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With the NFL expected to add one additional playoff team to the conference playoffs in 2015, that’s good news for the Rams. If there’s a blockade in the NFC West, a third wild card spot would give the Rams another route into the postseason. And that’s potentially significant considering the powerfully built teams in Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona.
All three of the Rams’ division rivals are in good shape going forward and don’t have any major salary-cap issues on the horizon. As long as the Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals continue to make smart personnel decisions, the NFC West will be tough to crack for a Rams team that still will rank among the youngest in the NFL in 2014.
The Rams have had the league’s youngest roster in each of the last two seasons. If anything, the Rams could be even more youthful next year. They’re lined up with nine draft choices for 2014 and could end up with more if GM Les Snead collects additional picks by trading down.
There will be another substantial infusion of rookies on the Rams’ 2014 roster. And several of the Rams’ older players — including center Scott Wells, guard Harvey Dahl and cornerback Cortland Finnegan — may be released to relieve salary-cap congestion.
As constructed, the Rams can match up with multiple playoff-caliber teams. After all, they beat New Orleans and Indianapolis handily this season and won six of their last eight games played outside the division. The problem: The Rams went 1-5 in NFC West games, and that wiped them out of playoff contention.
Is it possible for the young Rams to leap ahead of the other three teams and take the NFC West in 2014 or 2015? Of course. Things can change quickly in a league that has worst-to-first stories on an annual basis. But having that extra wild card slot could be the Rams’ way into the postseason tournament.
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I think retired Cardinals and Rams cornerback Aeneas Williams, as a third-time finalist, has a solid chance to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. But it’s never easy. The 15 modern-era finalists are outstanding, and no more than five can be selected.
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Rant of the Week
The Rams-to-LA talk ignores three things: (1) there is no stadium in Los Angeles; (2) the NFL controls the market and is keeping it open for expansion; (3) the Rams drew surprisingly small crowds there during successful seasons in the 1980s.
We bring this up after hearing what LA Rams Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson had to say about the subject when interview by TMZ. “L.A. don’t deserve a team,” Dickerson said. “They ain’t gonna support it.”
Dickerson should know. He spent four full seasons (1983-1986) with the LA Rams. During that time the Rams went 40-24, had the NFL’s seventh-best winning percentage, made the playoffs three times and advanced to the 1985 NFC championship game. During the four-year stretch Dickerson led the NFL in rushing three times and set an NFL single-season record.
The Rams had a seating capacity of about 66,000 at Anaheim Stadium. During Dickerson’s four full seasons the Rams played 32 home games and drew 60,000 or more only 12 times. In 1984, when Dickerson set the record for a 10-6 playoff team, the Rams drew less than 50,000 fans in four of their eight home games.
The St. Louis Rams — who haven’t had a winning season since 2003 — draw much better than that.
Dickerson went with an analogy to suggest that Los Angeles should have kept the Rams instead of letting them relocate to St. Louis.
“L.A. is like a bad kid,” Dickerson said. “His ball is laying over there, he don’t wanna play with the ball. But when somebody else picks the ball up, then he wants the ball.”
With the NFL expected to add one additional playoff team to the conference playoffs in 2015, that’s good news for the Rams. If there’s a blockade in the NFC West, a third wild card spot would give the Rams another route into the postseason. And that’s potentially significant considering the powerfully built teams in Seattle, San Francisco and Arizona.
All three of the Rams’ division rivals are in good shape going forward and don’t have any major salary-cap issues on the horizon. As long as the Seahawks, 49ers and Cardinals continue to make smart personnel decisions, the NFC West will be tough to crack for a Rams team that still will rank among the youngest in the NFL in 2014.
The Rams have had the league’s youngest roster in each of the last two seasons. If anything, the Rams could be even more youthful next year. They’re lined up with nine draft choices for 2014 and could end up with more if GM Les Snead collects additional picks by trading down.
There will be another substantial infusion of rookies on the Rams’ 2014 roster. And several of the Rams’ older players — including center Scott Wells, guard Harvey Dahl and cornerback Cortland Finnegan — may be released to relieve salary-cap congestion.
As constructed, the Rams can match up with multiple playoff-caliber teams. After all, they beat New Orleans and Indianapolis handily this season and won six of their last eight games played outside the division. The problem: The Rams went 1-5 in NFC West games, and that wiped them out of playoff contention.
Is it possible for the young Rams to leap ahead of the other three teams and take the NFC West in 2014 or 2015? Of course. Things can change quickly in a league that has worst-to-first stories on an annual basis. But having that extra wild card slot could be the Rams’ way into the postseason tournament.
------
I think retired Cardinals and Rams cornerback Aeneas Williams, as a third-time finalist, has a solid chance to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year. But it’s never easy. The 15 modern-era finalists are outstanding, and no more than five can be selected.
-----
Rant of the Week
The Rams-to-LA talk ignores three things: (1) there is no stadium in Los Angeles; (2) the NFL controls the market and is keeping it open for expansion; (3) the Rams drew surprisingly small crowds there during successful seasons in the 1980s.
We bring this up after hearing what LA Rams Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson had to say about the subject when interview by TMZ. “L.A. don’t deserve a team,” Dickerson said. “They ain’t gonna support it.”
Dickerson should know. He spent four full seasons (1983-1986) with the LA Rams. During that time the Rams went 40-24, had the NFL’s seventh-best winning percentage, made the playoffs three times and advanced to the 1985 NFC championship game. During the four-year stretch Dickerson led the NFL in rushing three times and set an NFL single-season record.
The Rams had a seating capacity of about 66,000 at Anaheim Stadium. During Dickerson’s four full seasons the Rams played 32 home games and drew 60,000 or more only 12 times. In 1984, when Dickerson set the record for a 10-6 playoff team, the Rams drew less than 50,000 fans in four of their eight home games.
The St. Louis Rams — who haven’t had a winning season since 2003 — draw much better than that.
Dickerson went with an analogy to suggest that Los Angeles should have kept the Rams instead of letting them relocate to St. Louis.
“L.A. is like a bad kid,” Dickerson said. “His ball is laying over there, he don’t wanna play with the ball. But when somebody else picks the ball up, then he wants the ball.”
