Another season, another losing record.
It seems to be the norm now in St. Louis with the Rams, but don't worry, sunny days are ahead... warm, Southern California sunny days maybe, but sunny nonetheless.
There's no hiding the fact that the Rams are one of the teams (if not the team) favored to move to Los Angeles. After all, owner Stan Kroenke is part of the team looking to build a new NFL stadium in Inglewood, Calif. So, unless he is looking to move the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League out to the West Coast, things could get awkward fast in St. Louis.
But let's forget about that for now, Rams fans. This is an article that's supposed to help you look at the bright side of things! So here we go.
The Defenders
The Rams' offensive struggles have been a key sticking point in recent years, so it's easy to overlook what they've done on the other side of the ball. The Rams defense is on the verge of becoming one of the best in the league. In 2013, the Rams finished third in the league in sacks with 53, but finished tied for 13th last year with just 40. Don't forget, though, that they were without defensive end Chris Long for 10 games.
With Long back in the fold, the Rams will have one of the toughest defensive lines to deal with in 2015, especially when you factor in Robert Quinn and Defensive Rookie of the Year Aaron Donald. Quinn, at just 24 years old, has 40 sacks in the past three years, and Donald finished last season with nine. Plus, you have James Laurinaitis and Alec Ogletree patrolling the field at the linebacker position. If the Rams can find some stability at the quarterback position, they could easily threaten the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West crown.
And speaking of quarterback...
Return of Bradford
Guess who's back... back again... Bradford's back... tell a friend.
That's right. Sam Bradford is coming back in 2015 (at least that's what the Rams are saying right now). That may seem like depressing news for Rams fans given that Bradford has played just seven games over the last two years due to two ACL tears in his knee, but it might not be as bad as you think.
First of all, the Rams' quarterback situation last year was embarrassing. The quarterback duo of Austin Davis and Shaun Hill made the Cleveland combo of Hoyer-Manziel look like Montana-Young. While Davis put up some big numbers from time to time, you knew he wasn't the franchise quarterback ready to lead your team for the next 10 years (although I'm sure many fans were hoping Davis was going to be Kurt Warner 2.0). Hill has been a journeyman his entire NFL career, and unless the Rams fall head over heels with a quarterback in the draft, Bradford is going to be your man under center heading into next season.
But that's all right. First of all, he's had the ACL in his knee repaired twice now, so third times a charm, right? Plus, Bradford put up some decent numbers prior to his injuries. In 2012 he finished the year with 3,702 passing yards to go along with 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The following year, Bradford started seven games before getting hurt against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7 and threw for 14 touchdowns and just four interceptions during that time.
While Bradford's health is the main question mark for the Rams heading into 2015 (aside from their future in St. Louis) he's the best option going forward, even if he is just a stopgap. If Bradford can be a solid game manager and let the defense do their thing, the Rams could find themselves back in the postseason.
Dr. Tre
Even if your quarterback situation is touch and go right now, you have to be happy with the young running back you have in Tre Mason. The Auburn product finished his rookie season with 765 rushing yards and four touchdowns in just 12 games. Decent numbers for a rookie, but what was more impressive was that the Rams were 4-0 in games where Mason had 18-plus rush attempts, including wins over the Seahawks and Broncos. Look for the Rams to rely heavily on Mason next year as Bradford eases back into the offense. Based on how Mason played this year, he'll be up to the task.
There you have it, St. Louis fans. I know the postseason feels like a lifetime ago, but this team has all the pieces necessary to be a legitimate playoff contender next season. So enjoy 2015 because... well...
Just enjoy it, ok?
Colin J. Liotta is a Digital Features Editor at NFL.com. He's also a lover of comic books and abides by Dr. Egon Spengler's warning not to cross the streams. You can follow him on Twitter @TheSportsHero.
