3 Reasons The St. Louis Rams Should Cheer For The Seattle Seahawks

For Rams Nation, the matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Redskins will be a tough one to watch. On one side of the football, you have a division rival; specifically, the only team in the NFC West to hand the St. Louis Rams a loss this season. On the other side, you have a team led by a quarterback that will forever be linked back to the Rams’ franchise, as well as the team that holds the keys to St. Louis’ second 1st round pick in the 2013 draft. For some, the hatred for one team or the other might cause your “cheering decision” to be swayed. But, for those who have yet to choose a side, here are three reasons to throw your support behind the Seattle Seahawks.

1. The Seattle Seahawks winning does nothing to effect the Rams in the coming year. However, they do represent St. Louis is a way, being in the same division and all. While intra-divisional games are heated, there is some pride to be taken when the rest of the teams are dominate. The farther the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks go in the playoffs, the more respect and recognition the NFC West will garner from around the league. The NFC East, on the other hand, already gets more attention and hype than they deserve. A win by the Washington Redskins not only means that we will have to listen to more media fawning over Robert Griffin III, but also about the East as a whole. No one wants to have to hear more about the Cowboys or the Eagles than absolutely necessary… no one.

2. Not only will a Seahawks win draw respect for the division, it will also drop their draft slot further down the board. In the first round, towards the middle and the end,  the unpredictability of teams’ selections increases exponentially. Trade ups and trade downs are much more likely, especially as you inch closer to the divide between the 1st and 2nd round. That means that “top guy” on your board could easily slip away. Granted,there is   that possibility anywhere in the draft, but the talent and “guarantees” of starting prospects significantly decline at that point.

3. Most importantly, you might cheer for the Seattle Seahawks simply because they happen to be the team playing against the Washington Redskins, who are currently holding the St. Louis Rams second 1st rounder hostage. The Rams have several major holes to fill, especially at safety, tackles, and outside linebacker. Unfortunately, this years draft is filled with more late round talents than Top 5 prospects in those respective positions, especially in the safety slots. A single-spot drop in the draft could be difference between nabbing the best available player at a position, or having to shift draft philosophies completely. You do not have to look too far into St. Louis’ drafting history to see that scenario play itself out. Think back to last season, after Jacksonville jumped the Rams and took Justin Blackmon off the board. The Rams went from drafting the number one wide receiver prospect to trading down eight spots and selecting a raw, run-stuffing defensive tackle. Clearly, the move works out for the best, especially considering the Rams got an additional second round from the Dallas Cowboys. Still, only the best players will be at the top of a Jeff Fisher/Les Snead draft board, so, the earlier the pick, the better. Moreover, should the Rams decide to trade away that second pick, the value of the return on that pick could significantly change from a low-20th to a late-20th…