The St. Louis Rams closed out the regular season with another loss. The San Francisco 49ers put the Rams out of their misery with a 28-6 drubbing to end their dreary season at 1-15.
This time, instead of wondering how bad the result will be the following week, the thought process for the Rams, and the entire fan base, is the upcoming NFL draft in about three and a half months.
A lot of people, especially a favorite colleague of mine known as N.M.O.P., have already started the lovefest for Nebraska Cornhuskers’ defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Hold on, N.M.O.P.
As much as Suh could be a welcome addition to the Rams defense that needs plenty of help on the defensive line, the Rams are so in need of a bonafide playmaker, the type of playmaker who can score from anywhere on the field.
The need for an offensive playmaker was so painfully obvious with the paltry output from the Rams’ offensive unit this season. This upcoming draft is full of playmakers who can help the Rams do better than a measly 11 points per game average.
I’m going to throw a few names out there.
C.J. Spiller from Clemson is now considered one of the most explosive running backs who will be available in the first round of the draft. He has some of the same explosive skills as a Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans. Johnson just finished the season with more than 2,000 yards rushing and an abundance of long touchdown runs.
Wide receiver Dez Bryant from Oklahoma State looks the part and plays the part as well. He’s big and physical and can run over the middle. The Rams rarely ran routes over the middle of the field. It could open up a few more things on offense.
How about the Rodgers boys from Oregon State? I’ll take either one of them. Both players have the ability to score from anywhere, much like a Percy Harvin did with the Minnesota Vikings as a rookie.
In free agency, the New Orleans Saints may be parting ways with Michael Bush who is due to make $8 million next season. San Diego Chargers’ wideout Vince Jackson will also be on the market. And don’t rule out Mike Vick being on the Rams’ radar. On defense, Julius Peppers will be shopping for a new contract as well as Richard Seymour.
So, how the Rams approach the first round of free agency will determine how they draft. And if they get it right in free agency then it will take a little pressure – but not much – off the draft.
