As part of our 2010 NFL Draft coverage, I will be breaking down positional needs for all 32 teams, starting in reverse alphabetical order. Next up is the St. Louis Rams. Check out other team needs by clicking here.

1. Quarterback
A team doesn’t land the first overall pick in the draft without having a ton of holes that need to be addressed before the start of a new season. But even with all the areas of need that the Rams have, it all starts with the quarterback, which should be the Rams’ top priority this offseason. Marc Bulger turns 33 in July and ever since he signed a six-year, $65 million contract extension in 2007 he’s been worthless. Whether it comes in free agency or the draft, the Rams must upgrade the quarterback position this offseason and close the book on the Bulger era in St. Louis. They can’t possibly head into 2010 with Bulger at the top of the quarterback depth chart, especially considering they select at the top of each round in April and seeing as how Michael Vick could probably be had via trade. Rams GM Billy Devaney is familiar with Vick from their time together in Atlanta and Steve Spagnuolo has had nothing but positive things to say about the troubled quarterback so far this offseason. Vick could be acquired for cheap and while he certainly wouldn’t be a long-term answer, he would bring some excitement to the position and give the Rams more playmakers on offense. If not, the Rams could look at drafting a signal caller in one of the first two rounds.

2 & 3. Defense
The Rams need help on all three levels of their defense, so I might as well make defense all one category. Leonard Little and James Hall are both free agents and neither is a viable option anymore as a full-time starter. The Rams might bring one of them back as a situational pass-rusher, but the bottom line is that the defensive end position opposite Chris Long needs to be addressed. St. Louis also needs to add depth to the interior of its defensive line after Adam Carriker missed the entire 2009 season after tearing a muscle in his right shoulder during the preseason. Many pundits believe that the Rams will select either Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy with the first overall pick in April, which certainly makes sense.

Outside linebacker is also a significant need for the Rams. 2009 second round pick James Laurinaitis was outstanding as a rookie last year, finishing with the team lead in tackles and emerging as the defensive quarterback. But after the team released Chris Draft and traded Will Witherspoon to the Eagles in October, it was left ultra-thin at both outside linebacker positions. David Vobora played well after serving a four-game suspension last season and Larry Grant will get an opportunity to compete for a starting job next year in training camp, but both players are unspectacular options, as is Paris Lenon. Whether it’s through free agency or the draft, the outside linebacker position will be an area that Devaney will address.

Cornerback is another position that the Rams will look hard at this offseason. Bradley Fletcher could be a long-term answer at the cornerback position opposite Ron Bartell, but there’s concern that he may not be ready for the start of the 2010 season after the tore his LCL and ACL in October last year. Even if Fletcher is ready, the Rams still need depth at the position.

Receiver, tight end, right guard and tackle (if the Rams don’t bring back Alex Barron, then tackle would definitely be a top 3 priority) and are all needs for St. Louis as well.

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Check out all of our 2009 NFL team previews.

Offseason Additions: Jason Brown (C); James Butler (CB); Kyle Boller (QB); Billy Bajema (TE).

Offseason Losses: Torry Holt (WR); Orlando Pace (OT); Pisa Tinoisamoa (LB); Nick Leckey (C); Anthony Becht (TE); Fakhir Brown (CB); Jason Craft (CB); Dane Looker (WR); Brett Romberg (C).

Player to Watch: Laurent Robinson, WR.
The Rams acquired the former third round pick from Atlanta this offseason and thus far, he has impressed. He’s already solidified the No. 2 receiver position across from Donnie Avery and could emerge as the Rams’ top playmaker in their passing game. At 6’2, 194-pounds, Robinson has excellent size, speed and has demonstrated this summer that he can catch the ball in traffic. Injuries forced him out of Atlanta, but he’s making a name for himself in St. Louis and could become a household name by the end of the season.

Team Strength: In the past three years, the Rams have invested two first round picks in their defensive line and with the guidance of former Giants’ defensive guru Steve Spagnuolo, the unit could become a strength this season. Of course, that will depend on whether or not former second overall pick Chris Long can take the next step in his development and if former ’07 first round pick Adam Carriker can stay healthy. Defensive ends tend take a couple years to develop, but Long has the drive and tenacity to inevitably succeed. Although he’s getting long in the tooth, Leonard Little still brings plenty to the table as a pass rusher and could help free up Long to make plays on the other side. Assuming Carriker and Little can stay healthy and Long blossoms in his second year, the D-line could be one of the few positives for the Rams this season.

Potential Weakness: Even with the additions of free agent Jason Brown and second overall pick Jason Smith, the O-line is still a work in progress. In fact, Smith still can’t beat out the ineffective Adam Goldberg at right tackle. Alex Barron (who is in a contract year) will fill the void left by long-time starter Orlando Pace at left tackle. Barron is athletic and has a good reach to help protect quarterback Marc Bulger’s blind side, but he must cut down on the false start penalties that plagued him last year. Left guard Jacob Bell was a massive free agent bust last season, although he put on 15 pounds this offseason so that he won’t get pushed around as much in the running game. Perhaps the biggest weakness is at right guard, where the team failed to upgrade over the inconsistent Richie Incognito.

Outlook: Spagnuolo worked wonders for the Giants’ defense in New York, but he has his work cut out for him in St. Louis, where the talent the Rams do have needs to be molded. Expect the Rams to keep the ball on the ground with Steven Jackson this season and not rely on the fading Marc Bulger and a talented, but inexperienced receiving corps to win games. The O-line upgraded at center with Brown and could do much worse with Barron at left tackle, but it’s troubling that Smith can’t beat out Goldberg on the right side. Defensively, the line could be a strength as long as Little and Carriker can stay healthy and Long develops, but the Rams are putting a lot of faith in rookie James Laurinaitis (who struggled getting off blockers while in college) at middle linebacker. Re-signing Ron Bartell will boost the secondary, but the Rams are ultra-thin in their defensive backfield, especially after trading corner Tye Hill to the Falcons for a seventh round pick.

The Rams will struggle again this year, but Spagnuolo is setting the groundwork for brighter days in St. Louis. If Bulger can stay healthy and motivated, the Rams have enough offensive talent with Jackson, Avery and Robinson to be effective. But the more likely scenario is that this team will sink to the bottom of the NFC West again.

2009 Prediction: Fourth, NFC West.

In a stunning development, Yahoo! Sports writes that Browns’ receiver Donte Stallworth could avoid a DUI manslaughter conviction stemming from the accident he had in mid-March in which he killed a pedestrian.

According to Florida’s DUI manslaughter law, there are exceptions under what is called “causation” of an accident. In short, someone who is driving drunk and causes an accident is not necessarily responsible if the other party did something to contribute to the accident. Florida statute 316.119 was changed in the 1980s to reflect that after a state Supreme Court judge ruled that the state’s previous strict liability standard on drunken drivers was essentially unfair.

The exception is based on the idea that if a drunken driver stopped at an intersection was hit by another car and the driver of the other car died, the drunken driver should not be held responsible.

In this case, Reyes allegedly was jaywalking at the time he was hit and killed by Stallworth. If Reyes was jaywalking, it could be argued he contributed to the accident. In addition, Stallworth claimed to have flashed his lights and honked his horn at Reyes, which is being interpreted by Stallworth’s side as a way of warning Reyes to get out of the way.

The article also states that Stallworth’s jail time could be reduced to as little as two or three months, which is just flabbergasting considering that he killed a man while driving drunk. This reeks of Leonard Little’s 1998 manslaughter case, in which he only received 90 days in jail, four years probation and 1,000 hours of community service after driving under the influence of alcohol and killing a woman driver.

I feel horrible for the family of the man Stallworth hit. Not only did they lose a member of their family, but now they also have to endure the pain of having Stallworth and his defense team try and prove that he was partly at fault because he jaywalked. Hey, if Stallworth wasn’t being an idiot and driving drunk, maybe this entire situation could have been avoided in the first place. What a tragedy.

The St. Louis Rams were faced with a major decision heading into the 2008 NFL Draft. The team was desperate to add a pass-rushing force to their defensive line, but should they take defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey of LSU or Virginia defensive end Chris Long?

Either way, the Rams were going to wind up with a highly touted prospect, but they arguably made the decision that made the most sense by taking Long with the second overall pick.

One year before, St. Louis selected former Nebraska defensive end Adam Carriker with the 13th overall pick in the 2007 draft. Enamored with his size, the team moved Carriker to defensive tackle so that he could help in run support.

Had the Rams chosen Dorsey, they might have been forced to move Carriker back to end, the position he played in college. Obviously some players are used to changing positions, but asking a second year player to learn an entirely new position in the NFL is tough. Thus the selection of Long made sense because Carriker could stay inside and play a position he’s been learning for over a year.

Teamed with explosive edge rusher Leonard Little, Long now gives the Rams a viable pass rush. One of the reasons Long was high on many team’s draft boards was because of his high intensity and relentless style of play. Even as a rookie he should make an impact in pass-rushing situations and now opposing offenses have to be aware of both end positions on St. Louis’s d-line.

With Little and Long expected to give the Rams a fierce pass rush from the outside, Carriker and veteran La’Roi Glover can concentrate on stopping the run and keep linemen off of Will Witherspoon, a versatile linebacker that can play sideline to sideline. And even though he’s lost a step, end James Hall is a decent backup in pass-rushing situations.

There’s no doubt the Rams’ success depends on Steven Jackson’s contract situation and the health of Marc Bulger, but the team has dramatically upgraded their defensive line in the past two drafts. And now that he has help, Little should be even more effective assuming age and injuries don’t wear him down.