That was the quote at the beginning of this pathetic St. Louis Rams season. “We are NOT a 3-13 team… ”
While the Detroit Lions will probably end up 0-16 and t-shirt sales will be a plenty, the Rams will more than likely finish in Atlanta later today a 2-14 team. On one hand, the comment at the beginning of this NFL season is true, they are not a 3-13 team, but a 2-14 team!
Now the really sad thing is the homepage for the Rams, if you don’t bypass the splash page says the below:
Yes, it’s been 10 years since the Rams went on to that magical 1999 season where they ended up by winning the Super Bowl over Tennessee. Since that time, we had a few good seasons and another Super Bowl where we lost, but other than that – downhill ever since.
While the Rams played good in 2 games this past season, you can’t sell shirts as a 2-14 team like you can by going 0-16. Many will talk about the upcoming draft and how the Rams will have the #2 pick in the draft, but by the past few years, the draft has been one big bust after another. The Rams are pretty inept at best in the scouting department before draft day. Need I say the name of the #1 draft pick of 1996 – Lawrence Phillips?
Where are all these first rounders now going back the last 10 years? Let’s examine where they all are. Now there were a few good draft picks, but for the most part having a top pick in the first round, at least for the Rams, has provided very little magic sans a few players.
1999 – Torry Holt – #1 – pick #6 – still with the Rams, Pro Bowler, but could be his last season.
2000 – Trung Canidate – #1 – pick #31 – traded to the Redskins, out of football now.
2001 – Damione Lewis – #1 – pick #12 – traded to the Panthers in 2005
2002 – Robert Thomas – #1 – pick #31 – now plays for the Raiders
2003 – Jimmy Kennedy – #1 – pick #12 – traded to the Broncos in 2007, cut and now plays for the Vikings
2004 – Steven Jackson – #1 – pick #24 – still with the Rams, Pro Bowl in 2006, but totally not even in the game in 2008.
2005 – Alex Barron – #1 – pick #19 – still with the Rams, but doesn’t remember a snap count, will be interesting to see how much longer he is on the team.
2006 – Tye Hill – #1 – pick #15 – hasn’t lived up to his potential
2007 – Adam Carriker – #1 – pick #13 – the jury is still out, has potential if the rest of the team jells
2008 – Chris Long - #1 – pick #2 – same as the 2007 draft pick, good rookie season, but remains to be seen how they jell
2009 – ???? – #1 – pick #2
I guess you could say, the draft hasn’t been the best friend of the Rams. If you take a look around the NFL, there are many ex-Rams that are playing on other teams and contributing. Players such as London Fletcher, Dre Bly (a 1999 #2 pick), Brandon Chillar, and others playing and contributing to other NFL teams. Do a further examination of the draft, and you will see players drafted in the lower rounds that are more than likely out of the NFL or on other teams and doing well.
What has seemed to happen is that the Rams have had poor decisions in player personnel choices. This has led to this 2-14 team we have watched all season. Let the re-building begin. The 2009 NFL campaign should hopefully be an improvement on the 2007 and 2008 seasons. This will all depend upon how the Rams do this off season in trades, and personnel moves as well as coaching.
Technically Speaking, 2-14 isn’t too far from 0-16 if the decisions made in this off season are as lame as the ones made over the previous 10 years since the last time the Rams were a team to be reckoned with.
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