December 23, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford (8) throws he ball as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Da

The month of February wears many different hats, including Black History Month, the NBA All- Star game, the “Month of Love,” and the Super Bowl. It is also prime time for the beginning of the NFL offseason, marking the start of roster cuts, salary cap causalities, and talks of the NFL Draft. With all of the mock drafts and scouting reports circulating around the sports world, it is easy to lose yourself in the all the clutter. So, we at Ramblin’ Fan have decided to hit the pause button and reflect back a draft from the past; the 2011 NFL Draft.

Really, what peaked our interest about the 2011 Draft in particular was the recent report in USA Today that Da’Quan Bowers had been charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon after showing up to New York’s LaGuardia Airport with a loaded gun in his carry-on bag. In 2011, at the time of the draft, many had Bowers as the overall top rated player in the class… at least, until his Pro Day, when he showed up overweight, out-of-shape, and where, according to some NFL evaluators at the time, he “cost himself millions of dollars.” With Bowers’ stock free-falling, St. Louis was widely thought to be the landing spot for the disgruntled college star. With Spags still at the helm, in search of a dominating defensive lineman under the age of 30 (sorry Fred Robbins) and not named Chris Long, the selection was extremely plausible, especially with the Rams picking in the middle of the first round.

Luckily, St. Louis opted for Robert Quinn, who rotated with James Hall opposite of Chris Long at defensive end. Now, with his sophomore season complete, Quinn has amassed 52 tackles, 15.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick. The Long-Hayes-Quinn trio in St. Louis combined for 29 sacks in 2012, which is more than the Chiefs, Raiders, Jaguars, and Buccaneers’ team totals in sacks for the season.

Conversely, Bowers plummeted into the 2nd round of the draft, before being scooped up by Tampa Bay. In 26 games, he has compiled a mere 38 tackles and 4.5 sacks. If those numbers weren’t bad enough, the one-time potential first overall pick will likely not be seeing much of the field in 2013… or ever again, for that matter. The gun charges being brought against him are the same as the ones that were thrown at Plaxico Burress in 2008 , which carry a minimum sentence of 3.5 years in prison, with a maximum of 15 years pending any plea bargains.

Anyways… Cheers to you Robert Quinn, and to the St. Louis Rams organization for, in hindsight, making an excellent decision on bypassing Da’Quan Bowers and the storm that inevitably followed!

Dec 9, 2012; Tampa FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers helmet is seen during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

The season may be over in terms of making the playoffs, but the Rams owe it to themselves to finish the season with a winning record. Regardless of the way the Rams finish off the final two games of the year, this season has definitely been a success and Ram fans should be excited for what the future holds. It would be a shame to see the Rams finish the season with a three game losing streak. It would be deserving of the Rams get over the line at least once in their next two games. This is what the Rams have to do if they are to finish the season strong.

DO’s

• Must pass the ball successfully. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the best team in the NFL in stopping the run, only averaging 83.3 yards a game. On the other hand, the Buccaneers rank last in passing defense, allowing 310.6 yards a game. Quarterbacks against the Buccaneers average a staggering 94.7 quarterback rating. The Rams can’t rely on the run to win the game. If the passing game shows up, the running game will follow, because this will allow the play action and the halfback draw to come into play. On obvious running plays, the Rams will be stopped.
• Every time the Rams get a win, they get a turnover. Turnovers win games. The Rams haven’t won a game without a turnover, but then again not too many teams do. The Rams didn’t get a turnover against the Vikings and they say turnovers come in bunches. Let’s hope this week the Rams can reward their efforts with a couple of turnovers.
• This is a must every week – the offensive line must protect Sam Bradford. Bradford was knocked to the ground too many times against the Vikings. We all know Bradford can be one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, if only he can get enough time to get rid of the ball.

DONT’S

• Don’t allow the fact that the Rams can’t make the playoffs, dampin the intensity that’s required to win a football game. The Rams have had too good of a season to drop off and finish 6-9-1. The Rams are the youngest team in the NFL, so what ever the record at the end of this season is, it is likely to improve in 2013.
• The Rams are the third most penalized team in the NFL. Rams must be more polished on both offense and defense, if they ever want to see themselves in the playoffs. Penalties have cost the Rams at least two times this season so far and hopefully, it won’t cost them a third.
• Don’t be one-dimensional. The Rams don’t have the offensive weapons to get away with obvious passing downs consistently and the Buccaneers defense won’t allow Rams to give up too many big plays on the run. This means the Rams can’t find themselves always playing 3^rd and long, otherwise they should expect a lot quarterback hits, sacks, incompletions and interceptions.

Follow @davebarber92 for more updates.

December 16, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman (5) is hit as he throws by New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Junior Galette (93) forcing an incomplete pass during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Saints defeated the Buccaneers 41-0. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

With only two game left in the season, and the St. Louis Rams playoffs hope all but eliminated, how does the rest of the league see the Rams finishing out the season? This week, the team goes head-to-head with another “up-and-coming team,” albeit one that seemed to have lost its way about halfway through the season. The Buccaneers have the top ranking rushing defense, but the lowest ranked pass defense, and are a mixed bag on offense, going hot-and-cold both throwing and running the football. Can the Rams stop Doug Martin in his excellent rookie campaign? Can the Bucs’ stop Steven Jackson as he treks towards his eighth consecutive 1,000 yard season? Here are the top picks from around the NFL-world…

Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, who has had one foot on the St. Louis Rams bandwagon all season, picked the ‘good guys’ for the win.

Greg Schiano can look at the team he almost coached (he was the Rams’ bridesmaid to Jeff Fisher) and the one he’s coaching. Not sure he’ll like what he sees this week, because the Bucs are slumping badly, but good programs can’t be built in one year. Rams 17, Bucs 16

Yahoo Sports, like King, puts the focus of the game on the slumping Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, he doesn’t see them snapping their streak against the Rams.

The Rams (somehow) remain mathematically alive for post-season play, while the once 6-4 Buccaneers have lost four straight and will be playing the final two games of the season for pride’s sake. Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman is playing for much more. In 2013, Freeman will be entering the final year of his contract and his late season slump, which reached a new low with a four-interception performance in last week’s 41-0 loss to the Saints, may delay a new contract that could have arrived this offseason had his play warranted the club making a long-term commitment. Rams 23, Buccaneers 20

Naturally, ESPN’s Mike Sando was less than enthusiastic about the Rams chance of winning on Sunday, although he doesn’t really care to share his thought process, aside from drooling over the ‘Hawks vs. ’9ers game. Nothing would make me happier than the Seahawks losing two in a row to San Francisco this week and St. Louis next week, knocking them out of the playoffs!

You mean to tell me there’s another game besides 49ers-Seahawks this week? Someone should have mentioned something about this earlier in the week. I might have actually done a blog item about it. Look, if the Buccaneers played in the NFC West, I’d be right there picking St. Louis to win. The Rams are 4-0-1 against the division, after all. Perhaps I should pick them anyway. Tampa Bay has lost four in a row. The Bucs’ victories have come mostly against horrible teams. I’ve almost talked myself into it. Almost. Sando’s best guess: Bucs 23, Rams 20.

This week, “23″ seems to be the magical number for the win. Bleacher Report has St. Louis taking the victory, citing their lack of implosion as a good enough rationale for the pick.

A month ago the Tampa Bay Buccaneers appeared to be a playoff contender in the NFC, but four straight losses punctuated by a 41-0 drubbing at the hands of the New Orleans Saints have the players and coaches at one another’s throats.

Seriously, they’re fighting on the sideline.

Meanwhile the St. Louis Rams have quietly made significant strides in their first year under head coach Jeff Fisher, and the team that isn’t imploding will make relatively short work of the one that is. St. Louis Rams 23, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10

CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco has never really been up on the St. Louis Rams this season, and continues that trend this week. However, his premising argument for the loss is based off an inaccurate statement about the NFC playoff picture. I guess that’s why he makes the “big bucks,” right?

These two were eliminated last week, so where’s the motivation? Did the Bucs quit on Greg Schiano last week? You know Jeff Fisher’s team will be ready to go. But I think Tampa Bay bounces back at home. It’s tough going on the road late with nothing at stake. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24, St. Louis Rams 17

NFL.com seems to like the idea of Sam Bradford going up against the lowest ranking secondary in the league, even citing it as a potential statement game for the young quarterback. I am more worried about Steven Jackson reaching his 55 yard average that he needs to hit 1,000…

Sam Bradford has an opportunity to make something of his third season in the NFL over the next two weeks and secure his status as the St. Louis Rams’ starting quarterback of the future. In Week 17, he gets a chance to prove his mettle against one of the best defenses in the NFL (Seattle). This week, Bradford should be able to exploit the worst secondary in the NFL, as least statistically speaking (4,517 gross yards and 27 touchdowns). Who knows what happened to Josh Freeman last Sunday in New Orleans, but he left some big plays on that field. The defense did its part by allowing 41 points. Rams win this one on the road to get back to .500. #STLvsTB Rams 24, Bucs 14