A coherent plan for rebuilding the Rams

Several friends have told me that my blog has being trending negative lately. I have been focused on what the Rams should not do, rather than stating any positive program for rebuilding the team. Sounds like Democrats complaining. I thought I had been clear earlier about what I believe we should do. Evidentially, these friends either have not read that program, or they have forgotten it.

Some tell me you constantly need to proclaim your program because folks believe it will change all the time. Perish the thought! If you are that wishy washy, end it now by kindly putting a gun to your head. Have a plan, stick to it.

On the off chance I have not been clear about this thing, I felt I would draft a comprehensive and clear statement about the direction I hope Bill Devaney and Steve Spagnuolo will go this off season.

Trades

We need to cloture arguments about drafting Sam Bradford by closing a deal for Michael Vick. It is better to do it earlier rather than later, as the Eagles will know they have us over a barrel if we pass on a QB in the draft before working a deal.

Why? We have a dogshit offensive line that needs three good new players. It is extremely unlikely that we can acquire 3 solid and make the 5 of them play as a unit in 2010. I am convinced that there is only one QB in the NFL, and available, who can survive and prosper behind the dogshit offensive line we are likely to field in 2010. That man is Michael Vick.

Will Vick be any good? As Dukes says: He knows this is the absolute last stop for him if he fails. I am convinced that Vick is a penitent man... for ruining his career if not killing the dogs. He strikes me as a guy who is desperate for second chance. Every thing he has said is pointed sharply at the fact that he laments destroying his career. It is always good to acquire a man desperate for a second chance. These guys usually explode.

Vick makes sense for other reason. As I have said so many hundreds of times, I believe the Rams should draft Tim Tebow at the top of the 2nd round if he is there for us to take. He will need one or two redshirt years to get ready. Vick blazes a trail for Tebow, setting up a Tebow era. Both are mobile, athletic Southpaw QBs who like to be in the Shotgun, and who like to run. Although it is hard to find two more radically different men, they have more in common on the field than you might think.

Free Agency

This is not a good time to be a have-not. The termination of the CBA favors the strong. New Orleans is in a sweet spot, not needing to franchise Jayri Evans. Most of the good prospects I had wanted for our team are now unavailable as restricted free agents. With that said there are still two worthwhile acquisitions we should make. A pair of guards named Stephen Neil (Patriots #61) and Bobby Williams (Bengals #63) have a reputation for being solid. They are both in their early 30s. If we get them, we will have a fighting chance. We will still need to draft at least one solid prospect, and hopefully gain another through releases.

It is also very important that we resign Daniel Fells. He was one of the few bright spots for us last season, and showed some real play-making ability. He's a keeper.

While on the subject of tight ends, Ben Watson of the Patriots is a free agent, and he is a dude who is rumored to have scored a 48 on his Wonderlic test. He can also play. He would be a marvelous acquisition for a football teams that needs to get smarter.

The Draft

Now we come to the all-important draft, my burning obsession and constant worry. We need to understand that most great teams build first and foremost through the draft. Free agents, trades, and cut-rehabs don't get it done.

1. Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska: Forget about drafting a QB in the first round. This is the prospect. There are only a few mega-stupid things you can do in this life to really destroy yourself. Swimming with sharks, whilst bleeding is stupid. Playing Russian Roulette with 6 bullets in the revolver is stupid. Starting a conventional infantry war in China is stupid. Trying to suntan inside an industrial microwave oven is stupid. However, selecting a QB in the first round of the 2010 draft is most incredibly stupid and self-destructive thing you can do.
2. Tim Tebow QB Florida: Provided that J. Wayne Weaver isn't successful in convincing his cadre to select Tebow in the 1st, we should take him in the 2nd and develop him. 20 years hence, people will laugh at the fact that scouts didn't think he was a prospect. He will be another bullet in Kiper's arse. The alternate here is Dan LeFevour. I would also be welcoming of Colt McCoy. Incidentally, did you see Tebow run the 4.7 40 yard dash? Did you see him broad jump 9.7? Did you see him spring 38.5? There is a lot of material there to work with.
3. Dexter McCluster WR/RB Ole Miss: Presupposing that he does not go in the 2nd round. I think this is a safe bet. A explosive play maker. The perfect lightning to Steve Jackson's thunder. He will kill people in the slot.
4. Myron Rolle SS Florida State: Supposing that he is there for us to take. We need a super-smart safety to call our adjustments.
5. Seyi Ajiratutu WR Fresno State: Supposing that he is there for us to take.

It is a bit foolish to project 4th and 5th picks. I won't predict or project 6th and 7th. So many chaos moments strike in the later rounds that you cannot predict (with any degree of confidence) who will be there and who will not. I think I have reason to believe that all of these players will be available when we draft.

Bear in mind that we select first in each and every round.

The objective of this draft is to get athletic playmakers with great good character, high intelligence, and excellent leadership qualities. Picks 1 through 4 have that in spades. I am not certain of my homeboy Seyi, but he strikes me as a good guy.

2010 Draft strategy for the Rams

At the dawn of the 2009 draft, it was clear that the Rams had the worst offensive line in professional football. As we run out the 2009 table, this is no longer true. The Rams line is not a masterpiece by any stretch, but it has improved dramatically. We will likely unload Alex Barron, which is addition by subtraction, we will likely add another free agent, and a 2nd or 3rd rounder to our collection, and the line should be fine.

So why are the Rams loosers now? We have no passing game. It is just as simple as that. So why is there no passing game in St. Louis, a city once famous for a massive passing attack? Is it the QBs or the WRs? I would tell you that both are lacking, but this current predicament in much more the fault of our QBs than our WRs. We need a couple of major-league play-makers, but more than anything we need a Hall of Fame QB. An HOF QB would make all the difference in the world for the Rams.

Perform this thought experiment if you like: Suppose for just one moment Peyton Manning were the QB of the Rams. Do you think we would be stinking losers as we are? Certainly, sans Dallas Clark & Reggie Wayne, Manning's figures would be hurt. Still, with a power running attack in Steve Jackson & decent receivers, we would score enough points to go at least 10-6 or 11-5. This is the difference an HOF QB can make.

Should we go into the draft for a QB, and I think it is likely we will, we need to be looking for a slam-dunk HOF QB. We need to look for that building block that will keep us winning for 10-12 years straight. A Peyton Manning comes out once in a generation. We need to look out for that guy.

There are a small collection of offensive guys who have absolutely caught my eye this year, and these are guys I would love to see play for the Rams on Sunday:

• Jevan Snead, Quarterback, Ole Miss Running Rebels: 6-3 215 pounds. A slightly more compact version of Phillip Rivers with better mechanics, and more speed. He has a sniper rifle for an arm. By that I mean accurate and powerful. He has been running a hurricane passing attack down at Ole Miss, so don't worry about his skills. He can also run a little. He can convert 3rd downs with his feet if the need arises.
• Tim Tebow, Quarterback, Florida Gators: 6-3, 240 pounds. What can I tell you about the most famous player in college football? Many scounts, including Mel Kiper Jr. do not believe he is a pro quarterback. Regardless, I want him on my team. If we play him at FB, TE, or Wildcat, backup QB, I could care less. He is championship material, he is a play maker and we need him in our huddle.
• Dexter McCluster: 5-9 170 pounds. Running Back, Ole Miss Running Rebels: Small, undersized hyper-fast and elusive running back. He takes short passes and turns them into 35-45 yard gains with speed and elusiveness. On the college level he reminded me of Barry Sanders, Thurman Thomas, and Marshall Faulk. They say he is too small to play in the Pros, but this is also what they said about the Chargers' Darren Sproles. McCluster is going to be like Sproles in the NFL. We can get him cheap, and he will make a lot of big plays.
• Seyi Ajirotutu, Wide Receiver. Fresno State Bulldogs: 6-4, 210 pounds. Big, strong, lean, fast, athletic wide receiver. Physically, he looks like a young Terrel Owens, but he doesn't have the attitude. He leaps for the ball like Lynn Swann. I couldn't believe the over-thrown passes this guy dragged in during the Wisconsin game. This guy is going to be a massive play maker in the NFL. It is a good thing that nobody knows about him yet. We could get him cheap.
• Hunter Lawrence, Kicker, Texas Longhorns: 6-0, 187 pounds. Recently, in the Hall of Fame preview shows, I have heard several experts saying things like: "Greatness is like Pornography; I can't define it, but I know it when I see it." I saw greatness in this kid several times during the course of a championship caliber season for this kid. If you wanna ask me who the next Adam Vinatieri is, I would say it is Hunter Lawrence. Like Colt McCoy says: Hunter is a clutch guy. Josh Brown was an expensive free agent, and he has been missing a lot of field goals out there lately. He may be trying to kick his way off the team. Let him go.

We'll talk defense next time.