Los Angeles Rams 2016 preview: New city, new starting quarterback?
Oh, you know — on top of relocating to Los Angeles after spending 21 years in St. Louis, there's plenty of change for the Rams in 2016. A team that hasn't posted a winning record since 2003 used the No. 1 pick in this year's draft on quarterback Jared Goff. Now, the question is whether Goff will lead the Rams this season, or if head coach Jeff Fisher will instead rely on Case Keenum in a misguided attempt to make the playoffs. (For Week 1, at least, Keenum will start and Goff won't even dress.) A postseason berth in the first season back in L.A. would be fantastic, but the Rams would be much better served playing the long game. After all, this is a team without a proven wide receiver and big question marks on the offensive line after 2014's No. 2 overall pick, Greg Robinson, turned into a human turnstile in 2015. On the bright side, the best defensive line in football should make opposing QBs hate their Sundays against the Rams.
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While Keenum will start the season at QB for the Rams, one has to imagine that Goff will take the reins before too long. The former Cal standout is the future in Los Angeles, after all. Goff is a tough QB who will stand in the face of pressure and get through his reads quickly, skills that will serve him well as he scrambles for his life.
Rams fans might not have a whole lot of reason to cheer this season — other than Donald, a solid pick to win NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. The 2014 Defensive Rookie of the Year totaled 11 sacks in 2015; L.A. will need Donald to be even better this season.
Gurley will have his work cut out for him in L.A. this year after averaging 4.8 yards per carry and scoring 10 TDs in 2015. He's going to have to carry the offense regardless of who plays QB for the Rams, all while running behind an O-line that should be among the NFL's worst. Yet with all that said, he'll still rip off a number of runs that leave you shaking your head in awe. FANTASY SPIN
Perhaps no player fits the "X-Factor" label better than Tavon Austin, as he can hurt teams in a variety of ways and change a game in an instant. Austin was utilized heavily as a runner last year for St. Louis, picking up four touchdowns on the ground to go with his five touchdowns through the air. With a rookie quarterback in Goff, Austin should once again be heavily relied upon to keep defenses guessing with his versatility in the red zone. When teams key in on Gurley, Austin can burn them with his playmaking ability.
(All lines courtesy of Bovada.com, as of 8/31)
Season win total over/under: 7.5 (over +160, under -200)
Odds to win the Super Bowl: 75/1. The Rams have a better chance of winning a championship in the upcoming season than their L.A. brethren, the Lakers. That's about as far as we're willing to go on this one, however. This is probably a .500 team at best, which won't make Fisher happy.
One thing we wish we could bet on: Gurley taking over Kobe Bryant as the most popular athlete in Los Angeles. The Rams are going to have to prove long-term that Los Angeles is a football town. An outstanding season from Gurley, who's already a fan favorite in L.A., would go a long way toward that goal.
September 18, vs. Seattle
We've already seen some semblance of professional football in Los Angeles during the preseason, but things kick off for real in Week 1 for the Rams. Unfortunately for the home crowd, a date with the Seahawks probably spells the Rams' first loss of the season.
October 16, at Detroit
At just over 500 miles away, this is the closest the Rams get to a St. Louis return in 2016. Expect at least a handful of old Rams fans to make the drive north to jeer the team that left them.
January 1, vs. Cardinals
If the Rams are going to make Fisher's dreams come true and make it to the playoffs this year, they'll have to take care of business against Arizona in the final game of the season.
We say: 7-9
WhatIfSports simulation says: 6-10
-- Andrew Lynch, D.J. Foster (fantasy)
