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2014 offseason in review: QB Shaun Hill
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16098/2014-offseason-in-review-qb-shaun-hill
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The 2015 edition of NFL free agency is set to begin on March 10 with a new batch of players set to hit the market and teams in pursuit of those players.
But before we look to the future, let's take a look back at what the St. Louis Rams accomplished in 2014. We turn our attention on Wednesday to quarterback Shaun Hill, signed as an unrestricted free agent from the Detroit Lions.
Reason for addition: After veteran backup Kellen Clemens signed a two-year contract with the San Diego Chargers, the Rams went in search of a signal-caller with experience to provide depth behind Sam Bradford. After getting caught shorthanded in 2013 with Clemens and not much else behind Bradford, the Rams believed they could find an upgrade at the No. 2 spot. They had long coveted Hill but missed out on him previously. Not this time. The Rams pursued Hill, who had been with the Lions and came with more than a dozen years of experience, for a few weeks. Ultimately, the Parsons, Kansas, native decided on St. Louis where he was nearly assured the No. 2 job behind Bradford after the Rams elected not to spend a pick until the sixth round on a quarterback.
What he brought: Much to the chagrin of the Rams and their fans, Hill had to take the starting reins sooner then they would have hoped (they hoped he'd never have to). When Bradford suffered a second torn ACL in as many seasons in the third preseason game against Cleveland, Rams coach Jeff Fisher quickly made it clear he intended to turn the job over to Hill. That lasted all of one half before Hill suffered a quad injury that kept him out of that opening loss against Minnesota. By the time Hill healed, Austin Davis had staked a claim to the job only to give it back to Hill in week 11 after struggling with costly turnovers. Hill stepped back in and started the final seven games of the season. He completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 1,657 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the Rams to a 3-5 record in his starts.
What's next: Hill's contract with the Rams was only a one-year deal. He turned 35 in January and is again slated to be an unrestricted free agent. The Rams have said they'd like to bring him back and Hill has said he'd like to be back, but the Rams also know they need to upgrade the position. Assuming the Rams bring Bradford back and find another quarterback from outside the building (as Fisher has said), it could come down to a choice or a battle between Hill and Davis for a potential No. 3 quarterback job. As backups go, you could do worse than Hill, but the Rams need to add as much talent at the game's most important position as possible.
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16098/2014-offseason-in-review-qb-shaun-hill
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- The 2015 edition of NFL free agency is set to begin on March 10 with a new batch of players set to hit the market and teams in pursuit of those players.
But before we look to the future, let's take a look back at what the St. Louis Rams accomplished in 2014. We turn our attention on Wednesday to quarterback Shaun Hill, signed as an unrestricted free agent from the Detroit Lions.
Reason for addition: After veteran backup Kellen Clemens signed a two-year contract with the San Diego Chargers, the Rams went in search of a signal-caller with experience to provide depth behind Sam Bradford. After getting caught shorthanded in 2013 with Clemens and not much else behind Bradford, the Rams believed they could find an upgrade at the No. 2 spot. They had long coveted Hill but missed out on him previously. Not this time. The Rams pursued Hill, who had been with the Lions and came with more than a dozen years of experience, for a few weeks. Ultimately, the Parsons, Kansas, native decided on St. Louis where he was nearly assured the No. 2 job behind Bradford after the Rams elected not to spend a pick until the sixth round on a quarterback.
What he brought: Much to the chagrin of the Rams and their fans, Hill had to take the starting reins sooner then they would have hoped (they hoped he'd never have to). When Bradford suffered a second torn ACL in as many seasons in the third preseason game against Cleveland, Rams coach Jeff Fisher quickly made it clear he intended to turn the job over to Hill. That lasted all of one half before Hill suffered a quad injury that kept him out of that opening loss against Minnesota. By the time Hill healed, Austin Davis had staked a claim to the job only to give it back to Hill in week 11 after struggling with costly turnovers. Hill stepped back in and started the final seven games of the season. He completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 1,657 yards with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions while leading the Rams to a 3-5 record in his starts.
What's next: Hill's contract with the Rams was only a one-year deal. He turned 35 in January and is again slated to be an unrestricted free agent. The Rams have said they'd like to bring him back and Hill has said he'd like to be back, but the Rams also know they need to upgrade the position. Assuming the Rams bring Bradford back and find another quarterback from outside the building (as Fisher has said), it could come down to a choice or a battle between Hill and Davis for a potential No. 3 quarterback job. As backups go, you could do worse than Hill, but the Rams need to add as much talent at the game's most important position as possible.