the progress in 2014 you would have hoped for to justify a contract above average for the position.

Scott Wells: F

Scott Wells is a warrior. He fought a weird illness in the offseason and played hurt most of the regular season. The number of snaps he botched, though, was simply awful, and he was spraying the ball around already even before his elbow injury. Seems like he had one or two bad ones every game. You cannot have your center costing you games because he can’t snap the damn ball right. Shame on the Rams for putting Wells in this position when they had two other centers on the roster. A big reason the Rams had no middle running game, though, was that Wells simply wasn't able to budge nose tackles very often. He also struggled with blitzes and stunts. I respect Wells gutting it out through a lot of adversity, but some of these problems were already starting last year when he was healthier. He should have less than a 50% chance of returning next season.

Davin Joseph: D-

Was consistently beaten in pass protection and got Shaun Hill knocked out of the first game. Was blown off the line of scrimmage a lot in the running game, sometimes so badly he made the tackle himself. There was a number of times where Joseph was pull-blocking, meaning he's running at a guy, and still couldn't budge him. Did not handle blitzes or stunts well. Was occasionally a dominant run-blocker, but was such a week-to-week liability that it is a must the Rams replace him for 2015.

Rodger Saffold: C+

Saffold was the Rams' best offensive lineman this year; I wish that was saying more. He was steady but got beaten inside in pass pro a fair share of times. Gets credit for his versatility and for fighting through several injuries, including a shoulder injury that had to be surgically repaired in the offseason.

Tim Barnes: F

Was inoffensive enough as mainly a goal-line jumbo tight end, but it’s possible part of the reason the Rams kept rolling Wells out there was they didn’t feel they could trust Barnes with the job. Barnes’ lightweight performances in preseason justify that judgment. You just can't get pushed around at center as much as he does. At least Wells holds his ground.

Mike Person: F

Injuries got him some playing time late in the season, and he showed some ability as a pulling guard in preseason, but Person has not proved much of a match for the superior speed, strength and ability of NFL defensive starters. He wouldn’t be an upgrade over Joseph.

Barrett Jones, Brandon Washington: F

As bad as the players in front of them on the depth chart looked, it was pretty disappointing not to see either of these young players, Jones in particular, grab the brass ring and force their way into the lineup. The F may really belong to Fisher for continuing to roll Wells out there, or to Brian Schottenheimer for calling too much middle running for a line that couldn’t block it. But Wells was so banged-up and awful, and Joseph was just so awful, that somebody should have been able to beat them out.

Looking ahead: The Rams have two set starters in Saffold and Robinson and then have to answer a lot of questions. They're reportedly far apart in current negotiations with UFA Barksdale, who's not worth a big contract, and it's smart of the Rams not to give him one. Assuming he's out the door, the Rams will have to be very active in free agency and the draft to fill three major offensive holes, all next to one another. Somehow I didn't expect year four of the Fisher plan to involve rebuilding almost the entire offensive line, but the future is now. Cutting Long and Wells is supposed to gain the Rams about $12 million in cap room; make good use of it. Barnes was not tendered as a restricted free agent. As a man much wiser than me once said, gotta go to work.

RamView's plan: So much going on here. In the draft, the Rams reportedly really like Brandon Scherff (Iowa), who should be there at #10, along with Stanford tackle Andrus Peat, but I wouldn't take either ahead of Marcus Mariota, Kevin White or Amari Cooper. Here's my plan, for those in need of a big laugh:

1. Robinson to right tackle. He's a perfect run mauler and won't be protecting Bradford's blind side. At LT, he will most definitely get Bradford blindsided.

2. Saffold to left tackle. He's no all-pro but he's credible there.

3. Though free agency hasn't exactly landed the Rams any Hall-of-Fame centers (Wells, Jason Brown), that's where I'd make my biggest splash and go hard after Chiefs UFA Rodney Hudson. He'd be a rock in the middle the Rams just haven't had. He's already one of the league's elite centers and he's just 25. If they fail on Hudson, there are several very acceptable Plan B's in free agency, including Stefen Wisniewski, Mike Pollak and Chris Myers. There's little reason for the Rams not to get upgraded at center in the next couple of days.

4. This is a very good draft for guards from what I've seen, and I'm planning to draft a couple, though if the Rams draft a guard and a tackle and leave Robinson and Saffold where they currently are, that'll work. Top guards often don't get drafted until the third round or later, so I'm hoping to pick up someone like Laken Tomlinson (Duke) or Arie Kouandjio (Alabama) there and get someone like Max Garcia (Florida) or John Miller (Louisville) later.

The acquisitions replace Joseph, Wells and Barnes. I'll give Jones one last shot to be the swing guard/center, and if I can retain Long much, much more cheaply, he'll be the third tackle/swing guard.

Shoot the moon: My plan is the “shoot the moon” plan, but this is the area of the team where the Rams have to shoot the moon if they're going to do it. Hudson will run $8 million a year or more, but I believe center's the position to make a big free agency move.

Rams predictions: Robinson and Saffold stay where they are. The Rams really like Saffold at guard. Non-tendering Barnes tells me they're clearing the decks at center, and I believe Wells will be replaced this week by a free agent, though probably not Hudson. I'll predict Wisniewski. They'll re-negotiate Long to stick around as a swing guard/tackle. I also like Jim Thomas' or Nick Wagoner's (sorry I forgot my source) theory that they'll go after Justin Blalock, one of Paul Boudreau's former players, to replace Joseph. Barksdale will get overpaid elsewhere and be replaced by the Rams' first-round pick, though Long may start the season.

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Rams in review: TE

Dallas Morning News

Jared Cook (52 catches, 634 yards (12.2 ypc), 3 TD): D+

Led Rams in receptions for the second straight season yet manages not to be an impact offensive player. Really disappears for long stretches of games. Reliable on out routes, and didn't drop as many passes as last year, but blew a TD against Dallas and still misses a number of catches that you shouldn't have to be a Pro Bowl TE to adjust to. Marginally better blocker than last year but still fails in the clutch too often and there are still plays where he's a disinterested observer. Also needs to use tools at his disposal other than blatant offensive pass interference to get open. Mouthed off at Austin Davis when he didn't deserve it, mouthed off about the Rams getting outcoached when they did deserve it... probably should still mouth off less. I don't see how he can be considered the kind of difference-maker on offense the Rams are paying for. Since the Rams signed Cook, I would say Miami, Kansas City, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Denver, Philadelphia, Chicago, Carolina and probably even his old Tennessee team have gotten better at the position than where the Rams are now. They're paying top 10 money for a TE who isn't even top 20.

Lance Kendricks (27 catches, 259 yards (9.6 ypc), 5 TD): D+

Could be the most reliable goal line target among the Ram TEs but doesn't offer a whole lot the other 90 yards of the field. His effort is not an issue at all but the quality of his blocking declined visibly over 2014. Missed a fair share of blocking assignments in the running and passing games. Saw nothing last year to validate the former 2nd-round pick as much more than Just A Guy.

Cory Harkey (8 catches, 55 yards (6.9 ypc), 1 TD): C-

Was fine as a fullback. Has not developed into much of a receiving threat. Missed more blocks this year.

Alex Bayer (no catches, 1 fumble recovery on special teams): D

Justice Cunningham (no statistics): D

Not going for harsh criticism of the young TEs here; D is my standard Just A Guy grade. Neither saw very much of the field. Bayer showed upside in preseason, and Cunningham seems to have shown plenty of upside to the coaches.

Looking ahead: As unimpressed as I have been with Cook after two seasons, he's still the Rams' leading receiver, and it's not as if they'll be in the bidding for Julius Thomas or Jordan Cameron. I see little reason Bayer and Cunningham can't replace UFA Kendricks, possibly with Cunningham getting plenty of snaps as a blocking TE and Bayer getting in as a red zone receiver. I think Harkey's blocking and special teams play are enough to keep him safe, but no guarantees there, either.

RamView's move: That's my move, no move. Kendricks moves on in this scenario, so it wouldn't bother me if the Rams added someone like Nick Boyle (Delaware) or Devin Mahina (BYU) on day 3 of the draft.

Shoot the moon: If Kendricks doesn't return, the odds of the Rams drafting a TE go way up. Because of his blocking skills, I assume Nick O'Leary (Florida State) would be high on their list, probably in the third round.

Rams prediction: The Rams are admittedly in far better position to evaluate Kendricks' blocking than I am, and I know he was a fine blocker 2 years ago, so I expect them to make a decent effort to re-sign him. I also don't expect a very hot market for him around the league, though Jim Thomas speculates interest from Josh McDaniels in New England. Kendricks will return at a reasonable rate and the Rams will keep the TE unit intact for another mediocre season at the position.

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Rams in review: WR

NFL.com

Brian Quick (25 catches, 375 yards (15.0 ypc), 3 TD): B-

Really grew as a receiver in 2014 before a week 7 shoulder injury ended his season. Showed the reliability and my-ball mindset to take over the go-to big WR role. Has some rough edges to refine, and I don't see him going to the Hall of Fame just because he can beat soft coverage with simple routes, but he couldn't even do that his first two seasons. Quick's light-years ahead of that now and is another young Ram poised for a breakout in 2015.

Kenny Britt (48 catches, 748 yards (15.6 ypc), 3 TD): C

2014 was actually close to a career year for Britt. He started slowly and was clearly the back-seat receiver to Quick, but made a number of clutch catches and some outstanding grabs after Quick's injury. Made some big catches deep but was really not a credible deep threat. The elite CBs like Sherman and Peterson shut him down almost completely. Best role seems to be as a big possession receiver. Earns extra credit for his leadership, toughness and for staying out of trouble off the field.

Stedman Bailey (30 catches, 435 yards (14.5 ypc), 1 TD): C

Though his league suspension was shortened from the first four weeks to the first two, Bailey rarely re-captured the momentum he had built with a strong preseason. Is probably the Rams' smartest receiver and is for sure its best route-runner. He also showed sticky hands and made some tough catches in traffic, but we only saw flashes of it.

Tavon Austin (31 catches, 242 yards (7.8 ypc), 36 carries, 224 yards (6.2 ypc), 2 TD): C

Austin provided the offense with some Percy Harvin-like flashes, but he's really only a gadget player. He offers little as a receiver beyond quick screens. He needs someone to take the focus off him; if he weren't the receiver most defenses tried to shut down first, he might be able to make better use of his elusiveness after the catch. For a top-ten draft pick, you'd really have hoped he'd be doing more by this point than running jet sweeps. The gadget-y plays need to be part of a total receiving package that currently is still far from complete.

Chris Givens (11 catches, 159 yards (14.5 ypc), 1 TD): D

Not sure he had a catch this season outside of garbage time. His rookie year, he was the kind of weapon John Brown was in Arizona this season. I don't know what happened.

Looking ahead: The Rams are younger than the audience at a Onerepublic concert at WR - at 26, Britt is the elder statesman - and fitting their age, have a lot of growing up to do. Quick and Bailey took some individual steps, and Britt probably still has some upside to play into. If the Rams can get any stability at all at QB, we shouldn't see the passing game out of sync as much as it was this year, and a consistent QB with a decent deep ball would be very instrumental toward evolving this group to the next level.

RamView's move: The trend of mock drafts I've seen so far has Alabama WR Amari Cooper falling out of the top ten. I think it would be foolish of the Rams to pass on Cooper at #10 unless Marcus Mariota is also on the board. Even assuming the Rams re-sign UFA Britt, which I'd be in favor of doing, they still won't have even a warm-up act for the Greatest Show at the position. Cooper would give them a big slot receiver they don't have and a deep threat they don't have. Put him out wide, you can finally open up the field for Austin out of the slot. For all the promise Quick showed last year, coming off the major shoulder injury, we really don't know how much to trust him. The Rams passed on taking ANYONE from what's already regarded the best WR draft class of all time last year. Do not repeat that mistake in 2015 if a top prospect is available. If Cooper's gone by #10, say, to the Bears (see below), then cross your fingers and hope Sammy Coates, who I like a ton, is there in the 2^nd round. He's got the size, the speed, the ability to win while the ball's in the air, the red zone effectiveness and the my-ball attitude. Main flaw has been drops, but that didn't manifest at the Senior Bowl or Combine, and Ray Sherman's receivers really cut down their drops last year. Coates can be a big-time player, and he's from Auburn, so the Rams already love him unconditionally.

Shoot the moon: First of all, the Bears gave up Brandon Marshall for a FIFTH-round pick? How is that even possible? For crying out loud, the Rams gave up a four and a six for Mark Barron! How could they NOT have been looking to get in on the Marshall action? Well, they'll be knocking quite a bit of veteran salaries off the cap in the near future. The Dolphins are wasting premier deep threat Mike Wallace as a possession receiver and he's quite unhappy. He's getting stupid money there and would gobble up a lot of the Rams' cap space. Still, draft Cooper and get Wallace for a, say, fifth-rounder? NOW you're stretching the field.

Way-too-specific Rams prediction: The Rams re-sign Britt, who would be foolish to believe he doesn't need Fisher. On draft night, with Mariota and Cooper still on the board, the Rams swap picks with the Eagles and pick up a third-round pick. At #20, they draft Florida tackle D.J. Humphries and pencil him in at starting right tackle. Humphries represents a solid pick-up at #20, but Rams Nation will be justifiably bewildered at the low return the Rams got for trading out of a spot when they had a choice between two premier college offensive stars.

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Rams in review: RB

NY Post / Getty Images

Tre Mason (179 carries, 765 yards (4.3 ypc), 4 TD, 16 catches, 148 yards (9.3 ypc), 1 TD): B-

Mason didn’t take the field until week 5, but when he did, he burst onto the scene with a needed injection of speed and energy for the running game. The Rams’ lone big-play threat in the backfield, he proved a threat to score from anywhere on the field, with an 89-yard TD run against Oakland. He had a half-dozen other long TDs for the taking; with experience, he’ll cash in on those. Blitz protection and ball security were issues, but minor enough to be coachable. Much more effective edge runner than a middle runner. My bet is the Rams ask him to get stronger this offseason so they can keep banging him up the middle (sigh) and also hold up better physically against blitzes. That hopefully will not cost him speed; he doesn’t have much competition for the honor, but Mason looks like the Rams’ best speed back since Marshall Faulk. As he matures and the Rams figure out how to use him, look out.

Benny Cunningham (66 carries, 246 yards, (3.7 ypc), 3 TD, 45 catches, 352 yards (7.8 ypc), 1 TD): C+

Quickly developing into a near-ideal third-down back. Very effective release-valve receiver and made big strides in blitz pickup. With Steven Jackson as the A standard for that, Cunningham’s a solid B. Cunningham got pretty good production out of the few carries he got and made some clutch catches in Ram wins.

Zac Stacy (76 carries, 293 yards (3.9 ypc), 1 TD, 18 catches, 152 yards (8.4 ypc) ): C

Stacy lost his job to Mason without really doing anything wrong. He ground out tough yards like last year and improved as a receiver. He just didn’t get a lot of touches (or blocking) in the early games before Mason hit the scene. Mason’s emergence also made Stacy’s shortcomings as a breakaway threat very apparent. Even after that, it’s surprising Stacy wasn’t used more in the power back role. He was active every week but one. The Rams took half the season even figuring out how they wanted to use their RBs, and once they did, Stacy drew the short straw.

Looking ahead: The Ram running game was a work in progress in 2014. The RBs had only two 100-yard games, both by Mason, and he had an 89-yard run in one of those. Several times the Rams had a critical 3rd-and-short and decided they'd be better off throwing than running. Unacceptable. The Rams don't need to change anything at the RB position for 2015, though. The backs are maturing into a very solid 1-2-3 punch and Mason appears poised for a breakout season. To improve the running game, the Rams first and foremost have to beef up their middle blocking. Schematically, Brian Schottenheimer seemed insistent that Mason and Cunningham are pile-moving RBs. They're not. Even once the Rams improve up front enough to run up the middle successfully, they should still get Mason outside more than they do. Changes up front and a tweak in scheme should maximize the Rams' ground game in 2015.

RamView's move: Don't mess with what looks like a good thing. You have a feature speed back, a power back, a third-down back and a couple of solid special-teamers (Chase Reynolds, Trey Watts). Bringing a merciful end to the Isaiah Pead Era is about the only move the Rams need to make at RB. Like I've already suggested, get them some blocking, get Mason outside more often and use Stacy more in power-run situations.

Shoot the moon: Even though this free agent RB class, led by DeMarco Murray, looks like the best free agent class ever in any sport, the Rams are so well poised for the future at the position that it's hard to come up with the realistically outlandish scenarios I try to throw out here. But, though this is a torch I should probably put down, if Stacy got so few carries because he's in the doghouse, and the Rams feel like they need a more reliable power back, it'd be about a wash salary-cap-wise to cut Pead and bring Steven Jackson back. It'd have to happen pretty late in free agency, once Jackson finds no one willing to put him in his familiar bell-cow role.

Rams prediction: Fisher annoys the bejesus out of me by giving Pead lots of reps in training camp, costing the Rams' other young RBs, before releasing him in final cuts. No other changes will be made.

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Rams in review: QB

USA Today

Sam Bradford (0-0-0, NaN completion %, 0 TD, 0 INT, NaN passer rating): F

I used to think the Rams were better off for having drafted Sam Bradford over Ndamukong Suh in 2010, even though Bradford himself wasn’t the reason they were better off. I’m not as sure any more, not when Bradford has missed about half his career, including the last 26 games, due to durability problems that have vexed him all his football life and were well-known heading into to the 2010 draft. The Rams took him anyway and it’s only paid off for Bradford’s bank account. The Rams went all-in on the balky Bradford in 2014 and both he and they busted before even making the regular season. They may be all-in again in 2015, making it or breaking based on how well Bradford china holds up. The results so far have not been encouraging.

 

Austin Davis (180-284-2,001, 63.4%, 12 TD, 9 INT, 85.1 passer rating): C-

Had some gutty games against bad-to-average defenses but got overwhelmed by good ones. Made a number of clutch plays, showed mobility and did a good job spreading the ball around. Remember when Jon Gruden called him young Drew Brees? Played without fear but also turned the ball over too often. Has a long way to go in his ability to read the field. Didn't show the pre-snap recognition to get off quick passes. Lack of arm strength, accuracy and field vision cost the Rams some deep-ball opportunities. Eventually lost his composure too much under pressure and made too many big mistakes. This was still satisfactory for what was basically a rookie season for Davis. I would have let him finish out the season.

Shaun Hill (145-229-1,657, 63.3%, 8 TD, 7 INT, 83.9 passer rating): C-

Mixed some bursts of competent game-manager QB play with a stupid inability to throw passes away successfully. Lack of deep arm denied the Rams several TD opportunities late in the season and probably a couple of wins. Some of his passes look like he’s shot putted them or thrown them end over end. After Davis got benched for losing games with turnovers, Hill lost them at least two games by… committing pivotal turnovers. He’s fine for what he was supposed to be, a veteran backup game manager QB. He was never meant to be a full-time starter. Eventually it showed.

Looking ahead: The Rams' QB situation is intriguing for a number of reasons. Jeff Fisher said at his postseason press conference that they'll bring a QB “from outside the building” to compete with Bradford. Well, if Sam's around. He and his agent have not shown much receptiveness toward renegotiating his bloated contract. And, though the Rams have tendered restricted free agent Davis, Fisher has been pretty stubborn about keeping only 2 QBs on the active roster. If that's to be Bradford and Mr. Outside, that doesn't look great for Davis, and even worse, I suspect, for unrestricted free agent Hill. I could live with a Bradford/Davis depth chart, and I'm rooting for Davis to prove himself a viable plan B, but the Rams may have to roster a more long-term viable plan B than Davis instead.

If they can find one. This is a really bad year to need a QB unless Daniel Jeremiah's (NFL.com) mock draft miracle scenario unfolds and Marcus Mariota falls to #10. After Mariota and likely #1 overall pick Jameis Winston, there's little draft depth at the position. Pundits are starting to suggest the Rams trade up, but they don't have the ammo for it after trading for Mark Barron last year, and it would be pretty stupid to fleece ourselves of a lot of draft picks three years after fleecing the Redskins. The free agent market, where most experts rank Mark Sanchez as the top QB available, doesn't look any more helpful. 

RamView's move: Obviously, if Mariota fell to 10, I would draft him in a heartbeat. Short of that, I would keep three QBs on the roster: Bradford (who I'm sure will be IR'ed by October anyway), Davis and a rookie, either Brett Hundley in the 2^nd round or Garrett Grayson in the 3^rd. Rookie free agent sleeper: Hutson Mason, Georgia.

Shoot the moon: Ryan Mallett's the only UFA QB I'd have any interest in. He's still young, has all the physical tools, has been around Tom Brady and good QB coaching all his career, and hasn't failed out of a starting job yet, which I can't say for Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, Blaine Gabbert or arguably Brian Hoyer. He's at least as good a gamble as it is to stick with Bradford this year. Alternatively, if the Eagles make a big draft night move to get Mariota before the Rams can, the Rams should immediately get them on the horn and make a deal for Nick Foles.

Rams prediction: The Rams will keep two QBs: Bradford and Hundley. New QB coach Chris Weinke has worked with several prominent mobile QBs; it's almost like they're planning to get one. Plus, we know where Hundley went to college, right?

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Overdue updates

St. Louis Rams

* Transactions: In the first of likely several salary cap moves, the Rams released veteran defensive tackle Kendall Langford Thursday. Langford played here three seasons and had a career-high 5 sacks in 2013. He was credited with 51 tackles and a sack last season. He got off to a little bit of a slow start and lost his starting job pretty quickly to Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald. He gained effectiveness later in the season in a rotational role off the bench, and at age 29, I'd guess that will be the best way to use him going forward. The Rams apparently have no interest in bringing Langford back, but he's experienced as a 4-3 DT and a 3-4 DE and shouldn't have a lot of trouble finding NFL work. His release gains the Rams $6 million in cap space. With Alex Carrington also a free agent, the Rams will need to fill that 3rd DT role.

* Polishing the staff: Jeff Fisher settled the Rams' situation at offensive coordinator by promoting QB coach Frank Cignetti to offensive coordinator and "passing game coordinator". The other main candidate, TEs coach Rob Boras, was promoted to "assistant head coach / offense" and "running game coordinator". He will also continue to coach TEs. Cignetti will not continue to coach QBs; that job went to former Florida State QB and Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke.

Cignetti has not called plays in the NFL but has done it for six different college programs. In announcing his hiring, Fisher cited his play-calling experience and ability to adjust, which I assume refers to adjusting to backup QBs who have had to step in for Sam Bradford. Bradford, btw, was given significant input in the OC search.

Cignetti's term at Fresno State from 2002-2006 is the standout portion of his resume. The Bulldogs were a top-ten offense in 2004 and 2005, and had a string of 4 games in 2004 of scoring over 50 points. And lest we accuse Fisher of reining Cignetti in, all of his FSU offenses ran more than they passed. Usually close to 50-50, but in '04, they ran about 65% of the time and averaged 6.5 yards a carry. Cal scored over 32 points a game in Cignetti's one season there, with Jahvid Best rushing for over 1,500 yards and Shane Vereen adding another 700. Cignetti went to Pitt the next two seasons, where the Panthers averaged 32 and 26 points a game. Dion Lewis ran for 1,799 yards there in 2009 and another 1,000 in 2010, with Ray Graham tacking on 900. In three years here as QB coach, he's gotten better-than-expected results out of Kellen Clemens and Austin Davis.

There's a lot going on in Cignetti's background to say he knows what he's doing, he's a perfect fit for the Rams' offensive system and I ultimately like that Fisher didn't go the retread route most of the rest of the league took this offseason, so I like this move. I still can't believe the offense the Rams have been running, which does little but run straight up the middle, needs dramatic simplification, or separate coaches for the running and passing games, but we're going to get that. The Rams won't change their terminology, but Cignetti's going to simplify things while Boras "will help oversee all aspects of the offense." My contention a lot of Brian Schottenheimer's time here was that the system was fine, but the Rams needed better play-calling within it, so Cignetti's about to put that idea to a big test. Let's work a lot on having the offense ready to play after halftime, eh?

Weinke has not coached for an NFL team but worked with quarterbacks as a director at IMG Academy. He beat out former 49er QB Jeff Garcia, and in an unfortunate callback to the bad old Rams days, STEVE WALSH for the job here. (What, was Steve Bono unavailable?) Weinke's most notable clients - Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater, Russell Wilson - all, interestingly, are very mobile QBs. The Rams' most mobile passer right now is Johnny Hekker. But, for those of us who have fun thinking about this kind of thing, Austin Davis is pretty mobile, and the first mock draft by Daniel Jeremiah for NFL Network had the Rams landing Marcus Mariota. Brett Hundley is no slouch in the mobility department himself. Bradford again had major input into hiring Weinke, but Fisher's main focus for Weinke seems to be to groom whatever young QB the Rams end up with behind Bradford.

ESPN

Weinke was known as a coach on the field and excellent team leader as a college player, so he seems a natural for this role. Good-but-not-great arm, excellent pocket presence, but not the greatest thrower on the move, which is interesting given the mobile QBs he's known best for working with. The old scouting reports also say he had a long windup when he threw. Those negatives don't seem to have crept into the games of the QBs he's coached so far, so Weinke sounds like a solid component of the Rams' future at the position.

* Stadium nonsense: Honestly, I don't have the time, energy or motivation to stay up with these developments. If Kroenke's dead-set on becoming the biggest bastard in the history of St. Louis for whatever reason, nothing's going to stop him.

Anyway, in Inglewood, the city council voted to approve Kroenke's stadium project there,  as they should have, since he invested six digits in buying them off. L.A. Times writer Michael Hiltzik is pouring a lot of cold water on the idea, though. He's fairly convinced it's strictly a Kroenke ploy to get a St. Louis stadium and will never be anything more. He or I are going to be very, very wrong about this, then. I'm rooting for me.

The Chargers and Raiders then took the whole current L.A. situation into Looney Tunes land by threatening to combine forces for a new stadium in Carson, CA that both teams would play in. This, I am fairly certain is strictly a ploy. All the Raider Chargers have right now is an option to buy land on what appears to be a toxic waste dump.

Congrats to Kroenke in any event for making me seriously not want to renew my season tickets for the first time in 20 years. Sometime in the next six weeks, I need some clarity on the future of the Rams or I'm sitting 2015 out.

ESPN

* Former Rams tracker:
* The big ex-Rams news in February came from Atlanta, who cut Steven Jackson after two pretty unsuccessful years there. The 30-year-old RB jinx bit another great one and made the Rams look pretty smart not to sink a lot of cash into Jackson, even as an all-time great of the franchise. His average per carry dropped from 4.2 in St. Louis to 3.6 in Atlanta. Now, though, I feel like I again have to worry the same thing I did when the Rams originally let Jackson go: him showing up here in a Cardinals uniform.

Also:
- Miami cut Brandon Gibson. In two seasons there, he had only 59 catches, 4 TDs and one blown patellar tendon.
- The Chiefs, who legendarily got NO touchdowns in 2014 from their wide receivers, cut Donnie Avery. Avery had 55 catches and 2 TDs in two seasons in K.C.
- The Patriots signed Garrett Gilbert to a reserve/future contract.
- The Redskins signed Perry Fewell as their secondary coach and Dave Ragone as an offensive quality control coach. They also signed Ty Nsekhe.
- Mike Martz has a coaching tree! Richard Angulo has been named the Ravens' tight ends coach.
- And, of course, the Bills signed Richie Incognito, who sat out the 2014 season after being suspended by the league in 2013 for bullying.

* The Internet's worst Rams blog: I'll be getting position grades for 2014 up here in the next few days. I don't have a lot of hope of getting much done for free agency, which opens March 10th. My hope for the Rams in free agency is to get something done on the interior offensive line and add a veteran corner or safety to mentor the current scatterbrains. As for the blog from here, I'll probably concentrate on draft profiles.

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