St. Louis Rams
Offense
The Rams offense took a major hit when it lost Sam Bradford to a torn ACL for a second straight year, leaving the unit in flux and the quarterback’s future unknown. Bradford had been enjoying a strong preseason as he entered a make-or-break type of year in St. Louis.
Now the reins of the offense are passed onto veteran journeyman Shaun Hill, barring the team trading for a Mark Sanchez or Ryan Mallett.
There is some talent, though. Zac Stacy shined when he got a chance as a rookie, while second-year wideouts Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey are looking to make leaps and bounds in 2014. But without Bradford or a quality quarterback under the center, the offense is very limited.
Defense
St. Louis boasts arguably the best front four in football, beginning with Robert Quinn and Chris Long and now first-round pick Aaron Donald. This extremely deep and talented unit has a strong shot at leading the league in sacks.
It’s the second and third layers of the D that remain suspect. Linebacker Alec Ogletree needs to take his game up a notch, and corner Janoris Jenkins needs to be a more consistent player.
Outlook
Without Bradford, the Rams’ 2014 season loses most of its potential. The defense should remain stout, but the offense is going to be inconsistent week in and week out, which doesn’t bode well for a team competing against the likes of Seattle, Arizona and San Francisco.
This season, Jeff Fisher needs to find out which offensive players are ones he can build around. This offseason the team can invest in a top free-agent quarterback or go after one in the first round. With a defense so talented and some high-potential players on offense, the Rams are still not too far away from contention.
