The St. Louis Rams suffered through a rough 2007 season as they went 3-13, including a miserable 1-5 in their division. But, unlike most crappy teams, they have a very valid excuse as they suffered through a slew of injuries. Star running back, Steven Jackson, was out with a torn groin muscle for 4 weeks. Quarterback, Marc Bulger, missed 4 weeks with a long-list of nagging injuries. Wide receiver, Torry Holt, started all 16 games, but was clearly affected by his bum knee. Offensive tackle, Orlando Pace, played in just one game, and return specialist, Dante Hall, who played in only 7 games due to a high-ankle sprain, was also missed.
If the Rams can avoid the injury bug to key players, it would not surprise the Bruno Boys to see the team compete for the NFC West title and produce many fantasy football studs in 2008. That is a big if though as Holt, Pace and Bulger are not getting any younger, Hall is just a smidgen of what he used to be with the Chiefs, and Steven Jackson’s injury involves a muscle that men just clearly do not enjoy having hurt!
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Key Departures
Isaac Bruce (WR) – Bruce, who will turn 37 during the 2008 NFL season, signed a 2 year contract to go to the San Francisco 49ers after the Rams released him this winter. He is just a glimpse of what he used to be, so his on-the-field skills will not be sorely missed. What will be missed is his leadership, but with Torry Holt still at the front of the wide receiving corps, the departure of Bruce to San Francisco should not be a hard one to cope with.
Jeff Wilkins (K) – Wilkins ended his ll year stint with the Rams this winter, opting for retirement at age 35. He played in all but 5 games throughout that stint, having played in all 16 games each year since 2001. Don’t let the 75% accuracy from 2007 make you think that his skills had slipped a lot. The decrease in percentage is greatly due to the fact that almost half of his attempts came from 40 yards and beyond. A good, solid kicker does not come around too often, though the Rams were able to quickly replace Wilkins with another solid veteran in Josh Brown, so the affect on the kicking game should be minimal.
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Key Additions
Trent Green (QB) – Green signed a 3 year contract this winter, leaving Kansas City for St. Louis (not far of a move). He is expected to hold down the backup role at QB, as Bulger has the starting job on lock down, but one quick injury could put Green into a possibly promising role for the Rams. Green is possibly the only backup QB in the NFL that may be worth a roster spot on a fantasy team. Handcuffing him to Bulger in the late rounds is recommended if you have a deep enough bench and Bulger is your main QB.
Josh Brown (K) – Brown left Seattle to sign with the Rams for a reported 5 years and $14.2 million contract. He brings with him a strong, accurate leg, hitting a 80% clip throughout his career. Still young at age 28, Brown brings what could be a breath of fresh air in what was beginning to be an aging kicking game. Best known as (Ram Killer) in St. Louis, as he has beaten the Rams time and time again with field goals, Brown jokes that he is no longer called that, by teammates or fans.
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2008 Bruno Boys Crystal Ball
Marc Bulger (QB) – 2008 is a welcomed beginning for Bulger, as his 2007 season was spent mostly on the sidelines or on his back. A healthy Orlando Pace would help significantly to rectify that problem. In 2007 Bulger’s accuracy percentage dropped to 58.5, the lowest of his career, and it was also the first year in his career in which he threw for more INT than TD’s. If healthy, Bulger could be a steal in fantasy drafts around the world as before the season started he was a legitimate top-5 QB. A healthier OL, WR tandem and Steven Jackson should all help turn back the clock and bring back the Bulger of old.
Steven Jackson (RB) – Jackson suffered an injury last year that had every man in the nation bowled over and holding their crotches. Having to go through life with a torn-groin is one thing. Having to crash into an eagerly waiting defensive line with a torn-groin is clearly something else! Jackson has the talent to be one of the top 3 RBs this year, and if healthy there is no reason that he won’t produce at that level. Watch him in training camp, and if he is back to his old-self, don’t hesitate for a second to take him as high as the second RB off the draft board because with Al Saunders calling the plays, Jackson will be getting plenty of opportunities to put up fantasy points.
Torry Holt (WR) – Holt is struggling with a bum knee, which means he will never be the same as yesteryear, but he still has the skills to be a top 15 fantasy receiver. Holt played 16 games in 2007 and managed to catch 93 passes for 7 TD’s and 1189 yards, even with his top QB was hurt most of the year. That is pretty solid numbers in fantasy land, and although he most likely will never become a top-5 receiver again, he still has enough skills to where he could make a remarkable #2 on your team!
Drew Bennett (WR) – Bennett hit the lottery this winter! Isaac Bruce being released is the best thing that could have happened to him professionally and in his fantasy rankings. Bennett most likely will not produce anything more than a top bench receiver in fantasyland for a full season, but he should have weeks in which he will produce #2 numbers. If Holt for any reason were to go down with injuries, Bennett’s value could creep into starter range. Until then though expect to draft him in the later rounds with the possibility of reaping a much higher value than what you had to pay for him.
Randy McMichael (TE) – After Steven Jackson and Marc Bulger, Randy McMichael will benefit the most from Orlando Pace’s return. With Pace out last year, the Rams offensive line turned into a debacle, causing McMichael to become somewhat of a 6th linemen as the Rams kept him in to block to offer their quarterbacks a little more protection. A healthy pass means McMichael can go down the field and earn some fantasy points.
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Rookies to Watch
Chris Long (DE) - Chris, the son of former NFLer, Howie Long, is an outstanding DE prospect. At 6-4, 275 he excelled in his senior year. He tallied 14 sacks and an interception and almost had many more as he broke up several passes and put a ton of pressure on the opposing QB. Long has great physical attributes, with his long arms and big hands to go along with a good physically toned body. He needs to work on his off-the-snap skills as well as build up his quickness and speed some, but all-in-all he should become a star in the league for years to come.
Donnie Avery (WR)- With the departure of Isaac Bruce, the Rams were looking to add to the WR position by drafting Avery in the second round. Avery possesses incredible speed, break-away ability and can cut on a dime, but he has trouble getting going, a lot of which comes when he is bumped by his defender at the line. He has very large hands, so if he learns to be able to minimize his faults, he could turn into one of the best WR’s, if not the best WR in this years draft.
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Other Team Capsules
NFC WEST - ARI I STL I SF I SEA
NFC SOUTH - ATL I CAR I NO I TB
NFC NORTH - CHI I DET I GB I MIN
NFC EAST - DAL I NYG I PHI I WAS
AFC WEST - DEN I KC I OAK I SD
AFC SOUTH - HOU I IND I JAX I TEN
AFC NORTH - BAL I CIN I CLE I PIT
AFC EAST - BUF I MIA I NE I NYJ