In 2010, rookie Sam Bradford threw 590 passes. That’s a lot.

That season, the Rams offense ranked 21st in passing and 25th in rushing. The offense was bashed for being too conservative by a lot of fans, including me, but it did keep Bradford relatively clean.

He was only sacked 34 times that season, and he played all 16 games.

In 2011, Bradford was on pace to throw about 575-580 passes, which is also a lot. However, anybody who watched the Rams play last year knows that Bradford was being asked to throw a totally different type of pass.

The new offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels, brought in an offense that was very complicated, and with the lockout, no time to prepare, several new, young, inexperienced players…

It was just a mess.

Bradford was basically being asked to hold the ball a lot longer, as the receivers had deeper routes to run, routes that took longer to develop. This requires (a) the O Line to pass-protect longer and (b) the receiver to actually get open.

When receivers didn’t get open, and Bradford was left holding the ball, he got beaten to a pulp. While Bradford was sacked 34 times in 2010 (5.4 percent sack rate), playing in all 16 games, he was sacked 36 times (9.2 percent sack rate) in 2011, playing in only 10 games.

To be fair, some of the blame has to fall on Bradford. As the pounding started to take its toll, Bradford was holding the ball too long, and he began to appear indecisive.

Of course, if I was standing back there getting the hell beaten out of me, I’d probably hold the ball too long, too.

Bradford still doesn’t have an elite wide receiver to throw to. He doesn’t have a proven tight end. Hopefully, this year, Steve Smith proves he has something left in the tank, Danny Amendola returns to his 2010 form and second-year tight end Lance Kendricks plays up to his talent level.

The person who could help all of those guys the most is Bradford. The great QBs in the NFL make their receivers better.

As Bradford enters his third season, it’s time for him to be the player the Rams drafted him to be. He needs help. He needs protection. He needs guys to catch the ball.

Most of all, he needs to step up—because Bradford will have the biggest impact on the Rams’ season if he does.

Now comes Fisher’s best opportunity to clear the foothills in his latest uphill venture.

The St. Louis Rams have three of the first 39 picks in the draft thanks to the blockbuster deal they pulled off with the Redskins, who were so desperate to land quarterback Robert Griffin III that they gave up the sixth overall pick along with their second-rounder, in addition to first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. More picks means more chances to add talent to the threadbare roster of a Rams team that went 2-14.

Fisher saw some college games last year, but wasn’t watching that closely. The past few months, he’s put in a lot of time on draft preparation.

“One might think I’d have an edge, but I didn’t really watch it,” Fisher said Monday night in an interview with The Associated Press. “I got away and stayed away. So this is just like any draft from a preparation standpoint. You have to do the work.”

Fisher was hired in mid-January and didn’t fill out his staff until recently. Last week’s voluntary minicamp was something of an inconvenience for Fisher and general manager Les Snead, forced to multitask while prepping for the draft that begins Thursday night.

Now the board is stacked, and it’s down to fine-tuning. That, and figuring out what to do with the No. 6 pick.

Running back Steven Jackson votes for a wide receiver. The two-time Pro Bowler believes the Rams need to fill a longstanding need and take Oklahoma State University wide receiver Justin Blackmon, whom he described as an “unbelievable talent,” as a complement to quarterback Sam Bradford.

“You know what, that doesn’t surprise me,” Fisher said. “He’s coming from the perspective of helping Sam, and it’s something that would help his position, too.”

The 6-1, 215-pound Blackmon had 121 catches for 18 touchdowns his senior season, with a so-so 12.6-yard per catch average the lone knock.

Even with slot receiver Danny Amendola back from a dislocated elbow that cost him most of last season and Steve Smith aboard with a low-risk free agent deal, the Rams are thin at wide receiver.

Jackson had 1,000 yards rushing for the seventh straight season, but often carried the offense on his back. A combination of injury and lack of a supporting cast led to a sophomore slump for Bradford, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2010.

The defense just missed a franchise worst for yards allowed, and was iffy beyond end Chris Long and middle linebacker James Laurinaitis. Four of the top five cornerbacks landed on injured reserve, including top cover man Ron Bartell, sidelined in the opener and released in the offseason.

A lack of depth was evident on special teams that were horrid.

“I think wide receiver is going to be a position we’re going to look at,” Fisher said. “Along with a lot of other positions.”

The last time the Rams had the sixth pick in 1999, they took Torry Holt (seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver), and opting for Blackmon wouldn’t be out of character in a league that emphasizes prolific scoring. Last year, A.J. Green went to the Bengals with the fourth overall pick and Atlanta took Julio Jones at No. 6 and both had big rookie seasons.

The Rams have won just 10 games the last three seasons, so they can use help all over. They’ve addressed some deficiencies in free agency with cornerback Cortland Finnegan, center Scott Wells and defensive tackle Kendall Langford signed to multiyear deals. Kellen Clemens was signed as Bradford’s backup.

Fisher is keeping his options open. If Blackmon is gone, the Rams could take offensive lineman Matt Kalil, cornerback Morris Claiborne or running back Trent Richardson as a future replacement for Jackson. They could trade down for still more picks if there’s a team willing to offer a nice price, and if they feel they can fill their needs with or without the sixth pick.

“Sometimes there’s a deal you just can’t pass up,” Fisher said. So, it remains to be seen.”

The Rams believe there’s plenty of talent at the top of the draft, but Fisher expects to find potential starters the last two days, too.

“The more picks you have,” he said, “the more chance you have of filling your roster and building for the future.”

Appearing on the NFL Network and their Free Agency Frenzy program today, St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher addressed the concerns of many Rams fans regarding the lack of quality wide receivers on the Rams roster for quarterback Sam Bradford and the St. Louis offense.

Speaking to host Rich Eisen on the aforementioned program, Fisher told Eisen that the Rams “will get weapons for Bradford.” 

Many Rams fans are concerned about the state of the wide receiver group going forward.  St. Louis averaged just 12 points per game in 2011 and have fielded a sub-par receiving corps for years, since the departures of Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and Kevin Curtis. 

Most of the big-name free-agent wideouts have already landed with other teams.  

Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan have headed to Washington, Vincent Jackson went to Tampa Bay, Reggie Wayne remained with Indianapolis, Robert Meachum has gone to San Diego, Randy Moss went west to San Francisco, Brandon Marshall and Eric Weems landed in Chicago and Harry Douglas stayed put in Atlanta, all according to the NFL’s free agency site.

The Rams tendered restricted free agent Danny Amendola—who caught 85 balls and developed a quick chemistry with then-rookie Sam Bradford—at a second-round level. 

That means that if a team made an offer to Amendola and St. Louis did not choose to match the offer, the Rams would lose Amendola but gain the second-round pick in the 2012 NFL draft of the team who signed him.

There has been some speculation that the Patriots, for example, could potentially have interest in Amendola.  If a team like the Patriots ended up with Amendola, that would give the Rams their third second-round pick in the upcoming April NFL draft.

Other than Amendola, the Rams wide receivers currently consist of 2011 rookies Greg Salas and Austin Pettis, Danario Alexander of Mizzou fame, veteran Brandon Gibson and special team ace Dominique Curry. 

Obviously, when looking at that group, there is not a No. 1 receiver in the mix.  Some would argue that there is not even a top-tier No. 2 receiving option there.  Alexander has the makeup, but also struggles with ongoing knee issues, limiting his reps and reliability. 

There are still some free-agent wide receivers available who could be appealing to St. Louis.  

Those wideouts include Donnie Avery, Plaxico Burress, Mark Clayton, Early Doucet, Braylon Edwards, Ted Ginn, Brandon Lloyd, Mario Manningham, Eddie Royal, Jerome Simpson, Hines Ward and Roy Williams.

Of that list, some appealing options could include Doucet, Ginn, Lloyd, Manningham, Royal and Simpson.  Robinson would probably be unlikely to return to a team that let him go previously, even under a different regime. 

As for the upcoming 2012 NFL draft, some obvious targets in early rounds could include Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd, Kendall Wright, Rueben Randle, Mohamed Sanu, Stephen Hill and Dwight Jones, among others.  

Either via a trade and/or the draft, look for St. Louis to provide at least one wide receiver and probably two between now and the conclusion of the NFL free agency period and the 2012 NFL draft.

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year-round. You are encouraged to check out the rest of his work here and to follow him on Twitter.

According to a post-game report today by cbssports.com, St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo says the Rams have:

“character and fight…to build anything, the base has to have a rock-solid foundation and that’s there,” he said.  “We’ve got to wait eight months to play a game, but I’m glad that’s there.”

The question in St. Louis right now is who will be the head coach for that game in eight months?  

That decision is expected to be announced on Monday, according to a report by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who cites league sources.  

In three seasons under Steve Spagnuolo, the Rams went 10-38.  

Hopes were high in St. Louis entering 2011.  

Many picked the Rams to win the NFC West.  Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network asserted that St. Louis would be the league’s breakout team.  

However, the Rams faltered during an 0-6 start before winning two of three, including the season’s biggest win, an upset victory at the Edward Jones Dome over record-setting Drew Brees and the playoff-bound New Orleans Saints. 

But then they lost their final seven contests, including the finale today at home versus NFC West champion San Francisco.  

In Spagnuolo’s defense, however, the Rams players never seemed to quit and the roster was ravaged by injuries throughout the year.

Some notable players lost for the season include Sam Bradford’s top receiving target, Danny Amendola (as well as rookie Greg Salas), the teams’ top three cornerbacks (Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher and Jerome Murphy) and both starting offensive tackles (Rodger Saffold, Jason Smith)—among others.

The team also lost three-time Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson for several games before suffering long-term injuries to quarterbacks Sam Bradford and A.J. Feeley.

With that said, 2-14 is still 2-14. And 10-38 is still 10-38.  

In the NFL, it’s the bottom line that counts. And the bottom line doesn’t look good for Spagnuolo’s Rams. Expect him to be relieved of his head coaching duties as early as Monday.

According to a report by Albert Breer of the NFL Network, Jeff Fisher is ready to return to coaching. The St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers are listed as possible options for Fisher.  

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year round. To check out the rest of his work, go here.  You are also encouraged to follow him here on Twitter.   

What’s wrong with the St. Louis Rams? Not everything. Just
almost everything.

After nearly making the playoffs last season, the Rams were
supposed to take a big step forward this season.

Sam Bradford was supposed to become a Pro Bowl quarterback. Steve
Spagnuolo was set to take a post as one of the best coaches in the
game. St. Louis was ready to embrace football again.

Never has a season gone from flying high to crashing and burning
with one play, especially when that one play was the first
offensive play of the season.

In Week 1, Steven Jackson broke through for a 47-yard touchdown.
The Edward Jones Dome was rocking.

SJax’s lightning strike seemed to ignite a fire that would burn
straight into the playoffs. Instead, he ran the ball once more in
that game and left with a leg injury.

It wasn’t until Week 5 he was back to full strength, and by then,
it was too late.

The 49ers were already running away with the division, and St.
Louis had no wins.

Rams fans shouldn’t overreact though. This is football. Injuries
happen. They happen a lot. Unfortunately for St. Louis, the Rams
have had a ton.

Here’s some of the players who are on injured reserve: Danny
Amendola, Ron Bartell, Al Harris, Michael Hoomanawanui, Rodger
Saffold, Greg Salas and Jason Smith.

Saffold and Smith are anchors of the offensive line. Amendola is
the top receiver and punt returner. Harris and Bartell are the best
cornerbacks. Salas was supposed to help the receiving corps.
Hoomanawanui is one of the team’s top tight ends.

On top of that, Bradford has missed time. And like every team, many
others have missed games.

With all these injuries after a lockout-shortened offseason with a
new offense, the 2-9 record is more understandable.

The Rams had a tough nonconference schedule, which included losses
to the Packers, Giants, Cowboys and Ravens. That’s three, maybe
four, playoff teams.

They’ve also lost to the Eagles, Redskins, Cardinals (twice) and
Seahawks.

The point is this: Don’t give up on a return to glory. It’s
obviously just not coming as soon as we thought.

Spagnuolo is still the right coach. Bradford can still be a star
quarterback. Jackson is still a star running back. There are good
pieces all over the field.

The Rams still need a big playmaker. Even with Brandon Lloyd in the
fray, they still need another deep threat or two.

This season has been a combination of factors leading up to a very
disappointing record, and it may not get much better. St. Louis
finishes with the 49ers, improving Seahawks, Bengals, Steelers and
49ers again.

With a solid draft and a free agent move or two, the Rams should be
everyone’s dark horse again next season. Let’s just hope they can
avoid the injury bug and live up to the hype.

JEFF WILSON is the chief copy editor at The Southern Illinoisan.
He can be reached at 618-529-5454, ext. 5176 or
jeff.wilson@thesouthern.com.

ST. LOUIS — Nick Miller could have been a hero.

If the St. Louis Rams had been able to make a tackle on Patrick Peterson’s NFL record-tying fourth punt return for a touchdown this season, everyone would have been raving about Miller’s electrifying 88-yard return for a score in the first quarter of the Rams’ 23-20 loss to Arizona.

Miller became the first St. Louis player to return a punt for a touchdown since Dante Hall ran one back 85 yards in a 35-7 loss to Dallas on Sept. 30, 2007. Miller’s gallop, which tied for the third longest punt return for a touchdown in franchise history, was one of the few highlights in St. Louis’ ninth defeat in 11 games.

“If we don’t give up that punt return, everybody would be talking about Nick Miller,” St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo said.

Instead, Miller’s run became an afterthought.

Miller went from couch potato to special teams standout in a matter of days. Last Wednesday, four days before the game, he was at home in Arizona when the injury-plagued Rams called.

“One minute I was laying on the couch, the next minute I’m in the end zone,” Miller said. “A crazy week.”

Miller got the call at 2 p.m. and was on a plane to St. Louis three hours later.

“It all happened so fast,” he said, “But that’s football. You’ve got to be ready when someone calls.”

Miller was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2009. Slowed by a shin injury his rookie campaign, he made his NFL debut on Oct. 10, 2010, reeling off a 46-yard punt return in the third quarter of the Raiders’ 35-27 win over San Diego. He was cut by Oakland on Oct. 1 of this season and signed by St. Louis six days later. The Rams waived him on Oct. 22 but re-signed him last week.

Miller has replaced an ineffective Austin Pettis as the Rams No. 1 punt returner. Danny Amendola, the Rams’ top kickoff and punt returner, had a season-ending elbow injury during the first game of the season.

Notes: Quarterback Sam Bradford and defensive end Chris Long did not practice Thursday. Both are bothered by ankle injuries and Bradford appeared to be limping. “When he came in this morning it went backward a little bit,” Spagnuolo said. “In an effort to get it forward, we shut him down.” A.J. Feeley took the first-team reps in practice and Spagnuolo said a decision on Bradford’s status for Sunday’s game at San Francisco will be made Friday. Long said he was held out of practice as a precautionary measure and plans to play Sunday at San Francisco. … Punter Donnie Jones and safety Darian Stewart worked out on a limited basis Thursday. Jones is bothered by a sore ankle. Stewart is trying to work through concussion-like symptoms.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

ST. LOUIS (AP)—Nick Miller(notes) could have been a hero.

If the St. Louis Rams had been able to make a tackle on Patrick Peterson’s(notes)
NFL record-tying fourth punt return for a touchdown this season, everyone would
have been raving about Miller’s electrifying 88-yard return for a score in the
first quarter of the Rams’ 23-20 loss to Arizona.

Miller became the first St. Louis player to return a punt for a touchdown
since Dante Hall(notes) ran one back 85 yards in a 35-7 loss to Dallas on Sept. 30,
2007. Miller’s gallop, which tied for the third longest punt return for a
touchdown in franchise history, was one of the few highlights in St. Louis’
ninth defeat in 11 games.

“If we don’t give up that punt return, everybody would be talking about
Nick Miller,” St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo said.

Instead, Miller’s run became an afterthought.

Miller went from couch potato to special teams standout in a matter of days.
Last Wednesday, four days before the game, he was at home in Arizona when the
injury-plagued Rams called.

“One minute I was laying on the couch, the next minute I’m in the end
zone,” Miller said. “A crazy week.”

Miller got the call at 2 p.m. and was on a plane to St. Louis three hours
later.

“It all happened so fast,” he said, “But that’s football. You’ve got to
be ready when someone calls.”

Miller was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2009.
Slowed by a shin injury his rookie campaign, he made his NFL debut on Oct. 10,
2010, reeling off a 46-yard punt return in the third quarter of the Raiders’
35-27 win over San Diego. He was cut by Oakland on Oct. 1 of this season and
signed by St. Louis six days later. The Rams waived him on Oct. 22 but re-signed
him last week.

Miller has replaced an ineffective Austin Pettis(notes) as the Rams No. 1 punt
returner. Danny Amendola(notes), the Rams’ top kickoff and punt returner, had a
season-ending elbow injury during the first game of the season.

Notes: Quarterback Sam Bradford(notes) and defensive end Chris Long(notes) did not
practice Thursday. Both are bothered by ankle injuries and Bradford appeared to
be limping. “When he came in this morning it went backward a little bit,”
Spagnuolo said. “In an effort to get it forward, we shut him down.” A.J.
Feeley(notes) took the first-team reps in practice and Spagnuolo said a decision on
Bradford’s status for Sunday’s game at San Francisco will be made Friday. Long
said he was held out of practice as a precautionary measure and plans to play
Sunday at San Francisco. … Punter Donnie Jones(notes) and safety Darian Stewart(notes)
worked out on a limited basis Thursday. Jones is bothered by a sore ankle.
Stewart is trying to work through concussion-like symptoms.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Last January, when the St. Louis Rams played the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West title, Chris Long wanted to play his best. No regrets, no what ifs.

After the loss, Long was motivated. Not haunted.

“I’m not that type,” Long said. “Some people say, ‘Well, you should be that type.’ That’s why I try to play really hard, so those things I can leave them on the field.”

Set to face the Seahawks for the first time since, that philosophy still applies for a player who’s developed into one of the NFL’s top pass rushers. Although for a much different reason.

Each team is having a stinker of a season.

Seattle (3-6) vs. St. Louis (2-7) long ago was slotted for a late afternoon marquee start. Instead, their total of five wins is the lowest among this week’s matchups.

There’s only so much any one player can do about that.

Long’s play has been a key to the Rams’ surge, most of it on defense, the last few games. Although it’s too late to save a season long gone sour, St. Louis finally bears some resemblance to the team that made a six-victory improvement in Year 2 under coach Steve Spagnuolo.

Since getting manhandled by the Packers and Cowboys by a combined 58-10, the Rams have two wins and an overtime loss. Long got three sacks in an upset over the Saints and is among the league leaders with eight, blossoming as a force against the run, too, in his fourth season since being taken with the second overall pick of the 2009 draft.

The Seahawks lost three of four to start the year, then dropped three of four again. They showed surprising life last week with a 22-17 upset of the Ravens, but are four games behind the 49ers in the West.

Time for a little commiserating from coach Pete Carroll, whose team has also been ravaged by injuries. Carroll referenced the Rams’ brutal early schedule and the Cardinals’ also-ran status.

Carroll thinks the Seahawks are a better team than last year’s 7-9 division champs, just a bit young. Nearly half of the roster is in its first season with the franchise.

“I think we’ve all started slowly, other than the Niners who got off to a racehorse start, and we didn’t,” Carroll said. “So we’ll see what happens. There’s a lot of ball left, a lot of games out there.”

Maybe, if they can keep playing like last week, when they capitalized on three turnovers and Marshawn Lynch’s second straight 100-yard rushing game to beat their second division leader. Besides scoring Seattle’s lone TD, Lynch had four big runs and a first-down catch in the drive that ran out the final 5:52.

“That’s pretty much the way you see the game being won, running out the clock being up like that,” Lynch said. “It just so happened it was against the Ravens. That one is done, now we have to get ready for this one.”

Lynch has consecutive 100-yard games for the first time in his career, a big boost for a run game ranked near the bottom of the NFL.

“He has a nasty stiff-arm and he’s explosive,” Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis said. “He’s looking to score every carry.”

And he’s about to go up against the NFL’s worst team against the run, although the Rams have held two of the last three opponents below 100 yards.

The Rams’ Steven Jackson can do Lynch one better. Still bowling over tacklers in his eighth season, the 240-pound Jackson has stepped up in an effort to prevent the season from total collapse, and has three straight 100-yard games.

“Steven Jackson is roaring,” Carroll said.

Though he’s missed most of three games, Jackson is ninth in the NFL with 707 yards rushing and a 5.1-yard average — the best of his career.

“Jack means everything to our offense,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “When Jack gets rolling, it just makes everything a lot easier for us. “

Not easy enough for Bradford, the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year last season who’s battled injuries and personnel turnover in his second season and is running the NFL’s lowest-scoring offense. Since returning from a high left ankle sprain that sidelined him for two games, Bradford has one TD pass and two interceptions.

Bradford has only four touchdown passes on the year and two of his top anticipated targets are on injured reserve (Danny Amendola) or elsewhere (Mike Sims-Walker, with the Jaguars). But he offers no excuses about what’s been a disappointing year.

“It’s obviously nowhere near where it needs to be,” Bradford said.

On Sunday, Nov. 13, the St. Louis Rams beat the Cleveland Browns 13-12 on kicker Josh Brown’s(notes) field goal with 7:42 left in the game. Steven Jackson rushed for 128 yards to lead the Rams.

Here are three thoughts on Sunday’s game:

More injuries batter St. Louis

The worst part of being a Rams’ fan in the past few years hasn’t been the losses, but the injuries. I’m getting tired of seeing multitudes of St. Louis players go down every year. This season alone, the Rams have seven defensive backs on injured reserve. The team came into this game missing valuable receivers Danny Amendola(notes) and Greg Salas(notes) for the year, while Danario Alexander(notes) was inactive for yet another game. This season has been hard to watch, and it only got worse during Sunday’s game.

Five Rams were injured in the game and didn’t return. It appears that cornerback Al Harris(notes) and tight end Michael Hoomanawanui(notes) have “significant” knee injuries and could be out for the season. Left tackle Rodger Saffold(notes) suffered a head injury and safety Darian Stewart(notes) hurt his neck. Carnell Williams(notes) also injured his calf. This is getting old.

Part of me wonders what’s going on with the strength and conditioning staff in St. Louis, but it seems like the injuries that took place on Sunday were simply part of the game. Nonetheless, I’m sick of seeing Rams players go down like this. I don’t think there is another team in the NFL this ravaged by injuries in the past three years.

Tale of two halves for Sam Bradford(notes)

I loved watching Sam Bradford play quarterback in the first half of the game. He was confident, stood tall in the pocket, and made some nice throws. However, after injuring his leg running for a first down in the third quarter, Bradford’s confidence seemed to disappear. All of the sudden his timing was off, and his passes were going everywhere. I wish the Rams would hire Bradford a quarterback’s coach. Bradford needs someone who can help him work his way through his on-field struggles.

Brandon Lloyd’s(notes) catch

There haven’t been many bright spots for the Rams’ receivers this season, but Brandon Lloyd provided one of those moments with his acrobatic 24-yard catch in the first quarter. Lloyd stretched in the air and caught Bradford’s pass with one hand while managing to get two feet in bounds. Lloyd is the kind of receiver the Rams need to re-sign in the offseason. The effort he makes on each play is something the team has needed all year.

Derek Ciapala has been a Rams fan since he was a child and the team was in Los Angeles. His favorite Rams moments include Flipper Anderson’s 336-yard receiving night against the Saints in 1989, and their miracle 1999 run to their first Super Bowl victory. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

As the Rams endure another painful season, many St . Louis football fans have speculated on what the hapless Rams might do in the 2012 NFL draft.

The 2012 NFL draft will have little drama at the top. Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck is the surefire No. 1 selection. He is a seemingly flawless NFL prospect and one many hapless teams covet.

IF the Rams had the No. 1 pick, some have speculated that Luck is the better choice than Bradford for St. Louis’ future.  In another vein, some fans have wondered whether Bradford is a true “franchise” quarterback.

The answer is undoubtedly and unequivocally yes. Bradford is a great quarterback and the cornerstone of this team’s future.

Bradford left Oklahoma after an injury-plagued 2009 season. He did win the 2008 Heisman Trophy, but suffered a shoulder injury the following season, prematurely ending his junior year.

Some people forget Bradford’s process heading up to the draft that year. His injury was scrutinized and analyzed. He never complained during the process. He answered all questions truthfully and has shown that his shoulder was healed through two seasons.

He had a near flawless pro day that some people compared to the famous Troy Aikman pre-draft workout.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/370778-sam-bradford-amazes-scouts-at-pro-day

It seems a bit early to judge Bradford after two seasons. In fact, it seems too early to judge him after just one up-and-down, injury-ridden season.

Remember that Bradford was the 2010 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. It seemed that the Rams had plenty of momentum heading into the 2011 season after nearly making the playoffs a year ago.

Keep in mind he began this season under the tutelage of a new offensive coordinator in Josh McDaniels and a new “west coast” system. Bradford and the offense did not have the offseason to perfect the new scheme due to the NFL labor stoppage.

Bradford is a franchise quarterback through and through. He has all the intangibles. He never speaks poorly of his teammates in the press. He seems to play with an even temperament no matter if things are going well or poorly. He is a great leader, and the Rams are lucky to have him at the most important position on their team.

The team has to continue to get better around Bradford going forward. Even with the addition of Brandon Lloyd from Denver, the receiving corps needs to be upgraded. The injuries to Danny Amendola and now Greg Salas haven’t helped Bradford’s situation, either.

Be patient St. Louis. You have a franchise quarterback. Andrew Luck might be a future star, but Sam Bradford is the right man for the job.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur worked two seasons as the Rams’ offensive coordinator for coach Steve Spagnuolo. Both men are branches of the Andy Reid coaching tree rooted in Philadelphia.

Both teams are experiencing difficult seasons.

Both teams have quarterbacks struggling and taking a physical beating in their second seasons while learning offensive systems new to them.

Both teams have had problems at offensive line and receiver.

When you examine the Browns (3-5) and Rams (1-7), you may be surprised at which team is having the rougher season.

Which quarterback is suffering more?

Believe it or not, it’s Sam Bradford. The Heisman Trophy winner and 2010 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year trails college rival Colt McCoy in completion percentage, yards, touchdowns, and passer rating.

Bradford has had to adjust from Shurmur’s West Coast offensive system to the more vertical philosophy brought by new coordinator Josh McDaniels. Protection breakdowns and lack of playmakers at receiver have put Bradford in harm’s way every game. His 25 sacks are five more than McCoy’s, even though Bradford missed two games with a high ankle sprain — the same injury which downed McCoy as a rookie.

Which team was more active in free agency?

The Rams. In the real first off-season of new owner Stan Kroenke, the Rams didn’t break the bank for a high-profile free agent but they did sign 12 experienced players, including running back Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, defensive tackle Justin Bannan and safety Quintin Mickell.

After injuries knocked out a couple of receivers, the Rams were the team that eventually traded for Brandon Lloyd, whom McDaniels made a star in Denver. Lloyd has been the Rams’ leading receiver in the three games since joining them.

Which team’s star running back has played through injuries?

That would be the Rams’ Steven Jackson. He suffered a pulled quad muscle on a 40-yard touchdown run in the season’s first game. The injury affected Jackson for three games. Recently, he has resembled his old Pro-Bowl self, running for 130 and 159 in the Rams’ past two games.

Which team has been more decimated by injuries?

The Rams. At least Jackson and Bradford are still active. Not so lucky were receiver Danny Amendola (dislocated elbow) and starting cornerbacks Ron Bartell and Bradley Fletcher, all of whom are out for the season. In fact, as many as eight cornerbacks have been on the team’s injured reserve list. Some have since been waived.

Which team’s coach is on the hot seat?

The Rams’. Spagnuolo is 9-31 in 2 1/2 seasons. After falling one win short of winning the NFC West Division last year, the Rams were pegged by many to claim the division in 2011.

Kroenke was persuaded by his football department to write the checks for the free-agent spending spree. Kroenke and his family also own the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and Arsenal FC of the English Premier League.

Spagnuolo’s tough season has gone largely unnoticed locally because of the euphoria that became the St. Louis Cardinals baseball season. But now that the World Series is over — and Kroenke’s NBA team is idle because of that sport’s owners lockout — some in St. Louis believe that the final eight games will dictate Spagnuolo’s future as Rams coach.

Browns add FB: The Browns re-signed fullback Eddie Williams to their practice squad. He was on their practice squad the first week of the season before Seattle signed him to its active roster. The Seahawks recently released him. To make room, the Browns released fullback Will Ta’ufo’ou from their practice squad.

When the Broncos fired him as head coach last year, Josh McDaniels had an 11-17 record. That included a 6-0 start in 2009.
(Jeff Curry, Getty Images
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GREEN BAY, Wis. — It was one misguided pass, thrown in one frustrating moment as part of one rough season.

But when the ball came to rest in the hands of Packers cornerback Sam Shields in the Green Bay end zone Sunday, it was another opportunity lost, another touchdown that evaporated, another reason for first-year St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to rub his face as if he were trying to make it all go away.

“There are always throws you want back,” Rams quarterback Sam Bradford said. “That’s obviously one I want back. We just have to find a way to change our mistakes into touchdowns. I think everyone’s comfortable with the plan. We just have to find a way to do better.”

When McDaniels was fired as Denver’s coach last December with an 11-17 record, the Broncos talked about restoring the “integrity” of a franchise with two NFL titles. They talked about rebuilding “the faith” of the fans and reconstructing the roster to “a championship level.”

But when McDaniels was hired by St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo to jump-start an offense on what had been considered a team on the rise, it looked like he had made out just fine.

The Rams were 7-9 in 2010, played for a postseason berth in the regular season’s final week and had a franchise quarterback in Bradford, a former Oklahoma star and the No. 1 pick of the 2010 draft.

Bradford passed for 308 yards and three touchdowns against McDaniels and the Broncos as a rookie, leading the Rams to a 36-33 victory in Denver.

Yet the Rams are 0-5 this season and rank last in the 32-team league in scoring, averaging only 9.8 points. Bradford is limping with a high ankle sprain he suffered on the final play of Sunday’s 24-3 loss to the Packers. He has been sacked more than any other quarterback in the league. The Rams gained 424 total yards against the defending Super Bowl champions but failed to score a touchdown.

“We’ve been able to move the ball

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up and down,” Bradford said, “but we just have so many mistakes, it doesn’t allow us to put the ball in the end zone. We’ve got to find a way to score touchdowns. The way we’ve played at times has been positive. We understand we can do that and there’s no reason, if we keep working, we can’t do that in the red zone, that we can’t score touchdowns.”

McDaniels has talked about getting it right, about the Rams trying to play their best football offensively in November and December. He has saluted Bradford’s resolve amid all the hits and emphasized the importance of Bradford continuing to stand in the pocket to make the necessary throws.

“We have to find a way to do better. Looking back doesn’t do you much good,” McDaniels said. “We’re going to find that formula.”

Even before the Packers sacked Bradford three times Sunday, Mc-Daniels said: “Every quarterback gets hit. And we want ours to be hit less, there’s no question about that. We’ve got to do a better job of making sure that happens. But that’s part of his job. He’s going to take some shots, and as a quarterback I don’t think there’s anything more satisfying than getting hit and making a play at the same time.”

Injuries have slowed the Rams’ progress. They lost wide receiver Danny Amendola for the year in Week 1 and lost running back Steven Jackson for several weeks after his first carry in the season opener.

The schedule has been brutal, with the Rams already having played the Redskins, Ravens, Giants, Eagles and Packers. Games against the Cowboys, 49ers (twice) and Saints remain. Looking for hired help, the Rams on Monday traded for wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, a Pro Bowler with the Broncos. Lloyd resurrected his NFL career when McDaniels brought him to Denver. He had 77 catches for 1,448 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010.

“As long as we keep grinding, grinding in this system — we know it works — there’s no reason it won’t come soon,” Bradford said.

“Josh came (into the Green Bay game) with a good game plan,” Jackson said. “These guys were ranked third against the run and we moved the ball. We think we can do better, especially in the red zone. We know we can, but we don’t accept losing or moral victories.”

Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com

That was the word Thursday from Rams running back Steven Jackson, who pointed to offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur’s offseason departure as a setback for a young offense.

“I’m not making any excuses, but we’re all still learning,” Jackson told reporters. “It would be different if we were still in the West Coast offense and you still had Pat calling the plays. I think you could be a little bit harsher on the performance of the offense, but when you have a bunch of young guys, you have some free agents and really only six weeks to try to jell this thing together, it’s hard.”

Other teams with young offenses and new coordinators are faring better. The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks come to mind. Those teams also have strong defenses, however. The Rams were supposed to have one, but they’ve struggled keeping games close, putting the offense in worse situations. It’s become a cycle.

Seattle and San Francisco failed to generate much offense in the first few games. Each team averaged about 214 yards per game through Week 3. The 49ers have averaged 430 yards per game since then. The Seahawks’ average has been 398 yards over the same period. The Rams’ totals have fallen over their last three games, as the chart above shows.

“We’re not asking for any pity parties, but what you’re seeing is some guys resorting back to things they’ve used in the past that’s just not matching up with the scheme,” Jackson said.

Injuries to Jackson and top receiver Danny Amendola have also hurt. Jackson said he’s now 100 percent, but Amendola, the one receiver the Rams could count on, is out for the season.

Jackson’s comments about the Rams’ youth invite scrutiny.

With the Rams 0-4 and the 49ers 4-1, I’ve put together a chart comparing ages for each team’s starters on offense. The Rams’ offensive starters are only slightly younger on average, and the gap would nearly disappear if Chilo Rachal, 25, were still starting for the 49ers at right guard, where Adam Snyder, 29, has taken over recently.

The 49ers, like the Rams, have had issues at receiver, losing Braylon Edwards, who has yet to return, and more recently Josh Morgan, who landed on injured reserve. Running back Frank Gore also suffered an ankle injury that limited him for one game.

Even though the 49ers’ offensive line struggled early in the season, quarterback Alex Smith has outproduced the Rams’ Sam Bradford. Smith gets some credit for that, obviously, but so do the 49ers, who have put him in better position, whether by scheme, a resurgent ground game or through strong defense and special teams.

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It seems like the Rams can never protect their quarterbacks.  Even when Marc Bulger played the position, St. Louis allowed far too many hits and sacks on its quarterback.

With Danny Amendola out for the season now, the Rams need to shift their passing game plan up as well.  Sam Bradford was at his best in 2010 when he rolled out away from the pressure in the pocket. 

While the Rams no longer use a west coast system, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels should employ a similar attack going forward.   This would prevent further hits on Bradford and help build offensive confidence with short, simple throws.