Apr 22, 2009; New York, NY, USA; ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr. during the 2010 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The fine people over at ESPN are big fans of making lists and rankings, and while I’m a big fan of doing that as well, it is still frustrating when those lists aren’t favorable for your favorite team. In the most recent NFL list that projects the power rankings for the 2015 season, the Rams are ranked 24th overall.

I know these lists don’t really mean anything, because no one can predict the future, but the Rams at 24th is ridiculous. Apparently, those involved used a formula that included the roster, quarterback, draft, front office and coaching. If those are the criteria, then I just can’t understand how the Rams could be ranked so low.

The current roster might not be the most formidable in the league, but they have plenty of young talent that will be in their prime in 2015. We have a franchise quarterback in Sam Bradford, we have multiple first-round picks in the coming drafts, and we have a proven head coach in Jeff Fisher. I think the front office is a bit of an unknown with Les Snead taking over, but it looks like he is on his way to being an excellent GM.

Based on the support listed above, having the Rams at 24 is a travesty. If I could, I would contact the writers an demand an explanation. I’m not saying we should be atop the list, but there is no argument anyone can give me that would justify their place. I guess it’s not worth getting worked up over, but we will just have to wait three years to see.

January 17, 2012; St, Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams new head coach Jeff Fischer (center) speaks to the media as owner Stanley Kroenke (left) and vice president of football operations Kevin Demoff (right) look on during his first press conference at the Russell Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

The St. Louis Rams’ search for a GM is finally over. The team has reached an agreement with former Atlanta Falcons director of player personnel Les Snead to replace Billy Devaney as the general manager in St. Louis. Snead has been with the Falcons since 1998 after a stint with the Jaguars, and he was on the Rams original list of candidates when it came out before the hiring of Jeff Fisher as head coach.

I have to admit that I was a little surprised to hear this news. Not because of Snead, because I’ve been hearing his name quite a bit during this search. It just caught me off-guard that this happened all of a sudden today. I thought this thing might get settled sometime next week, but apparently the organization had cut the list down to Snead and Minnesota’s George Paton before Paton accepted a promotion with the Vikings. With him off the table, the decision to go with Snead was pretty easy.

I like the hire, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about this guy. He’s well-liked around the league, and he is well-respected by his peers. His name has been out there for a couple of years as a future GM, so I can’t wait to see what he can do. It’s no secret that Fisher had his say in this hire, and I’m willing to trust his judgement at this point. If Fisher thinks Snead is the right man for the job, then I’m on board. I’m just happy the position is filled so we can get things ready fo the upcoming combine.

December 24, 2011; Pittsburgh,PA, USA: Pittsburgh Steelers director of business operations Omar Khan on the field before the game against the St. Louis Rams at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 27-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE

The St. Louis Rams have done a great job building their coaching staff, but a great big hole still remains: the General Manager. The organization is still interviewing candidates, and next on the list is Pittsburgh Steelers director of business and administration Omar Khan. I don’t know much about Khan, but I do know that the Steelers are one of the best organizations in the league, so it’s safe to say he’s qualified. There are still a ton of candidates on the list, but the Rams are being diligent in their search. It’s hard to predict when the final choice will come down, but you have to think it will be sometime in the near future.

Also joining the Fisher staff are some familiar faces from the previous regime: strength coach Rock Gullickson and offensive assistant Andy Sugarman. There hasn’t been much holdover from Steve Spagnuolo’s staff, but I know the players really like Gullickson and he is well respected within the organization. I can’t say I’m surprised, but these are just two more pieces in place. Speaking of coaches, assistant Dave McGinnis did a media interview on Wednesday. He had plenty of good things to say about his buddy Jeff Fisher, which was to be expected. This man has been around, and much like the rest of the staff, he brings a wealth of experience to a team that needs it badly.

In roster news, the team cut WR John Chiles to make room on the roster for OL Jovan Olafioye. Chiles spent the last few weeks of last season on the practice squad, so he was expendable.