After a truly dismal 2011 season, the St. Louis Rams rang in the New Year by firing head coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney. The team ended the season 2-14 and I think the whole situation could push the team to move to Los Angeles. We’re eager to get a team here, with two competing stadium projects (Farmers Field and Los Angeles Stadium at Grand Crossing) ready to start construction, once a team is named. In addition to their poor record and recent personnel changes, the Rams have issues with their stadium and I think it could all combine to form a “perfect storm” that could bring the team back to L.A.

The Rams poor results speak for themselves and I agree with the decision to make changes. Rams owner Stan Kroenke is a smart businessman and didn’t get to be a billionaire by making bad decisions. The team was 10-38 in the three seasons under Spagnuolo and Devaney. Devaney has been there a bit longer than Spagnuolo, and the team was 12-52 in his four years as GM. After a horrible 1-15 season in 2009, the Rams seemed to make a comeback in 2010, going 7-9 and finishing second in the NFC West. But then after coming into the season with high expectations, the bottom dropped out and here we are.

Now that the 2011 regular season is over, I think we will see another big announcement from the team very soon, and that announcement just may be the return of the Rams to Los Angeles. The Rams left Los Angeles due to stadium issues, but now we’re looking at a situation that would bring them into a brand new stadium. I’m sure this is an attractive proposition, given the Rams are having issues with their current stadium. The Rams have played in Edward Jones Stadium since their move from Los Angeles in 1995. Although not very old, the stadium needs upgrades and is not comparable to a brand new facility. They currently have a deal that forces St. Louis to come up with a viable stadium renovation plan by March 2015, or the team is able to accept an offer to move. The city must inform the team of the plan by February 2012, which is rapidly approaching. The Rams have not yet been presented a stadium plan from the city.

AEG, the developer of the Farmers Field NFL stadium, proposed for downtown Los Angeles, has confirmed the Rams as one of the five teams they’ve had formal discussions with. Rams owner Stan Kroenke (who also owns the Colorado Avalanche and the Denver Nuggets) has done business with AEG in the past, and has even bought teams from them. He is also friends with AEG owner Philip Anschutz, which would seem to make the deal easier to put together. Mr. Kroenke was part of the successful effort in 1995 to bring the team to St. Louis and helped put together a deal that had the city pay $260 million to get the team to move there. But if he can make a large profit on the the move and create much higher revenue for the team by moving them, I think he will do it. And as an L.A. football fan, I know the city would welcome their return, more so than moving a team here from another city.

Although born and raised with Eagles fans in Philadelphia, Freddy Sherman has always been a citizen of Raider Nation at heart. Since his dad got him a signed George Blanda football as child, to meeting Lyle Alzado in the 1980s, he hasn’t looked back. Follow him on twitter @thefredsherman

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Rams owner E. Stanley Kroenke released a statement this morning thanking both for their dedication, adding that no one is to blame for the team’s, quote, “disappointing” season.

More from stlouisrams.com.

Spagnuolo coached the team for the past three seasons after being named coach on Jan. 17, 2009. He was 10-38 in his time with the team. 

Devaney was named general manager on Christmas Eve of 2008 after joining the team in February of that year as Executive Vice President of Player Personnel. 

Rams owner E. Stanley Kroenke issued the following statement this morning. 

“I would like to personally thank Steve and Billy for their dedication to the St. Louis Rams organization over the past several seasons. This was a difficult decision for many reasons. We have tremendous respect for Steve and Billy as people and football professionals. 

“No one individual is to blame for this disappointing season and we all must hold ourselves accountable. However, we believe it’s in the best interest of the St. Louis Rams to make these changes as we continue our quest to build a team that consistently competes for playoffs and championships. We wish Steve, Billy and their families the very best in the future and thank them again for their commitment to our organization and the city of St. Louis.”

The search for a new head coach and general manager is already underway.  

(Copyright 2012 by VERTEXNews/Newsroom Solutions)

The team made the announcement Monday, a day after the team wrapped up a 2-14 season that tied for the NFL’s worst.

The Rams made a six-win improvement last season and played for the NFC West title in the finale, but were just 10-38 overall in three seasons with Spagnuolo and Devaney calling the shots. Devaney joined the front office in 2008. In his four years as GM, the Rams were 12-52.

Owner Stan Kroenke fired both men with one year remaining on their contracts, and with fan interest dwindling. The Edward Jones Dome was been about half-filled much of the year.

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is doubtful for the regular season finale against the San Francisco 49ers. Bradford has missed five games with a high ankle sprain. Bradford is actually in an interesting position. If he plays and helps his team win, he might actually save his job. If the Rams lose, they might wind up with the top pick in the draft. That means the team is likely to draft Andrew Luck and jettison Bradford. But as much as Bradford might want to play, the likelihood is that he will be on the sidelines once again.

Bradford has not returned to practice with the Rams in the week leading up to the Week 17 contest against the San Francisco 49ers. He was hoping to push toward playing but with the game just a few days away, the chances are slim to none. Bradford has been battling the ankle injury for much of the season. The five games he missed haven’t come in succession. Bradford missed Week 6 and Week 7 but returned. He aggravated the injury again and missed more time. He last played on December 12 when the Rams faced the Seattle Seahawks. Given the nagging nature of his injury, it seems all but certain that the Rams will sit him in the final game. That means that veteran Kellen Clemens will start once again for the lowly Rams.

Bradford had a nice rookie season in 2010 but he has been a disaster in 2011. He has just six touchdown passes on the season. The Rams have the worst scoring offense in the NFL and the prevailing thought is that the team will go in a new direction. Just two years after Bradford was selected first overall in 2010, he could be out of a job if the Rams select Luck with the top pick. St. Louis will get the top pick if they lose and the Indianapolis Colts win. If that happens, the team will certainly move Bradford. Even if the Rams earn the second pick, there is a chance that a new coaching staff could move the quarterback. 2011 has been a cruel year for Bradford on the football field. It looks like he won’t get a shot at redeeming himself in the final game.

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On Monday, Dec. 26, reports surfaced that St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke is prepared to hire A.J. Smith as the team’s general manager if he is let go by the San Diego Chargers. Smith would replace Billy Devaney in the Rams front office.

I hope this rumor isn’t true. Smith is an accomplished general manager who did an outstanding job building the Chargers from the ground up. However, he also has a huge ego and has failed to reach the Super Bowl despite having one of the NFL’s most talented rosters for the past seven years.

I’m sure some Rams fans would be happy at this point just to reach .500. However, the franchise has had its issues over the years with people in positions of power within the front office. All I need to do is recall the exploits of John Shaw, Jay Zygmunt and Mike Martz. The dysfunction that took place in the Rams front office during their tenure literally ripped apart a championship-caliber team. I don’t want to see a repeat performance, and I think that would happen if the Rams hire A.J. Smith.

Despite building a roster full of Pro Bowl talent, Smith’s inability to get along with people has hurt his football teams. In Feb. 2007, Chargers president Dean Spanos fired one of the best coaches in the NFL, Marty Schottenheimer, because he had a dysfunctional relationship with Smith. The Chargers did this despite finishing their season with a 14-2 record. The team hired the mediocre Norv Turner to take his place, and the Chargers have gone downhill ever since.

In the meantime, Smith has struggled to get along with his own players. He alienated future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson prior to his departure to the New York Jets, and even now Smith has a more combative style than most general managers in professional football.

One of the players Smith has clashed with, Vincent Jackson, told FoxSports.com that he wasn’t certain if the Chargers were “only team that deals with (animosity from the GM) but it’s something that’s been around.”

With Smith’s inability to get along with others, it doesn’t sound like he’s the right person to stabilize the Rams franchise. I firmly believe the team needs to hire an excellent football man as general manager. However, Smith isn’t the man for the job unless we’re willing to live through the dysfunction that will likely come with him.

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.

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