Where did the Rams go wrong?

[Goldenfleece]

I'd put the blame on...

A) Bad drafting from 2000-2002 (and Jimmy Kennedy in 2003). Poor choices in the drafts left us with a distinct shortage of homegrown talent.

B) Several problem positions that stayed problems for years. We're all familiar with the problems at defensive tackle, but pass protection was also a huge problem for a number of years, especially right tackle. Neither Warner nor Bulger is terribly effective while scrambling, and both sustained injuries year after year because they took such a beating in the pocket. We were also weak at the middle linebacker position for many years after London Fletcher's departure.

C) The Marmie defense. Blame Martz in part for bringing him in. Martz needed a defensive counterpart capable of a great deal of responsibility, and he hardly could have made a worst choice for that position. Marmie's defensive scheme was allegedly so confusing to the new coaching staff, they couldn't even tell from the tape which players were making mistakes because it wasn't clear where anyone was supposed to be in coverage. During the GSoT years, we at least occasionally had a highly ranked defense because we could protect a lead; under Marmie, we detiorated to one of the worst units in the league. We also failed to acquire free agent defensive players who could make an impact.

[Bar-bq]

Originally Posted by Goldenfleece

I'd put the blame on...

A) Bad drafting from 2000-2002 (and Jimmy Kennedy in 2003). Poor choices in the drafts left us with a distinct shortage of homegrown talent.
.

Bang. There it is in a nutshell, folks. Not one of the six first round picks from 00-03 (Canidate, Archuleta, Lewis, Pickett, Thomas, Kennedy) are still with the team, and it seems only one of them actually panned out (Ryan Pickett). Look at teams like the Patriots and Colts for examples of how to build successful teams through the draft.

[RAMFANRAIDERHATER]

Originally Posted by Bar-bq

Bang. There it is in a nutshell, folks. Not one of the six first round picks from 00-03 (Canidate, Archuleta, Lewis, Pickett, Thomas, Kennedy) are still with the team, and it seems only one of them actually panned out (Ryan Pickett). Look at teams like the Patriots and Colts for examples of how to build successful teams through the draft.

...and as I said in my initial post, it goes back to the front office, and ultimately, Georgia F. Georgia hires the guys beneath her (no pun intended) and they, along with Georgia's approval, hire the head coach. The head coach & other FO guys make the player decisions. Bad HC and FO (Martz and co.) equals bad draft choices. Bad draft choices, year after year, will set you back......well, for years.

I guess I look at this question a little differently than most of you. Everyone else seems to think that the "what went wrong" started in 2000. It's like the Rams were a dynasty that suddenly went south. Actually, the "what went wrong" began long, long before that. Keep in mind that the Rams have had 4 winning seasons in the last 18 (including this season). Granted, we were fortunate to have a group of outstanding players (GSOT) that played a season where everything fell into place. A soft schedule, a year with no major injuries, an offense that took the league by surprise, and a QB that was probably one of the greatest sports stories of our time.

We somehow (even with a bunch of morons running the show) wound up with a team that should have been a force for 3-5 years. But this is the Rams. ...and the Rams, since Georgia F. have a history of making bad decisions, and of bad management. It was shameful what this organization managed to do in such a short period of time.

If we look at a winning season as being a success, we've been a "success" 4 times in the last 18. 4 for 18! How many companies in America would allow this kind of return on their investment? None! Heads would roll long before we had 4 successful years in 18 tries. Either that, or we'd be out of business. Management is put in place to produce results. And the Rams management has NOT been productive.

It's easy to focus on this year and our 0-5 record, especially since we're only a few years removed from our last SB appearance. But look at the Rams since she took over. For years, during the 90's, the Rams were in a race with the Bengals as the worst team in the NFL. How could that be? The Rams were always one of the best organizations in the NFL. We won the NFL Championship twice, we won our division 7 times in the 70's alone! She took this team over when it moved to Anaheim and made it the laughing stock of the NFL in just a handful of years.

You can blame Linehan, you can blame Martz. But I blame Georgia for the demise of the Rams. She is the owner of this franchise, and the reason it is a failing organization. Georgia must sell this team, and/or replace Shaw and all those making player personnel decisions before we can regain our place as one of the elite teams in the NFL. I love my Rams, and have for almost 40 years. But I hate our owner, and everyday she remains in control of this team moves me one step closer to being an ex-Ram fan.

Please Georgia, do the right thing for once, and sell this team to someone that truely understands and loves the game of football.