Saying that this has been a miserable season would be a major understatement. The 2007 St. Louis Rams had high hopes coming into the season. Many were projecting them to win the NFC West and to make a strong playoff run. Steven Jackson made a bold prediction of breaking Marshall Faulk’s total yards mark for a single season, and Issac Bruce predicted that he would be in the Pro Bowl. Things were looking bright for the Rams. The town was buzzing for the first time in several years that the Rams might be back to old form. The return of The Greatest Show on Turf was schedule to make a reunion tour. The only problem was that games are played on the field…not on paper.

After a 0-2 start at home to a very beatable Carolina teams and the terrible San Francisco 49ers team, the buzz had been silenced. Injuries began to build, the most notable being Orlando Pace in the first game of the season. Within a matter of weeks the talk of the town went from playoff hopeful to possibly going 0-16. The team had become a complete joke. The offensive line was different every week and it was showing. Marc Bulger suffered broken ribs and concussions early in the season but tries to play through it. The hits just kept coming so Gus Frerotte took over the reigns, not a good thing. Currently the Rams stand at 3-11 with 2 losses looming on the schedule. This has a top five pick in the draft almost locked up, but the Rams drafting history is the reason for recent struggles.

The 2006 draft is the most glaring mark on the Rams draft history. Ty Hill has been a solid player, but after that that the Rams picks have not panned out. They took Joe Klopfenstein in the second round knowing that they have never used a tight end in the offense and then took a second tight end in the third round with D. Byrd. Through 13 games this year the two have combined for five receptions. The Rams had six picks in the first three rounds in 2006 and only one player is currently starting (Hill). This is unacceptable.

If you look at the first round picks for the last five years the Rams have taken Jimmy Kennedy, Steven Jackson, Alex Barron, Ty Hill, and Adam Carriker. Jackson and Hill have proven to be solid picks, Barron is a false start machine, Kennedy is no longer with the team, and it is too early to put a judgment on Carriker. The Rams can not afford to miss on first round picks if they want to succeed on the NFL. The recipe for success in this league is to do well in the draft. The Rams have not.

The Rams will have a top five pick in the draft. If the team wants the buzz to come back to the dome they need to make a splash. They need someone with football knowledge helping with these picks. Another botched draft could lead to disaster. The dome has already become a silent boring place to watch a game, unless the visiting team brings 30,000 fans with them, i.e. last Sunday. If the team wants the fans to “Believe”, they are going to have to give them something to prove that they are at least trying.