Should the St. Louis Rams Consider Tanking?

Nov 7, 2015; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels wide receiver Laquon Treadwell (1) attempts to stay inbounds as he is defended by Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Jared Collins (29) during the second quarter of the game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Why the Rams Shouldn’t Tank

Remember the last couple times the Rams tanked? Back in the 2009 season, the Rams went 1-15 in order to draft highly touted quarterback Sam Bradford out of Oklahoma. After a stellar rookie season in which he almost brought the Rams to the playoffs, Bradford was seen by many fans as an up-and-coming star quarterback for years to come. However, Bradford’s injuries in the 2011 season forced the Rams to tank to a miserable 2-14 season. Head coach Steve Spagnuolo was fired and Jeff Fisher with his new general manager Les Snead came in to fix the franchise.

The duo managed to receive a blockbuster trade for the second overall pick, deciding to pass on Baylor QB Robert Griffin III in exchange for multiple future first round draft picks of the Washington Redskins. The Rams drafted many impact players with those picks such as DT Michael Brockers, CB Janoris Jenkins, LB Alec Ogletree, and OT Greg Robinson (who has only impressed us with the amount of penalties he’s received so far). With Robert Griffin III currently sitting on the Redskin’s bench, it’s clear that the Rams not only won the trade but also won with their 2011 tank.

But what about the 2009 tank of the St. Louis Rams? Sam Bradford showed flashes of brilliance during his tenure with the team, but major injuries hindered his performance and value to the team. The Rams were forced to trade Bradford away to the Philadelphia Eagles. There’s no way around it; the 2009 tank was ultimately a failure.

Tanking is risky business. You can end up with the future of your franchise or you can massively fail with the high draft pick you end up with. It might be too risky for the 2015 Rams team to take that chance.

I mentioned top quarterbacks Paxton Lynch and Jared Goff earlier. It’s painfully obvious that the Rams have a need at the position, considering how terrible Foles and Keenum have been playing. But would it even be possible for the Rams to grab one these quarterbacks if they were to tank?

Jan 1, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Connor Cook (18) before the game against the Baylor Bears in the 2015 Cotton Bowl Classic at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Even if the team were to lose every single remaining game, it’s still likely that Rams won’t have a top-five pick. At this point in the 2015 season, there are four teams with less wins than the Rams and four teams with the same amount. Lynch and Goff may already be off the board by the time St. Louis is on the clock in the NFL Draft. That would be unfortunate.

If the Rams don’t tank the season away, they’d still have the opportunity to draft other promising prospects in the middle of the first round.

Quarterback Connor Cook out of Michigan State hasn’t received a lot of hype, but has the look of an eventual starting NFL quarterback. Mid-first round wide receivers Laquan Treadwell of Ole Miss and Michael Thomas of Ohio State could possibly provide the Rams with the true number one wide receiver they expected Brian Quick to be. And even though the Rams could use some help on the offensive line, it’s too early to give up on the young talent they’ve already invested draft picks on. Greg Robinson has been a headache and may eventually become the next Jason Smith, but to give up on his raw talent so early in his career would be a mistake.

Once again, Jeff Fisher’s Rams are placed in the awkward position of mediocrity in the league. Probably not good enough to make the playoffs and probably not bad enough to warrant a high draft pick. Whether Fisher and Snead are at the head again or not, let’s hope the draft scouts are able to find those mid- to late-first round prospects that can help turn this team around.

Next: Conclusion