Rams trudging toward an offseason full of uncertainty
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...dging-toward-an-offseason-full-of-uncertainty
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- As the 2015 season nears its end, the St. Louis Rams already have guaranteed themselves a 12th consecutive non-winning season. One more loss in the final four games will secure a losing record in every year since 2006.
Obviously, that's a whole lot of losing. But what might be the most concerning part about it all is that there doesn't seem to be a quick fix available as the Rams head toward an offseason sure to be filled with questions.
With that in mind, let's take an early look at some of the issues facing the Rams heading into 2016:
-- First and foremost on the minds of many, including owner Stan Kroenke, is where the team will play its home games in 2016 and beyond. We know they have one "home" game in London, but whether the team is able to move to Los Angeles or not will be decided in the coming months. It could happen as soon as the Jan. 12-13 owners meetings in Houston. Much of what the Rams do in the months that follow likely will hinge greatly on what decision the NFL makes. A trickle-down effect from the Los Angeles decision to the rest of the offseason is the one thing we can bet heavily on, though we don't know what the implications of the Rams staying or going will be.
-- The end of this season will mark the end of four years of Jeff Fisher's regime as the head coach and primary football decision-maker. Clearly, the results haven't been good, and in most situations it wouldn't be much of a debate as to whether he'd get to coach his fifth year. But because Kroenke is so reclusive, nobody really knows what he's thinking when it comes to Fisher's future or that of anyone else in the football operation. Some argue that Kroenke will keep Fisher around because he can lead a team through relocation, as he did many years ago with the Tennessee Titans moving from Houston. It's an argument born of the idea that Kroenke reportedly quizzed Fisher on the subject before hiring him in 2012. It's also a pretty nonsensical reason for keeping a coach. Does Fisher have an endless supply of packing peanuts? Is he dynamite with bubble wrap? Yes, a move can be complicated, but it's hardly a reason to keep a coach, especially one who hasn't had a winning season in his four years with the team. The more realistic reason Fisher could stay: He is owed about $7 million on the final year of his deal and Kroenke might not want to pay him to not coach the team.
-- As for the roster, the Rams find themselves in a really difficult situation. As it stands, they now have 17 players scheduled for either restricted or unrestricted free agency after the season. Before the season, it seemed the Rams would have at least a few of those players signed beyond this year, but the only one who inked a new deal was quarterback Nick Foles. The Rams will have plenty of salary cap space but they might have to use most of it to keep core defensive players and unrestricted free agents like cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and/or Trumaine Johnson, safety Rodney McLeod, linebacker Mark Barron, ends William Hayes and/or Eugene Sims and defensive tackle Nick Fairley. Of course, if the Rams do that, they probably won't have much money to spend to fix the offense, which desperately needs most of the attention. Sure, the Rams could use the draft to address the offense but that would be mostly a repeat of this year and that's no guaranteed fix, especially if the same people making the decisions are still in place.
-- The Rams also face some decisions on some high-priced veterans such as tight end Jared Cook, offensive lineman Rodger Saffold, end Chris Long, linebacker Akeem Ayers and receiver Kenny Britt. It's unlikely all will return, at least at their currently scheduled salary-cap numbers, and while making moves with those players would open more cap space, it would also create even more needs to fill.
-- All of that said, there's no more important decision for Kroenke than who will be leading the franchise into the future. With so many important football decisions to be made, the easiest way to make an already messy situation worse is to compound it by allowing the people who put you in that situation in the first place to make so many critical choices for the future of the franchise. Say what you will about Kroenke's approach to owning the team, but the Rams spend to the cap nearly every year and he forked over a lot of money to land Fisher. If Kroenke wants to maximize his investment -- which would seem to be a priority for any owner in any market -- putting a winning product on the field after this year goes a long way toward that end. This is an organization that once again needs a clear direction -- no matter where it calls home.