What will the St. Louis Rams do in 2015? It's one of the most interesting questions an NFL fan can ask.
The Rams have a new quarterback in Nick Foles and with him comes some much needed hope. St. Louis needs to show real signs of progress on the field this year to save head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Leas Snead from the hot seat. The duo is just 20-27 in St. Louis. Fortunately for them, the disintegration of the San Francisco 49ers is opening up a window of opportunity in the NFC West.
"It started with coach Jim Harbaugh's departure and then trickled down to the roster via surprising retirements (Chris Borland and Anthony Davis), not-so-surprising retirements (Justin Smith) or free agent movement (guard Mike Iupati)," ESPN Rams reporter Nick Wagoner wrote. He forgot to mention the retirement of Patrick Willis and fellow linebacker NaBarro Bowman's return from a gruesome ACL injury.
The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals are still above the Rams in the division. But leapfrogging San Fran will go a long way in re-establishing some faith in a franchise that hasn't enjoyed a winning season in over a decade.
Foles, while shaky last season, has been a successful starter in the NFL and is expected to bring some stability under center. St. Louis' defensive line, arguably the best in the NFL, is expected to take care of the rest.
"None of this guarantees anything in terms of the Rams' anticipated progress in 2015," Wagoner wrote. "But the Rams did beat San Francisco on the road last year (the Niners handled them in St. Louis earlier in the season) and finished two games behind the Niners in the NFC West. Bigger surprises have happened but with so many moving parts and a new coach in Jim Tomsula, the Rams look like they're in a position to at least move out of the division's basement this year."
