2007 Outlook:

2006 was far from a success for the St. Louis Rams. With an 8-8 mark St. Louis struggled to stop the run and it cost them dearly. This year things are looking up. With the addition of Adam Carriker at DE and a couple key trades, the defense seems to be catching up to the offense this year. Marc Bulger will once again be a fantasy stud along with running back Steven Jackson. The Rams also added Randy McMichael at tight end to start ahead of Big Joe, who fell short of expectations. The schedule is tough for the Rams this year and having a soft home schedule could prove costly as they go on the road to play Baltimore, Seattle, New Orleans, and Cincinnati. St. Louis is also notorious for playing poorly on grass, going 4-4 last year on the road. St. Louis could find themselves in trouble if they continue to struggle stuffing the run in '07. The schedule along with some serious threats in the backfield (McGahee, Alexander, Bush & McAllister, Rudi Johnson) could cost them quite a few games along the way.

2007 Draft Review:

St. Louis already has an extremely potent offense, so in this year's draft the Rams did exactly what every team should do, pick up the players you NEED first and WANT second. With the exception of FB Brian Leonard, who could have been drafted several spots later, they snatched up every player they needed in almost perfect order. Adam Carriker is a stunner on defense and he can play in almost every spot on defense, so it's just a matter of time before he knows his place in the grand scheme of things and starts contributing in big ways. Jonathan Wade, drafted in the 3rd round, will help St. Louis with that young secondary. Filling depth issues in the last few rounds, the addition of Clifton Ryan will help the defensive line. Draft Grade: B

Key Acquisition:

Dante's Inferno took a trip along I-70 from one side of the state to the other. WR/return specialist Dante Hall is yet another weapon to add to the St. Louis arsenal with his return prowess. St. Louis desperately needed Hall, a marquee player, to help them win the field position battle in the return game. This is a huge boost for a team desperate for special teams playmakers.

Key Departure:

Stephen Davis is gone. After 12 serviceable years in the league, it seems unlikely that he will be playing in 2007. Davis has seen some great years as a premier back in in this league. He was a smashmouth runner and in 2003 for Carolina had yet another amazing year. Eager to get blocking help for Jackson, St. Louis decided to dump Davis to make room for 2nd round pick Brian Leonard. Although Leonard shows promise at fullback, the production and quick hands of Davis will be missed.

Offensive Preview:

Offensively speaking the St. Louis Rams are one of the best teams in the league. Bulger is a solid performer year-in, year-out. Add Steven Jackson and the extremely talented group of receivers to the mix and you have a dangerous weapon no defense wants to face. Last year the Rams ranked 9th overall in total yards and averaged 348.2 ypg. Although most of those yards were passing, the rushing total averaged only 95.9 ypg - good for 22nd in the league. Jackson was the only back getting carries in St. Louis last year, a big reason why they ranked so low in rushing production. No matter how you slice it, St. Louis is a perennial power to be reckoned with every single year. That's nothing new and they're not showing any signs of slowing down in 2007.

Defensive/Special Teams Preview:

The Rams defense was atrocious last year. Giving up just over 350 ypg on the season is not what fans expected. Most of that 350 ypg came from passing. The Rams secondary got lit up every week for an average of 214 ypg and the defense as a whole allowed an astounding 26.8 ppg. The good news is that these numbers can't get much worse in '07. This year St. Louis did an exceptional job in offseason trades and through the draft, making the Rams much more solid on defense, so we'll see what the improved unit can accomplish.

Season Prediction:

The Rams got much better on defense this year. With Bulger hot off a stellar performance and Steven Jackson coming off a breakout year, St. Louis is in great shape. The bad thing is, it comes at a bad time in terms of scheduling. With one of the toughest road schedules in the league this year, the weight of the season will likely be thrust upon the shoulders of the defense if the Rams are to come away with any of those road wins...the playoffs depend upon it.

Projected Finish

9 Wins, 7 Losses (Tied for 2nd in the NFC West)