Rams could have bright future if right moves are made this offseason
ST. LOUIS -- The 2014 Rams faced more than their share of adversity and probably deserved better than a 6-10 record.
That reality doesn't lessen the sting of missing the playoffs and finishing without a winning record for the 11th straight season, the second-longest streak in the NFL behind the Oakland Raiders. Wins over the AFC's No. 2 seed and the NFC's No. 1 seed mean less when they're offset by big home losses to Minnesota and the New York Giants, two teams that finished below .500.
"I think we've taken a step," said coach Jeff Fisher, who led the Rams to seven wins in each of his first two seasons in St. Louis. "We should be in position to compete and contend next year. We obviously have some holes and some improving that needs to take place during the offseason with respect to a number of players."
Fisher doesn't anticipate any changes on the coaching staff and a young defense showed enough promise to be basically left alone, though adding some more veteran leadership might be warranted. That leaves the offense, clearly the group most responsible for another disappointing year.
The Rams ranked 28th in the NFL with 314.7 yards per game and 21st in the league with 20.2 points per game, which includes five touchdowns by the defense or special teams. To make those numbers even more troubling, St. Louis averaged barely eight points per game in the second half, when it committed 17 of its 27 turnovers.
Shaun Hill and others couldn't identify any specific reasons for their struggles in crunch time, and interceptions like the one Seattle's Bruce Irvin stole from tight end Lance Kendricks on Sunday show that quarterback play wasn't always to blame. Nonetheless, it's clear St. Louis needs a better leader for its offense.
Sam Bradford says he's hopeful to return as the starter next season, and ideally he'll restructure the final year of his $78 million contract and pick up where he left off in 2013 prior to the first of two ACL tears. But that's asking for quite a bit, so it's no wonder Fisher says finding another quarterback in free agency or the draft will be a priority this offseason.
"There's going to be competition at the quarterback position, there's no doubt," Fisher said. "You've got to be realistic, but yeah, I think we need to do that."
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Finding the right player will be this team's most difficult challenge, and also the most important. Considering five games were lost or put out of reach by fourth-quarter interceptions -- four of which were returned for touchdowns -- it's no stretch to say the Rams could have been playoff contenders simply by playing a better quarterback.
Of course, Bradford's injuries and an injury to Hill in the season opener serve as a reminder that better protection from the offensive line will be another key to success. Fisher expects No. 2 draft pick Greg Robinson to improve significantly as the team's left tackle of the future, but that's hardly the only concern on a line tested by injuries this season.
"I thought we did a pretty good job, especially for Greg as a rookie," said right tackle Joe Barksdale, who will be a free agent and wants to return to St. Louis. "We've had a lot of shuffling going on and things like that, but I feel like we did a really good job handling it."
The numbers suggest otherwise, considering the Rams ranked seventh-worst in the NFL with 47 sacks and only rushed for 1,635, the third-lowest total for a Fisher team in 19 seasons. Problems began to arise long before a second ACL tear in two years sidelined Jake Long, who never looked close to the player who made four straight Pro Bowls from 2008-2011.
Fisher says it's not clear whether the 29-year-old left tackle will be back, though he's got two years remaining on a four-year, $34 million contract and could move to guard. Either way, an offensive lineman seems like the obvious choice for St. Louis' No. 10 pick in the 2015 draft, especially with plenty of good options available.
Running back Tre Mason could develop into one of the league's top backs and a young receiving corps still has plenty of potential, but the Rams would be well-advised to keep their options open. Two key factors in those decisions will be the status of Brian Quick's shoulder after an injury ended his breakout season nine weeks early and whether to bring back free agent Kenny Britt, who set a career-high with 48 catches despite just one in his first two games.
"I believe that there's some things that are still on the table that I would have liked to take advantage of, but had a great year, especially with these guys and this coaching staff," said Britt, who posted a team-high 748 yards receiving. "I definitely want to be back."
An ultra high-powered offense shouldn't be needed thanks to a young defense that showed significant improvement as the year progressed. Even after giving up three touchdowns in five of their first seven weeks, they finished fourth in the top five in the league with just 17.7 points allowed per game if special teams and defensive touchdowns are excluded.
Strong safety T.J. McDonald and defensive end Chris Long are among those who believe a year of experience under defensive coordinator Gregg Williams should make things a lot easier, and having Chris Long back at 100 percent after an injury that forced him to miss nine games should be a huge help as well. The biggest question mark will be whether a young secondary can eliminate its most costly coverage mistakes, but the defensive line should be formidable again with sack leader Robert Quinn teaming up with its newest weapon, rookie and fellow Pro Bowler Aaron Donald.
"I've never seen nothing like him," said Williams Hayes, who had a solid year and filled in admirably at defensive end during Chris Long's absence. "When he first stepped foot on the field his first day, everybody was in awe. He's special."
Even though it took Donald a month to earn his spot in the starting lineup, the defensive tackle still finished with 72 tackles and 11 sacks, according to coaches' review of the film, making a strong case for Defensive Player of the Year. Teammates and coaches consistently praised his work ethic on the field and in the film room, an example all the Rams would do well to follow.
If this team can continue its development and find the pieces it needs on offense, a playoff appearance next season should be well within reach. But no one needs to remind this franchise how difficult the task will be.
You can follow Luke Thompson on Twitter @FS_LukeT or email him at lukegthompson87@gmail.com.
