The needs are now obvious

After seeing the game against Arizona today, the needs of the Rams are clearly obvious. Some of you may scream about the order I put these in. Too bad....this is MY opinion. I don't think anyone can argue with the positions, but you might disagree with the order of need.

1. Wide reciever. Amendola and Avery are good. We need spectacular. We need a WR who can make plays like Torry and Issac did in their prime. We need a WR who HAS to be double covered, but still makes the plays.

2. Defensive Tackle. There has got to be someone who can stop the run, somebody who can push an entire O-line back to the stone age. OK, maybe that's too much, but you get the picture.

3. Quarterback. Marc's been doing OK this season. Just OK. I had hopes that he would improve as the season rolled along, but he seems to have hit a plateau. During the last minute of the game, he got hit. Right then I knew he was out for the last few seconds of the game, whether they pulled him or not. The Rams cannot afford this any longer. We need a young, tough QB. Marc would make a heck of a great tutor, and a fantastic backup, but he's getting old enough that those hits of the past are adding up.

4. Running back. Steven's a beast. I want him to stay that way, but the way he's had to pound opposing defenses this season, he's going to be hurting in the near future. We need another starting quality running back, not to replace him, but to "enhance" him.

Well....that's the front four. Have fun discussing this.

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Originally Posted by RamsFanSam

3. Quarterback. Marc's been doing OK this season. Just OK. I had hopes that he would improve as the season rolled along, but he seems to have hit a plateau. During the last minute of the game, he got hit. Right then I knew he was out for the last few secondsof the game, whether they pulled him or not. The Rams cannot afford this any longer. We need a young, tough QB. Marc would make a heck of a great tutor, and a fantastic backup, but he's getting old enough that those hits of the past are adding up.

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I agree bulger has been good and serviceable this year but we need that qb of the future to get in there.

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Originally Posted by RamsFanSam

4. Running back. Steven's a beast. I want him to stay that way, but the way he's had to pound opposing defenses this season, he's going to be hurting in the near future.

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I say we get maximum trade value. We are still a few years away. I say trade him and get our needs at offensive line filled and then go crazy and get a crazy tough defense. Then after a couple of years see what we can draft or trade for at that point. It's pointless to drag his career down the drain for a team that won't be competitive for years to come.

We desperately need a defensive tackle. Be it Suh, McCoy, or Cody in the draft (or others in later rounds) or guys like Cofield in free agency.

We need a starting defensive tackle and a #1 receiver. We do need a QB of the future too.

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Originally Posted by LA Rammer

I say we get maximum trade value. We are still a few years away. I say trade him and get our needs at offensive line filled and then go crazy and get a crazy tough defense. Then after a couple of years see what we can draft or trade for at that point. It's pointless to drag his career down the drain for a team that won't be competitive for years to come.

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Eh. I think trading him will deal a huge moral blow to this team and the fan base. Ends to justify the means but what if the fans and the team dont wait until the end result pans out? If we trade jackson i think a move of the team is inevitable.

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Originally Posted by LA Rammer

I say we get maximum trade value. We are still a few years away. I say trade him and get our needs at offensive line filled and then go crazy and get a crazy tough defense. Then after a couple of years see what we can draft or trade for at that point. It's pointless to drag his career down the drain for a team that won't be competitive for years to come.

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I don't think that's good. You're right, we can get maximum trade value for him.

But imagine the damage it'll do to your fan base. Steven Jackson in the only reason the media acknowledges the Rams. You lose him, we will be NOTHING in the NFL.

We know it won't be turned around next year. We need four first round talents on this team, but we only get one. You get rid of Steven Jackson, we now have five first round talent we need to address.

Keep him here, let him play his days here. He's the only reason Rams football is exciting.

I would put OLB over a backup RB

If we let Jackson go, it'd be unfair to every Rams fan, unfair to the Rams organization, unfair to the city of St.Louis, unfair to the Rams players, but most importantly, unfair to Steven Jackson. He's busted his butt on this team, he's trying his hardest to rebuild this team into a winning team. For him not reap the glories of this is maddening. Evil even.

I agree with all of your assessments, Sam- well done. These are all areas of need, in no particular order.

Unless you're getting a Herschel Walker- type Minnesota/Dallas deal in return, trading Steven Jackson would be the most assinine thing we could do. I just don't see the logic, nor would I see any team giving us a king's ransom for the guy. No one player will command that kind of a blockbuster deal- not in a day and age when the draft is so important to future success. No team would be stupid enough to be fleeced.

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Originally Posted by NJ Ramsfan1

No team would be stupid enough to be fleeced.

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I wont say no team is stupid enough but i agree that it wont happen. Unless al davis suddenly wants a rb we wont get that kind of deal.

I still don't understand the whole trade the best player on our team idea...

I believe if we make the right moves during the offseason, we'll have a good year. I'm talking .500 year.

Hey, great Idea, trade away our best player and while we are at it, let's move the team to quintana roo and heck, get rid of Spags too.

Yep, the need for receiver is pretty obvious. Amendola did look very good, and Avery is a threat every time the ball is in his hands for more than half a second. However, I don't think either is a player that are teams are going to game plan around.

Although I think more help at defensive tackle would be nice, I think the guys we have deserve some credit. The DTs are not solely responsible for run defense, and at least some of the runs against us appeared to be the fault of linebackers who missed tackles.

I'd disagree on runningback being a top priority, though. To me, a talented #2 is something of a luxury unless you're planning on running an offense like Miami's that frequently has two or more halfbacks on the field at the same time. If you were going to break down needs and wants, I'd put this in the wants category.

Go get a quality backup in FA. There are some great complimentary speed guys out there like Sproles, Leon Washington, and Jerious Norwood.

Norwood makes the most sense money wise and play wise IMO. Devaney drafted him he is really good receiver, returner, and really uses his speed well in space. Has never really gotten a bunch of carries and doesn't really need alot. He would be a really good FA pick up and giving him some carries would help extend S-Jax's career.