Last season the Rams went 2-14-0 and finished in last place in the NFC West, missing the playoffs.

Offense: The “greatest show on turf” is officially over in St. Louis with the release of lineman Orlando Pace and wide receiver Torry Holt early this offseason. Pace and Holt were the last remaining staples of one of the greatest offenses in the past decade and with their release marked the end of an era. With the recent play of this offense some would believe that the era of greatness ended seasons ago for St. Louis as the finished tied for 30th in points scored and 27th in total yards. Quarterback Marc Bulger has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness the past two seasons and he has not thrown for over 2,800 yards while having more interceptions than touchdowns both years. Without an established receiver on the roster outside of running back Steven Jackson, Bulger and the Rams may be in for another tough season on offense.

Defense: Many changes have been made to a defense that allowed the second most points in the league last season while also ranking in the bottom four in total yards and rushing yards allowed. Middle linebacker James Laurinaitis was drafted in the second round and is already projected to be the starter in the middle of this defense. The Rams also signed starting safety James Butler from the New York Giants to try and help a secondary that ranked 19th against the pass and traded away one of its starting cornerbacks earlier in the offseason. Second-year defensive end Chris Long continues to impress the coaching staff and is looking to improve on his 40 tackles and four sacks last season. Expect improvements from this unit especially with new head coach Steve Spagnuolo being a former defensive coordinator but time will tell if it is enough to lift this team out of the basement of the NFC West.

Star Power: As quarterback Marc Bulger continues to struggle the identity of the Rams has changed from a pass-happy offense to more of a power running game with Steven Jackson at the lead. The past two seasons Jackson has missed four games each year but he has come into camp healthy and determined to stay so for the benefit of himself and his team. He has the potential to be a 1,500 yard rushing and 800 yard receiving back while also having 16 total touchdowns as he was in 2006 but his production relates to his ability to stay healthy. The Rams are now Jackson’s team and they will go as far as he can carry them this season. If Jackson can play 15 or more games this season, expect 1,700 yards combined rushing and receiving with double digit touchdowns.

Biggest Addition: In trying to make the Rams into more of a power offense coach Spagnuolo knew that success started on the offensive line. So the Rams went out and signed 6’3”, 320 pound, center Jason Brown from the Baltimore Ravens to anchor the offensive line. Brown can bring leadership to a young line that is in transition with the release of long time tackle Orlando Pace. He can also help not only the running game, but the passing game as well. The extra time that quarterback Marc Bulger has to scan the defense and make his reads, the better he will play. Most teams are built from the inside out starting with the offensive and defensive lines, and with the signing of Jason Brown the Rams are on the right track with their rebuilding process.

Biggest Loss: Torry Holt’s best years may have be behind him, but he was a consistent receiver and you always knew what kind of production you were going to get out of him. In his ten years in St. Louis, Holt averaged 1,266 yards receiving and 7.4 touchdowns a season as a part of the greatest show on turf. He may be getting older, turning 33 earlier this year, but he would always show up to play on Sunday’s as he missed only two games in his 10 seasons. Without Holt the Rams are left with question marks at the receiver position with no established receiver on the roster. Holt will be missed by the Rams this season, mostly by Marc Bulger.

Biggest Game: On Sunday, September 13th the Rams head to Seattle to play the Seahawks in a Week 1 matchup. This game is big for both teams to try and work their way out of the division basement. Both teams need to, and made, many improvements to try and return to the form that took both teams to a Super Bowl in this decade.