St. Louis RAMS   2002 Record: 7-9 Head Coach: Mike Martz 31-17 overall, 2-2 postseason TEAM LEADERS   Passing Marc Bulger 138-214, 1,826 yards, 14 TDS, 6 INTs   Rushing Marshall Faulk 212 carries, 953 yards, 8 TDs   Receiving Torry Holt 91 catches, 1,302 yards, 4 TDs   Kicking Jeff Wilkins 19-25 FGs, 37-37 PATs, 94 points Schedule | Roster | Statistics | Stadium

By B. Duane Cross, SI.com

It's been three seasons since St. Louis' meteoric rise to the top of the NFL universe. Now, coming of an injury-riddled 7-9 season, the bloom is off Rams head coach Mike Martz and, maybe more significantly, QB Kurt Warner.

St. Louis stumbled out of the gate last season, losing its first five games before reeling off five consecutive wins to stand 5-5 entering the stretch. Losses in four of their next five games insured the first losing season for the Rams since 1998. However, aside from a 37-13 loss at San Francisco and a 30-10 setback at Seattle, St. Louis was at least within striking distance in its other seven defeats.

Given a healthy Warner and RB Marshall Faulk, the Rams look to return to the top spot in the NFC West. The division's other three teams -- Arizona, San Francisco and Seattle -- did not make significant offseason improvement, or even enough to suggest they are in St. Louis' class when the Rams are at full strength.

Injuries to Warner's throwing hand robbed him of his accustomed feel for the offense, resulting in only three TDs and 11 interceptions. Now fully recovered, Warner again asends to the top of the depth chart, supplanting Marc Bulger. "We've got to give Kurt every opportunity to return to his form," Martz said as last season wrapped up. "I think we'll give Kurt every opportunity to return where he has been in the past."

For his part, Warner feels battle-ready. "I don't even look at that as a challenge," Warner told the Orlando Sentinel this offseason. "To me, there is one standard: excellence. My goal is to play the way I know how to play. To me, that means just playing. That's all I know."

It's also what we've come to expect from him -- and the Rams.

>> Impact Signing

T Kyle Turley -- It was a deft move by the Rams to acquire a Pro Bowl-quality lineman, especially in light of the ongoing contract spat with Orlando Pace. Turley, either as a right tackle or replacing Pace on the left, gives 100 percent -- much to the chagrin of opponents (and even opposing coaches if you ask Mike Martz, who once had a few choice words for the flamboyant Turley).

"When I first heard that the Rams were one of the teams at the top of the list of teams wanting to make the trade, I was like 'No, there's no way this could be with all the things that have gone back and forth,'" Turley said. " I didn't know how well received I would be up here. But you know what? When I sat down with coach Martz like I talked about, it was just a great conversation and we both were on the same page.

"The things that had been said were in a complete competitive nature in that rivalry atmosphere. I can't say that I regret any of the things I said about this organization, because that's when I was playing for New Orleans. Now that I'm playing in St. Louis for the Rams, I'm gonna give as much as I ever gave to New Orleans for this city and this team."

>> Impact Loss

TE Ernie Conwell -- While Conwell's name doesn't jump to the tongue when discussing the Rams' juggernaut offense, he was a key component to the team's success. He had eight TDs -- two rushing -- during the past two seasons, and hasn't missed a game since 1999, but he jumped to New Orleans in the offseason. Oft-injured former Saint and most-recently Patriot Cam Cleeland, who hasn't completed a 16-game schedule since his rookie season in 1998, was signed to fill his spot.

>> Fantasy Stud

RB Marshall Faulk -- When healthy, he is by far the most dangerous player in fantasy football. He's a great runner who can find ways to score from anywhere on the field. He's also a very dangerous receiver who's as much of a threat as the dynamic duo of Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. Playing in such a high-powered Rams offense only amplifies those numbers, as seen with his 47 total TDs in 2000 and 2001. However, he's missed games each of the past three seasons, and he was a shell of his former self at the end of last season because of nagging knee injuries. He and Priest Holmes are the top two players in fantasy football if they are healthy, which is a huge question entering this season.

St. Louis Rams
Signed	From	Lost	To
T Orlando Pace	Franchise tag	CB Dexter McCleon	Chiefs
QB Scott Covington	Re-signed	QB Jamie Martin	Released
C Dave Wohlabaugh	Browns	FB James Hodgins	Cardinals
CB Aeneas Williams	Re-signed	CB Dré Bly	Lions
T David Loverne	Trade w/ Was.	RB Trung Canidate	Trade w/ Was.
T Grant Williams	Re-signed	P Mitch Berger	Saints
P Sean Landeta	Eagles	G Tom Nutten	Jets
T Kyle Turley	Trade w/ N.O.	WR Ricky Proehl	Panthers
RB Leon Johnson	Bears	FB Chris Hetherington	Raiders
TE Cam Cleeland	Patriots	G Frank Garcia	Cardinals
C Andy McCollum	Re-signed	G Heath Irwin	Broncos
DE Tyoka Jackson	Re-signed	DT Jeff Zgonina	Dolphins
WR Mike Furrey	--	TE Ernie Conwell	Saints
CB Jason Sehorn	Giants	LB Don Davis	Patriots
		S Chad Cota	Bills
Unrestricted		Restricted
LB O.J. Brigance		DT Brian Young
		T John St. Clair

2003 Draft Picks
Rd.	Pick	Player	Pos.	School
1	12 (12)	Jimmy Kennedy	DT	Penn State
2	11 (43)	Pisa Tinoisamoa	OLB	Hawaii
3	10 (74)	Kevin Curtis	WR	Utah State
4	9 (106)	Shaun McDonald	WR	Arizona State
4	10 (107)	DeJuan Groce	CB	Nebraska
5	13 (148)	Dan Curley	TE	E. Washington
5	35 (170)	Shane Walton	CB	Notre Dame
5	37 (172)	Kevin Garrett	CB	SMU
6	11 (184)	Scott Tercero	G	California
7	37 (251)	Scott Shanle	OLB	Nebraska
7	40 (254)	Richard Angulo	TE	W. New Mexico