As finale looms, St. Louis Rams get set for an inevitable shake-up

As finale looms, St. Louis Rams get set for an inevitable shake-up
December 27
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"As the locker room at Rams Park began to empty Friday after the final practice of this gloomy season, running back Steven Jackson refused to get caught up in musing about how many of his teammates will be returning next year.

"I've been around for five years now, and you learn that you might not play with somebody the next week. So I don't really focus on that," Jackson said. "I just go out there and try to play hard, and regardless who is suiting up with me, as along as they have a Rams helmet on, they're my teammate. And I feel like they're my teammate for life."

With just five wins over two seasons heading into Sunday's finale at Atlanta, the Rams of 2008 might make up only a small part of the Rams of 2009. Restructuring in the front office already has begun, and a major roster shakeup is expected to take place over the next few months.

"We've been down quite some time; let's just be honest," Jackson said. "These last two years have been a huge disappointment. You want to get back on prime-time television, you want games sold out, and you want everyone to play at a high level. That's what I want personally for our organization."

Coach Jim Haslett, whose future with the club also is up in the air, has talked often about the challenge of changing a losing culture. Asked how that could be accomplished, Jackson said, "You just have to get everyone on board. Everyone has to be on the same page: offense, defense, front office, ownership. It takes a lot to win in this league."

Still, when you play in the feeble NFC West, the trip from bottom to top isn't quite so daunting, Jackson insisted. "We're not that far away," he said. "We beat two really good football teams (Washington and Dallas) … that just shows that there's something here in the building. But we do need those three or four guys."

If Jackson had his druthers, those would be offensive linemen and a lead-blocking fullback.

"We need (guard) Richie Incognito plus three; you need those big-time guys that are going to plow some things open," he said. "And you need a fullback with an attitude.""

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