St. Louis Rams’ top three offensive threats

If we were debating the top three offensive threats on the St. Louis Rams’ roster a year ago, it wouldn’t be very hard to decipher through them. Mainly because their wasn’t a whole lot of talent to pick from. Bradford was hurt, Mason was just a rookie and the wide receiver corps were so-so.

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But, it’s a new year, and it has brought some good talent along with it.  The Rams have improved their quarterback position, running back position and their receiving corps still have a lot of upside heading into 2015.

It’s safe to say that the offensive talent that the Rams possess at the moment is twice, if not three times as better on paper as it was in week one last year.

Here is my top three offensive threats at the moment.

1) Nick Foles

This is the most important position on the offense. Foles is the only player that touches the ball on every play, and is in full control of the offense regardless of it’s a run or pass.  The Rams finally have a stable quarterback, something they have been lacking since Marc Bulger. Bradford never panned out, but the Rams were lucky enough to pull off a great trade to swap Bradford for Foles, giving both quarterbacks a fresh start. Foles has already shown how good he can be in this league, it’s just a matter of proving that in a new jersey. There is no ceiling for Foles. It’s his time swim.

2) Todd Gurley

#InGurleyWeTrust is a hashtag that I hope to see on twitter a bunch in 2015. Gurley was the first running back drafted in the first round in a few years and that is for good reason. Gurley possesses a certain set of characteristics that not a lot of running backs in this generation have. It’s scary to think that Gurley could be a better running back than Adrian Peterson. But, pure talent isn’t the only thing these two share in common. They have both torn their ACL. Peterson came back from that injury and led the league in rushing the following year. These days, a torn ACL is nothing. The things doctors are able to do is something guys like Marcus Dupree would have died for.  Players are coming back better than ever after a torn ACL. So to think that this injury is going to effect the talent of Gurley is pretty silly to say. It’s not a sure-fire 100% thing, but the positives outweigh the negatives when it comes to knee injuries in the NFL today. Gurley will be ready to rock come week one, and will be a force on the Rams for years to come.

3) Tavon Austin

This wasn’t an easy pick for me. I had Kenny Britt down in this spot, but erased it for Austin. After re-reading the title of my article, it made me change my mind. Austin is an offensive threat. Regardless of the lack of progression he has had while with the Rams, he still possesses something very important. A player that is a threat to a defense. You better believe that every defensive player on the field knows exactly where Austin is lined up on offense. And with players like Foles and Gurley around him, this makes Austin a threat more than ever. A good supporting cast is a recipe for success. For instance, Gurley starts a drive with three consecutive runs and Foles hits Britt over the middle for a decent gain. And when the defense least expects it, Austin is wide open in space, and well the rest is history. When Austin has open field, it’s off to the races for six. This is the year Austin breaks out. He has the talent, but has never had the supporting cast around him. Now he does.