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