Call me crazy but I think the Rams can pull off an 8-8 record next season if they draft Jimmy Clausen. This team is really starting to put all the pieces together. Dont believe me? Read on.
First off, Steven Jackson is incredible. He’s second in the league in rushing and he plays in a very one dimensional offense. Jackson would only benefit by having a strong armed Jimmy Clausen at the helm. Also, the team has Steve Spagnuolo as the head coach. This defensive master mind has already changed the defense for the better. Give him another off-season and the 2010 draft class and I’m sure this defensive unit will really start coming together. James Laurinaitis has instantly become a leader for the team and Steve Spagnuolo will definitely find more hard working defensive players in this year’s draft. Lastly, Jimmy Clausen is incredible. Its hard to compare college quarterbacks to NFL quarterbacks because of how different the game is. For example, many experts don’t believe Colt McCoy will be an effective NFL quarterback. He plays almost exclusively out of shotgun and runs a 4 or 5-wide receiver spread gimmick offense where all his stats are coming on yards after the catch. If you watched Notre Dame play on offense, you see Clausen taking snaps directly from under center and stretching the field vertically by hitting his receivers down field. He runs a pro-style offense and has great knowledge of the game. He has all the physical and mental tools to take a team like the Rams to a new level.
The Rams will need to resign safety and defensive leader O.J. Atogwe and obviously have another good draft. They have Chris Long who has tons of potential to be a consistent pass-rushing pressure off the edge. James Laurinaitis was a steal in the second round (currently leading the team in tackles) and I’m confident Spagnuolo will find another defensive stud on day one of the draft.
This team is very young on offense; outside of Marc Bulger only three players are older than 26. Donnie Avery and Laurent Robinson can be reliable wide receivers and the Rams just selected stud right tackle Jason Smith in last year’s draft. Combine that with Steve Jackson, and hopefully Jimmy Clausen, and this team might have an exciting offense to watch.
When you break it down, the Rams are close to having all the tools to pull off an improved season. A great running back, an improving offensive line, a new defense, and a promising head coach leaves the Rams just one Jimmy Clausen away from 8-8.
As an aspiring football analyst and a Rams fan, I completely agree with your article. I understand our defense can’t hold water, let alone any offense, so I see why Suh is the popular choice. Some mock drafts that i’ve read have us selecting Suh number 1 overall and TEBOW in round 2. I’m not too much against Suh, but Tebow, no. I’m ready for wins now, not later on down the line when everyone thinks he’ll be “ready.” Clausen was in a pro-style offense(west coast) under center which is becoming a rare sight in college football. Playing under Charlie Weis should be one of the top reasons why the Rams should select Clausen, who is now an offensive coordinator for the chiefs. And why did the Chiefs pursue him? because of how he developed Clausen. Now Bill Polian and the rest of the Chiefs organization wants him to do the same for Matt Cassel. I could go on forever about why Clausen is the best NfL ready QB to come out in the last 10 years. FACT
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