Tag: Steven Jackson (Page 4 of 7)

      Rams to trade Steven Jackson? GM says no.

      December 26, 2009 /

      Rams general manager Billy Devaney says that the team won’t look to trade running back Steven Jackson this offseason.

      From the St. Louis Dispatch:

      Devaney shot down such rumors in October as the trade deadline approached. And with the offseason just 10 days away for the Rams, he was more than happy to shoot them down again.

      “It’s something that’s never even crossed my mind,” Devaney said in a recent interview. “It’s something that I couldn’t imagine. We’re trying to bring good players into the building. Why would we want (to trade) our best guy — one of the best players in the NFL regardless of position?”

      The idea isn’t too far fetched; the Rams are many pieces of away from being competitive, so why not trade Jackson and get extra draft picks?

      But it’s hard enough for teams to find a trade partner, nevertheless one that will surrender multiple draft picks to acquire a player. So even if the Rams do find a trade partner, will they find one willing to give up a at least a first and a third round pick to acquire Jackson? And if they don’t find a trade partner, then they have to worry about alienating Jackson in the process.

      The Rams would be better off keeping Jackson and allowing Devaney to build the roster through the draft. They need to find a quarterback and to continue to rebuild the offensive line before they start taking chances like trading Jackson. It just doesn’t seem like a prudent move right now.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      NFL Week 13 MVP Power Rankings

      December 12, 2009 /

      The way the Saints have been winning each week has been like a gift to their fans. That is, it’s been a SURPRISE each week. Sometimes they dominate, sometimes they make it more interesting than it should be, and sometimes they flat out get a, well, gift, from the opposing team. Last Sunday it was the latter against a Washington team that let the Saints back in the game by missing a chip shot field goal. Drew Brees and company took care of the rest, and that’s why our man remains atop this list, with Peyton Manning right there behind him.

      1. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints—He’s got a 111.3 QB rating to lead the NFL—3536 passing yards, 69% completion percentage and 29 touchdowns to 10 picks. Oh, and yeah…his team is 12-0 and has already clinched the NFC South.

      2. Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts—Not much different from Brees’ numbers—3685 passing yards, a ridiculous 70% completion rate, 25 TDs and 11 interceptions…and the same 12-0 record for his Colts, with a clinched AFC South.

      3. Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings—A much more human game for Favre against Arizona Sunday night, but despite those 2 interceptions, he still threw for 275 yards and two scores. It just wasn’t enough, and even worse, the Cardinals may have gotten into the Vikings’ collective head.

      4. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers—Despite being sacked a league high 45 times, Rodgers had led his team to four straight wins and has them in position for a wild card berth. And he probably hates this comparison, but his numbers are very Favre-esque: 3399 yards, 25 TDs, 7 picks.

      5. Cedric Benson, Cincinnati Bengals—After missing a few starts due to injury, Cedric returned (albeit against Detroit) and promptly carried 36 times for 110 yards. Sure, there are two RBs with more yards per game (Chris Johnson and Steven Jackson), but Benson is making more of an impact for his team…the definition of MVP.

      Honorable Mention—Chris Johnson, Titans; Philip Rivers, Chargers; Adrian Peterson, Vikings; Maurice Jones-Drew, Jaguars, Reggie Wayne, Colts; Jared Allen, Vikings; Vince Young, Titans; Elvis Dumervil, Broncos; Darren Sharper, Saints; Randy Moss, Patriots; Wes Welker, Patriots

      NFL

      So far, the Rams’ offense is pathetic under Shurmur

      September 20, 2009 /

      Remember the days when the “mad scientist” Mike Martz called the plays in St. Louis and the Rams scored at will against opponents? Well, they’re light years from resembling that offense again.

      When Steve Spagnuolo was hired in January to be the Rams’ next head coach, he appointed former Eagles’ QB coach Pat Shurmur to run his offense. And if the first two games of the ’09 season are any indication of how St. Louis will fair offensively this season, then this team will be lucky to average 10 points a game this year.

      I realize it’s early, but the Rams’ offense already looks pathetic. A week after being shut out in Seattle, St. Louis mustered only a touchdown in a 9-7 loss to the Redskins on Sunday.

      The Rams had a golden opportunity to move the chains through the air against a Washington team that inactivated cornerbacks Fred Smoot and Kevin Barnes before the game and therefore, the Skins only had four active cornerbacks. Washington was sold out to stop Steven Jackson in the running game and despite facing a passive Washington defensive backfield, Marc Bulger threw for only 123 yards and a 4.4 YPA average. That’s brutal – rookies post those kinds of numbers in their first games.

      Granted, neither Shurmur nor Bulger can do anything about receiver Donnie Avery fumbling in the red zone, and they couldn’t help that center Jason Brown and left tackle Jason Smith left the game at various times with injuries. Plus, it always takes players two to three years to learn the West Coast Offense.

      But the bottom line is that the Rams have seven points in eight quarters and that’s just not going to cut it, especially for a team that expected to play harder under Spagnuolo.

      NFL

      2009 NFL Preview: #31 St. Louis Rams

      September 1, 2009 /

      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.

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      NFL

      Are the Rams the NFL’s sleeper team of ’09?

      July 11, 2009 /

      Mike Tanier of the New York Times must have been hitting the sauce the past couple days, because he’s suggesting that the Rams will be one of the NFL’s surprise teams in 2009.

      It turns out that Spagnuolo isn’t the only reason for optimism in St. Louis. Many statistical indicators suggest that the Rams are close to rising again. One is their fumble recovery percentage: the Rams forced 17 fumbles last year but recovered just 5, a sign that with better luck and a dose of Spagnuolo’s coaching, their defense will create a few more turnovers.

      The Rams were one of the worst teams in the league in red zone running, and it takes only a slight improvement in that area to make a big difference on the scoreboard. The Rams lost many of their starters to injuries in 2008 and can get better just by getting healthier.

      One other major factor works in the Rams’ favor: their division. The Seahawks are rebuilding. The 49ers haven’t had a winning season since 2002. The Cardinals won the conference, but they are no powerhouse. With a few slight improvements, the Rams could easily go 4-2 or 5-1 against the N.F.C. West. Those wins alone would give them their best record in three years!

      I like the direction of this team under Spagnuolo more than I do Scott Linehan, but this is still a bad football team, even in a weak division.

      Steven Jackson is a beast, but the Rams’ offensive line is brutal (remember that Jason Smith hasn’t taken a snap in the NFL yet) and Marc Bulger checked out years ago. He plays with zero passion and even if he were into the games, the offensive line will get him stomped anyway. The defense has some nice young pieces to build around in Chris Long, Ron Bartell, Adam Carriker and James Laurinaitis, but there are still a ton of holes on that side of the ball, too.

      Will the Rams be improved in ’09? Maybe. Will they be a sleeper? Pass me whatever Tainer is drinking and I’ll let you know.

      NFL

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