With The 14th Pick In The NFL Draft The St. Louis Rams Select....

DP's Pick
Muhammad Wilkerson, DE, Temple

They were really banking on Julio Jones falling, but are happy that Wilkerson fell to them as he can play outside linebacker as well as DE. The Rams really need to fix their defense and this is a start. Wilkerson is really good and people will underrate him because he played for Temple, but this is a really solid pick.

BMack's Pick:
Corey Liuget, DT, Illinois

A lot of scouts say that Liuget is the most underrated DT in the draft. I can't say I watched a lot of Rams football last year, but I do know they had trouble stopping the runs last year (17th in the NFL). Some people are saying Mark Ingram could go here, but a team with so many holes really shouldn't be building on something that isn't a problem (Steven Jackson). This is a good safe pick, as they try to rebuild that defense. Obviously their preference would've been a WR, but there is no one worth taking here.

TOP 25 UNDER 25 - #9 Sam Bradford

SAM BRADFORD - Quarterback, St Louis Rams

Number 9 on the list brings us another young star from the gridiron, this time a quarterback. Sam Bradford is our 2nd quarterback to make the list. Playing what many consider the toughest position in all of sports, Bradford was able to come in as a rookie and play at a pretty high level. He even made the lowly St Louis Rams relevant again - no small task.

Coming into the 2010 season it was not a given that Bradford would be so successful. He suffered a brutal AC joint sprain in his shoulder in the first game of his junior season at Oklahoma, missing about a month of action. He then re-injured the shoulder against Texas a few weeks later and was forced to undergo season-ending surgery. Many feared, that his shoulder woes would keep him from being taken #1, but Bradford was impressive in his workouts and the Rams decided to go ahead and make him their franchise quarterback with the #1 overall pick.

Bradford's college career is as impressive as anyone on this list, which is even more impressive when you consider that he really only played two years at Oklahoma. In his first season as a red-shirt freshman, Bradford won the starting gig in 2007 and set the world on fire. He broke the record for touchdown passes by a freshman with 30 TD throws and led the Sooners to a Big XII championship and an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl against West Virginia - which they lost 48-28.

As a Sophomore, things got even better. Bradford is the first and only Heisman trophy winner to make the list. In 2008 Bradford led a high-powered Sooner offense to an NCAA record 702 points scored. He also led the Sooners to a 3rd straight Big XII title and an appearance in the BCS National Championship Game against Florida. Bradford became the 2nd sophomore in NCAA history to win the Heisman Trophy (Tebow) in one of the closest votes in the history of the award, barely edging out Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow. Bradford received 300 1st place votes - 9 less than Tebow - but he landed the most 2nd place votes by far which helped him win the award for most total points. In a little known fact, Bradford was the first player of Native American descent to win the award since Jim Plunkett in 1970.

Following that record breaking season, Bradford surprisingly passed on the NFL draft to return to Oklahoma for his Junior season. We all know how that turned out with the shoulder injuries mentioned above. Nonetheless, Bradford was still the #1 overall pick in 2009.

As a rookie with the Rams, Bradford was able to put up better or comparable numbers with some of the best QB's in the NFL - Jay Cutler, Donovan McNabb and Mark Sanchez. Certainly, he's not yet in the company of Manning, Brady, Brees or Roethlisberger but many believe he has the ability to get there.

Although, he is in Manning's company in one way. Bradford surpassed Peyton Manning's record for most completed passes by an NFL rookie quarterback (326)and finished the season with 354 completions out of 590 attempts, also surpassing Manning's record of 575 for most attempts by a rookie quarterback. He is just the third rookie quarterback to start all 16 regular season games and pass over 3000 passing yards, joining Peyton Manning and Matt Ryan. He completed 60% of his passes for 3,512 yards and threw for 18 touchdowns and 15 picks. All in all, Bradford was pretty impressive as a rookie QB. Perhaps, his most impressive stat was the 7-9 record of the St Louis Rams who were 1-15 a year ago with virtually the same squad.

Bradford and the Rams missed the playoffs with a loss in the final week of the season to Seattle. Bradford struggled in the game, showing that he still has a way to go before he is an elite QB. However, at just 23 years old, and with the success he has already enjoyed there are few who doubt that Bradford will get there. St Louis Rams fans can certainly breath a little easier knowing that they have a franchise QB in place and now just need to put the pieces around him. In the weak NFC West, Bradford and the Rams should enjoy plenty more success in the coming years.

Josh McDaniels To The Rams

(Remember that)

This is a win win situation for McDaniels and for the Rams. You can't really go wrong with Sam Bradford who had a decent campaign, and the Rams can't go wrong with the young McDaniels, who may have failed as a head coach, but will be fine with a limited role.

The Rams made strides of improvement this year finishing 7-9 and just missing the playoffs. With the NFC west being an embarrassment to the league that crown is easily achievable. McDaniels was with the Patriots from 2001-08 and they had a pretty good offense, so I assume he'll be able to improve on that offense.

Browns Hire Pat Shurmur

"St. Louis offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur is Cleveland's new coach. The Browns hired Shurmur on Thursday, ending a search that began when Eric Mangini was fired on Jan. 3. Shurmur was the first candidate interviewed by Browns president Mike Holmgren. Shurmur is the Browns' fifth coach since their expansion return in 1999 (ESPN)."

I'm not going to sit here and tell you I know a lot about Pat Shurmur. I do know that he made a decent offense from a bunch of no-bodies in St. Louis, and he is going to have to do it again in Cleveland.

You just knew there was no chance the Browns would land a big name coach. No one wants to coach with Mike Holmgren over their shoulder, since a lot of people aren't buying that he is done with coaching. So, instead they are taking a guy who has no head coaching experience, but I guess Holmgren will tell him what to do.

I give Shurmur a year and a half before he is fired.

Some Love For Sam Bradford

A lot of people heard that Tom Brady broke the record for most attempts without an interception, but no one is really talking about Sam Bradford breaking Peyton Manning's record for completions as a rookie quarterback by completing 28 of his 37 throws. He has 335 completions in 2010, which eclipses Manning's 327 completions in 1998.

That's damn impressive when you think about the lack of talent that he has around him. It is very rare for a rookie QB to come in and have such a huge affect, but Bradford has done just that. Now we will see him in the playoffs something Peyton Manning was unable to do. If the Rams can get some more talent around him, and he can stay healthy Bradford might just turn into one of the best QBs in the NFL.

Vikings Asking Too Much For Jackson

The Chargers have till 4pm today to trade Vincent Jackson, so that his suspension will drop to 4 games. It doesn't sounds like it is going to happen. The Chargers want a 2011 second- and third-round pick in exchange for Jackson, which to be honest doesn't sounds like too much, but it was enough to scare away the Rams and the Vikings.

Reportedly, Minnesota has reached a deal with Jackson's camp that would pay him $6 million in 2010. The problem is that Minnesota doesn't want to give the package the Chargers want. Instead, they are rumored to want to give up just a second-rounder.

I think a deal will get done, but just not in time to save him from being out the first 6 weeks. We will keep you updated till the 4pm deadline if anything changes.

Westbrook To Pick New Team Monday

Reports have come out that Brain Westbrook will pick his new team by Monday. The three leading candidates all along have been the St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos. Yet, some people think another team could be involved.

Who knows what he will pick, but to me the Broncos, Packers, and Vikings make the most sense. I have heard that Westbrook is trying to avoid playing for a team that has AstroTurf, so that could take the Vikings out. The Packers make a lot of sense to me. They have been looking for a 3rd down back for a couple of weeks now, and Westbrook would seem to be the perfect fit. Broncos also make a lot of sense with the injuries they have already had to deal with in their backfield.

2010 NFL Preview: NFC West

So we have finished all the NFC West teams. This is how we see the final standings for this division...

1. 49ers: 9-7
2. Cardinals: 8-8
3. Rams: 5-12
4. Seahawks: 4-12

NFL Breakdowns: St. Louis Rams

KEY ADDITIONS
Player, Pos., 2009 Team
Bobby Carpenter, LB, Dallas
Na’il Diggs, LB, Carolina
Kevin Dockery, CB, N.Y. Giants
A.J. Feeley, QB, Carolina
Hank Fraley, C/G, Cleveland
Chris Hovan, DT, Tampa Bay
Darcy Johnson, TE, N.Y. Giants
Kevin Payne, S, Chicago
Fred Robbins, DT, N.Y. Giants

KEY LOSSES
Player, Pos., 2010 Team
Alex Barron, OT, Dallas
Kyle Boller, QB, Oakland
Marc Bulger, QB, Baltimore
Adam Carriker, DT, Washington
Paris Lenon, LB, Arizona
Ruvell Martin, WR, Seattle
Randy McMichael, TE, San Diego
Jonathan Wade, CB, Detroit


QBs:
The Mark Bulger era is over and they drafted Sam Bradford for the future. Despite two injuries to his throwing shoulder, the second requiring surgery, and only two full seasons of college experience at Oklahoma the Rams were highly impresssed with Bradford at his pro day performance and a private workout, so they’ll sink or swim with the rookie.

Their other QBs on the roster are AJ Feeley and Keith Null, but lets hope we don't ever see them play, because they make me want to throw up and cut my eye balls out with a spoon.

RBs: Steven Jackson is the key to this offense and really Sam Bradford. If he can alleviate pressure off of Bradford the college to pro transition will be a lot easier for him. Jackson can still run with 1,416 yards(second in the NFL and the fifth year in a row he’d topped 1,000) and added 322 yards on 51 receptions.

Their other RBs don't really need to be mentioned.

WRs: Laurent Robinson, Mardy Gilyard, Donnie Avery, Keenan Burton, Brandon Gibson and Danny Amendola are what's in store for the Rams, which only leads me to think. What ever happened to the greatest show on turf?

Awful, just awful.

Defense:
Fred Robbins and Chris Hovan DTs, James Laurinaitis, Bobby Carpenter LBs, and their CBs are all awful. The Rams were 27th in defense last year, don't expect a turnaround.


Overall:
Offense intriguing, defense demoralizing. So the Captains favorite team will finish last in their division (NFC West) and probably finish with 5 wins.

Westbrook To Pick New Team Soon

Brian Westbrook is rumored to be close to signing with a new team. The problem is that no one seems to know, which one. Reports indicate that he is picking between the Redskins, Broncos, and Rams.

I really don't get the Redskins one. They have a bunch of RBs, and really don't have much use for Westbrook. I think a lot of it is just his tie with McNabb, and nothing will come of it. The Rams also don't make a lot of sense to me, since Westbrook would have 0% chance of even making the playoffs.

That leaves the Broncos. Sure they aren't the best, but at least they are competitive, and there is somewhat of a need there. So, if it is between these 3 teams the Broncos by far make the most sense.

Rams Close To Signing Westbrook?

With the draft over a lot of teams have dropped out of the Brian Westbrook hunt (ex- Vikings), but there are still a lot of teams out there that could be interested in his services. The Rams are one of those teams, and they brought him in for a physical, which he passed. It would seem that they are close to getting a deal done, but some reports state that they are still in the early stages of negotiations.

To me Westbrook would be an idiot if he went there. Why go to a team that has no shot of winning? It isn't like Westbrook should be hurting for money, but I guess if he wants one last sizable payday that's where he should go. My hope is that he wants more then that (a ring), and that he will turn around and sign with the Packers.

Rams Cut Marc Bulger

The Rams cut Marc Bulger yesterday, which most likely means that Sam Bradford will be the #1 pick in the upcoming draft (good call DP). The question is what happens to Bulger now?

The hot rumor today is that the Steelers might jump on him as insurance in case this whole Big Ben raping chicks gets out of control. I don't think it would be a bad idea, but the Steelers offensive line would have to get a lot better. Bulger has shown in the past that he can be a serviceable QB, but he needs time in the pocket. When the Rams stopped blocking for him he folded then CC on a diet.

Still, what it comes down to is who would you rather trust...Batch or Bulger?

I would have to say I'd take Bulger even though Batch knows the system better.

Rams Taking Bradford #1?

Bradford is in great shape. Scouts say that he bulked up for the draft, and is looking very strong. There also rumors that Bradford will now be the #1 pick in the upcoming draft (just as DP predicted). While I still think Vick is going to ST. Louis I can't argue that this rumor is gaining momentum.

There is also a rumor that if the Rams are truly going to pick him #1 that the Redskins will try to make a trade with them to take the #1 pick, because they are in love with Bradford. This is a great situation for the Rams, if I was them I would trade down, because QB is not their only problem and they can grab Clausen with the Redskins pick.

These are all just rumors at this point, but this is a story you'll be reading about all the way up to draft day.

St. Louis Rams Sold To Khan!!!!!

There had been rumors of this for awhile, but it seems like a deal has finally been completed. Shahid Khan has bought the team. The good news for Rams fans is that they will be staying in St. Louis now, and will not be moving to LA. I personally think eventually the Jaguars will move to LA, but that is another topic for another time.

The Rams are a long way from being a good team, and there have been rumors that they are considering taking Bradford with the #1 pick. I think that would be the worst decision they could make, and hopefully this new owner will have some say and make that not true.

Anyways, the best part of this story is that the guy's name is Khan, so I can do this...

Steven Jackson Won't Face Criminal Charges

St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson won't face criminal charges over allegations that he beat a girlfriend who was 9 months pregnant with the couple's child, because of lack of evidence. Apparently this happened a year ago, but Jackson's girlfriend didn't press charges until recently, so there isn't much the cops can do. Listen, it's her fault for not coming forward immediately, but that still doesn't excuse the fact that Jackson (who is no small man) was throwing his 9 month pregnant girlfriend around his apartment. Maybe she was just making it all up, but she did go to the hospital for cuts on her face from being pushed into a doorknob. Sorry, that is just fucked up, and I hope that there is at least enough evidence that the NFL can step in and at least suspend him a couple games, but I know there isn't so that is just wishful thinking.

Well, good for you Jackson, you got away with it. I hope you tear you ACL.

Steven Jackson Punches Pregnant Women

Just another classy guy from the NFL. Steven Jackson has been accused of beating his pregnant wife, oh and to make it even better she is 9 months pregnant....Nice job buddy.

What a fucking prick. Anyways, the kid was born and seems to be fine, but you know the NFL is going to have to come down hard on this. It is totally unacceptable to ever hit a women, then you add on that she is 9 months pregnant and you just have to think Jackson has no conscience whatsoever.

Steven Jackson To Patriots?

"Tom Brady and the Patriots' offense could get a boost in the backfield before the NFL trade deadline comes and goes Tuesday afternoon. Because of injuries to Fred Taylor (ankle) and Sammy Morris (knee), New England may be in the market to plug some holes in its depleted backfield, and they could have an interest in St. Louis running back Steven Jackson, the Sporting News' Mike Florio reports. The Patriots and Rams might be compatible trade partners due to St. Louis' need to remold its future with high draft picks and New England's abundance of high picks in the upcoming drafts. As of Monday, the Patriots have one first-round pick and three second-rounders in 2010 and two first-round picks and one second-rounder in 2011 (NESN)."

Wow, I would never expect this, but I guess it makes sense. The Patriots have been making move to clear cap room (cutting Galloway/Tully), and they have a stock pile of draft picks. The Rams are not going anywhere for a while, so it would make sense that the Rams would try to steal some draft picks. Jackson gets injured a lot, but you put him on a team that has a passing game he could be a 1,500 yard back again. Once again, not sure how true this is, but it is something to keep an eye on...

Rams Will Go QB In Draft

Not that anyone should be shocked by this since Bulger sucks, but...

"Heading on a crash course to have at least a top five pick in the 2010 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams will be eyeing this weekend's Red River Showdown between Texas and Oklahoma intently. After all, they'll likely be looking to take Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford or another top-flight college QB with their first round pick next April (Adam Schefter)."

There are some great QBs coming out in the next draft. As of right now Kiper has them rated like this...

1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
2. Jake Locker, Washington
3. Colt McCoy, Texas
4. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
5. Tony Pike, Cincinnati

Guess he is not a Tebow fan either. Bradford I think will stick around another year after his injury. I personally am a big Colt McCoy fan, but I will admit I don't know much about Jake Locker (but now I will be reading up on him). Anyways, it is time for the Rams to start the search for a top QB. They have passed up guys like Flacco and Ryan in the past, and they are never going to get out from the bottom of the NFL without a good young QB to lead the way...

Marc Bulger To Start?

At first glance, there was some thought that St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger was going to be out for the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury.

But faced with the prospect of leaving the offense in the hands of Kyle Boller, it looks like he might not even miss a game, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. ESPN

This is weird because earlier this week, we reported that Marc Bulger was out for the year with a shoulder injury. This really doesn't change my opinion on the Rams and how shitty they are. If anything this probably will hurt the Rams in the long run, because if Bulger can squeak a couple of wins here and there, it will probably raise their draft position.

Bulger Out For The Season?

"Just when things seemingly couldn't get any worse for the St. Louis Rams, league sources informed the St. Louis Post-Dispatch after the team's loss on Sunday that quarterback Marc Bulger has a torn rotator cuff in his throwing shoulder. Bulger faces an additional battery of medical tests today, but if those tests confirm a tear in the rotator cuff, it would be a season-ending injury for the QB that was already playing with a broken pinkie. If Bulger is, in fact, ruled out for the remainder of the season, the team will be in the hands of Kyle Boller (ESPN)."

Honestly, this could be a blessing in disguise for the Rams. It is obvious they will be a bottom 3 team this year, and it is really time to look for a new QB. Bulger is just to injury prone, and really hasn't been good in years. The good news for the Rams is that next draft should be loaded with QBs, but nothing will get better until they get better play out of their offensive line.