St. Louis Rams 2011 Season Odds
(The Spread) – In just his second year, quarterback Sam Bradford already has the St. Louis Rams thinking playoffs.
Oddsmakers currently list the Rams as 45/1 long shots to win the 2012 Super Bowl and 22/1 long shots to win the NFC. But St. Louis plays in a weak NFC West Division, one in which the Rams are +185 to win this year. They share those same odds with the San Francisco 49ers, meaning oddsmakers believe that the Rams have just as good a shot as anyone to win their division and make the postseason.
For that to happen, however, several things must fall into place. First and foremost, Bradford must be just as good as he was last year as a rookie, if not better. If he takes a step backwards then the Rams will suffer because he is the key to their success. Having players like Steven Jackson around him are key, but he’s the one that has to elevate his game.
View Current 2012 Super Bowl Odds
Fortunately for Bradford, the Rams got him some help this offseason. They signed a nasty mauler in Harvey Dahl (Falcons) to play guard and also added Mike Sims-Walker (Jaguars) to the receiving game. Cadillac Williams (Bucs) and Jerious Norwood (Falcons) were added for depth at running back while Zac Diles (Texans), Ben Leber (Vikings) and Brady Poppinga (Packers) are added insurance at linebacker. Al Harris (Dolphins) and Quintin Mikell (Eagles) were signed to give the secondary a boost.
In the draft, the Rams added to their pass rush with the selection of defensive end Robert Quinn (North Carolina) in the first round. They also gave Bradford a couple of weapons in second-round pick Lance Kendricks and third-round pick Austin Pettis. All three of those rookies may be asked to contribute in 2011. It’ll be interesting to see how everything shakes out in St. Louis, where hopes are high that the Rams can finally get back to the postseason.
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