Biggest '06 Needs?

[Bennett4prez]

Hey, I'm putting together a Mock Draft for the 2006 season (bi-weekly: check out the College Sports forum). So, I'm going around to each team's forum and asking the hometown fans what they believe their team's biggest weakness is. So, without any further adieu...

What do you think the Rams biggest weakness(es) are for the '06 season?

THANKS!

[ampant]

We obviously have a stacked offense. Set at QB, RB, and WR. Shoring up the o-line would be nice, cause Bulger gets sacked plenty. But our biggest need is a defense. We haven't been able to but anything together defensively since the 2000 season.

Playerwise, I think we are hurting for a good corner (or two). Our seconday sucks. If it weren't for the fact that we had a good offense, we would be giving up more passing yards than the niners. Last offseason they didn't bring in any CB help, and the only decent player we had (Jerametrius Butler) was out for the year. WTF? We let Dre Bly go and lost Aeneas Williams to age. Our 3rd CB was out for the year, so we started off with 4th and 5th string guys starting because we didn't bother replacing the guys we lost.

Look at the years we went to the super-bowl. When we won, we had the 2nd rated defense in overall yards. The second time (when we lost), we had an pretty good defense with a good defensive coordinator, but our offense was good enough to get us there. Lets get a defense.

[ABC]

IMO:

The biggest need is a new Defensive Co-Ordinator!! Marmie just plane SUCKS!!

A new head coach besides Martz would also be nice. I think Martz is a great O.C and a pretty good HC, but his time has come in ST Louis and I think it's time to move on.

I would actually like to see Vitt stay as our HC, at least for one more year. To see what he could do with a full year and training camp behind him.

I'll break it down by position:

OL: Pace, Nutten, McCollum, Timmerman, and Barron.
* The addition of Barron has helped the right side of the line. We'll have to wait and see what Incognito can do to help interject some youth into our o-line. I think we need to draft another center, right guard or left guard since those guys are getting old.

QB: Bulger
* We don't need another qb or back-up qb. Not unless the HC plans to call 60 plus passing attempts per game.

RB: S.Jackson
* No need for another rb either. Faulk is a good back-up option and our problems stem more from needed rushing attempts then the actual player.

WR: Holt, Bruce and Curtis
* No need for another wr. We had so many quality ones that Furry got moved to the defensive side of the ball.

TE: Manumaleuna
* I would actually like to see the Rams get a te that can block and be a weapon in receiving the ball. Kinda like Gates, Witten, or Shockey.

K: Wilkins
* just signed a long term contract, so no need for a kicker.

----------------

DL: Little, Pickett, Kennedy and Hargrove
* Solid DL's, but besides Little, no other all-star potentials. Pickett is a free agent this year, so we might lose him. So getting a dominant run stopping, huge, defensive line-man to clog the middle would be very helpfull.

LB: Clairborne, Coakley and Tinoisamoa
* We have a solid group of lb's, but would like to see a younger, more athletic one to compliment Pisa. Draft someone like Derrick Johnson.

DB's: Archuleta, Furrey, Groce, and Fisher
* this is our biggest need eventhough we drafted several last year. I would like to see the Rams not draft project db's, but ones that can already play and are bigger/taller. Archuleta is also a free agent so we might also lose him.

ST: This unit has played okay, but would like to see more production out of the return aspect. This would help in givin' us much better starting field position.

http://www.nfl.com/teams/depthcharts/STL

[ABC]

* bump *

[TBONED]

One of the biggest needs I see AND the quikest way to turn this team around is the defense.

Starting with the head coach AND the Def. Coordinator. They are gone. You can bring back Ditka, Don Shula, John Madden who cares ....I'll coach. Anyone else but the current regime.

This is where I have butted heads with people, but I see no other way with the playeers we have on defense. Take Leonard Little and put him at middle linebacker. I'll let you think about that for a minute..................................................................................................................OK, reason being, he IS the best playmaker on the field on defense. His sack totals have dropped off since Wistrom left. Claiborne and Coakley were supposed to stop the run...they didn't. Besides Tinoisamoa, we do not have any LBs that can put a hit on a runner, blocker, or receiver.

I know this won't happen, especially with the success Little HAD at DE. But, he could be a monster for the remaining years of his career if he made the switch back to the position he played in college. My honest opinion.....he is being wasted on this defensive line, with the slugs that he has had to lineup with since Wstrom left.

[ABC]

Well, now we need a new coach,

Our o-line looks pretty good with Pace, Terrell, McCollum, (possible) Incognito, and Barron

We are set @ the QB, RB and WR position.

We need players that can tackle on the defensive side of the ball. If they can not do a better job, then I say "cut" them.

I like hope that we can get either via free agency or the draft, a fs, mlb, and another interior lineman to man the middle.

[IRON CHEF]

Linehan is in place and although I think there were some better options out there he looks to be a promising newcomer in the coaching ranks. Jim Haslett was a fantastic addition as DC. He has the head coaching experience to help Linehan along the way. Over Marmie he should be a huge upgrade in making the defense tougher and less predictable, and he won't have to worry about offense where he has often made poor playcalls in the past. I'm not fond in the new OC Olsen very much at all, but at least he won't be the one calling the plays. Both line coaches are gone too; offensively we should look for an upgrade to our predictable blocking schemes, and defensively we need to find someone with experience who can develop some of our dissapointing guys(Pickett, Lewis, Kennedy) and develop them like the former coach did with guys like Zgonina, Young, Wistrom, and Fisher.

Our offense is perenially solid and I expect nothing less in 2006. With the progress of Barron and Terell last year our immediate concerns are out of the way and we can go after a solid o-lineman in the mid rds for the future. TE is a big target, I would love to get a playmaker here, and Maryland's Vernon Davis looks like the guy. He is athletic and has potential reminiscent of Gates.

Most would agree our defense has been mediocre the past couple years, but we have the talent in place to execute if wise choices are made through the draft and free agency. The linebackers and cornerbacks in particular could use some supplementing. If a dominating linebacker like Hawk or Ryans is available in the first they would be great additions, not to mention versatile cornerbacks/safeties Huff and Williams. Luckily the '06 draft should have many solid players at such positions sneak into the 2nd rd such as D'quell Jackson, Abdul Hodge, and Darnell Bing.