Today is a sad day for Rams Nation, as legendary Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen has passed away at the age of 69. Olsen was diagnosed last year with malignant mesothelioma, and he passed on Thursday morning due to complications related to that illness. Olsen was a man who possessed multiple talents, but none shone brighter during his life than his ability on the field. He was chosen by the Rams as the third pick in the 1962 draft out of Utah State, and he decided to sign with the team after weighing an offer from the Denver Broncos of the AFL as well. Olsen was a force from the first day he stepped on the NFL field, as he managed to win the Rookie of the Year and make the Pro Bowl in his first season. Olsen would go on to make 14 Pro Bowls in his 15 years in the league, all of which were spent with the Rams, and he was also voted as an All-Pro ten of those seasons. He was named to the All-Decade team for the 1960’s and 1970’s, and he was enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame on August 7, 1982. Olsen was also voted as the 25th greatest player in NFL history by Sports Illustrated in 1999. Needless to say, Merlin Olsen’s influence on the Rams organization is impossible to put into words here on this blog.

Olsen’s influence extended long after he was done on the field, as he enjoyed a successful television career after his retirement in 1976. He served as a color commentator alongside Dick Enberg for NBC’s AFC football coverage throughout the 1980’s, and he also spent time acting on the television shows Little House on the Prairie and Father Murphy, just to name a few. He was given the Walter Camp Man of the Year award in 1982, and he was also named Athlete of the Century for the state of Utah.

Merlin Olsen was a proud member of Rams Nation, and our organization lost someone very special today. It would take all night to list all of his accomplishments, both on and off the field, but I hope this gives at least a little insight for some of our younger fans into how great he really was. He will never be forgotten by anyone who saw him play, or by anyone whose life was touched by this man. Rams fans should take some time to either remember Olsen or learn more about him over the next few days, because he deserves it. RIP Merlin Olsen 1940-2010.

That title’s not in bad taste, is it? Well either way, I have been getting a ton of questions about whether Michael Vick with be a Ram next season, so I thought I should make my opinion on the situation known. The team obviously needs a new quarterback for 2010, and it appears that Vick is interested in coming to the Gateway City. Would he be a good fit? The short answer is NO. I know Rams fans are excited about the possibility of Vick, and I know he would put butts in the seats, but he wouldn’t make us a better team. He did nothing last season to prove he is ready to be a starting NFL quarterback. If he was a free agent it would be different, but the Rams are not in a position to give up draft picks to get a guy who will be a mediocre stop-gap at best. We need a quarterback of the future, and Vick is not that guy. Even if the team doesn’t like any of the quarterbacks in this draft, there are better options out there. I’m still of the opinion that Sam Bradford or Jimmy Clausen are both poised to be very good NFL quarterbacks, but there are other guys already in the league who would be more worth a trade than Vick. St. Louis is already the laughingstock of the league, and bringing in the sideshow that is Mike Vick will only hurt our credibility even further. The team would be much better off drafting a quarterback and sticking with AJ Feeley as a mentor and Keith Null as a third-string project. For those of you who are still intrigued by Vick and what he had to say about the Rams, here is a link to his radio interview with the local ESPN affiliate in St. Louis from Tuesday.

Michael Vick Interview

The draft is getting on us pretty quickly now that spring is here, so let’s take some time to look at a few prospects and how they might fit for the Rams. Since the focus right now seems to be on who will be under center in St. Louis next season, it seems logical to start our preview with the quarterbacks. Marc Bulger’s days in the Lou appear to be numbered, and the newly signed AJ Feeley doesn’t appear to be the long-term answer if the team wants to improve next season. Although this particular draft class is widely regarded as weak at the QB position, here are a few guys to keep an eye on in late April.

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma

Positives: Bradford was widely regarded as the concensus top pick in this class before the season began, as he was coming off a Heisman Trophy season as a sophomore. His size at 6-4, 225 is maybe his biggest selling point, and he has reportedly put on a decent amount of bulk over the last year. He is deadly accurate in the pocket, and he has shown the ability to hit his receivers on the run as well. His arm strength isn’t elite, but he has more than enough to make every NFL throw.  He is a good leader, and his coaches and fellow players at Oklahoma have raved about his ability to remain calm under pressure.

Negatives: The questions on Bradford are widely known at this point. He missed nearly all of the 2009 season after injuring his shoulder in a game against BYU. He is still recovering at this point, and he did not participate in Oklahoma’s Pro Day. He will hold a private workout on March 25, so that day will be his one and only chance to prove he is ready for the league. The other knock on Bradford is his ability to take snaps under center. He worked out of the shotgun in Oklahoma’s spread offense in college, and we have seen college players have numerous difficulties making the transition to an NFL-style offense in the past.

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame

Positives: Clausen comes from a pro-style offense at Notre Dame, and started for the team for nearly three full seasons. He plays with fire and passion, and he is a vocal leader in the huddle. His size isn’t overwhelming at 6-2, 223, but he measured out slightly taller at the combine than most people expected. He is an accurate passer and possesses adequate arm strength, so he shouldn’t have any problems making the required NFL passes. He has been in the spotlight since his high school days, so he will be prepared to handle the rigors of the NFL.

Negatives: Clausen, like Bradford, is coming off an injury, but his situation is less serious since it is a seemingly minor issue with his toe that he played through for most of the season. His maturity has been questioned, and he will have to prove he is capable of running an NFL team. He isn’t the physical specimen that Bradford is, and his athleticism and mobility are just average.

Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan

Positives: LeFevour is an excellent athlete who proved to be just as capable running the ball as throwing it. He has good size at 6-3, 230, and he has no problem seeing over the line to complete his passes. His accuracy was outstanding in 2009, as he completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 28 touchdowns to only seven picks. He started for four seasons at CMU, and he was an Academic All-American in 2008.

Negatives: LeFevour has little-to-no experience in a pro-style offense, and he will have to transition to taking snaps under center at the next level. His arm strength is just average, so he won’t be wowing anyone with his deep throws. He comes from a smaller program and he hasn’t played much against elite college defenses. He will have to prove that he can be an accurate passer down the field.

Jevan Snead, Ole Miss

Positives: Snead was highly touted coming out of high school, and he possesses all of the physical tools to be a successful quarterback. His arm strength is outstanding, and he is a solid athlete who won’t be a liability in the pocket. He finished the 2008 season with six straight wins and a 16:3 TD/INT ratio.

Negatives: Snead regressed last season, as he struggled with his reads and his poise in the pocket. Many people are questioning his technique, but his mechanical flaws could be fixed in the right NFL system. He throws too many interceptions, and his mental toughness is maybe the biggest question mark going into this draft.

Overall, Bradford and Clausen are the top guys here, and while I have been a Clausen guy for most of the season, I am starting to like Bradford more and more. If the Rams decide to pass on a QB with the first pick, guys like LeFevour and Snead could be options later in the draft. I like LeFevour quite a bit, but he will be more of a project that won’t be ready to contribute for a few seasons. Snead could be a steal later in the draft because of his physical gifts, but there are a ton of questions surrounding him right now. The Rams need a quarterback, and unless they trade out of that top pick, look for Bradford or Clausen to be that guy.

NFL free agency officially kicked off over the weekend, and while the Rams haven’t made any major splashes as of yet, they have managed to add a few pieces for the 2010 season. The team inked former Eagles QB A.J. Feeley to a two-year deal in the opening hours of free agency, and today the team announced that they have agreed to a three-year deal with former Giants DT Fred Robbins.

The Feeley signing isn’t going to solve the QB troubles in St. Louis, but he has proven to be a capable NFL backup in his 10 seasons, throwing for 4,070 yards and 27 touchdowns to go along with 29 picks. He is very familiar with the offense after working with OC Pat Shurmur in Philly earlier in his career, and he should provide a veteran presence at the position, which could come in very handy if the Rams decide to go QB with the first pick.  

The Robbins signing could have a much more significant impact on the organization this season. He is a 6-4, 325 pound tackle who has proven to be a disrupting force in the middle over his 10 seasons in the league. He worked with Coach Spags in New York for two seasons, and he managed to record 11 sacks and 79 tackles during that time. Robbins is getting up there in age at 32, but he has been durable over his career, missing just three games over the last eight seasons. The team wants to get big in the trenches on both sides of the ball, so this move certainly helps out that goal.

Overall, both moves will add some nice depth to positions of need, and the Robbins move could be an excellent one if Spags can get the same production from the big man that he got in New York. It will be interesting to see how these moves affect the team’s draft strategy, as both seem to point to the Rams taking a QB at number one. Feeley would be an excellent mentor for a rookie QB, as he is intimately familiar with the offense here in St. Louis and is comfortable with serving in a backup role. Robbins is the huge DT the Rams have been needing in the middle, and his arrival could mean the team is less desperate to upgrade at the position early in the draft. This by no means guarantees a QB with the pick, as Suh and McCoy both remain very much in the mix, but signs are starting to point to Bradford or Clausen.

On another note, former CB Jonathan Wade has inked a deal with the Lions, so we won’t be seeing him in the horns next season. For more info on everything Rams, follow me on Twitter @RamblinFan.

I was recently emailed by Andrew Crocker, the lead blogger for the Kansas City Chiefs blog, Arrowhead Addict.  He asked me my opinion on what I believed the Rams would do with the first overall pick.  My response was pretty well thought out, so I figured I’d post it if that is okay with him:

The Rams currently hold the first overall pick for the first time since 1997 (which as we all know, isn’t a bad thing in any way, shape or form) so they obviously are going to do everything they can to not mess up this opportunity.  Back in 1997, rather than picking up a big time skill position player, they went with the safest prospect in the draft with Orlando Pace, a solid offensive tackle out of Ohio State who had great size, very proven, and ultimately was set up for a solid NFL career.  Pace went on to become one of the best offensive lineman in the history of the Rams, so it only makes sense the Rams will look to invest their money in a solid player that they can have zero doubts regarding their ability to perform at the pro level.

Using that logic, there is only really one position that the Rams are most likely not evaluating for the first overall pick, that being running back.  The mix of Steven Jackson and the overall lack of a proven running back puts the position far off the Rams radar.  This of course leaves every single other position open for discussion.  However, there is not a doubt in my mind that the Rams will draft Suh with the first overall pick.  He was an absolute beast in college and a terror for everyone that attempted to guard him.  Most big time defensive tackles draw double teams, allowing the other defensive players to have an easier time getting into the backfield.  Suh on the other hand draws the double team and still makes the play.  Although quarterback is most likely this team’s biggest need, there isn’t really anyone in the draft that experts are considering good enough to use the first overall draft pick on.  All year I believed Sam Bradford to be that player, but now there is a severe question mark in the health department.  So as far as Claussen goes, I’m guessing there is a 90% chance that when the Rams take the first player off the board, Claussen will still be available.

So yeah, I believe they will go with Suh.  All signs are pointing towards it and it really is the only logical choice.  As far as the Clausen comment, Crocker wanted to know whether I believed the Rams would have interest in Claussen or not.