St. Louis Rams: Spagnuolo Era Begins

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

The 2008 season was an unmitigated disaster for the Rams. They had their star running back hold out, only to be re-signed and get injured -- an injury which lingered far too long. They fired their coach after four embarrassing games, won two straight under his replacement, but then dropped their final 10.

It was hard to find a strength on this team. The offense ranked 27th in the league, while the defense was 28th. Then again, Donnie Jones was one of the best punters in the league. So there's that.

Steve Spagnuolo, after leading the Giants ferocious defense for the past two seasons, comes over to be the new head coach in St. Louis. He's got his work cut out for him in the first year, but that's likely what we said about Mike Smith (Falcons) and Tony Sparano (Dolphins) prior to last season. We know how those two fared.

That being said, there are holes nearly everywhere. Offensive linchpins Orlando Pace and Torry Holt are both probably on their way out, we haven't seen quality play from Marc Bulger in a few seasons, and the defense is suspect all over the place. Expect the Rams to get young all over the place as they attempt to rebuild and Spagnuolo looks to put his stamp on the franchise.

Free Agents: Victor Adeyanju (RFA), Richie Incognito (RFA), Mark Setterstrom (RFA), O.J. Atogwe (franchised), Ronald Bartell (UFA), Fakhir Brown (UFA), Jason Craft (UFA), Anthony Davis (UFA), La'Roi Glover (UFA), Adam Goldberg (UFA), Brandon Gorin (UFA), Dante Hall (UFA), Nick Leckey (UFA), Dane Looker (UFA), Ricky Manning (UFA), Travis Minor (UFA), Eric Moore (UFA), Rob Petitti (UFA), Brett Romberg (UFA), Gary Stills (UFA), Cory Withrow (UFA)

Draft Picks: 1(2), 2(3), 3(2), 4(3), 5(2), 6(3), 7(2)

Needs

1. Offensive line - They're going to take who they hope to be a franchise tackle with the second overall pick -- probably the monstrous Eugene Monroe from Virginia -- and this is a fine move. There's still more work to be done on this group, though. They could use a center, and there are some free agent options. I wouldn't mind shoring up the entire thing, but that won't be possible in one offseason.

2. Linebackers - I don't want to single anyone out, so I'll just say their linebackers are collectively really bad. Middle and strong-side would be the most important ones to fill first, but any help in this area will do.

3. Defensive Backfield - Todd Johnson will not cut it as a starting strong safety, so expect the Rams to sign a veteran to jump him on the depth chart. Tye Hill still hasn't really shown the potential he was once thought to have, due mostly to injuries. Even if he does stay healthy and play well, he'll need some additional help at corner. Fortunately for the Rams, O.J. Atogwe has been retained via the franchise tag.

4. Nose Tackle - Abysmal run defense last year exposed the need to find a real hole-plugger in the middle. There aren't many available, though, so it should be interesting to see how Spagnuolo works to fill the interior line void.

5. Wide Receiver - With Torry Holt departing, they are awfully thin and inexperienced here. Donnie Avery has shown enough promise to know he's going to stick, but he's their number one wideout once Holt goes (assuming he does). Keenan Burton is their only other hope here -- and he only caught 13 passes as a rookie -- so expect to see a few receivers selected in the draft.

6. Backup Running Back - When Steven Jackson was injured, the running game was hopeless. Granted, an improved offensive line could change things, but the Rams were not running out quality NFL runners in SJax's absence.

7. Quarterback? They probably can't address this just yet, but is Bulger really the quarterback Spagnuolo envisions taking him to the next level? I sincerely doubt it.