The St. Louis Rams are an interesting team. They haven't finished above .500 since 2003, yet still somehow managed to beat the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos this year. While their 6-10 record doesn't show it, the makings of a good team are all there in St. Louis. So what does the team need to do to get over the hump?
"For each of the three seasons in which coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead have been in charge, the St. Louis Rams have been one of the youngest teams in the NFL," ESPN's Nick Wagoner wrote. "That was done by design as the Rams had a cadre of extra draft choices from Washington, and Snead and Fisher took over an aging roster in desperate need of an influx of youth and talent. The plan has called for patience while those many young players grow up through playing experience...But Fisher and Snead believe their team progressed in 2014 despite the record, and both have mentioned the importance of another year of experience for their young players. Which begs the question as we enter an important offseason of whether the Rams are now better positioned to add key veterans at certain positions? It would appear the answer is yes."
The most glaring need for the Rams is an upgrade at the quarterback position. But with Brian Hoyer and Mark Sanchez set to be the best free agent options, St. Louis might be best served looking for one in the draft.
The team could use some help in the secondary, where they ranked 19th in opposing pass yards per game (241.3). New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty (27) and San Diego Chargers corner back Brandon Flowers (28) will likely be the best available defensive backs. Despite the uncertainty surrounding the team's future in St. Louis, Snead does not believe that will be a hindrance when pitching to free agents.
"What you're finding is, I think as you guys know, money's No. 1 and it's usually who's coaching there next," Snead said of a free agents priorities to reporters last week."We've gotten to this era of free agency where especially with the window of early negotiation, players aren't taking visits any more."
The 2015 salary cap is projected to rise roughly 4.2 percent to 6.6 percent, from $133 million to $138.6 to $141.8 million. The Rams may not have much salary cap space to work with, even if they are interested in adding key veterans.
