Was it a Mistake to Release Ryan Pickett?

A lot of fans may say that Pickett should have been gotten rid of without a doubt, and a lot did say it before the 2006 season started, and well, they got their wish. The Rams failed to re-sign Picket at the beginning of the season, where he went off to Green Bay for a very modest price tag.

With the departure of Pickett, this led way for an opportunity for Jimmy Kennedy to start at nose tackle. Once thought to be a player that would be a benefit for the Rams in a big way because of his bulk, turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments on the defense. Instead of being an improvement over Pickett he was a downgrade. Contributing to some of the worst rushing defense in the NFL.

Meanwhile, back in Green Bay, Pickett may not have been one of the best but he was active and was above the average standards at stuffing the run, far more than Kennedy ever exhibited. Even with an average effort to stop the run, the Rams may have been able to win one or two more games, enabling them to get into the playoffs, or even win the NFC West.

Instead, the Rams decision to let Pickett go, replace him with Kennedy was a failure. Instead of fixing their problem, they worsened it and fell to next to last in the NFL against the run, and once again find themselves scratching their heads and wondering where they can find someone, anyone, from anywhere to help patch up the gaping wounds rushers created all during the 2006 season.