Dynasty Capsule: St. Louis Rams

As part of the premium content package, we’re again unveiling dynasty capsules for every team in the NFL leading up to free agency and the NFL Draft. This year, we’re again going to do a follow-up on all the teams after all the free agency and NFL Draft movement to assess the impact of any players teams have gained or lost. Since these capsules are always done as a simple snapshot in time, we figured that was the best way to tackle the off-season and provide ultimate value for our subscribers. All in all, we’ll have close to 500 player profiles found in these capsules over the off-season.

Coming out of the NFC West, it’s a small wonder the St. Louis Rams were even able to muster a 7-9 record, one win short of .500. The Division boasted both the NFC Championship contenders as well as a third team who just barely missed the playoffs in the Arizona Cardinals. And then there were the Rams…

Now that’s not to say that the Rams were horrible, as there were a lot of positive signs last season. Robert Quinn was the NFC sack leader, Zac Stacy was able to rejuvenate the Rams backfield and Stedman Bailey came on late in the season, showing lots of promise. If everything goes right for the Rams, they could contend for a playoff spot this season.

Let’s see what they have in the proverbial dynasty cupboard.

Quarterbacks

Sam Bradford

Bradford has always been a player who is going to take the next step in the coming season. As much as I’ve hoped that to be true, I’m no longer a believer. Last season Bradford tore his ACL against Carolina in the seventh game of the season. In a horrible twist of fate, Bradford was having one of his best games of the short season when he was injuried. Not counting that game (which he obviously was unable to complete), he had been averaging 23 completitions for 239 yards and around two touchdowns per game. Now, these aren’t horrible numbers of course. They are, however, fairly average numbers. To be blunt, the Rams aren’t going to make the playoffs, much less win the NFC West with an average quarterback.

In the past, Bradford got somewhat of a pass as he just didn’t have the talent around him to get those big numbers the Rams expected. As of late, however, he has definitely seen the level of player increase around him. He now has four legitimate receiving threats around him in Tavon Austin, Chris Givens, Stedman Bailey and Jared Cook. In all likelihood, the Rams will spend another high draft pick on an additional receiver to help dominate on the outside.

Straight to the point – if Bradford does not take the next step this season, the Rams need to move on. Bradford is entering the fifth year of his rookie contract and is set to make roughly $14 million. The kind of money tied up in Bradford is hurting the Rams unless they receive above average-to-elite production out of him.

With his inability to provide that kind of production thus far, Bradford can’t be depended on as a top tier quarterback for fantasy purposes. His prospects improve if the Rams select a top end wide receiver in the first round, especially one who can help on the outside like Mike Evans. However, if the Rams do not pursue this draft strategy, it’s safe to expect numbers fairly in-line with what he produced last season.

Kellen Clemens

Clemens stepped in for the Rams and performed admirably. He was able to finish with a record of 4-5 in games he started, which for a backup is about as good as you can expect. He completed just under 60% of his passes and finished with eight touchdowns to seven interceptions. Clemens never threw for over 250 yards in a game and averaged 184 passing yards per game. Having to start Clemens definitely put a damper on St. Louis’ passing game, but he did find ways to win.

For fantasy purposes, Clemens can’t be rostered. He could not be started even when he did play and he is not the heir apparent if the Rams decide to move on from Bradford in the future. Expect Clemens to continue his career as a backup.

Running Backs

Zac Stacy

Right after the NFL Draft last season, I was trying to tell everyone Stacy was the sleeper on this squad. However, Daryl Richardson appeared to have the job in hand at that point and his back-up was Isaiah Pead. To be honest, even I didn’t expect Stacy to come on as strong and quickly as he did. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant surprise and one that certainly helped keep the Rams respectable. Stacy started 11 games for St. Louis and firmly established himself as the bell cow in the backfield, averaging 24 carries per game in those starts. Despite not starting a full season, he almost hit the 1,000 yard mark and was a dependable threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. Stacy was able to contribute to fantasy teams in PPR leagues with three games where he caught four passes or more in a game, including a game against the Titans in which he hauled in six receptions for 51 yards to go with his 27 carries for 127 rushing yards.

Stacy is the back to own in St Louis. There is very little doubt he will continue his role as the feature back, being spelled only by Richardson when he needs a breather. An owner can fully expect a 1,000 yard plus rushing season out of him as well as solid contributions in the passing game for PPR leagues. Stacy is currently the 13th ranked running back in DLF’s Running back rankings, outranking such big names as Arian Foster, Reggie Bush and Ray Rice. Stacy will very likely continue to improve and his stock should continue to grow with a full season in the starting role. Obtain him now if for no other reason than the increase in his value come this time next season.

Daryl Richardson

Richardson appeared to have the starting running back role all to himself after Steven Jackson left town. Unfortunately for him (and his fantasy owners), things clearly did not work out that way. In fact, after October, Richardson did not even get back on the field. This was due in large part to a turf toe injury suffered in the season opener. The injury hampered his movement and he was clearly not himself this season. This opened the door in a big way to Zac Stacy, who walked through it and assumed the starting role. Nonetheless, a fully healed Richardson should see some playing time this season. Ultimately, I expect Richardson to assume the same role he held during Steven Jackson’s tenure – that role made him startable in very deep leagues or in a bye or injury pinch. Richardson was able to accumulate 475 yards off 98 rush attempts that season. Richardson is currently ranked at #56 in the DLF running back rankings.

Isaiah Pead & Benny Cunningham

Both Pead and Cunningham have had their names mentioned as possible options in St Louis prior to Stacy’s claiming of the starting job. Cunningham was actually able to put together a 100 yard game last season when Stacy left in the first half of the Chicago game. So, why won’t Cunningham outperform Richardson? Simple, Cunningham is Stacy’s backup, they are built similarly and have identical styles. Richardson on the other hand can come in as a chance of pace back and contribute even when Stacy is healthy. I fully expect one, or both, of these players to be cut before the start of the season. I would put greater odds on Pead being cut as he has failed to develop into the player the Rams had hoped he would. After being cut, Pead will very likely be picked up somewhere and in all likelihood will be a solid contributor to that team. I say this because that’s what always seems to happen to Rams that get cut, it’s like clockwork.

Wide Receivers

Tavon Austin

Austin was unfairly labeled as somewhat of a bust last season. I would beg fantasy owners to dig a bit deeper before they abandon him. First, as I mentioned earlier, Austin had Kellen Clemens throwing to him most of the season. This is the same Clemens who averaged 184 passing yards per game. No one could have excelled in that kind of situation, much less a rookie. Austin proved to be a very solid option for Bradford when he was healthy with four games of five receptions or more when they were in the game together. He was very clearly one of Bradford’s favorite targets and even saw an amazing 12 targets in one game against the Falcons. After Bradford was injured, Austin’s numbers show a dramatic dip. Only once after Bradford’s injury did Austin catch more than two passes in a game. In fact, roughly 75% of Austin’s receptions were thrown by Bradford despite them sharing only 53% of the games. Despite the drop off in production when Bradford was injured Austin still accounted for the team’s second most receptions, second most receiving touchdowns and third most receiving yards. He also accumulated 151 rushing yards over the season.

If you’re looking for a value pick in the middle to late rounds Austin should take a big step forward this season. He’ll have a full year in the NFL under his belt and having Bradford back for a full season should definitely increase his numbers. Currently, Austin is the WR32 in the DLF Wide Receiver Rankings.

Chris Givens

Givens has been a very stable receiver for the Rams. In each of his first two seasons, he has accounted for over 500 yards of passing and has been the most consistent piece in St. Louis’ passing attack. That being said, Givens’ production fell considerably in the last third of the season. This fall coincided with the rise of Stedman Bailey. To say Givens’ future productivity is in question would be putting it mildly.

Nonetheless, if the Rams do not draft any new wide receivers, I think Givens will have a role in the Rams’ offense and that role should be significant enough for him to be a startable flex option in deep leagues or a WR4 to WR5 in leagues that allow teams to start that many wide receivers. However, if the Rams do draft a large wide receiver to compete on the outside, Givens could be the odd man out and would see a significant reduction in his playing time. If you’re going to be involved in a start-up draft this off-season, it would be wise to wait and see how the Rams draft before taking a chance on Givens.

Stedman Bailey

Bailey is a player I’ve been very high on, even before the draft. While going to the Rams might have been a bit tougher road for him than on most teams, he’s made the most of it and looks as if he’s been able to break into a starting role. For most of the season it looked as if Bailey was simply going to be a depth player and not given a chance to display his substantial talents unless a teammate was injured. Bailey, however, was able to breakthrough and make substantial contributions to St. Louis starting in December. From December on, Bailey caught at least three passes in all but one game. He appears to have gained the confidence of the coaching staff and looks primed to have an increased role in the Rams’ offense next season. Bailey can be drafted fairly late, but be warned his ADP has been increasing.

Tight Ends

Jared Cook

One could be forgiven for believing Cook would be one of the top tight ends in this NFL after the Rams’ first game of the season. For those who don’t remember, Cook hauled in seven receptions, gained 141 receiving yards and topped it off with two touchdowns. Unfortunately for Cook owners, that was the best game of his season by far. Cook never caught over five passes in a game, never gained over 80 receiving yards in a game and finished the season with only three more receiving touchdowns in total. Cook didn’t have an awful season, he just didn’t have the kind of season the Rams excepted him to have, especially after his debut. Cook’s average game shaped up at about three receptions for 42 yards per game. Despite the low average, Cook actually ended up leading the Rams in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Looking forward, Cook should continue to be a major part of the Rams passing attacking. While fantasy owners shouldn’t expect elite tight end numbers, they can expect fairly consistent production. Cook had a catch in every game he played in and didn’t miss a game all year. He finished the season as the NFL’s 16th best tight end and is currently ranked as DLF’s TE20.