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Sep. 30, 2009
By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
There are a lot of people in the NFL I would trade places with, but Rams general manager Billy Devaney isn't one of them. The poor guy has to straighten out one of the league's worst teams, and it might be easier trying to fix the economy.
Each week it's another loss, another injury, another setback of some sort that Devaney must try to overcome and, frankly, the story is getting old.
'We're getting better,' Billy Devaney says, 'but the fans want to see some results on Sunday.'
"It's hard," Devaney said by phone. "When we took this thing over we said it was a starting process and that we were going to build from the ground up, and that's what we're doing. But it doesn't make it any easier when you lose. The losing just crushes you. I can say we're getting better, we're getting better, we're getting better, but the fans want to see some results on Sunday."
So far there have been none. The Rams are 0-3 and lost more than just ballgames to Seattle, Washington and Green Bay. They lost starting quarterback Marc Bulger and their best receiver, too, with Laurent Robinson out the rest of the season.
Nobody said it would be easy, and it shouldn't be. Devaney and coach Steve Spagnuolo are suffering the consequences of years of mistakes committed by the club's previous regime, and if you don't believe me you haven't kept score of the team's recent drafts. They weren't just bad; they were horrendous, with the Rams missing on so many picks you wondered if they were listening to scouts or a Ouija board.
From 2001 through 2007, or the last draft prior to Devaney's arrival, the Rams had nine first-round choices, with four remaining today. Now look a little closer. There is nobody from the 2001 draft, when the Rams had three of the first 29 picks. One is left from 2002. Nobody from 2003. And running back Steven Jackson is the only holdover from the 2004 draft.
But maybe the worst record of all is the 2006 draft, when the Rams had five of the first 93 picks. Three seasons later, all of them are gone.
I think you get the picture, and it's dismal. Clubs are built through the draft, with their foundations resting on smart personnel decisions. But there was nothing smart about the way the Rams conducted business prior to Devaney's arrival, and the club is paying for it now.
Devaney is hopeful that will change, and there are signs. Defensive end Chris Long, last year's first-round pick, doesn't have a sack but is playing well. This year's numero uno, right tackle Jason Smith, looks like the real deal despite an injury that will keep him sidelined another week. And this year's second-round pick, linebacker James Laurinaitis, is among the league's top tacklers.
It is, as Devaney said, "building from the ground up," and it will take time. But a recovery is in place, with the offensive line that a year ago was depleted and downright dreadful the first to bounce back. Now if there's a weakness it is only left tackle Alex Barron, who -- wouldn't you know it? -- was the team's first-round draft choice in 2005.
That doesn't mean the Rams are on their way to the top of the NFC West. But it does mean they're getting started. Philadelphia's Andy Reid is a believer in building your team from within, fortifying the offensive and defensive lines first, and the Rams are following that script.
Sure, they could use an impact wide receiver, a premier pass rusher and a successor to Bulger at quarterback, but give them this: They're making progress repairing the holes that were there when Devaney joined the club in 2008 ... even if it isn't reflected in their record.
So they got drilled in the opener. Their defense kept Washington out of the end zone in Week 2, and in Week 3 their offense came to life despite the loss of Bulger, with the Rams scoring a season-high 17 points. Yep, I'd call that one small step.
With Spagnuolo in charge, the hope is that the Rams make it through this season as Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur did in their first seasons with Reid in Philadelphia. That was 1999, when the Eagles dropped the first four starts, then steadied themselves -- winning five of their last 12, including the final two.
Of course, there was one big difference: The Eagles grew the second half of the season with a rookie quarterback named Donovan McNabb. There is no franchise quarterback on the horizon in St. Louis.
And that's where Devaney comes in. He's been charged to make the Rams well again, and the way he sees it, it could happen within two years. I don't know how, but that's why I wouldn't want to trade places with the guy. The way he sees it, if the club drafts well, signs the right free agents and keeps its core intact the Rams could be a factor by next season.
For Devaney's sake, I hope he's right.
"Two years?" he said. "I couldn't take that. We knew what we were in for, but it can't be another two years. I'd never make it -- literally or figuratively."
By Clark Judge
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
There are a lot of people in the NFL I would trade places with, but Rams general manager Billy Devaney isn't one of them. The poor guy has to straighten out one of the league's worst teams, and it might be easier trying to fix the economy.
Each week it's another loss, another injury, another setback of some sort that Devaney must try to overcome and, frankly, the story is getting old.
'We're getting better,' Billy Devaney says, 'but the fans want to see some results on Sunday.'
"It's hard," Devaney said by phone. "When we took this thing over we said it was a starting process and that we were going to build from the ground up, and that's what we're doing. But it doesn't make it any easier when you lose. The losing just crushes you. I can say we're getting better, we're getting better, we're getting better, but the fans want to see some results on Sunday."
So far there have been none. The Rams are 0-3 and lost more than just ballgames to Seattle, Washington and Green Bay. They lost starting quarterback Marc Bulger and their best receiver, too, with Laurent Robinson out the rest of the season.
Nobody said it would be easy, and it shouldn't be. Devaney and coach Steve Spagnuolo are suffering the consequences of years of mistakes committed by the club's previous regime, and if you don't believe me you haven't kept score of the team's recent drafts. They weren't just bad; they were horrendous, with the Rams missing on so many picks you wondered if they were listening to scouts or a Ouija board.
From 2001 through 2007, or the last draft prior to Devaney's arrival, the Rams had nine first-round choices, with four remaining today. Now look a little closer. There is nobody from the 2001 draft, when the Rams had three of the first 29 picks. One is left from 2002. Nobody from 2003. And running back Steven Jackson is the only holdover from the 2004 draft.
But maybe the worst record of all is the 2006 draft, when the Rams had five of the first 93 picks. Three seasons later, all of them are gone.
I think you get the picture, and it's dismal. Clubs are built through the draft, with their foundations resting on smart personnel decisions. But there was nothing smart about the way the Rams conducted business prior to Devaney's arrival, and the club is paying for it now.
Devaney is hopeful that will change, and there are signs. Defensive end Chris Long, last year's first-round pick, doesn't have a sack but is playing well. This year's numero uno, right tackle Jason Smith, looks like the real deal despite an injury that will keep him sidelined another week. And this year's second-round pick, linebacker James Laurinaitis, is among the league's top tacklers.
It is, as Devaney said, "building from the ground up," and it will take time. But a recovery is in place, with the offensive line that a year ago was depleted and downright dreadful the first to bounce back. Now if there's a weakness it is only left tackle Alex Barron, who -- wouldn't you know it? -- was the team's first-round draft choice in 2005.
That doesn't mean the Rams are on their way to the top of the NFC West. But it does mean they're getting started. Philadelphia's Andy Reid is a believer in building your team from within, fortifying the offensive and defensive lines first, and the Rams are following that script.
Sure, they could use an impact wide receiver, a premier pass rusher and a successor to Bulger at quarterback, but give them this: They're making progress repairing the holes that were there when Devaney joined the club in 2008 ... even if it isn't reflected in their record.
So they got drilled in the opener. Their defense kept Washington out of the end zone in Week 2, and in Week 3 their offense came to life despite the loss of Bulger, with the Rams scoring a season-high 17 points. Yep, I'd call that one small step.
With Spagnuolo in charge, the hope is that the Rams make it through this season as Spagnuolo and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur did in their first seasons with Reid in Philadelphia. That was 1999, when the Eagles dropped the first four starts, then steadied themselves -- winning five of their last 12, including the final two.
Of course, there was one big difference: The Eagles grew the second half of the season with a rookie quarterback named Donovan McNabb. There is no franchise quarterback on the horizon in St. Louis.
And that's where Devaney comes in. He's been charged to make the Rams well again, and the way he sees it, it could happen within two years. I don't know how, but that's why I wouldn't want to trade places with the guy. The way he sees it, if the club drafts well, signs the right free agents and keeps its core intact the Rams could be a factor by next season.
For Devaney's sake, I hope he's right.
"Two years?" he said. "I couldn't take that. We knew what we were in for, but it can't be another two years. I'd never make it -- literally or figuratively."
Good article, it'll replenish my patience.
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