Rams are Ready for San Diego
by Rams Nation's Don Ackerman
The Rams are poised to return to the Super Bowl. After the debacle in New Orleans
last January, the Rams have done everything possible to prepare the Rams to
return to the Big Game on Super Sunday. So what did they do to earn being the
favorites to win the NFL championship?
First, they kept their starters. The Rams kept 20 of the 22 starters from last
year. Despite being in two Super Bowl in 3 years, the Rams kept their players
and thus will stay atop the NFL heap.
Secondly, though they lost two big names - they lost London Fletcher to Buffalo
- understandably as he signed a 5-year, $17.125 million contract
- and Az Hakim to Detroit - he inked a 5 years, $16 million deal - the Rams
did not sit back. Instead, they attacked the free agent market by trading for
wideout Terrence Wilkins from the Indianapolis Colts, and signing Jamie Duncan
to fill in for London's loss.
Though Fletcher will be hard to replace (I will miss his enthusiasm and loved
him), Duncan came from Tampa and he & Lovie Smith know each other. I'm expecting
this to be a good move.
With Wilkins I gotta ask did the Colts really give him up? I still can't believe
it! I believe Wilkins will put this team over the top and he should make a major
impact. From his point of view, I wonder if he pinched himself when he found
out he would be a Ram. Can you imagine being a wideout and ending up in Saint
Louis? Every game will be Christmas with lots of presents under the tree.
Third, the Rams are creating a great environment. Ricky Proehl, who could have
easily left Saint Louis, is quoted in a Jeff Gordon Post-Dispatch column that,
"They treat you with respect. Other places don't do that. It's a great
organization to play for. Guys want to stay here. Guys have been other places.
I've been somewhere else, Marshall (Faulk) has been somewhere else. We know
what it's like to be unhappy." "Special place, special guys, special
staff. " What else can I say?
Last, they are driven. Though the Rams won 14 regular season games, the Rams
know they can do better and they expect to do better. Max Q was the slogan last
year and still is this year. Warner's expecting himself to outdo last year's
numbers. And if all that is not enough, this is only year 2 of Lovie's D. You
know they are just going to get better.
With all that said, all that's left to do is sit back and watch the Rams "bring
it" to the rest of the league. If you can't tell already, like the Rams,
I'm ready for San Diego too!
Ram on,
Don