NFL: Projecting final records for all 32 teams
By Brad Rowland
St. Louis Rams
We’ll begin with the good, and the Rams have one of the best defensive lines in recent NFL history. Robert Quinn led the world in sacks last year with 19.0, and he is, by all accounts, the best pure defensive end in the game today. He is flanked by Chris Long (8.5 sacks) on the outside, with Michael Brockers (stud), Kendall Langford and rookie first-round pick Aaron Donald in the middle, and frankly, it is an embarrassment of riches. Behind them, the secondary did lose Courtland Finnegan from last season, but Janoris Jenkins should be a season better, and the progression of athletic freak Alec Ogletree should be huge in year two.
Sadly, the offense isn’t nearly as promising. Sam Bradford is already gone for the season as a result of an ACL tear, and while Shaun Hill is probably solid as a game manager, he isn’t nearly the talent that Bradford would have presented. Zac Stacy had a great season in 2013 (973 yards, 7 TD without being the full-time starter all year), but he is the only player who could be argued as above-average at a skill position, and the offensive line is still unsettled, even with top-5 pick Greg Robinson and Jake Long.
It is impossible to pick the Rams to go .500 with their current offensive allotment, almost regardless of how terrifying their front four might be. Good luck, Shaun Hill.
The Pick: 7-9