1. St. Louis Rams
Free Agency: The Rams were able to land some very good player through free agency. They were able to sign Jared Cook who will improve the passing attack and will be a reliable target for Sam Bradford. The Rams now have a good two tight end set with Cook and Lance Kendricks. Bradford has been asking the Rams to go out and get him playmakers and the Rams found one in Cook. Another good signing the Rams had was getting Jake Long to protect Bradford. The Rams offensive line has been a work in process for years now. They have an above average tackle in Rodger Saffold and it seems like Saffold is not happy about the Rams asking him to play right tackle. Usually this about money since Saffold wants a left tackle contract when his current contract is expired. If Saffold moves to right tackle than the Rams will not give him as much which will create a problem with him. Hopefully the Rams can find a way to settle the dispute, but no one can argue that the Rams really improved their offensive line with Jake Long.
Trades: No major trades.
Draft: In my opinion, I believe the Rams had the best overall draft. They really addressed their needs and didn't reach on any player. Let's start with Tavon Austin. He is by far the biggest playmaker on the field. He runs crisp routes, he's a home run threat, and he can take it to the house on special teams. He is on the shorter end, measuring 5'8 174 pounds at the combine, but don't take this kid lightly since he has some beef on him. Despite his size, Austin instantly gives Bradford a weapon on the outside and will immediately make this offense much better. Their next pick was Alec Ogletree at the end of the first round. Ogletree is a solid linebacker and helped Georgia become a dominant defense this past year. He improves the linebacker corp and I believe he will do great in St. Louis since the he will have a great defensive line in front of him. It's hard to judge his athleticism since he ran a 4.70 40 yard dash and didn't really look quick at the combine, however if you put on the tape you can see how Ogletree closes in on outside runs and swing passes and it's incredible. Ogletree must stay out of trouble, but I think Jeff Fisher will make sure Ogletree stays on the right path in the NFL. In the third round they were able to land T.J. McDonald out of USC. A big, strong, physical safety is exactly what McDonald is. I think he is more suited as a in-the-box safety since he has some stiffness in his hips when dropping into coverage. He also isn't the type of ball hawk safety you like to have on your team, but the way he engages his tacklers is amazing. He comes in like a missile and won't let the ball carrier get away from him. He will bring toughness the Rams defense and I believe he will be on the first team on day one. I previously did a article on the Top 10 steals of the draft and I believe I missed out on one person and that was Barrett Jones the G/C/T out of Alabama. He was taken in the 4th round and will definitely help out the interior offensive line. He is a very versatile player who can play anywhere on the line of scrimmage and will have a good shot at being a day one starter. The Rams were also able to pick up another West Virginia wideout in Stedman Bailey. Bailey is one of the best route runners in this draft and does everything right. He isn't fastest, strongest, or tallest player on the field, but he is consistently making plays and will provide Bradford with another good target.
Overall: I think the draft that the Rams had was probably the best they had in a very long time. They added a lot of playmakers on both sides of the ball and will improve this team greatly in 2013. They didn't break the bank in free agency which is a good thing considering they got Long and Cook who will help out the offense a ton. The Rams got great value in every pick they made. The only concern I have is whether or not Daryl Richardson can take over Steven Jackson's spot. If he can come out and be electric than this Rams team will be fighting for a playoff run. Which teams do you think had the best Drafts? Share your own thoughts below.