Veteran Additions: OC Josh McDaniels, RB Cadillac Williams, RB Jerious Norwood, WR Mike Sims-Walker, G Harvey Dahl, DT Justin Bannan, DT Daniel Muir, OLB Ben Leber, OLB Zach Diles, OLB Brady Poppinga, OLB Larry Grant, CB Al Harris, S Quintin Mikell.
Early Draft Picks:
DE Robert Quinn, TE Lance Kendricks, WR Austin Pettis, WR Greg Salas, SS Jermale Hines.
Offseason Losses:
OC Pat Shurmur, FB Mike Karney, WR Mark Clayton, WR Laurent Robinson, OLB David Vobora FS O.J. Atogwe.
2011 St. Louis Rams Offense:
Sam Bradford could win an MVP this season. He's that good. As a rookie, the cerebral Bradford compiled 3,512 yards, 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions despite playing with an abysmal receiving corps. When his wideouts weren't dropping balls (28 drops), they were struggling to get open.
While Bradford's supporting cast should improve - more on that later - the second-year signal-caller figures to take major strides of his own. Josh McDaniels flopped as a head coach in Denver, but he's still one of the most brilliant offensive minds in the NFL. If he can turn Matt Cassel and Kyle Orton into solid starters, imagine what he'll do with Bradford. Yes, the lockout prohibited McDaniels from speaking to his quarterback, but Josh's brother, Ben, worked with Bradford all spring and summer. Ben was Josh's quarterbacks coach in Denver, so Bradford should be ready to go come Sept. 11.
The big question, at least in the fantasy football realm, is which of Bradford's receivers will step up to become the next Brandon Lloyd. With Mark Clayton still hampered by a knee injury, the early money was on Danario Alexander, an athletic rookie who had six catches for 99 yards in the penultimate game of the 2010 season. The Rams signed Mike Sims-Walker after the lockout, so he's also a possibility.
As for secondary targets, Danny Amendola is a slot receiver who logged 85 receptions last year and will continue to serve as Bradford's version of Wes Welker. Also in the mix is rookie tight end Lance Kendricks. Yes, rookies will take a while to progress in the shortened offseason, but Kendricks has reportedly shined in training camp. Since Bradford is ready to take the next step in becoming an elite quarterback, Kendricks could be a rare exception to the rookie-lockout rule.
Though the Rams didn't secure a definite No. 1 receiver, they did a great job in finding an upgrade on the offensive line. Harvey Dahl was one of the best linemen on the market, and he'll slide into the right guard slot. He should help Jason Smith, the lone liability when it comes to pass protection on St. Louis' front. Smith was OK for most of the year, but was beaten like a rented mule in the important finale at Seattle, where he surrendered a whopping three sacks.
On the other side of the offensive line, left tackle Rodger Saffold yielded only three sacks despite being a rookie last year. Left guard Jacob Bell has never lived up to his 6-year, $36 million contract, but has been pretty solid. Center Jason Brown is a poor run-blocker, but was responsible for only one sack in 2010.
Meanwhile, Steven Jackson figures to benefit from the additions of McDaniels and Dahl. A more seasoned Bradford will keep defenses honest, while Dahl will undoubtedly improve Jackson's pedestrian run-blocking. Jackson's 3.8 YPC average is bound to improve, and he'll also be able to take a breather once in a while, thanks to the acquisitions of Cadillac Williams and Jerious Norwood.
2011 St. Louis Rams Defense:
St. Louis' defensive rankings in terms of points allowed between 2005 and 2009: 31st, 31st, 31st, 28th and 31st. Last year: 12th. Think Steve Spagnuolo made a difference?
Spagnuolo became famous for his pass rush with the Giants, and he has installed something similar with St. Louis. The Rams had 43 sacks in 2010, good for seventh in the NFL. Coming over from New York to join his former defensive coordinator, defensive tackle Fred Robbins had a phenomenal year, mustering six sacks and shutting down the run. He helped left end Chris Long come along and reach his full potential. Long had just 8.5 sacks and should have notched several more, but that doesn't nearly say how well he played. He terrorized opposing quarterbacks all season, as he and Robbins opened things up for right end James Hall and his 10.5 sacks.
Hall turned 34 in February, so that's an issue. Because of this, St. Louis spent the 14th-overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft on defensive end Robert Quinn, who probably would have gone in the top five if he wasn't suspended for violating the NCAA's asinine rules. However, St. Louis fans should temper their expectations regarding Quinn. He'll probably be great eventually, but it'll be surprising if he contributes much this season. He'll be eased into the lineup since he hasn't played football in almost two years.
Two new additions to the defense who will play immediately are defensive tackle Justin Bannan, who was solid for Denver last year, and Quintin Mikell, a solid 31-year-old strong safety who is familiar with Spagnuolo's scheme. Since Mikell knows how to play for Spagnuolo, he won't be at a major disadvantage like many other free agents in this shortened offseason.
Mikell will be a major upgrade at strong safety, but the Rams lost free safety O.J. Atogwe to Washington. That's St. Louis' most glaring hole, as pedestrian defensive backs James Butler and Craig Dahl are the only realistic options to fill that void.
As for cornerback, the Rams are set with their starters, but need depth. Thanks to the team's great pass rush, Ronald Bartell and Bradley Fletcher combined to allow a 51.7 completion percentage and only six passing touchdowns in 2010. However, the front office was so desperate to find reserves at the position that it signed Al Harris immediately following the lockout. That speaks volumes.
The best player in the back seven is inside linebacker James Laurinaitis, the leader of the defense. Laurinaitis wasn't selected to the Pro Bowl, but he definitely performed on that level. He'll need to repeat this in 2011, since he'll be playing next to either Ben Leber or Zach Diles, and Na'il Diggs, all three of whom wouldn't be starters on many other teams.
2011 St. Louis Rams Schedule and Intangibles:
Remember when the Edwards Jones Dome was such a huge advantage for the Greatest Show on Turf? Sam Bradford will have to rekindle that magic, much like Matt Ryan did with the Georgia Dome. The Rams were 5-3 as hosts last year, so that's a start.
Josh Brown is one of the NFL's top kickers; he drilled 33-of-39 attempts last season. He's hit at least 80 percent of his attempts in all but one year dating back to 2005.
Donnie Jones continued to reign as one of the league's best punters, maintaining a 45.5 average with 32-of-94 kicks inside the 20.
St. Louis surrendered two special-teams scores this past season - its seventh and eighth since 2006. Meanwhile, the Rams failed to score on a kickoff or punt return for the second year in a row.
The Rams have a brutal schedule to kick off the year. They battle the Eagles (home), Giants (road) and Ravens (home). After two byes (Redskins and the real bye), they go up against the Packers (road), Cowboys (road) and Saints (home). Things get a lot easier after that, but a poor start could really put St. Louis in a hole.
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