Which Ram really needs to "win over" Rams fans?

[AvengerRam]

Which Ram player has his work cut out for him to really "win over" Rams fans who aren't sure if they are ready to get behind him?

[AvengerRam]

My bet is that Steven Jackson will win this poll, but I refuse to put him in this category. Frankly, I think the criticism of Jackson is WAY overboard and more about him not being Marshall Faulk than it is about his actual performance on the field.

I voted for Richie Incognito. The team took a chance on him by drafting him at a stage in the draft that many thought was a reach and then waiting a year for him to get healthy. He clearly has some talent. But if he can't reign it in and direct it in a productive manner, the fans will turn on him quickly.

[Varg6]

I put Kennedy, we expect a lot from the guy so, I think we should definitely see some good things from him.

[Fat Pang]

Jackson.

Has absolutely nothing to do with him not being Marshall Faulk has absolutely everything to do with him being Steven Jackson and his performance, or lack of, on the field.

I'll bet he wins it too.

[maxxdigger]

tough two players that have to show up this year are jackson and bulger
watching the preseason games jackson was tripped up more than somebody makin a good tackle that just will not do on the other hand bulger needs to start looking at other receivers backs tight ends more and not centering on holt

[jkramsfan]

i agree with Fat Pang that it will be jackson and for the same reasons, not because of faulk being gone but because he is now the man and he let everyone know it and what he was going to do this off season, time to back it up.

[STLRAMSFAN]

Witherspoon and Bulger have already proven themselves on the field as good players. That is not to say that at some point they won't fall apart. Its doubtful but it could happen. Right out of the shoot I think several fans have high hopes for these two based on past performance. Incognito was a gamble when we selected him he was out of football for a year then was on the PUP all last year with his injury. I never looked at him as a bust type of player. I look at him as taking a chance on someone that had first round potential before his missing a year, his injury, and his attitude problems. He was not a first round selection he was a third round gamble. Him being in the starting lineup in his first NFL game after setting out his entire rookie year means there is no way he could be a bust this year. You have to give all rookies a chance and this is like his rookie year seeing that he was on the PUP last year. Hill, Kennedy, and Jackson were all number 1 picks. Hill gets a 1-year pass from me because this is his rookie year. I would like to see him get a lot of playing time but I do not expect him to be the starter. Kennedy is a big DT that was brought in to eat up space in the middle of the DL. So far he has not shown enough he needs to step up to get the fans behind him. We need him to just be solid defensively in the middle. I don't think he has very far to go to reach the potential we need from him at that position. Jackson plays a very important position. Jackson is now in his third year and has done a lot of talking and hanging signs above his locker. That is all fine but now he must step up and back up his talk. We need him to become a good blocking RB first. He has really struggled in this area and that affects the WRs and the health of the QB. He also has to become better at being the type of back he is and powering the ball in there. We have had problems with the OL but he still dances too much behind the line of scrimmage. Stephen Davis should help Jackson learn how to use his talent better since he is the same type of back. Jackson must back up his talk or he will have problems winning over fans.

[talkstoangels61]

Jackson even more now since signing Davis!

[RamsFanSam]

The one person who must win over the fans is not a player, but Head Coach Linehan. He has a lot of obstacles he must overcome, many of which are not under his control.

Down here in Springfield, I remember hearing about the Rams moving to St. Louis in the 90's. Not very many people around here got behind the team until the bandwagon party of '99 started. When Vermiel retired (temporarily), we had a familiar figure, one who we knew could lead us to success, named as head coach. Until last season, Martz was able to do a fairly good job of keeping the fans interested in the team.

2005 was the "Year Without a Head Coach". (I know, we technically had one, but he wasn't there.) Six years of packed houses, deafening fan noises, and nationally broadcast games had come to an end.

Enter Linehan. The first hurdle he had to clear was the "soap opera", ending the drama and balancing the situation to keep both the front office and the fans happy. He had to do something about the D. Exit Marmie, enter Haslett. Roster moves. New schemes.

A lot of work done, and the dome isn't sold out yet. That means there is a lot more work to do. If he can do it, there will be a two-year wait for a tailgating spot in the parking lot.

Yup, Linehan is the one.

[laram0]

My focus will be on the defense, so IMPO Will Witherspoon needs to show his stuff.

[Nick]

My bet is that Steven Jackson will win this poll, but I refuse to put him in this category. Frankly, I think the criticism of Jackson is WAY overboard and more about him not being Marshall Faulk than it is about his actual performance on the field.

Agreed 100%, and I would also wager that Jackson will win this poll simply because it seems he's the Ram that most disgruntled fans are disgruntled about for one reason or another. Thus he has to win the most Rams fans over, I suppose.

That being said, I would vote Incognito as well as the guy who needs to win me personally over. We've been waiting for some stability on the offensive line, particularly at left guard, for a couple seasons now. Some have already proclaimed Richie as a future Pro Bowler and very good starter for years to come in this league. He's looked good in practice, has shown some potential, but in the exhibition games I've seen some concerning inconsistency alongside some very disappointing personal fouls.

We really need one of the young players to step up and become a stable force on this line, so the guy who needs to win me over is Richie.

[jkramsfan]

The one person who must win over the fans is not a player, but Head Coach Linehan. He has a lot of obstacles he must overcome, many of which are not under his control.

Down here in Springfield, I remember hearing about the Rams moving to St. Louis in the 90's. Not very many people around here got behind the team until the bandwagon party of '99 started. When Vermiel retired (temporarily), we had a familiar figure, one who we knew could lead us to success, named as head coach. Until last season, Martz was able to do a fairly good job of keeping the fans interested in the team.

2005 was the "Year Without a Head Coach". (I know, we technically had one, but he wasn't there.) Six years of packed houses, deafening fan noises, and nationally broadcast games had come to an end.

Enter Linehan. The first hurdle he had to clear was the "soap opera", ending the drama and balancing the situation to keep both the front office and the fans happy. He had to do something about the D. Exit Marmie, enter Haslett. Roster moves. New schemes.

A lot of work done, and the dome isn't sold out yet. That means there is a lot more work to do. If he can do it, there will be a two-year wait for a tailgating spot in the parking lot.

Yup, Linehan is the one.

i like this as a choice,although i think we will get a learning curve this year.he does need to prove he was the right choice for the job.

[RamsFan4ever]

Id say Kennedy, He hasnt done a lot in his career with us, so now he needs to show us that he can help the Rams... and then all rams fan will like him more

[UtterBlitz]

I have to pick Steven Jackson, all though Sam makes a very good point with his Linehan post. Linehan does need to prove to the players, to the coaches, and to the fans that he has what it takes to lead a team as a head coach. After 4 preseason games that did little to make a statement about this team, I am uncertain of what we can expect from Linehan during the regular season. Our first string players did not play well, or very long, in the preseason. I was surprised that we did not see the starters playing against Miami. I hope the starters are ready to play in an important opening game, where they have to play the whole 60 minutes, not just a quarter or two.

The player that needs to win me over is Steven Jackson. I was just watching the beginning of the KC preseason game and Larry Johnson had no trouble running over, or around our defense. He made it look easy. Our first string offense was incredibly lopsided. Bulger got some quick passes out even though he was getting little protection. We had -3 rushing yards at some point in the second quarter and Steven Jackson was completely ineffective running the ball. Bulger threw him the ball a couple of times and he was able to gain yards through the air, but not on the ground. Steven needs to be able to run the ball in order to help the line and Bulger get through the game. I will be watching Steven Jackson closely this year. He is in my hot seat.

The area that needs the biggest improvement from last year is the defense and I think they are already headed in the right track due to the off-season changes.

[Nick]

We had -3 rushing yards at some point in the second quarter and Steven Jackson was completely ineffective running the ball. Bulger threw him the ball a couple of times and he was able to gain yards through the air, but not on the ground. Steven needs to be able to run the ball in order to help the line and Bulger get through the game. I will be watching Steven Jackson closely this year. He is in my hot seat.

Are the offensive linemen, tight ends, and fullbacks in the hot seat as well then? Because if I were picking the reason Jackson couldn't run against the Chiefs, it would be blocking issues. You make it sound like Jackson had clear holes and just didn't hit them. Yes, Jackson was ineffective. And yes, Jackson needs to be able to run the ball. But it's not just Steven Jackson that is responsible for making that happen. More often than not, it's what's happening in front of him to create that room to run.

If someone wants to criticism Jackson for missing a hole or not making a clear cutback, okay. At least that's a criticism of something Jackson can control. But to say Jackson is the one who needs to prove something to you when he's not getting the room to run is a misplacement of blame, IMO. And against the Chiefs, there was no where to go.