I have been talking a lot about the draft over the last few weeks, and I think it might be good to get a slightly different opinion on this blog. I was sent a Rams draft article by another fan, and I thought I would post it on here since it is a very well written piece and holds a few different ideas than I do. So here ya go, and thanks again to Patrick for thinking of us here at Ramblin’ Fan.

Rams Draftspot 2010

By Patrick Muldowney

The 2009 season can be summarized pretty easily for the Rams: one of the worst in NFL history.  When a team wins only one game, fandom becomes an endless series of false hopes.  For example, the brief delusion of grandeur when Kyle Boller took his first snaps as a Ram, until we realized that one can change uniforms, but not intelligence.  Also, the belief the Rams would beat the Skins until Donnie Avery fumbled his only catch of the game.  Of course, this season could not have been unexpected for any true Rams fan.  In fact, I could have predicted within one game (would have guessed two) how many they would win during training camp because my first glance at the depth chart garnered an involuntary “Oh No!”  The season did look as bad on paper as it did on the field.  Even still, some 2009 bright spots included:

1. the emergence of rookie James Laurinaitis
2. Steven Jackson leading the NFC in rushing
3. the punting of Donnie Jones (got plenty of chances)
4. finding Danny Amendola (an Eagle throwaway) as a punt return specialist/receiver
5. Steve Spagnuolo seeming like a quality coach (hard to truly tell with dearth of talent)

Playoff teams require much more in terms of positivity, and that is why we are reflecting on a team with the #1 pick in 2010.

The Rams have never been a team to make big free agent splashes, so quality draft picks are essential.  2009 is just the most recent installment in a series of poor drafts dating back to the beginning of the Martz era.  If you are going to give millions of guaranteed money to any player other than, at times, a skilled position player, he should be plug and play, and Jason Smith is turning out to be a complete concussive wreck.  I know that every draft pick is risky, but the brass owes Ram nation a sincere apology for not seeking a leader in 2009 (and possibly 2008) with arm like Mark Sanchez and Matt Ryan within reach.  Sure, either would have struggled on this team, but I would take that future over the quarterback possibilities in this year’s draft, which may become a battle between the injured and the drunk.  James Laurinaitis was a great pick, and should patrol the middle of that defense for years to come, but the rest of the picks were out of place and perplexing.  They tried a receiver, Brooks Foster, late and got nothing, suffered a bit of bad luck with Bradley Fletcher’s injury, and went with Keith Null, who most likely would have been a free agent, to solve a problem that begins with QB1, not QB3.  Basically, the 2009 draft made a weak team weaker because they only filled one need successfully, and even executives with average drafts fill three needs.

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Keith Null

This year the St. Louis Rams broke camp with four quarterbacks on their roster. Two are returning Rams (Marc Bulger and Brock Berlin), one is a former first round draft pick brought in through free agency (Kyle Boller), and the final QB is Rams 6th round pick Keith Null. Here is the breakdown for each quarterback:

Marc Bulger: The main man under center for the Rams the last few seasons, Bulger is looking to get his career back on track after two rough seasons. He is in the third year of his six year contract and for the first time in his career he will be without favorite target Torry Holt. The key to Bulger getting back on track is establishing a consistent offensive line that will allow him to become comfortable in the pocket again, thus giving him the pleasure of being able to step into throws much more often.

Brock Berlin: Berlin will be expected to battle it out with Null for the third string QB spot on the roster. Berlin has played sparingly over the last two seasons and has played about as well as a third stringer would be expected to. He possesses nothing spectacular in terms of playmaking ability, but overall he seems to be a dependable guy to have in case of emergency.

Kyle Boller: A Former first round pick, Boller started several games as a member of the Baltimore Ravens from 2003-2008. Last preseason, he suffered an injury that would cost him the entire season, ultimately leading to the emergence of Joe Flacco. Boller is a veteran with plenty of experience that should serve as a solid backup for Bulger.

Keith Null: Null, the Rams 6th round pick, comes from the pass happy school of West Texas A&M where he set records in passing yards, touchdown passes, completion percentage, and total offense. Null could turn out to be a pretty good QB, but he will have to get used to a drastically new offense first. At 6-4, 220, he possesses good size and arm strength and I look forward to seeing him progress over the next few weeks.

Predictions for the upcoming season:

• Starter- Marc Bulger (The position is his to lose. And its safe to say his play would have to play miserably to lose the job)

• Backup- Kyle Boller (Lots of experience. Not nearly as much pressure on him now as there was in Baltimore)

• 3rd String- Keith Null (I believe he will surprise some people and beat out Berlin for the 3rd string position)

• Hello Practice Squad- Brock Berlin (you know, until QBs start dropping like flies, then he’ll be sure to be picked up from the practice squad by someone else)

Kyle Boller with Tara Reid

Boller is a former first round draft pick of the Baltimore Ravens. We now know the Rams will not be signing the “Gus Bus” Gus Frerotte which should be great news to Rams fans. Kyle Boller previously play in Baltimore with the Rams new center Jason Brown. So on the surface this is another solid move by the new St. Louis Rams front office. Boller is only 27 and should be a huge upgrade over Trent Green. No offense to Trent Green but we have to have a backup that we are not afraid to put in a game, and also a backup that has the ability to push Marc Bulger for the starting spot on the roster. Once Joe Flacco came to town, Boller was never able to get on the field in 2008.

St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said:

“We are happy to add Kyle to our roster. We feel that he will be a valuable addition to our team.”

At 6’3″ and 220 pounds Kyle is a solid pocket passer. He was known for his outstanding arm coming out of California. Kyle never really had many offensive threats at Baltimore other than Derek Mason. I believe Kyle to be a good QB in the NFL and still has an upside that may not have been seen yet. I can see some fear put into other teams when Boller drops back to throw a deep ball to Donnie Avery.

Off the field Kyle has been linked to Tara Reid & Petra Nemcova.