NEW: Rams on Cusp of Greatness After Decade of Disappointment

[STL-Rams]

Hi Shane,

Great read again, my friend.

I agree with your take on the team and am looking forward to the article with your view of our QB situation.

Rambitious1, it is always a pleasure. The QB feature will be a challenge, but I hope it results in something thought-provoking and interesting to the readers.

Hope all is well, boss.

 

[HE WITH HORNS]

One thing I've learned as a Rams fan - Don't get your hopes up!

 

[fastcat]

That article is exactly how I feel about our team going into next year. And i dont care what kind of schedule we get. We are battle tested and ready as of right now. Next year we should be better at the qb position and hopefully the ol. It's our turn. 1st it was the 9ers then the seahawks then the cardinals.... we are right on schedule. I'm gonna put some money on our super bowl odds next year and I hope the media never hops on our bandwagon through out the off season and the preseason

 

[badnews]

Great read! Shane, I really think believe we are right there. "On the cusp" describes the Rams perfectly, IMO.
It's like reading my own thoughts.... if they were written in a way that the reader can make sense of!

 

[Rambitious1]

Rambitious1, it is always a pleasure. The QB feature will be a challenge, but I hope it results in something thought-provoking and interesting to the readers.

Hope all is well, boss.

It is, thank you Shane.
I hope all is well with you also, good friend.
And I hope you had a great Thanksgiving too.

 

[Afro Ram]

Good article.... Maybe I'm just not in the best of moods, but I wish people would stop over reacting when the Rams start playing well. "Cusp of Greatness??" A few players away from Superbowl contenders like, Greenbay, Denver, New England, Seattle... Maybe we have a competent head coach for a change and the players are finally begining to develop because the f.o. isn't signing a bunch of players already past their primes. There will be ups and there will be downs. I'm as happy for the win as you are.... but maybe I'm just bitter. Let's start with getting into the playoffs first. Then wining a playoff game, etc

 

[Afro Ram]

Here's looking towards another off season of hyping myself up for another year...

(I'll stop posting now, until mood improves)

 

[jjab360]

You could feel it starting at the end of last season, but losing Bradford again was a huge setback and the D had a tough time adjusting to Williams' complicated scheme. Everything's clicking on O and D right now though, and it's just a ridiculous amount of talent on this team right now, almost all of it young and developing.

 

[rhinobean]

Here's to having the cap space in the future to keep the players that make this team a contender for years to come!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Philly5]

"Greatness"? How about a winning record first?

 

[Thordaddy]

Not to worry, Shane. Just messing with you. :banana: You do the best articles on the Rams we've seen here in years. Thanks for sharing what you write and hanging out with us.

GOT TO agree, I have no problem with a fan base knowing the writer is a fan of the team , the efforts some writers put forth to feign neutrality gets taken too far IMO . You can be objective without being a prick about it IMO and I think our man Shane does that well.

 

[bwdenverram]

I like it Shane. Agree wholeheartedly. It's to bad we got off to such a slow start. 2015 we need to come out of the gate on fire.

 

[junkman]

http://www.insidestl.com/insideSTLc...Greatness-After-Decade-of-Disappointment.aspx

Gray: Rams on Cusp of Greatness After Decade of Disappointment

Nice read as always. It's hard to ignore the gorilla in the room (of course the QB situation) but you made the key point which is that, QB be damned, this is the major stuff that had real Rams fans excited the last off-season (and had us so devastated after Minnesota and Kansas City).

Unless the Rams are going the way of the 2002 Bucs or 2000 Ravens (teams that were great with a subpar QB), the next step to greatness really is figuring out who the Rams signal caller will be. It kinda begins and ends with that statement. 3rd LB, G, C are practically afterthoughts in that conversation. It does feel like whatever QB is under center, they will have all the systems** and supporting cast they need in all phases of the game to succeed. This is the first time I've been able to say that in 10 years.

But until the question about QB is answered with something more than "and they'll have Bradford back", every discussion about the Rams will end with the question: "But who will play QB?"

I love the Mark Barron pickup. But who will play QB?

Donald is a beast. But who will play QB?

Tre Mason is the real real. But who will play QB?

Why are the Rams NOT on the cusp of greatness? Because we don't know who will play QB.

~~~~~~

** yeah, I know, Schotty's fan support is historically lukewarm at best, but even this seems to be improving.

 

[STL-Rams]

One thing I've learned as a Rams fan - Don't get your hopes up!

I completely understand that sentiment after the last decade, but I think this is the time that getting hopes up is well within reason.

 

[STL-Rams]

That article is exactly how I feel about our team going into next year. And i dont care what kind of schedule we get. We are battle tested and ready as of right now. Next year we should be better at the qb position and hopefully the ol. It's our turn. 1st it was the 9ers then the seahawks then the cardinals.... we are right on schedule. I'm gonna put some money on our super bowl odds next year and I hope the media never hops on our bandwagon through out the off season and the preseason

I believe the Rams are on schedule as well. They are very close.

 

[STL-Rams]

Great read! Shane, I really think believe we are right there. "On the cusp" describes the Rams perfectly, IMO.
It's like reading my own thoughts.... if they were written in a way that the reader can make sense of!

Thank you, badnews. Much appreciate the kind words! Keep in touch.

 

[STL-Rams]

Good article.... Maybe I'm just not in the best of moods, but I wish people would stop over reacting when the Rams start playing well. "Cusp of Greatness??" A few players away from Superbowl contenders like, Greenbay, Denver, New England, Seattle... Maybe we have a competent head coach for a change and the players are finally begining to develop because the f.o. isn't signing a bunch of players already past their primes. There will be ups and there will be downs. I'm as happy for the win as you are.... but maybe I'm just bitter. Let's start with getting into the playoffs first. Then wining a playoff game, etc

It wasn't written only on the basis of the team's strong performances of late, but also based upon so many positional units having better production, talent and depth than they have in a long time.

 

[STL-Rams]

"Greatness"? How about a winning record first?

The foundation is in place. Obviously, you can't get to greatness without being on the brink or cusp or greatness first. There is a process involved. The building blocks -- for the most part -- are there. From next season and beyond, the opportunity is now ripe for the first time in nearly a decade to move into an era of greatness (as I would define as regular playoff births and an ability to do damage once there)

 

[STL-Rams]

GOT TO agree, I have no problem with a fan base knowing the writer is a fan of the team , the efforts some writers put forth to feign neutrality gets taken too far IMO . You can be objective without being a prick about it IMO and I think our man Shane does that well.

Greatly appreciate all of those thoughts, Thordaddy. That means a lot to me. I will say that I didn't write this piece as a fan, but simply at looking at how things are unfolding and the talent in place, free agency situation, makeup of roster, maturing youth, etc. etc. That said, I would never try to deny that I pull for the Rams. I'd by lying.

 

[STL-Rams]

I like it Shane. Agree wholeheartedly. It's to bad we got off to such a slow start. 2015 we need to come out of the gate on fire.

Especially with a young team, a hot start -- say 3-1 -- would do wonders for this club.