A few years ago, the theme of the St. Louis Rams preview was Recapturing Glory: How can this still-gifted group rediscover its Super Bowl swagger? Soon, the theme slid into Fulfilling Expectations: What must this talented club do in order to live up to its potential? Not long after that, the theme turned into Bouncing Back: How does this once-proud organization recover from its latest disappointing season?

The erosion of the Rams franchise has continued right on to today, where the theme for 2009 is simply Being Competitive: How does a bad NFL team become good?

That’s what the Rams, winners of five total games over the past two seasons, are asking. Or at least we think that’s what they’re asking. It’s hard to tell these days with new owners Chip Rosenbloom and Lucia Rodriguez, who inherited the club after their mother, Georgia Frontiere, died in January 2008. Rosenbloom and Rodriguez––good people with minimal interest in football––recently put the organization up for sale.

But the disinterest of the owners, fortunately, hasn’t curtailed the Rams’ rebuilding efforts. To Rosenbloom and Rodriguez’s credit, at the end of last season, they hired Falcons former assistant GM Billy Devaney as essentially the new supreme consul, ending the turmoil that had for years riddled this front office. The responsibility of answering the multifaceted question about how a bad NFL team becomes good fell on the new GM’s shoulders.

Devaney’s first idea was a prudent one: find a quality head coach (something the Rams really haven’t had since Dick Vermeil). He did that by hiring renowned Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Devaney and Spagnuolo have a working relationship that dates back to the late 80s. So far, they’ve been on the same wavelength.

There were issues to address on both sides of the ball, as the Rams offense ranked 30^th in point scored and the defense 31^st in points allowed last season. With a decent veteran quarterback in Marc Bulger, superstar running back in Steven Jackson and handful of young receivers who are still too green to judge, the focus on offense was renovating the putrid front line. Future Hall of Fame left tackle Orlando Pace was released in a wise cost-cutting move. This allowed for the signing of Ravens center Jason Brown, who, with $20 million in guarantees, is now the highest paid player at his position. Also, Baylor tackle Jason Smith was selected with the second overall pick in the draft. Though one could argue that these moves were at least mild financial risks, no one will say the Rams aren’t all but guaranteed to improve up front. Serviceable blocking makes this offense––which is now a West Coast system under first-time coordinator Pat Shurmur––a whole different animal.

Defensively, the arrival of Spagnuolo alone will pay dividends. His attacking 46-oriented scheme, which derives largely from his former tutor, the late Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, has been known to generate overachievers. Overall, the World Champion ’07 Giants had a good but not great defense in terms of raw talent. Of course, aside from his former New York safety James Butler (who signed with the Rams as a free agent), Spagnuolo doesn’t begin to have the same quality of players here.

Even if last year’s No. 2 overall pick, Chris Long, evolves into one of the premiere all-around defensive ends in football (which is not unlikely), and highly-touted second-round rookie James Laurinaitis becomes as impactful a middle linebacker as Antonio Pierce, Spagnuolo will still have a defense in need of significant upgrades after this season. There are disconcerting soft spots along the starting front line and throughout the second string at linebacker and defensive back.

Fortunately for Spagnuolo and Devaney, anyone with half a brain can see that this rebuilding effort will take time. No one in the organization would ever admit this, but 2009 will be a successful season for the Rams if they can improve their win total to around six or seven (with preferably a strong record in November and December), sort out the space-wasting youngsters from the ones worth developing and shape the roster in a fashion that makes it easy to amend once the 2010 offseason rolls around.

Obviously, this doesn’t sound too inspiring in the short term. But this is how a bad team becomes good.

Offense

You can’t overstate the significance of an improved line. In short, it’s the difference between a functioning offense and a non-functioning offense. The key is center Jason Brown. While not an elite player, the 26-year pro is über-reliable and still on the rise. More importantly, he ameliorates a weakness that has destroyed this offense in recent years. Brown’s leadership was admired in Baltimore, and his power will stabilize the run-blocking efforts enough to make guards Jacob Bell and Richie Incognito serviceable. Bell has enticing ability when he’s able to keep his weight on. After reportedly dropping to 280 pounds last season and consequently struggling to land effective blocks in space, Bell, with the help of a personal nutritionist, is up to 300 and should still be able to reach the second level. Incognito’s temper can make him either a nasty scrapper or a chemistry killer. He has coarse technique, but with backup Mark Setterstrom missing all but three games over the past two seasons with knee injuries, and second-year converted tackle John Greco not yet comfortable enough inside to be aggressive, the Rams have no other options here.

The tackles will decide whether quarterback Marc Bulger continues to get drilled every other time he drops back. (Bulger has been sacked an average of 41 times per season over the past three years and seems to annually fight wear and tear by Halloween.) Jason Smith is expected to start ahead of Adam Goldberg on Opening Day. But senselessly, St. Louis is playing the rookie on the unfamiliar right side. That leaves athletic fifth-year veteran Alex Barron in his natural left tackle position. The mistake-prone Barron is not a good enough player to cater to––especially considering this is his contract year and there are no guarantees he’ll even be back in 2010.

Even if Smith is out of position, he’s likely to make Bulger’s life easier. So is Pat Shurmur’s new precision-passing West Coast offense. Timing routes and quick drops favor the 32-year-old quarterback. With Kyle Boller replacing Trent Green as the backup, it’s safe to say St. Louis is utterly reliant on Bulger becoming a better on-field leader in 2009.

He’ll have to be a patient leader because, for the first time in 15 years, neither Isaac Bruce nor Torry Holt will line up for this club. Second-year pros Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton will get a crack at headlining the receiving corps. Improved awareness and sharpened mechanics would allow Avery to use the speed and quickness that made him an early second-round pick. Burton might just be glad to play without having to drain his knee every Friday (which he did during his 13-catch rookie campaign). If Burton doesn’t pan out, electrifying former-Falcon Laurent Robinson will get a look. Robinson’s ability to stretch the field equates to star potential, though the odds are against him, as he’s proven vulnerable to injuries. Dido for third-year pro Derek Stanley (coming off an ACL) and super-dido for newly acquired veteran Ronald Curry (a freakish athlete who has suffered multiple torn Achilles tendons in his career).

Tight end Randy McMichael is also rebounding from injury (an ankle that sidelined him the final 12 games last season). McMichael has not maximized his receiving prowess since leaving Miami, though this system could change that. Of course, he may get asked to block more often, given that the focus is rightfully on running back Steven Jackson. The Rams signed fullback Mike Karney and blocking tight end Billy Bajema (who, by the way, is not as good as incumbent Joe Klopfenstein) to help the 26-year-old Jackson regain his superstardom. Jackson has a wide array of skills and plays his heart out every Sunday. With Antonio Pittman being St. Louis’s only other decent running back, expect Jackson to touch the ball about 30 times a game.

Defense

The Ram defense, like the offense, hinges on the improvements of its front line. The only viable starter along the line is end Chris Long, a second-year stud who has the savvy and tenacity to produce great results with only good tools. The hope was once that first-round pick Adam Carriker would anchor this unit, but through his first two seasons, Carriker has been injury prone and utterly ineffective. He struggles to untangle from blocks and lacks the second gear to close with a burst.

A change to Spagnuolo’s more aggressive scheme could help Carriker. Then again, the change means that third-year nose tackle Clifton Ryan may have to play more one-gap football––something the slow 316-pounder simply can’t do. With Ryan likely to yield reps to fourth-round rookie Dorell Scott, Carriker is likely to crumble against frequent double-teams.

Rounding out the starting line will likely be Victor Adeyanju, an undersized but solid run-defender. Drunk driving extraordinaire Leonard Little is hoping to have enough speed left to capture a pass-rushing role, though it’s doubtful at this point that the soon-to-be 35-year-old––who battled a hamstring all last year––is much better than quick but inconsistent veteran James Hall.

Great linebacker play has been known to augment this 46-style scheme. The addition of second-round rookie James Laurinaitis serves a multitude of purposes. For one, it gives St. Louis the thumping, instinctive middle linebacker it needs to consistently defend the run. For two, it allows veteran Chris Draft to play on the strong side and, even better, Will Witherspoon to move to the weak side. These position moves were likely influenced by new defensive coordinator Ken Flajole, who was the linebackers coach for both veterans when they played in Carolina.

Draft is a superb utility backup who can keep a linebacking core above water as a starter. He doesn’t have resounding power or glistening aptitude against blocks, but neither do reserves Quinton Culberson (who is especially futile in this realm) or David Vobora. Witherspoon was moved out of the middle even before Laurinaitis arrived, as it was painfully obvious that the eighth-year veteran’s finesse style made him best suited for running in space.

The Rams secondary is like the other two defensive units: good in spots but alarmingly shallow. If cornerback Tye Hill can remain healthy for the first time since his ’06 rookie year, the Rams may actually be good in all four spots. (But still shallow). Hill is an impressive raw athlete with unique man-to-man skills. He’ll be playing across from ascending fifth-year pro Ron Bartell, a safety/corner tweener who is great in run support and excellent as a pure cover artist when facing inferior competition (he’s no better than decent against elite receivers). Jonathan Wade and Justin King will fight for nickel duties. Wade has seen minimal action his first two seasons, but that’s better than King, who spent his ’08 year season on Injured Reserve with a hyperextended toe.

Former Giants strong safety James Butler is obviously a favorite of Spagnuolo. The Rams were very diligent and persistent in their contract negotiations with the soon-to-be 27-year-old. The contract negotiations with free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe were much simpler: St. Louis slapped him with a franchise tag and said Welcome Back. Atogwe gracefully accepted the $6.342 million deal and spent the entire offseason around team facilities. The Stanford product has 13 interceptions over the last two seasons, but he doesn’t possess the speed or instincts of a preeminent playmaker. Still, St. Louis was wise to bring Atogwe back.

Special Teams

Kicker Josh Brown is arguably the best in the business. He’s accurate from long range (6/8 from fifty yards-plus last season) and deadly under pressure. Punter Donnie Jones averaged a league-high 50 yards per boot in 2008. However, his effectiveness was diminished by a punt coverage unit that ranked 22^nd. Of course, it could have been worse: the kickoff coverage unit ranked dead last. The Rams have limited options in the return game. Backup receivers Laurent Robinson and Derek Stanley are likely to vie for the duties, though neither has much experience.

Bottom Line

Steve Spagnuolo will at least make this team respectable––something it hasn’t been the last two seasons. Don’t be surprised if the offense comes back to life (not Greatest Show on Turf life, but middle-of-the-pack life). With an upgraded line, a breakout receiver could be all that’s needed. Still, the defense lacks enough weapons to keep this team in contention. This, and a general paucity of quality depth, should lead to another early draft pick for the Rams.

Predicted Finish: 4^th NFC West