Dec 2, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans tight end Jared Cook (89) catches a pass against Houston Texans safety Danieal Manning (38) during the first half at LP Field. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-US Presswire

If you had a craving for some NFL news, yesterday was surely a full helping of non-stop free agent action. While there are still several big name players yet to strike a deal, the big chuck of the “Tier A” guys had their names called out yesterday during the madness. The chaos will likely continue throughout today as well, with players flying into their perspective future cities for physicals and interviews with coaching staffs and front office personnel. While we have yet to get the details of any of those deal, there is plenty to talk about from yesterday alone. So, who were the “winners” and “losers” on opening day?

Cleveland Browns: Winner

Landing a player like Paul Kruger at a reasonable 5-year/$40M tag would be more than enough to send Cleveland into the win column, but they made much more of a splash than that on opening day. They swooped up Desmond Bryant and, according to Adam Schefter, signed Quentin Groves early this morning. The linebacking core was the top issue that needed to be addressed in The Land, and they have done more than enough to fill that quota. Their free agency opening day might get even sweeter if the reports are true from Jason LaCanfora.

Browns could still make more deals today. Have some interest in Redskins TE Fred Davis

— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) March 13, 2013

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Baltimore Ravens fans celebrate after a victory against the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Baltimore Ravens: Loser

Talk about turning over a roster, the Baltimore Ravens are, at least currently, a shell of the team we saw win the Super Bowl a little over a month ago. With Ray Lewis (retiring), Paul Kruger (to division rival, Browns), and Dannell Ellerbe (to Dolphins) all moving on to greener pastures, the position that has been a strength for the last decade is now riddled with holes. To add insult to injury, there are talks that the San Francisco 49ers are courting Ed Reed, after swiping Anquan Boldin for a 6th rounder and $10 gift card to Walmart. Free agency is still very young and the Draft is only a month away, but as of right now, the Ravens look to have gone from first to worst in the AFC North (unless Joe Flacco can play linebacker)…

… Oh yea, and…

Ravens release Bernard Pollardbit.ly/ZIcMRI#NFL #Ravens

— The Redzone (@TheRedzoneorg) March 13, 2013

Bradley Fletcher: Winner

Fletcher will be sorely missed in St. Louis, but had be moved into a smaller and smaller role in the defense with the emergence of Trumaine Johnson. The trouble with a new coaching staff is that they tend to like “their guys” to be on the roster, and Fletcher was merely the draftee of an era in St. Louis that is long, long past. However, with the release of Nnamdi Asomugha, Fletcher will likely be handed the reins to the starting slot in Philadelphia, and with good reason. Fletcher, when healthy, is a stud at cornerback and hopefully has a long, bright future in the league. There are very few win-win situations in NFL free agency, but this is definitely one of those rare cases. Cheers!

Tennessee Titans: Winner

For St. Louis Rams’ fans, the Titans should get the “winner” designation for simply not giving the franchise tag to Jared Cook. However, Fisher’s old stomping ground did very well for themselves yesterday, landing the top interior lineman and the top blocking/utility tight end in the class. While, Andy Levitre would have looked very nice with Blue and Gold horns, his 5-year, $39M contract is likely more than the St. Louis Rams would have been willing to pay to “sure up” the interior of the offensive line. However, Delanie Walker is a huge steal from the San Francisco 49ers, and will fit much nicer in the Titans’ new offensive scheme than Jared Cook had over the past couple of seasons. Assuming the Titans can snag some help at wide receiver in the next couple of months, they will have quietly had one of the better offseasons in the league.

Dec 16, 2012; Arlington, TX, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Mike Wallace (17) runs after a catch against Dallas Cowboys cornerback Mike Jenkins (21) at Cowboys Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Dolphins: Loser

The Miami Dolphins have clearly taken a page from the “2011 Philadelphia Eagles: Offseason Game Plan,” throwing HUGE money and anyone and anything at a position of need. While the fans in Miami are likely celebrating the bold offseason moves, the ‘Fins are taking an approach that has had limited success in recent years. The oft-troubled Mike Wallace landed a $60M contract, coming off season with where he posted 3-year lows in yards, yards per catch average, and receptions for first downs, despite being targeted a career-high 119 times in Pittsburgh. The Dolphins did make a good pickups in Dannell Ellerbe (5-year/$35M) and Philip Wheeler (5-year/$26m), but did so at the compromise of essentially releasing their entire linebacking core from ’12. They also will likely be losing their starting left tackle, Jake Long, and starting running back, Reggie Bush, as well as having already lost their top scorer from 2012 in their tight end, Anthony Fasano, to the Kansas City Chiefs. They also lost the battle for Jared Cook, and are now courting Dustin Keller from New York, as reported this morning by Adam Schefter. Half of the battle in free agency is maintaining essential pieces that are already on your roster, and Miami, if nothing else, is surely losing in that area…

Atlanta Falcons: Winner

On the opposite end of that spectrum, the Atlanta Falcons definitely chose the “home grown” approach, re-signing Brent Grimes and Sam Baker, and getting lucky with the return of Tony Gonzalez to the roster. While, they have yet to make a huge splash in free agency, the Falcons are sitting pretty under the cap, and have all of the “essential” position on the roster from last season locked up. If the Falcons can land Steven Jackson and a perennial defensive lineman, Atlanta will have to be in contention for the “Best Offseason” award, barring the results of the NFL Draft. Again, re-signing your own free agents is never a flashy move, but it is one that the year-to-year, dominate teams have mastered. Consistency in the NFL is everything, and the Falcons definitely started off free agency on the right note.

Yet to be decided…

Minnesota Vikings: Losing Percy Harvin will be big, but snagging a 1st rounder in 2013 and a 3rd in 2014 is pretty good compensation to send off a player that has been a thorn in the organization’s side since he was drafted. The Vikings were able to maintain Jerome Felton and Phil Loadholt, which should be welcome news to Adrian Peterson, and got Erin Henderson signed on for another two years. However, they were forced to release Antoine Winfield, and have yet to make any moves to help Christian Ponder and their non-existent passing game. Minnesota might be looking at the 2013 NFL Draft for the answer, but for now, it is hard to say they aren’t leaning towards the “loss” column.

St. Louis Rams: Jermelle Cudjo and William Hayes will be two of the more underrated re-signings in the league, both being an integral part of the defensive line rotation that led the NFL in sacks last season. St. Louis made much bigger news by winning the battle for Jared Cook, who will (hopefully) reach his potential paired next to Lance Kendricks in the Rams’ offense. The Rams will also have both Jake Long and Louis Delmas in town today to discuss a deal, although nothing has been announced at this point. Even with the signing of , essentially, three new starters to the team, it is still yet to be known how the team will handle the likely loss of Steven Jackson and Danny Amendola. Despite hopes that the answers are already on the roster, there is no tangible evidence that Richardson, Pead, or Quick will progress quickly enough to compensate for that drop-off in production in the 2013 season. Again, the offseason is young, and with three picks in the Top 46 in the 2013 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams could come out with a substantially younger and more talented roster. However, at this point, the jury is still out, with unarguable holes at outside linebacker, safety, and wide receiver.

New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers: Did they oversleep the 4:00 pm alarm yesterday? Both of these teams’ offseason success will hinge on the signing and/or re-signing of a handful of cornerstone players.

Jul 30, 2012; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron runs with his squad during training camp at the Cleveland Browns training facility. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

For the last couple of weeks, Rams Nation has debated the “hiring” of Rob Ryan as defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams. Many optimists wondered what Ryan could do when handed the keys to an already dominate defensive roster. Others were more pessimistic, relishing in the fact that Ryan has never transformed a defense into a “top” unit in the league. The one point that all sides seemed to agree on was the reluctancy to convert the defense from the current 4-3 base (or, more accurately, a 4-2 base) to the 3-4 base that Ryan had primarily used in both Cleveland and Dallas.

The hire threw a wrench in several mock drafts, with mocker transitioning from a first round focused on the offensive line to one that helped in the transformation of the defense to it’s new perceived scheme. The St. Louis Rams have two starting-caliber NFL linebackers on their current roster, and very little depth at the position, if any at all. Running out of the 3-4 base means that the Rams would need to come up with, not only an outside linebacker (an overall need), but also another inside linebacker, to pair with James Laurinaitis. Walter Football, one of the leading draft analysis sites, compensated for this apparent “need” in their last draft, projecting the St. Louis Rams to take a flyer on the downtrodden Manti Te’o. While it is unlikely that he will fall that far in April, the transition to this drafting mindset in the mocks around the league emphasized the projected change within the St. Louis defense.

Fast forward to Tuesday, Jan. 29th, when the St. Louis Rams announce that they would not be hiring Rob Ryan as the defensive coordinator. Several sources, including those from the organization, reported that Fisher nixed the deal due to a lack of common philosophy on the defensive side of the football. Reading between the lines, that likely means that Ryan did want to attempt the conversion to the 3-4 base, and that Fisher, correctly, snubbed the idea. For many, the lack of hiring was welcomed with open arms. However, no Rob Ryan also means that the St. Louis Rams are still without a defensive coordinator. Naturally, several names have been thrown out there in connection with the job.

All eyes are currently on ex-Cleveland Browns’ defensive coordinator, Dick Jauron. Jauron runs a very similar style of defense to the scheme already in place in St. Louis. If that wasn’t enticing enough, Jauron has a defensive resume that could stack up to nearly any coach currently in the NFL, with eight year experience as a defensive coordinator in Jacksonville, Detroit, and Cleveland. On top of that, Jauron has served for 10 years as a defensive backs coach (Bills, Packers, and Eagles) and 10 years as a head coach (Bears, Bills, and Lions, as an interim). Last season, even with several injuries and suspensions depleting the defensive roster, the Browns finished middle-of-the-pack in most major statistical categories. However, the Browns were one of only six teams in the AFC to finish with a positive turnover differential, ending their season with 18 interceptions (T-6th in the NFL) and 14 forced fumbles (T-16th).

According to Pro Football Focus, the Cleveland Browns were the 6th best team in coverage,  had a positive “grade” in every category (aside from pass rushing), and were the 12th best overall defense in the NFL. For comparisons sake, the St. Louis Rams graded out negatively in every defensive category, and were ranked 25th overall, sandwiched between the Eagles and the Lions. The Browns’ defensive roster is inferior to the St. Louis Rams, at least in terms of overall talent and potential. Outside of Phil Taylor, D’Qwell Jackson, T.J. Ward, and Joe Haden, there isn’t another recognizable player on the roster. Imagine what Jauron could do with Robert Quinn, Chris Long, and Michael  Brockers up front, James Laurinaitis and Jo-Lonn Dunbar in the second level, and players like Janoris Jenkins, Cortland Finnegan, and Quintin Mikell in the secondary. It will also help that the St. Louis Rams’ offensive appears to be significantly ahead of the Browns’, who graded out as the 4th worst offense in the NFL, committing 26 turnovers (18 interceptions and 8 fumbles). Brandon Weeden seemed to be coming on at the end of the season, especially in connection with Josh Gordon, but was abysmal at the start of the season, forcing the defense into some extremely difficult situations.

There should be no rush for the St. Louis Rams to hire a coordinator, at least until after the Super Bowl. The most important characteristic of our next DC should be someone that can use the system that has already been implemented to work their defensive magic. Jauron is a life-long 4-3 man, with a special niche for bringing out the best in the secondary. Only time will tell if he will be manning the St. Louis sideline in 2013, but he would definitely have my vote!

Nov 11, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt (99) makes a tackle on Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-US PRESSWIRE

Now, this list will not be necessarily for those fans that are on the fringe of fandom in rooting for the Rams, or for those who “follow” multiple teams in the NFL. This grouping of teams is for the diehards, the true lovers of the St. Louis Rams franchise, and who they should be cheering on for, at least, the remainder of this weekends games. Sports are always more enjoyable, and more heartbreaking, when there is some significant investment in one particular team finishing on top. Here is Ramblin’ Fan’s guide to who you should put your full fledged support behind this weekend, besides the Rams, of course.

1. Whoever is playing the Washington Redskins, in this case, the Philadelphia Eagles

Now, I know the losing the opener to the “Dream Team” last season is still a painful memory for some, but you will have to bottle that pride and pull out anything you have that is green or has an American eagle on it, at least for a little bit. Regardless of your feeling about Robert Griffin III, no true Rams fan should want the Washington Redskins to succeed this season, or next. Assuming that St. Louis continues to progress this season and wins more games, we are going to need the ‘Skins pick to be fairly high in the draft if we want to fill one of the major holes on the team, likely the saftety spot or a weakside linebacker. If the season were to end today, Washington would hand the Rams the 6th overall pick in the draft, which might not be high enough to grab a player like Manti Te’o. More losses equals a higher pick, enough said…

2. Whoever is playing the Seattle Seahawks

No one who supports the Blue and Gold wants to see the Seattle Seahawks win…. ever. They are the closest thing to a rival that the St. Louis Rams have in this new age of sports, and they did rain on Bradford’s rookie campaign by edging the team out of the playoffs in 2010. Sadly, the ‘Hawks are on a bye this week, so Rams Nation can focus their energy elsewhere.

3. Cleveland Browns

Despite the fact that my alma mater is in the beautiful city of Cleveland, that is not the reason that Rams fans should be pulling for the team to win to Sunday. For starters, they are playing the Dallas Cowboys, who hog more media coverage from progression teams than almost any team in the NFL, outside of, maybe, the New York Jets. Who doesn’t enjoy hearing Tony Romo and Dez Bryant get bashed, and hearing about how horrible of an owner Jerry Jones is after ever single loss. I digress… The real reason you want to the Browns to win is because of their current ranking in the league, which would equate to, roughly, the 4th overall pick in the draft. With Colt McCoy and 2012 first rounder, Brandon Weeden, on the team, the Browns will likely not be looking at a quarterback with their top selection. Their draft board could potential overlap with the Rams’ board, especially at wide receiver or on the offensive line. However, the more realistic possibility is that they may use the spot as trade bait, which could totally throw a wrench into St. Louis’ plan in April. The more wins the Browns have, the closer they are to drafting after the Redskins spot (i.e. not messing with the Rams on draft day).

4. Carolina Panthers

It is tough to cheer for Cam Netwon, espeically considering his rookie season completed erased the specular performance from Bradford, which happened just one season before. However, the Panthers are the only team currently in the lower tier fo the the league, besides the Cleveland Browns, that will likely not be in the market for a quarterback come draft day. After using their 2012 first rounder on Kuechly, the Rams won’t have to worry about them taking a linebacker off of the board that early, but the Panthers do have a pressing need for interior linemen and/or a dynamic wide receiver, prefereably one that is over 5’11 inches tall. The came concept from before applies: More win for the Panther, mean less teams that the Rams have to worry about in April, assuming the Redskins continue their decline.

5. Chicago Bears

Again St. Louis fans, you will need to have a short term memory to cheer for the Bears, but it is possible. The Bears take on the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, and every team in the NFC West would like to see the almight ’9ers fall at the hands of Jason Campbell, in what might be termed the “Back-Up Bowl.” since Jay Cutler and Alex Smith both may miss the game after sustaining concussions last week. Alex is expected to start, but it would be amazing to see the team lose on Monday, especially after the dreaded tie game last Sunday. The 49ers losing may also be the only chance that the St. Louis Rams can make the playoffs this season, although that chance is still extremely small. With the NFC North likely to land at least one of the Wild Card slots, either to Green Bay or Minnesota, the Rams will need to win the division to come get into the Super Bowl hunt. Assuming St. Louis goes unfeated for the remainder of the season, we would need San Francisco to lose at least three more games to take over the top spot in the West. Realistically, that means that the 49ers would just need to lose two addition games (assuming the loss to the Rams in Week 13), which is a solid possibility considering they still have to play the Chicago Bears, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, and the newly revived New Orleans Saints. Hypotheticals aside, no one wants to see any other team in the NFC West win, except the Cardinals sometimes… you have to feel somewhat bad for them, right?