The St. Louis
Rams:
This is the
first of an intermittent series of articles on how the current-elite teams in
the league built their powerhouses.�
There has been a lot chat on the relative merits of building through the
draft or FA.� Let�s examine the facts.
Throughout the
90�s the Rams drafted near the top of the first round.� Despite that, they selected relatively few
useful players.� At present, Ourlad�s
depth chart lists only (7) starters who were original picks of this
team.� These men are WR Issac Bruce
(94/2) and Terry Holt (99/1), OT Orlando Pace (97/1) and Ryan Tucker (97/4), TE
Ernie Conwell (96/2), DE Grant Wistom (98/1) and CB Dexter McCleon� (97/2).�
That�s (5) on the O-side and (2) on the D-side; in contrast, the
Stillers start (6) O-side picks with (7) on the D-side.
In part, this
discrepancy arises from St. Louis�s really horrendous record between
�94-�96.� Note that only Bruce and
Conwell remain from that period (now that Carter is a Titan!).� The Stillers, drafting near the bottom at
the time, have (5) starters from those years: Gildon, Breuner, Stewart, Flowers
and Holmes.� Though the Ram�s drafts
improved from �97 forward, the Stillers found (8) starters in that period and
the Rams just (5).� This may change
soon; St.Louis probably expects 2001 1st round selections Damoine Lewis, Alan
Archuleta and Ryan Pickett to contribute; Tommy Polley has a strong shot at
LOLB but it remains clear that the Stillers mid to late-90�s drafts, as bad as
they were, do look better than the Rams.�
St. Lousi, at
least until this winter, has not been a wild-spending team.� Ourlad�s lists (10) former UFA/CC as
starters but, with few exceptions, none could be described as elite-type
guys.� They are: interior OL Tom Nutten,
Andy McCollum and Adam Timmerman, DT Ray Agnew and Jeff Zgonina (that�ll
change), DE Cedric Jones, LB Don Davis and Mark Fields and S Devin Bush and Kim
Herring.�� Of those, only Fields is an
elite player; Herring and Timmerman are nice players but Jones was a major
disappointment in NY and the rest are marginal.� The Stillers will start (7) former UFA/CC including Gandy,
Tylski, Hartings, KVO, Jones, DW and Alex/Logan.� I�d regard Hartings as an elite OL, Gandy and DW as quality
signings, KVO as a pleasant surprise; the rest (possibly excluding Logan) are
marginal.
If the Stillers
compare in FA and surpass the Rams in the college draft, how can we account for
the difference on the field?� Well,
consider this:
It�s better
to be lucky than good.� In �98, the Rams drafted Wistrom, Robert
Holcombe, Leonard Little and Hakim Az-Zahir.�
Not bad but hardly overwhelming.�
However, they also got Kurt Warner as a street FA and London Fletcher as
a rookie FA.� Those men lead their
respective units; they are the difference-makers.� There wasn�t much planning involved; the Rams thought so little
of Warner that, prior to the �99 season, they signed UFA QB Trent Green to lead
their team.� Like most rookie FA,
Fletcher had to have been an afterthought.
The Rams have
used trades as a third means to acquire players.� We all
know the Bettis story, circa �96 but remember, on draft day �99 (or just
before) the Rams swapped #4 overall to Indy for #6 overall.� St. Louis sent a couple picks along and
received Marshall Faulk in return.� The
Colts moved up to get Edge James; the Rams moved down certain that their man,
Torry Holt, would still be available.� A
nice deal for both teams; with Faulk gone, Manning�s leadership was undisputed;
the Rams got a 2 for 1 acquiring both a proven multi-threat RB and the draft�s
#1 WR.
This winter, the
Rams made the following deals:
����������� Received a 2nd round pick
from KC for Dick Vermeil.
����������� Received a 1st round
selection from Tennessee for franchise player Kevin Carter.
����������� Received a 4th round pick
from Oakland for RFA TE Roland Williams.
����������� Received a 1st round
selection from KC for QB Trent Green and a 5th round pick.
����������� Received CB Aeneas Williams from
Phoenix in exchange for a 2nd and a 4th.
Earlier, the
Rams did acquire LB Jeff Gooch from TB in exchange for a 5th but that
trade was voided when Gooch failed his physical.� In sum, the Rams did two sign and swap deals (Carter and R.
Williams) and traded out of their depth at QB.�
Aeneas Williams and Faulk will start this year and act as part of the
leadership cadre.� Polley, Lewis and
Pickett should start, if not now, then in the very short term.�
The Stiller FO
has shown little or no initiative in this area; the RB depth has been depleted
without return, Coach Cowher will likely be extended for Heinz-naming type
money and the Bus, who was paid at a franchise level in 2000, got a big bonus
and 6-year deal prior to the start of the FA period, just before the RB market
collapsed.
The Rams have
forged an identity (the keyword is speed); commitment to this concept has
materially aided their recovery from the disaster of �96.��
That year, St. Louis got hosed on the Bettis deal and drafted Lawrence
Phillips, Eddie Kennison and Tony Banks.�
Despite this catastrophe, the Rams were champs four years later.� The Rams offensive system requires WR who
are quick out their cuts and QB who can handle a timing route.� Kennison and Banks didn�t fit the profile
and were moved out.� However, players
like Joe Germaine and Az-zahir can work the system.� These men have limitations but can contribute in St. Louis.� A good fit since the Rams can get quality
contributors on the second day.�
Obviously Germaine hasn�t contributed yet but his development on the
practice field must have allowed the Rams to make the Green deal.�
Lovie Smith is in
from TB to run the Ram�s defense. Last spring, the Rams had (5) picks on day
one; all were defenders and all have speed.�
Smith likes speed everywhere; I like the Ravens system of speed on the
edges and bulk at DT.� Time will tell
but, for sure, the Rams have made their priority clear.��
Not so for the
Stillers: Hunt is in one year out the next. Clancy was the NT of the future
in�00, Hampton in �01.� In 2000, the
Stillers passed on character selecting Spike over Urlacher but in 2001, it was
character all down the line even when, from the 6th on, the
character players seemed to lack the tools to contribute.� It could be said that these reversals
demonstrate some learning curve; maybe so but the test will be in 2002.� If the FO stays on course okay but don�t
count on it.�
Summary:
The league is
set up for parity; with a little luck and some bold trades the Rams have beaten
the odds.� The Stillers haven�t had a
lot of luck; maybe that�s just how it goes or, maybe if luck is the residue of
design, lacking any over-arching concept, the Stillers are all lucked out.