The NFL is known as the league of parity, a place where teams can go from the top of the draft to the top of the standings in just one season. The St. Louis Rams almost tasted that success in 2010 when they missed the playoffs by one game, but in 2011 they fell all the way back to the bottom, thanks to a tough schedule and various injuries. So, what are the chances that the Rams bounce up to the top of the NFC West in 2012?
According to SB Nation's Joel Thorman, those chances are pretty good. In his rankings of the NFL teams that have the best chance of going from "worst to first," Thorman ranks the Rams second behind only the Kansas City Chiefs. Here is a bit of Thorman's reasoning for being a bit optimistic about the Rams' chances:
First of all, the NFC West is a fairly close division. The 49ers won 13 games last year and finished the year as the clear cut best team in the division. That may not change next year but the 49ers aren't a perennial power where we can dub them divisional champs before the year even starts. They need to do it again to prove that they're for real. The Rams have Sam Bradford at quarterback, and despite some of his struggles last year, he's still a young quarterback who should get a lot better. Offensively, one of the Rams best weapons is Steven Jackson, who received some help in the draft with the selection of Isaiah Pead.
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