- Joined
- May 25, 2013
- Messages
- 1,291
This offseason more than most has polarized Ram fans against each other. LA v STL. Keep or dump Sam. Replace most of the OLine? Did we lose a battle for a top OC or did Fisher want to promote from within and only shopped as window dressing so it would appear he did his due diligence?
Having turned 50 this year and having suffered more awful years as a Ram fan than enjoyable ones, my perspective has changed because life happens. Aesop's fable about the Tortoise and the Hare comes to mind. Though we won no titles and losses to the Cowboys and Vikings ended our seasons, in retrospect, having the Fearsome Foresome and the league's best OLine made the early 70s a special time which made me a fan watching with my dear father. Losing to the Steelers in a Super Bowl is finally a fond memory (F'ing Lynn Swann and John Stallworth). Though we couldn't retain them, men like Dickerson and Bettis left me wishing I could go back to my days as a Pop Warner running back wishing I had run with more power. Giving up Kurt Warner was ludicrous. Letting Fletcher go was beyond stupid. Though Martz flamed out, were we better with Vitt, Haslett, Linehan, and Spags? Steven Jackson is my vote for most under appreciated Ram of all time. I've never lost 12 hands of blackjack in a row but Ram OLines have stayed mostly injured that many years in a row.
Which brings me finally to my point. Jeff Fisher and Les Snead, along with Stan Kroenke, have created a vision that eludes most fans. I posted here when Fisher was hired that the persona of Spag's 4 Pillars would become one of Nasty, Nasty, Nasty and began with the acquisition of Finnegan. Though Coutland's injuries rendered him ineffective, his personality (along with Coach Cecil) remains part and parcel of what this defense is becoming. Gregg Williams is the Man who purports: Beat the F out of them! Pressure! Win! Dominate! Be Responsible for your Assignment! Again, Best the F out of them!
The Offense is more difficult to define but the principles are in place for success. Offense is a thinking man's game in passing and a physical man's game when running. Since M Faulk no longer wears pads, the combination of Mason, Cunningham, Stacy, Austin, Watts, and Pead will have to suffice. S Bradford, IF healthy (big If If If) is the third best QB in Ram history (Warner and Van Brocklin are 1 and 2. Gabriel and Everett are 4 and 5 IMO). Quick, Britt, Bailey, Austin, and Cook are the third best receiving corps this team ever had (50's led by Hirsch and GSOT led by Bruce). This offseason is All About What We Do With The Offensive Line. Robinson and Saffold are the only financial and philosophical givens. Frankly, if it's me, I would put them at LT and RG and devote EVERY resource toward the other three positions and someone versatile (Barnes, Person, Jones) as insurance.
The one thing I wouldn't do is veer off course. Whether STL (my preference in Ash Grove, MO) or LA, whether Bradford or the best alternative who plays like him, or whether they build from FA or the draft this year, I'm glad Jeff hired In-house for continuity and pray he exhausts ALL remaining resources on the OLine. If that happens, even a healthy Joe Flacco, Trent Dilfer, Doug Williams, Shaun Hill, or Terry Bradshaw could win a SB with this team.
Having turned 50 this year and having suffered more awful years as a Ram fan than enjoyable ones, my perspective has changed because life happens. Aesop's fable about the Tortoise and the Hare comes to mind. Though we won no titles and losses to the Cowboys and Vikings ended our seasons, in retrospect, having the Fearsome Foresome and the league's best OLine made the early 70s a special time which made me a fan watching with my dear father. Losing to the Steelers in a Super Bowl is finally a fond memory (F'ing Lynn Swann and John Stallworth). Though we couldn't retain them, men like Dickerson and Bettis left me wishing I could go back to my days as a Pop Warner running back wishing I had run with more power. Giving up Kurt Warner was ludicrous. Letting Fletcher go was beyond stupid. Though Martz flamed out, were we better with Vitt, Haslett, Linehan, and Spags? Steven Jackson is my vote for most under appreciated Ram of all time. I've never lost 12 hands of blackjack in a row but Ram OLines have stayed mostly injured that many years in a row.
Which brings me finally to my point. Jeff Fisher and Les Snead, along with Stan Kroenke, have created a vision that eludes most fans. I posted here when Fisher was hired that the persona of Spag's 4 Pillars would become one of Nasty, Nasty, Nasty and began with the acquisition of Finnegan. Though Coutland's injuries rendered him ineffective, his personality (along with Coach Cecil) remains part and parcel of what this defense is becoming. Gregg Williams is the Man who purports: Beat the F out of them! Pressure! Win! Dominate! Be Responsible for your Assignment! Again, Best the F out of them!
The Offense is more difficult to define but the principles are in place for success. Offense is a thinking man's game in passing and a physical man's game when running. Since M Faulk no longer wears pads, the combination of Mason, Cunningham, Stacy, Austin, Watts, and Pead will have to suffice. S Bradford, IF healthy (big If If If) is the third best QB in Ram history (Warner and Van Brocklin are 1 and 2. Gabriel and Everett are 4 and 5 IMO). Quick, Britt, Bailey, Austin, and Cook are the third best receiving corps this team ever had (50's led by Hirsch and GSOT led by Bruce). This offseason is All About What We Do With The Offensive Line. Robinson and Saffold are the only financial and philosophical givens. Frankly, if it's me, I would put them at LT and RG and devote EVERY resource toward the other three positions and someone versatile (Barnes, Person, Jones) as insurance.
The one thing I wouldn't do is veer off course. Whether STL (my preference in Ash Grove, MO) or LA, whether Bradford or the best alternative who plays like him, or whether they build from FA or the draft this year, I'm glad Jeff hired In-house for continuity and pray he exhausts ALL remaining resources on the OLine. If that happens, even a healthy Joe Flacco, Trent Dilfer, Doug Williams, Shaun Hill, or Terry Bradshaw could win a SB with this team.
