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Football Outsiders: No change in Rams' record
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/18447/football-outsiders-no-change-in-rams-record
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Now that the NFL draft is complete, the look of rosters around the NFL will likely resemble the look of rosters when the season starts.
Yes, teams have plenty of players to cut and some surprises will emerge as some players find their way to the waiver wire, but for the most part, the key players for every team are now known.
With that in mind, the folks at Football Outsiders have been running their projections for team records around the league. On Tuesday morning, they revealed their record projections for the NFC. Though they see one team enjoying a breakthrough turnaround in the NFC, that team is not the St. Louis Rams. It's the Atlanta Falcons.
Instead, the Football Outsiders see the Rams finishing with the same 6-10 record they had in 2014.
According to their method, the Rams will finish in a tie for last place in the NFC West with the Arizona Cardinals, a team they clearly see as due for a drop in 2015. In fact, the Seattle Seahawks, with a projected record of 12-4, are the only NFC West team the Outsiders project to have a winning record.
As for the Rams, the general argument for them failing to improve in 2015 boils down to their projected question marks on the offense and expecting a bit of a decline on defense and special teams, where the Rams have fared well in recent seasons.
I tend to disagree with the idea that the Rams will take a step backward on defense and special teams. In fact, the defense looks poised to take a step forward now that it has a year with coordinator Gregg Williams under its belt. An argument can be made that the window for the defense is starting to head toward a close, but it doesn't feel like this year will be the year that happens.
However, the questions about the offense are planted in reality. The Rams look like they have improved at quarterback with Nick Foles, but they still have questions all over the offensive line and their receiving corps remains without a clear-cut No. 1 option. Rookie running back Todd Gurley should theoretically help the run game evolve into what coach Jeff Fisher has envisioned, but it remains to be seen when Gurley will be healthy.
So, Rams fans, what say you? This is the time of year when hope springs eternal for fans all over the league. Do you believe the Rams have made enough improvements and will get enough production from the returning pieces to take the next step and get above .500 for the first time since 2003?
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/18447/football-outsiders-no-change-in-rams-record
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Now that the NFL draft is complete, the look of rosters around the NFL will likely resemble the look of rosters when the season starts.
Yes, teams have plenty of players to cut and some surprises will emerge as some players find their way to the waiver wire, but for the most part, the key players for every team are now known.
With that in mind, the folks at Football Outsiders have been running their projections for team records around the league. On Tuesday morning, they revealed their record projections for the NFC. Though they see one team enjoying a breakthrough turnaround in the NFC, that team is not the St. Louis Rams. It's the Atlanta Falcons.
Instead, the Football Outsiders see the Rams finishing with the same 6-10 record they had in 2014.
According to their method, the Rams will finish in a tie for last place in the NFC West with the Arizona Cardinals, a team they clearly see as due for a drop in 2015. In fact, the Seattle Seahawks, with a projected record of 12-4, are the only NFC West team the Outsiders project to have a winning record.
As for the Rams, the general argument for them failing to improve in 2015 boils down to their projected question marks on the offense and expecting a bit of a decline on defense and special teams, where the Rams have fared well in recent seasons.
I tend to disagree with the idea that the Rams will take a step backward on defense and special teams. In fact, the defense looks poised to take a step forward now that it has a year with coordinator Gregg Williams under its belt. An argument can be made that the window for the defense is starting to head toward a close, but it doesn't feel like this year will be the year that happens.
However, the questions about the offense are planted in reality. The Rams look like they have improved at quarterback with Nick Foles, but they still have questions all over the offensive line and their receiving corps remains without a clear-cut No. 1 option. Rookie running back Todd Gurley should theoretically help the run game evolve into what coach Jeff Fisher has envisioned, but it remains to be seen when Gurley will be healthy.
So, Rams fans, what say you? This is the time of year when hope springs eternal for fans all over the league. Do you believe the Rams have made enough improvements and will get enough production from the returning pieces to take the next step and get above .500 for the first time since 2003?
